NIGHT VISION STARTER KITS: Does “Buy Once Cry Once” always apply?

NIGHT VISION STARTER KITS: Does “Buy Once Cry Once” always apply?

Entering The Game

Being on the verge of joining the Night Vision World can be an exhilarating experience as there are so many options on the current market and so much online advice being ready available at a moment notice just a few clicks away.

Thanks to the work of many NV enthusiasts and industry personalities, the current scene is much more beginner friendly compared to what it was a few years ago, allowing people to have a clearer understanding of the market before committing to their purchase.

Is It Worth It?

This is the age old question that most beginners face, for which the simple and short answer is “yes, but”, as one must always take into account that everyone’s situation can be different: financially, and based on the environment and how often their device will be used.

Finding reasons to justify the purchase of such an expensive item is a very important issue that needs to be addressed before fully committing, focusing the main points of debate on the aforementioned parameters such as: time, budget, environment and expectations.

It is important to understand that for most of us, NV is just a hobby, and at the end of the day, it is something that’s not needed, while for others, it can be a lifesaving, strictly necessary tool that allows them to carry out tasks of vital importance.

In this article, we will analyze all these points to help beginners determine if a Starter Device is a more suitable choice over a Gucci loadout.

Debts and NODs

We often come across posts and comments of various beginners looking to get into night vision while finding themselves in some rather inconvenient situations, often along the lines of: Several Thousands (often tens of thousands…) in credit card debts, student loans, car payments and medical bills.

To these fellow enthusiasts, we cannot in good faith, suggest they buy any form of night vision, as any device that will be worth the expense will significantly worsen their financial situation further, for something that for non-professionals is just a hobby.

Night Vision is a very expensive hobby, with a high starting price point, as such “Debts and NODs” can be a very deadly combo, and we only recommend buying when the finances allow us to do so comfortably without risking a late payment on bills.

Budgetary and Time Concerns


When looking to jump into the Night Vision Business, it is important to note that, as previously mentioned, NV can be a very expensive hobby, with monocular devices ranging from $1800 to $4000 (brand new), and Binoculars commonly starting at the $3900-4000 mark, and can easily go well past $10.000, depending on what components are used to build such device.

Modern Gen 2+ Devices represent a great starting point, generally occupying the lower-middle part of the price brackets, as they provide proper night vision capability in most lighting conditions, except for the most demanding, extra low lighting environments, where they start to struggle (such as heavily wooded areas with no moon light) while high end Gen 3 devices (and some very high end Gen 2+ High Gain tubes) really shine outperforming them.

Said Gen 3 devices, often cost over $3000 for Monoculars and over $7000 for binoculars in the current market, rendering their acquisition even more tedious.

When justifying the purchase of Night Vision, it is also sensible to evaluate how often said device will be used, as it’s not uncommon for us to find users who only operate their devices once or twice a year, yet have extremely expensive setups that only get to be used in very permissive conditions such as urban and semi rural areas with no dynamic lighting changes (most commonly flat ranges and edge of town countryside), where even the most basic modern Gen 2+ devices would perform egregiously, on par with their high end counterparts.

Starter Kits for Civilians

Starter Night Vision devices are typically assembled with Gen 2+ Tubes and Commercial Spec Optics, striking a great balance between a worthwhile device that brings real NV capability and budget. These devices allow the majority of this community, to get into the hobby without having to save for years (or decades in some cases), while enjoying all the benefits of analog night vision.

This obviously comes with some limitations inherent to Gen 2+ technology such as lower gain compared to Gen 3 and commercial spec glass providing slightly less performance compared to their milspec glass counterparts.

With that being said, it is important to note, that most of these devices (except for certain ones such as RIX and IRay binoculars and monoculars, such as J-31, J-14, RNV-31 etc.. with proprietary low quality optics), will generally perform on par with higher end Gen 3 counterparts, only falling behind in extra demanding, low light situations such as deep forested areas during New Moon Nights.

For most people, including but not limited to, Hobbyists, Hikers, Airsofters, Open Land Hunters and Flat Range Shooters, Starter Devices might make the most sense, as they provide real night vision capabilities, while allowing to invest the rest of their budget (if any is left), in other devices such as Thermal Imaging, providing additional capabilities to the user.

It is important to note that for Airsoft use, Auto-Gating, when available, should always be something to opt for, as it allows users to fair better in dynamic lighting environments.
More information about Night Vision Generations


Law Enforcement

When it comes to policing, Night Vision can be an essential tool, aiding members of the police force in surveillance, patrolling, locating suspects and navigating hostile terrain, making such devices true force multipliers.

Why do Starter Kits make sense?

High End Night Vision Devices can cost twice to three times as much as their starter kits counterparts, allowing departments to equip more officers while keeping budget in check, and opening up the possibility of also adding Thermal Imaging capabilities without stretching said budget further.

Akin to the case of Airsofters, Auto-Gating technology is of massive importance for Law Enforcement officers, as they are often exposed to dynamic lighting scenarios, helping them manage Light Source, providing superior image quality over Non-Gated devices.

(Note: Non-Gated devices are just as resilient to light damage as Gated tubes, the only difference lies in High Light Resolution and Contrast)

Airsoft and Milsim Use

One of the most frequent uses for Night Vision Devices among users is airsoft and military simulations, where players and participants are most often forced to rely on privately owned equipment, including night vision devices and other expensive gear. This can have a significant impact on the outcome of such events as the majority of players won’t be able to afford the cost of owning night vision devices, putting them at a sudden, massive disadvantage compared to those who are properly geared up for the night.

View through NNVT Gen 2+ 1550 FOM Tube, rural environment with a quarter moon.

 

With the concept of “Night Vision is better than no Night Vision” in mind, we can see Starter Kits make more and more sense, as they bridge the gap between “Gucci” devices and flashlights, allowing users to have proper tools that will provide great image quality in most conditions, with sharp detail and no NIR or Visible Light Signature, while also allowing more room for thermals on a tighter budget.

Moreover, it’s important to note that most Milsim and Airsoft events are hosted in urban areas, with light sources scattered around, evening out the playing field even against the most high end analog night vision devices, as the latter can have an advantage in very low light conditions, commonly found in rural or thickly wooded areas when moonlight and light pollution are unavailable.

On a side note, when purchasing such Starter Kits, one should also consider the importance of autogating, as sudden changes in lighting, caused by headlights, weapon mounted flashlights, pyros and many other sources are very frequent and can become a big nuisance to night vision users, making autogating an incredibly important tool that should always be south after if Airsoft / Milsim is the intended use, as it will massively help the wearer in mitigating the side effects caused by exposure to such conditions.

This feature is unfortunately not commonly found in most devices of such category, giving room to a justified counter argument against the utility of Starter Kits. For this exact reason, all our new Starter Kit lineup is now available with the option of selecting Auto Gated Image Intensifiers in order to cater to the needs of a wider user spectrum.

Thermals and Starter Night Vision

Analog Night Vision should be seen more as a navigational aid rather than a spotting and identification tool, as camouflage together with prohibiting lighting conditions can be very effective at countering them, as opposed to Thermal Imagers, which are most effective at spotting targets while not being suited for navigation.

When uniting the two, one can achieve an incredibly effective combo, as both devices will supplement each other’s strengths and weak points, and allowing to effectively navigate dark areas while also being able to easily spot infrared signatures.

This becomes the greatest selling point for Starter Analog Devices as it makes it possible for people to achieve both capabilities on the same budget as a Gucci NV setup.

Environmental Factors

As briefly discussed in each paragraph, lets quickly go over the environmental factors that should be taken into account when shopping for night vision.

Gain is a defining metric, found in each tube’s datasheet, providing us with an idea of how much light can be amplified by our IIT. Gen 3 image intensifiers will typically have higher Gain compared to Gen 2+ tubes, as they are more sensitive to ambient light thus providing a brighter image when placed in very dark environments.

With that being said, it is also very important to note that modern Gen 2+ devices are able to amplify light to a perfectly usable level in most environments, with the exception of the most demanding ones.

The further away from light sources (such as nearby towns and moonlight), the more effective Gen 3 devices become over Gen 2+ devices, while in urban, suburban and rural areas without thick vegetation, both Generations will typically perform in a similar fashion, without significant differences in image brightness and quality.

Limitations and Conclusion

With all these considerations in mind, having pointed out the obvious, being that higher end NV devices will ultimately be more capable than Starter Devices, allowing for a wider use spectrum, especially when it comes to Gen 3 devices, which offer higher gain than most Gen 2+, making them more effective in very dark environments, we can conclude that Starter Devices have their place in this the modern night vision world and it’s important to consider them as a possible option when browsing for a new device.

The decision of whether or not these are suited for your specific needs should always be based on where, how often, and how you will use your device, while also being mindful of budget, and the possibility of expanding your capabilities past the real of night vision using thermals.

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