CHEAP night vision goggles?

[das]

Now I realize these are toys but I wonder if they wouldn't be perfect for a listening/observation post?


$79 is hard to beat considering they use AAA batteries (cheap/plentiful) and you can probably afford enough to provide backups without breaking the bank. http://jakks.com/construct.php?secti...8&page=ces2008

Heck you could cannibalize one and get real binocular vision out of one of these I imagine. Thoughts? Here is a review http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...n-goggles.html

[Rustyshakelford]

Now I realize these are toys but I wonder if they wouldn't be perfect for a listening/observation post?


$79 is hard to beat considering they use AAA batteries (cheap/plentiful) and you can probably afford enough to provide backups without breaking the bank. http://jakks.com/construct.php?secti...8&page=ces2008

Heck you could cannibalize one and get real binocular vision out of one of these I imagine. Thoughts? Here is a review http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...n-goggles.html

Saw them at a big box crapper store here for $59.00. I looked at them. They are gen 1 russian techno crap. Poorly built, in a cheap plastic case. Spend a bit more and get something worth using.

[TheUnboundOne]

Das and Rusty,

There is a guy named Kip Kedersha a.k.a. Kip Kay, who produces the most fantastic videos of do-it-yourself projects, mostly electronics. If you are a tinkerer like I am, here are three projects that you could perhaps combine to get you the night vision capabilities you want, both indoors and outdoors, probably for cheaper than a store-bought device:

Nightvision Headset Hack

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1042642/nightvision_headset_hack/

Infrared Goggle Hack for Under $10

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/746423/infrared_goggle_hack_for_under_10/

Underwater Camcorder Mod! $10!

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/648138/underwater_camcorder_mod_10/

[das]

Very interesting video's, sounds like I should investigate this project.

[Zombie Axe]

While these cheap Night Vision Googles might be good to see what animals are running around at night, they are not so good for covert observation.

Military grade night vision equipment uses image intensfiers to amplify light many times so you can see with the ambient light. These units also have an IR (Infrared) LED to help the equipment see in total darkness (aka caves and dark rooms) but they ARE NOT required to be used to see on a starry night.

All night vision devices require some light, no matter how slight, to work. It is whether these devices are able to use the ambient light or require an IR LED to be effective.

If you will note, around the camera, there are about 10 LED's and on the user's bottom right side, another 7 LED's. So just by looking at it, it appears that the device works like a low LUX CCTV camera that requires the use of the LED's to 'SEE' in the dark.

This may not be a problem when you are just looking to see what is going bump in the dark, and what you are looking at does not have night vision looking back at you.

For you see, if you have ANY Night Vision Device that has an external lighting source can be seen by ANY other night vision device.

Like I said, it may be ok to watch wild animals, or maybe some crooks breaking into your out building, but in a situation where the bad guys ALSO have night vision, your Night Vision Device may be a beacon showing them where you are observing them from.

Within those limitations however.. it does seem like a nice unit.