Night Vison Binoculars - On the Cheap $40

SpiderMA

SpiderMA

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Alright, I know there will be some cynics out there but this really works. I could not believe it myself. My nephew got one of these as a birthday gift, I was so impress with how it worked I bought one myself for my bug out bag. Thing works crazy good out to 40 feet or so and for $40, how can you go wrong. I do think its kind of funny I am recommending a toy, but it works so good I figured that others may be interested. I would love to be able to pick up a real $1,000 set some day, but for now, these will have to do.

Spynet - Infrared Night Vision Binoculars - Target $40.


This is a review done by someone else I found.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOpJzH0XX-c
 
BOBKATT said:
Check the link. That is a monocular.
Click to expand...

Not really, both eyes "fit" into the view finder (not just one). Thats what it says on the box. You are basically looking at a small tv screen inside the unit that amplifies the lighting etc. Whatever you want to call it, it works good for $40.
 
I believe these are active IR LED / CCD imager nightvision systems. (At least the "toy" one I played with was)

They use a set of infra-red LEDs to illuninate the area and an IR sensitive CCD digital imager to produce mono-chrome night-vision. They work pretty well as long as their optics are clean, especially for the price.

I've seen one that is a monical imager with the left eye looking through the imager screen and the right eye having a flip-door that allows you to look with natural light, or close the door and only look through the monical.

Active IR systems are nice, that they don't require any available light, but their active illuminators are visible on other IR imaging systems (pick up 2 to check) Of course you can build a cover for the illuminator (or add a switch to shut it off without shutting down the imager if it doesn't have one) and go passive IR as well.
 
The Spy Net Model uses 2 multi-LED "flashlight" illuminators with a single central monical digital imager. The imager display inside is mounted to be visible by both eyes, so it's not true binoculars, they wear like binoculars rather than a monical.
 
Archilochus said:
I'd like to know if the 'passive' mode (no IR illumination) works out - my guess is that they won't do much without the IR illumination.
Click to expand...

depends on the imager and the amount of available light. The one I played with before (bought it for a younger relative 5-6 years ago) hand a seperate switch for the illuminator. On a clear, moonless night you could see pretty well without the illuminator. With the illuminator, you could walk around a closed windowless barn with ease.

I'll likely pick a set up and test it out. I'll let you know.
 
On a cold day (if you can find one lately) use the thermal camera around the outside of your house to look for hot-spots that indicate heat loss from your house that needs to be addressed. Then go inside the house and look for cold spots for the same purpose. The energy savings after you address such thermal issues around the house will help offset much of the cost.

Talk to friends and family after you've done your house (best if you can save a few pictures) and do the same at their houses. If you find something that can be fixed, ask them if they wouldn't mind throwing a few bucks into the "pay for the thermal camera" fund out of the savings they'll see with reduced energy loss.
 
JimGiven said:
Dang....wish i had $4500 to just throw at this. Way to go!

Jim
Click to expand...

Well, I've got a AN/PVS-24, an AN/PVS-14, and the Thermal Eye.

(I live in Maryland and have a large State park behind me... which provides perfect access to my property by people who seem to think breaking into my house is a good idea.)

The x200xp is NICE... I mean, it's really good an provides a very detailed view. It's basically perfect if you are the HUNTER, to quote one of my former Special Forces buddies.

In general, the PVS-14 & 24 are good if there is enough light to see someone moving around... for which I have a IR illuminator to help illuminate them.

All of the, er, stuff, turned out the be quite expensive. However, I was able to by MilSpec units that were no being purchased by the military, as they were not ordering as much as L3 had projected.

The PVS-14 has amazing specs, and actually works great, and cost me $2600.00.

The PVS-24 was $4000.00 cheaper than I generally see them, and that was because it was left over and in the Tan color. (Who cares?) It shipped to me directly from L3...

However, I've got to admit, the Thermal Eye has been the most general useful device:

- Check the house for energy audits
- Literally SEE people at 400m in the wood behind the house when you hear some... with excellent detail
- Checked the club house wiring at the IWLA skeet club I belong to when the circuts kept blowing (could see the wiring THROUGH the walls AND which breaker was tripping)

It's a nice tool. I'm not sure it's $4800.00 nice... but it's cool.

Frankly, between the 4 devices, I really don't need anything else. I'd love to have a thermal weapons sight, but for that kind of cash I think I should be purchasing pre-ban AR15s before I move to MA first. -grin-
 
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Well that's kind of interesting. But, 40 feet? Any animal is going to run away long before I'm that close. And, any bad guy would have shot me already. It could be a fun toy though.

I wonder how difficult it would be to make one of these that simply has a brighter narrow beamed infrared LED... should be able to get to a few hundred feet easily. How about if you simply have a separate infrared flashlight and turn off the built-in IR?
 
Prepper said:
Well that's kind of interesting. But, 40 feet? Any animal is going to run away long before I'm that close. And, any bad guy would have shot me already. It could be a fun toy though.
Click to expand...

They wouldn't be effective for hunting, more for perimeter monitoring. If you're in a lighting situation where you need night vision, 40' is a very long way. Use them to scan the perimeter / monitor exterior activity at night without drawing attention to yourself or your home. If you're well into an emergency situation where survival prep has come into play, the last thing you want is to draw attention, or advertise that you have supplies by turning on lights, especially exterior lights.

I wonder how difficult it would be to make one of these that simply has a brighter narrow beamed infrared LED... should be able to get to a few hundred feet easily. How about if you simply have a separate infrared flashlight and turn off the built-in IR?
Click to expand...

Again, this depends on the imager, how well does it capture light and focus on targets further away than 40'. What you're describing is likely possible. Most of the Active IR weapon sopes that I've looked at use a semi-scattered (defocused) IR laser to illuminate a narrow field target at much greater distance, but they also have some magnification, which helps at long range.

They're not a replacement for higher quality night vision, but a lower cost alternative / suppliment.
 
SpiderMA said:
Not really, both eyes "fit" into the view finder (not just one). Thats what it says on the box. You are basically looking at a small tv screen inside the unit that amplifies the lighting etc. Whatever you want to call it, it works good for $40.
Click to expand...

Well, now it is a completely different link for a $539.00 pair of binoculars. I'm not really sure what is going on here.
 
BOBKATT said:
Well, now it is a completely different link for a $539.00 pair of binoculars. I'm not really sure what is going on here.
Click to expand...

the original link is through a shopping search engine rather than Target's page. When you click the link, it's generating a new search and is dropping you into "Night Vision" on e-bay right now.
 
I had the joy to take a look and the civilian DBAL... and that sucker works awesome. It's not going to be as nice as the military version, but you won't go to jail and you will not be disappointed. I think they are better than the older MilSpec units.
 

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