Types of Night Goggles
What Type of Night Goggles Should I Buy?
Interested in night vision products, such as night goggles? The good news is they aren’t just for the police and military anymore. Night goggles come in many different configurations and prices range from a few hundred dollars to thousands. There are even night vision binoculars for kids costing under $100. Here is a quick description of the configurations of different types of night vision products.
Monocular: A monocular is a hand held device used by closing one eye and looking through the eye piece with the other. They are usually the least expensive, use generation 1 technology but depending on the price come with many features. If you just want to occasionally check out what goes bump in the night and have a budget of $200, a monocular night vision device might be perfect for you.
Binocular: Night vision binoculars look like your regular daylight viewing binocular with two eye pieces but have buttons, are a bit larger and can get a bit heavy. Most night vision binoculars use the same generation 1 technology as the night monocular but with two lenses. These night binoculars can be heavier than a monocular and tend to cost more but provide better depth perception.
Night Goggles: Night goggles are available in three configurations: monocular, bi-ocular and binocular and are worn using a headset or mounted on a helmet. Available in generation 1, 2, 3 and 4 technologies.
Monocular goggle: The monocular goggle is basically the hand held monocular but worn on your head. It’s usually the least expensive of the night goggles types but you still look through it using only one eye.
Bi-ocular goggle: The bi-ocular goggle configuration is basically a night vision monocular with two eye pieces and its the one you see in the Hollywood war movies. It’s easier to use than a monocular because you don’t have to keep one eye closed when using it but you only have one viewing section.
Binocular goggle: With binocular goggles, due to using two viewing tubes, items are usually clearer; you have better depth perception that the other goggle types and they come with many features.
Generation Types:
All night vision products use image intensifiers to amplify light. As the generation number increases, so does the image quality and price.
Gen 1 amplifies light about 1,000 times. They are oldest technology but the least expensive. They require an external light source (such as the moon) to provide the best image. They provide details of a five foot target at 150 to 225 feet.
Gen 2 amplifies light about 20,000 times. The intensifier tube uses newer technology resulting in a brighter and clearer image and has less edge distortion than Gen 1. They also work much better than Gen 1 devices when in low light conditions. They provide details of a five foot target at 300 to 500 feet.
Gen 3 amplifies light from 30,000–50,000 times. Improvements to the tube improve the tube life and they rarely have to be replaced. The image quality is improved and provides target details at 600 to 1,000 feet. There are many different types of Gen 3 image intensifiers.
Gen 3 plus (Gen 4) are basically a Gen 3 unit with two new improvements. They can immediately adjust to changing light conditions and have about twice the image quality of Gen 3.
There will be a great deal of range of price on the different types of night goggles and night vision products. Once you identify your needs and budget, the right product is out there for you!