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Filmless tubes see in pitch dark?
12/20/2011 11:08:28 AM
I was wondering if the L3 filmless or other Gen 3 or "4" allows one to see in pitch black environment? Do all NV tubes need some sort of light to amplify to get a picture or are there some that will get an image say in the basement test without light aid of sort? Are they a big step up from an autogated filmed tube like a pinnacle for extreme dark conditions? thanks
12/20/2011 11:14:33 AM
Originally Posted By boreal:
I was wondering if the L3 filmless or other Gen 3 or "4" allows one to see in pitch black environment? Do all NV tubes need some sort of light to amplify to get a picture or are there some that will get an image say in the basement test without light aid of sort? Are they a big step up from an autogated filmed tube like a pinnacle for extreme dark conditions? thanks
I was wondering if the L3 filmless or other Gen 3 or "4" allows one to see in pitch black environment? Do all NV tubes need some sort of light to amplify to get a picture or are there some that will get an image say in the basement test without light aid of sort? Are they a big step up from an autogated filmed tube like a pinnacle for extreme dark conditions? thanks
With zero ambient light, night vision doesn't do anything. There has to be something for it to amplify, even if that something is extremely small. But most units have built in IR for those sort of conditions, so you can switch that on if you're in a cave or something with no ambient light. From what I understand, filmless is a bit more sensitive, but it's not that huge of a difference.
12/20/2011 11:16:54 AM
All tubes need some sort of light to amplify. Filmed, thin film, & unfilmed. Unfilmed tubes from L3 can pick up a bit more detail in much lower light compared to Thin filmed tubes which just struggle to give a picture in almost no ambiant light. As Shadow said, in pitch dark the built in IR really shines. Some say its only good for map reading, but each of mine will light up a room in pitch dark conditions. A good IR iluminator is always handy too.....
12/20/2011 6:42:27 PM
Outside on a very dark night with no moon and where you can't see anything, there is still some starlight getting through. Image Intensifier NV uses this.
In a basement or a cave, there is none, so under such circumstances, you need thermal NV - this picks up radiated heat in the 5 to 8 or 8 to 16 micron region. This requires no light at all.
Thermal is good for spotting things when it's very very dark, but only works with sufficient thermal difference between the target and the background. IIT's ( most common night vision ) just amplify any available light about 10,000 times or more so you can see it better.
Regards
David
12/20/2011 6:55:58 PM
Thanks guys Does thermal work better in the summer vs the winter as theres more heat being released? Would a winter forest environment be pretty dark looking through thermal vision?
Does thermal work better in the summer vs the winter as theres more heat being released? Would a winter forest environment be pretty dark looking through thermal vision?12/20/2011 6:59:55 PM
I would prefer to use it in winter. body heat would be easier tom pick up at a distance - depending of course on all conditions.......
12/20/2011 7:08:21 PM
Thermal doesn't need much heat difference to work well, a difference of just 2 degrees is usually enough. Summer is fine. During the daytime is fine.
The only problem is when the background is of similar heat to the target, then you will have problems seeing it.
It may work better in Winter but I have not tried mine out on a really cold night to get a feeling for it yet.
Regards
David
