I recently took my first step into NV with an Armasight Spark CORE (I know, I know) off the EE. I'm very happy with the image clarity, but the light-gathering capability of the tube just isn't that great. Without active IR and with a bit of moonlight, it's about 50%-100% better than my natural night vision, but far more clear. With active IR illumination, it's effective out as far as I'd reasonably expect to take a shot at night.

The problem is that my IR illuminator is an Armaslight 810nm unit, and the red glow is very visible to anyone nearby. Would a different wavelength illuminator eliminate this glow while still providing enough illumination to be useful?

By the time you got an LED at a high enough wavelength to not emit any visible glow, it would be out of the spectral response of your NV tube.

They make 900+ nm ones but what you are really looking for would be a restricted laser illuminator. These are absolutely under no circumstances obtainable unless you have department/unit letterhead, are a marvel comic book character, or have an ebay account

So what you're saying is that I need to buy myself a PVS-14 for Christmas?

Not really, all the tubes have a poor response at wavelengths high enough for an LED to be invisible. The laser illuminators work with gen 1 without being as visible to the naked eye

Also the class 1 units like holosun have a weak laser illuminator which might be good for lighting up the eyes of animals for hunting without being visible

Or you live in a free country that allows people to have guns and lasers, like Australia

Actually, it is kind of strange here... You're not really allowed to own lasers at all in Australia, but if it's for a gun, then it's cool and they allow it.

Anyway, OPs selection of 810nm is ideal for the photocathode. Even if you change wavelength, you will also lose sensitivity. Don't go above 850nm, and would recommend the OP stays with 810.

Yes, it's visible. But most animals will ignore it. The next step up is Gen3, and the next step up from there ( for the same reason ) is 4G Intens.

Regards
David

A 900+ nm LED illuminator is far less expensive than a new NV unit and you will run into the same issue (visible illuminator signature) with Gen 3 NV, so nothing to lose by trying it. Laser illuminators are also visible in that same frequency 800+ nm range, just less than LEDs.