been thinking about getting a night vision monocular

[orangetom1999]

For some years now I have been thinking about getting a night vision monocular.

I do not necessarily want a night vision telescope for a weapon..but only separate night vision.

I am considering spending below $400.00 for this tool.


With other obligations for many years this was a thought and not a priority...but am of recent raising the priority level for this gear.

Are any of the members here familiar with this gear as I am not. I am looking at one model which can see day and night and record....

https://www.amazon.com/Bestguarder-M...QD9ATBTWCXY5D0



It seems that over the years this gear has improved as well as come down in price..which also makes it a bit more attractive. There was a time when it was horribly expensive.

I am interested in such features of course as reliability and ruggedness...first and foremost....but within a certain price range.

Other than the one I played with one night on a submarine periscope...I've never used any of this gear. And the one on the submarine I was not impressed with it...everything was green.

My thanks in advance to the members for any help


Orangetom

[helomech]

Just remember with optics (especially night vision) you get what you pay for. I have one that is probably similar quality and it is really hard to make things out. On a bright night, or with the IR illuminator on within about 50 yards you can see okay. But past that don't expect much. Remember what the old TV's looked like when the reception sucked before cable? You could see a image, but the snow was hiding all detail. That is what you can expect with the cheaper optics.

[gm2]

Plenty of experience with night vision. None with the recording features. When in doubt see what the current issue is for military. They are crazy expensive because they are good and you can bet your life on them. If you want low cost you get two options, no resolution or HUGE systems. Save up and spend the money. I'm looking at a new scope for the coyote rifle and quickly realized after looking at some footage from real users that it has nowhere near the resolution I want. So back to the drawing board for me.

[Gunfixr]

I'm not sure exactly what you are wanting this to achieve, but I can tell you that with a $400 price limit, you're not going to get much.
So, I looked at the unit you linked. Best I can tell from the ad is that it is a digital unit. The only other units available in that price range are gen 1. Digital has almost no light amplification ability, it is just basically an incredibly sensitive infrared camera. What this means is that it will need ambient light to see anything. On a cloudy or moonless night, you will see little to nothing, unless you are in an urban environment, where there is always ambient light (except after the grid goes down). It will depend on how good the ir light is as to how you see using it. Usually not much more than 30-50yds. You can get a separate ir light that is brighter and more focused that will extend that.
Understand that when using an ir illuminator, anyone else with any NV will see your light, a beacon in the night.
So, tactically, these have lots of limitations. It's OK in town, with the grid still up, but out in the sticks, or grid down, not so much.
Also, 6x magnification will make using it at close range difficult, if not impossible.

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[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

OK all I can say is "Armasight" and "FLIR" however FLIR has now ownership of Armasight. Doesn't matter, large selection and a quality product. Be advised.......you get what you pay for. I have a "Spark Core" and a "Vampire Core"

http://www.armasight.com/night-visio...ion-monoculars

http://www.armasight.com/night-visio...-weapon-sights

Both I can say are excellent tools. If I paid that kind of money and was not happy I would be bitchin up a storm. I wasn't happy with the 1st mono I got so they took it back no questions and sent me a spark, waaaaaay much better. If you lived closer I'd let you view them yourself.

Just go for thermal..........take the plunge and you'll never look back, he, he.......

https://www.flir.com/products/rs64/

[gm2]

BWRR, how do you like that Vampire? How good is the resolution at a few hundred yards? I know it's only 3x but still.

Any chance you bought one of those RS64's? I shudder to think of what the price tag is.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

The Vampire in my opinion is "PFG" purdy fukin good. So much that I recommended to a few friends, then after they actually saw/used/compared, they each bought one. Both of these guys were combat vets and intimate with night vision. Range and clarity are great. I put it on "Snoopy" and I pulled a 4" group at 100yds using federal .223 green box ammo. This thing comes with a IR external mounted light adjustable to narrow and wide beams. They one's they bought has a new updated IR system, even better!

Now having said all that, environmentals will have an effect, as with any night vision. Having been in a situation where we couldn't distinguish the horizon line, not a good thing with a helo, sucks more being a pax and can't do shit but squeeze you butt cheeks together and pray till we touch down. Like I said, "environ-mentals"

The RS64............let's just say it's the most expensive mouse hunting tool I've ever seen. In short, this things fuckin dangerous. Never mounted to toy yet so don't know how they shoot. But looking through one once it's tuned to your eyeball.........wish I had one 15 yrs ago. Would've saved a few patch jobs in the boats.

[Gunfixr]

I have an armasight spark CORE unit, and I'd have to say, from what I've seen, it's the best cheap unit going, at around $500+.
It's technically gen 1, but the tube is made from a different kind of glass. It has the resolution and clarity of gen 2, but light amplification of gen 1. I've had it see nothing out in the sticks on a cloudy moonless night.

The only problem with flir type units is that, unless you go high end (like NV), it can be difficult to use for just moving about. They don't "see" like vision does. Great for hunting something, though.

Ideally, you have both.

I still have the first cheap gen 1 monocular unit I bought (about $350), the armasight spark monocular (about $500), and a set of modular goggles, gen 3 omni III autogated, Socom grade tubes.
Those things are unbelievable.

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