New digital NVG with Gen III type performance for $250?

Heard there was an article about this new device in this month's SWAT. Can anyone elaborate on who makes this and where one might be obtained? I understand it requires an IR illuminator to achieve this level of performance, but for average folks who need one for home security, I doubt there is much concern about casting an IR beam.

I'd be very interested in hearing any info anyone might be able to provide about this new NVD.

tag

CH,
If nobody responds I'll post the info from the article tonight.

The article was on the Weaver NightView. Specs on the unit can be found at:
http://www.weaveroptics.com/nightview/index.html

From the above link:




The Weaver NightView is a new digital compact night scope that will change the way you view the world after dark. NightView is built on state-of-the-art digital imaging technology which yields a crisp, detail-rich, full field-of-view image in all low-light conditions. It's what you expect night vision to be! It's fun and easy-to-use. It includes a video-out port that can be quickly connected to a video monitor or camcorder for surveillance purposes. It’s perfect for boaters, nature hobbyists, campers, hikers, astronomers, and night vision enthusiasts. Buy it today, and open your eyes to a
whole new world after dark.



There is no comparison out there!

Built on Digital Imaging Technology: Weaver’s state-of-the-art digital imaging technology yields a far crisper, contrast-rich image versus competing models. Weaver uses a Sony™ high-sensitivity CCD image sensor and displays through a premium ferroelectric liquid crystal ocular viewer. User adjustable illumination and image controls provide further refined detail.

Preserves Viewer Stealth: Images are displayed through NightView’s premium quality eyepiece viewer. Competing models utilize a bright LCD display that lights up the user’s face and seriously impairs their eyes’ sensitivity to light.

Targeted illumination: Tight illuminator dispersion on target yields a crisper, more refined image versus the wide spray illumination effect of competing models.

Includes Three High-Quality Light Filters:
Green: Provides the greatest image
contrast and detail
Red: Preserves your night vision
Neutral: Minimizes amount of light
to the eye


Easy-to-use: Can be easily operated with one hand.
AC Adapter Included.


Specifications
Summary Compact digital night vision monocular with carrying case,
AC adapter, and three high-quality light filters.
Model
UPC Code 849397
0 76683 49397 2
Imager
Total image pixels
Sensitivity
Shutter
Video output
Electronic Zoom
CCD Sensor 525 horizontal by 420 vertical
0.03 Lux with 12mm F1.2 lens
Automatic electronic 1/60 to 1/120,000 second
NTSC composite (monochrome)
1.5X or 3X image magnification with 12mm F1.2 lens
High sensitivity Sony™ imager
Viewer
Display Technology
Resolution
Focus Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal
400 pixels horizontal by 225 pixels vertical
Adjustable for individual user’s eyes
Complete Device
Size
Weight
Display Brightness
Filters
Illumination System
Illumination Power
Memory
Battery Type
Battery Life
Patent Pending Complete Device
l = 7.2” x w = 2.2” x h = 2.9”
9.3 oz. (264 g)
Adjustable in 100 steps from dim to very bright
User selectable for different night vision applications
High-power infrared
Adjustable from 0 to 100% in 100 steps
Display brightness and illumination power settings are stored
6 AA size batteries (not included)
3 hours continuous use with 100% illumination
Patent Pending

tagged

I have been playing with spare parts in my office and putting together cheap IR cameras but cannot get any range out of them. Does anyone have any review of the real world performance of this thing? Digital should be the way to go, but I am not going to trust manufacturer specs as an indicator of performance (at least not without an iron clad money back return policy).

Has anyone played with one of these yet?

Tag

OK, dumb question.
What is the significance of "Tag"?
Rich

Originally Posted By Rich_Lucibella: OK, dumb question. What is the significance of "Tag"? Rich

Rich,
It allows TEAM MEMBERS to easily find this thread. All they have to do is click on the 'My Active Topics' button and a link to this thread will show up.

You can post anything to have the link show up in your list, but if people don't want to add to the discussion they just post 'Tag' or '.' or somesuch so they can easily find this thread.

-Forest

Tag. Waiting on someone to try it on their dollar.

Originally Posted By Rich_Lucibella: OK, dumb question. What is the significance of "Tag"? Rich

And you're a MODERATOR?

And you're a MODERATOR?

Well, I never got the secret decoder ring that gets passed out to the Members!
Rich

Wow, this thing sounds pretty interesting. For this sort of price, if it is capable of what's claimed, I think we have found a real baragin here for civilian night vision.

I wonder what kind of viewing range it has? I didn't see that mentioned anywhere. Even if it's only 100 yds or less, if you can get the type of clarity out of this that they say you can, it would still be well worth the asking price.

OK, which one of us is gonna be the guinea pig and try this out for the common good of our fella board members?

Tag for images from this thing

Here it is for $170

salestores1.com/we84nidinivi.html

Somebody's got $170 laying around to donate to a worthy cause!

I don't understand how they would get Gen III performance, tho. I thought the costs of the intensifier tube were pretty non-negotiable. Is it kinda like Gen I with a good illuminator and a digitally cleaned up image? Any STANO gurus out there?

Originally Posted By METT-T: I don't understand how they would get Gen III performance, tho. I thought the costs of the intensifier tube were pretty non-negotiable. Is it kinda like Gen I with a good illuminator and a digitally cleaned up image? Any STANO gurus out there?

They don't use an intensifier tube. They take advantage of the fact that CCD chips are also sensative to IR light as well as visible light. So you flood the area with IR light and just look at the image - kinda like using the light on your cam-corder to illuminate so your camera can take video. Only in this case they use IR light instead of visible light.

CH I'd bet the range is only limited by how much IR you can put out. With a decent Surefire and an IR filter you might do fairly well.

I'm just trying to figure out a way to mount this behind my EOTech 552 - I can design the mount but I don' have access to a milling machine...

I'm interested in this technology too. I looked at one at Sportsman's Warehouse, but never thought it would get such a positive review. It just seems to good to be true, or maybe I'm just looking at it through old tired eyes.

I'm just trying to figure out a way to mount this behind my EOTech 552 - I can design the mount but I don' have access to a milling machine...

LOL. I was thinking the same thing. It looks a bit large and awkward for weapon mounting. But I'm sure if there's a will there's a way.

Originally Posted By Charging_Handle: I'm just trying to figure out a way to mount this behind my EOTech 552 - I can design the mount but I don' have access to a milling machine... LOL. I was thinking the same thing. It looks a bit large and awkward for weapon mounting. But I'm sure if there's a will there's a way.

I was thinking along the lines of JB Welding it to somethign like this:

www.armsmounts.com/catalog.php?action=124&item_id=6

tag for when I have some $$.

according to the article....

provides a sharp, high contrast, full field of view image well past 100 meters in no- light conditions and even greater distances in low-light conditions.

sportmans gudie has them for 179.00 for buyers club members. i may try one out when they get them in mid august. if it's crap i can return it.


i did play with a similar one made by weaver at walmart yeaterday. it's more like a camera with an LCD panel on the back. looked pretty good from what i could tell.

mike

Originally Posted By The_Beer_Slayer: ... it's more like a camera with an LCD panel on the back. looked pretty good from what i could tell.

That sums it up. It's a video camera w/o the tape or dvd writing mechanism.

We had a thread on this idea a year or two ago in the optics section. The neat thing about this kind of optic is you can also make it a gunsight. Any reticule, any bullet-drop-compensation, even zero it for multiple weaons. Just add a controller chip and a USB port and you can reprogram it at will from your PC or laptop. The possibilities are astounding.

ok but how good is it as an actual NVD for the average computer commando?

i am gussing it should be more rugged and have a longer service life than a gen 1 tube.

i did a little research on the author and he appears to have a decent resume on gear reviews.

Happy to see the article has sparked this much interest.

Last year Rich and I were invited to a "tactical" hog hunt in Texas. Not many hogs showed up, so everyone put some money in the pot for the largest overall weight of any varmints -- coyotes, coons, skunks, etc. In the stand at night I could HEAR varmints, but could not SEE any.

If we go again this year, I'm thinking maybe the NightView rigged up with an EOTech 552.A65 if I can get them to "cowitness). The new IR weapon-mounted light from Pentagon (about the same size as a SF 6P) would provide plenty of IR illumination.

Interesting.

denny,

did you actually get to play with this thing during the review? any chance of getting the author to answer a few questions about it?

i am SERIOUSLY interested in one of these due to that article.

Nope, my only knowledge on the unit comes from the article, just like you. Email me with your quesitons and I'll pass them on.

Originally Posted By Denny_Hansen: Nope, my only knowledge on the unit comes from the article, just like you. Email me with your quesitons and I'll pass them on.

thanks!!!

email sent. Also thanks for a great magazine. it's one of the few i always read cover to cover.

mike

had a reply from gene this morning. here are the questions i asked and answers he provided. looks like i may be buying one shortly....


does the author feel this is a well built unit for light field work?

YES IT IS
SUFFICIENTLY RUGGED FOR LIGHT DUTY USE.

is the unit water resistant <light rain and such>

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND USE IN
LIGHT RAIN. HOWEVER, CHECK WITH WEAVER CUSTOMER SERVICE ON THIS (949)
451-1450 M-F 0830 TO 1630 PT.

are the comparison pics used in the article realistic? ie... could i expect
to read a car license plate at 75-100 yrds on a moonlit night?

COMPARISON
PHOTOS IN ARTICLE ARE ACCURATE. IMAGE QUALITY OF NIGHT VIEW ON PAR WITH VIDEO
CAMERAS, WHICH THE NIGHTVIEW ESSENTIALLY IS. ABILITY TO READ LICENSE PLATE AT
75-100 YDS ON MOONLIT NIGHT VERY IFFY. USE OF IR TO READ PLATES ALSO VERY
IFFY DUE TO REFLECTION OF IR FROM PLATE RESULTING IN WHITEOUT OF PLATE. ALSO,
KEEP IN MIND NIGHTVIEW HAS 2X ZOOM.

at what distance would he expect to be able to identify a persons face
<obviously this is a light sensitive issue so i would say on a 1/2 moon
cloudless night>

WITH USE OF IR ILLUMINATION AND 2X ZOOM OUT TO 100 METERS
POSSIBLE. AMBIENT LIGHTING ONLY ON 1/2 MOONLT NIGHT, PERFORMANCE BETTER THAN
GEN 1 BUT NOT ON PAR WITH GEN 2 OR BETTER NVDS.

i currently have gen1 night owl monocular, is this a worthwhile replacement
for light duty general use?

YES. NIGHTVIEW'S PERFORMANCE SURPASSES GEN 1 NVDS
-- NO DISTORTION AND HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES ON PAR WITH GEN 3 & GEN 4
(FILMLESS AND GATED) NVDS. CANT GET ANYTHING NEAR IT FOR THE MONEY.

finally would the author buy one for himself given the need and money or
would he hold out for a real gen 2-3 unit?

YES, I WOULD BUY ONE. THE NIGHTVIEW IS UNBEATABLE VALUE FOR THE PRICE. OTHER PLUSES FOR NIGHTVIEW: HAS TRIPOD MOUNT CAPABILITY AND AND ABILITY TO BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO VIDEO CAMCORDER. ALSO, CAN BE USED IN DAYLIGHT.

THAT SAID, IF PRICE IS NOT AN ISSUE AND ABILITY TO CONNECT TO CAMCORDER NOT
IMPORTANT, I WOULD GO WITH A GEN 3 NVD. IF YOU FACTOR IN TUBE LIFE, A GEN 3
NVD COSTS NO MORE THAN A GEN 2, I.E, ALTHOUGH GEN 2 COSTS TWICE AS MUCH TO
PURCHASE THAN GEN 2, IT HAS MORE THAN TWICE THE TUBE LIFE. ACTUALLY, GIVEN
THE PRICE OF THE NIGHTVIEW (IT CAN BE FOUND AT LESS THAN MSRP IF ONE LOOKS
AROUND) IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE AN EITHER OR PROPOSITION.

IN TIME, I SUSPECT THAT CCD CHIPS WILL REPLACE IMAGE INTENSIFICATION TUBES FOR
ALL NVDS. ALTHOUGH THE NIGHTVIEW HAS AN .03 LUX CCD, CCD CHIPS WITH A
SENSITIVITY RATING .0003 LUX ARE NOW AVAILABLE, ALTHOUGH NOT IN A DIGITAL
NIGHT VISION DEVICE. THE NIGHTVIEW IS THE ONLY DIGITAL NIGHTVISION MONOCULAR ON THE
MARKET, ALTHOUGH AN IDENTICAL UNIT HAS ALSO BEEN MARKETED BY MEADE ON ITS
LABEL.

I HOPE THIS HELPS.

REGARDS,

GENE

Thanks for the update TBS.

Originally Posted By METT-T:
Here it is for $170

salestores1.com/we84nidinivi.html

Somebody's got $170 laying around to donate to a worthy cause!

quote]

F@#$K it, I'll be the first to order one. I'm ordering it tonight, and will report back when it arrives!

Originally Posted By lu380: Originally Posted By METT-T: Here it is for $170 salestores1.com/we84nidinivi.html Somebody's got $170 laying around to donate to a worthy cause! quote] F@#$K it, I'll be the first to order one. I'm ordering it tonight, and will report back when it arrives!

Do you have an EOTech or Aimpoint? I would really like to know how a red-dot looks through it.

Originally Posted By lu380: Originally Posted By METT-T: Here it is for $170 salestores1.com/we84nidinivi.html Somebody's got $170 laying around to donate to a worthy cause! quote] F@#$K it, I'll be the first to order one. I'm ordering it tonight, and will report back when it arrives!

seriously let me know what you think. i was going to save up some cash and order one from sportsman guide. figure if it was crap i'd return it.

Originally Posted By lu380: Originally Posted By METT-T: Here it is for $170 salestores1.com/we84nidinivi.html Somebody's got $170 laying around to donate to a worthy cause! quote] F@#$K it, I'll be the first to order one. I'm ordering it tonight, and will report back when it arrives!

The ad says it is a "scope," but nowhere do I see anything about mounting brackets, weaver rail or crosshairs for that matter. Are they referring to scope in the same way I refer to a spotting scope?

Tag for range report. Seems like a good addition for the hurricane kit.

tag

Originally Posted By dvr9: Originally Posted By lu380: Originally Posted By METT-T: Here it is for $170 salestores1.com/we84nidinivi.html Somebody's got $170 laying around to donate to a worthy cause! quote] F@#$K it, I'll be the first to order one. I'm ordering it tonight, and will report back when it arrives! The ad says it is a "scope," but nowhere do I see anything about mounting brackets, weaver rail or crosshairs for that matter. Are they referring to scope in the same way I refer to a spotting scope?

this is a NV monocular. not a weapons optic.

tagged

.tag.

Originally Posted By The_Beer_Slayer: <snip> IN TIME, I SUSPECT THAT CCD CHIPS WILL REPLACE IMAGE INTENSIFICATION TUBES FOR ALL NVDS. ALTHOUGH THE NIGHTVIEW HAS AN .03 LUX CCD, CCD CHIPS WITH A SENSITIVITY RATING .0003 LUX ARE NOW AVAILABLE, ALTHOUGH NOT IN A DIGITAL NIGHT VISION DEVICE.

Well, why not?? "Market opportunity"

I read this article as well, and I must say, it also really peaked my interest. I can't wait for the range report!

If it's good, I probably will go pick on up myself...

KOTB

Originally Posted By The_Beer_Slayer: IN TIME, I SUSPECT THAT CCD CHIPS WILL REPLACE IMAGE INTENSIFICATION TUBES

Anyone know how far out we are from this day?

tag

i think the big problem right now is battery life.

my current gen1 night own will run about 10hrs continuos on 2 AA batteries. maybe more. mine is still on the original batteries from 2 1/2 years ago.

this one advertises 3 hours cont use on 6 AA's.

I wonder how much additional run time you could get by running lithium AA's instead of alakaline?

tag

Tag for followup later

Oddly enough, I just finished the article and find it will likely suit my needs, both at work and play. (looking for scrotes and wildlife)


Ordering one now, I'll give it a whirl.

I'll send a bill to SWAT if it sucks.

Review to come.

This baby is gonna be a hard one to find as soon as they start getting used. If it lives up to all that has been printed and shown on the site, it'll either be sold out quickly or the price will skyrocket. Already ordered one based off the SWAT article.

Sportsman's Guide says November for delivery, but they've said that in the past and that date is usually the worst case scenario. Could this be a SWAT cop's dream of having nightvision?

Rich and Denny, good stuff as usual.

Vaughn

Originally Posted By V_Johnson: This baby is gonna be a hard one to find as soon as they start getting used. If it lives up to all that has been printed and shown on the site, it'll either be sold out quickly or the price will skyrocket. Already ordered one based off the SWAT article. Sportsman's Guide says November for delivery, but they've said that in the past and that date is usually the worst case scenario. Could this be a SWAT cop's dream of having nightvision? Rich and Denny, good stuff as usual. Vaughn

NOVEMBER?!

dang when i looked last week it was mid august!

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