Airsoft Canada - View Single Post - Night Vision Guide for Canadian Airsofters

pestobanana · October 11th, 2018, 00:06

A lot more people are getting into night vision in the Canadian airsoft community nowadays, and many of them are sending me the same questions. I think it may benefit the community for me to write it all in one place, since the current amount of misinformation in existing "NVG FAQs" here is akin to a virgin writing a sex guide.

Now, I don't know everything about NVGs. If you have something you'd like to add, or have a correction and can verify it, then please do let me know to change it. I will try to write this in more simple terms for ease of understanding.

General Nomenclature

NVG - Night Vision Goggle
NOD - Night Optic Device or Night Observation Device
*NVGs and NODs are basically interchangeable terms to refer to night vision devices*
IIT - Image Intensifier Tube - Often just referred to as the tube, the high tech part of a NOD.
Photocathode - The screen used to convert light into electrons
Photosensitivity - How good your photocathode is at converting light into electrons
MCP - Micro Channel Plate - An electronic wafer inside some image intensifier tubes that intensifies the flow of electrons inside the the tube, improving image output.
Autogating - Sometimes just referred to as gating, it means when a tube has a power supply that turns on and off very quickly and flickers in order to improve image quality in dynamic lighting conditions.
Gain - The output brightness of the screen, just the brightness. Not to do with clarity, photosensitivity, etc.
Film - A thin layer of sintered aluminum oxide that blocks ions from the MCP from damaging the photocathode, but blocks out electrons in the process as well which is undesirable.

Generations

Night vision works by converting visible light and invisible near infrared light into electrons, and then converting those electrons back into an image at the phosphor screen.

Gen 1:

Gen 1 is bad, don't get it. The image intensification is not great and these generally don't see much without using an illuminator. The optics on Gen 1 devices are usually very bad with bad eye relief and massive fishbowling issues. Gen 1 may be useful if you play in an area where nobody has nightvision except you, but honestly you'd be better off with a flashlight.

Gen 2:

Gen 2 is improved over Gen 1, basically with the addition of a MCP. Some people throw around the term Gen 2+ but it is a meaningless made up term for marketing purposes. This is where the generational term becomes more of a "title" based on tube chemistry than an accurate representation of tube quality. Because of that, there are some very bad Gen 2 tubes and some very good Gen 2 tubes. If you are going to get a Gen 2 device, get something with a tube made by Photonis.

Gen 3:

Gen 3 is defined as having a Gallium Arsenide photocathode, which is significantly more photosensitive than previous photocathodes. Gen 3 is what you should be looking at buying. Gen 3 devices are significantly more expensive than Gen 1 and Gen 2, and generally come with fairly decent optics.

Filmed, Thin Filmed, Filmless:

Gen 3 tubes can generally be split into 3 types. Standard film non gated, thin film autogated, filmless autogated. Thin film and filmless tubes require an autogated power supply to prevent damage to the photocathode during use. Standard film tubes can have an autogated power supply, however military tubes typically do not come with a gated power supply. Standard film blocks around 50% of what you could see in order to protect the photocathode. Thin film reduces that to 70% and enhances what you can see. Filmless removes the film completely and uses other techniques to prevent photocathode damage.

Tube Specs and Tube Formats:

The most common formats are MX-10130, MX-10160, and MX11769.

MX-10130 - These are tubes for the PVS-7. Nobody really uses them in Canada.
MX-10160 - These are a standard tube format without an adjustable gain pigtail. These will fit any standard PVS-14 style housing with our without gain control. If it is put into a housing with gain control, the gain control will simply not work and will be fixed at a pre set level. Fixed gain is also known as automatic gain.
MX-11769 - These are a standard tube format with an adjustable gain pigtail. These will fit any standard PVS-14 style housing with gain control. They will not fit in housings without gain control.

Fixed Gain vs. Manual Gain - Many people think adjustable, manual gain is superior. Really, fixed gain is the same as keeping your gain cranked up the whole time, I personally don't see many reasons to turn it down and see less. Some people will turn it down to reduce eye strain over longer periods of time. Those that desire manual gain control will usually get in a monocular housing such as a PVS-14. Seeking out a binocular housing with manual gain is not recommended for most housings. The PVS-31 has a central gain control, however Sentinels, Mod3s, and similar binocular housings are not intended to have adjustable gain. There are however limited runs of housings that were made with gain knobs, but each side has to be adjusted individually - one knob for each tube - making it a generally undesirable feature.

Autogating

Gating is where your power supply turns the unit on and off very rapidly. It is desireable but not a necessity. A common misconception is that autogating prevents damage from light damage. It does not, though it does reduce the effects of high light environments. Autogated tubes can be burned through laser damage or prolonged light exposure in the same manner that non gated tubes can. What autogating does to very well, is it reduces bloom from light sources, and improves image quality in high light situations. It is a desirable feature in dynamic lighting environments such as urban combat and CQB where there are lots of street lights, flashlights, kill lights, etc. It is far less important if you are in the woods.

OMNI Contracts

Omnibus contracts are U.S. government procurement contracts. You will often hear people throw the term OMNI 1 through to OMNI 8 when they talk about a tube. Each contract had their individual tube specifications, however the public seems to correlate them to this general chart:

https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/U...ces/18-317705/

Do note though, that these are minimums, not averages, so for example even though the minimum specifications for an OMNI 8 tube are lower than the minimum specifications for an OMNI 7 tube, there are tons of OMNI 8 tubes that greatly surpass the performance of most OMNI 7 tubes.

Here are the specs that should be important to you when selecting a tube, and my opinions on what I would consider good:

SNR - Signal to Noise ratio - Basically the amount of image your tube provides compared to the random scintillations generated by the MCP. Higher is better. Anything above 20 is decent, 25 is great, 30 or more is excellent but extremely hard to find in Canada. Most people will not be able to discern the difference except in extreme low light conditions.
Resolution - Measured in lp/mm or lpm, meaning lines per millimetre. Higher is better. 57 lpm or lower is considered shit, 64 lpm is considered standard, 72 lpm is considered excellent.
Photocathode Sensitivity - How good your photocathode is at converting photons into electrons. higher is better. 1600 is okay, 2000 is great, 2500 is phenomenal.
Halo - When you look at a light source, anything from a lit cigarette to a street light, you will see a washed out glow around the light source. I believe the size correlates to the distance between your photocathode and the MCP. Smaller is better. 0.7 is excellent, 1 is average, 1.5 is bad.
EBI - Equivalent Background Illumination - This is the measure of how much output your system gives with no input. In other words, it tells you how bright absolute darkness will look in your tube. This is important in extreme low light conditions because it determines how much visual contrast you will have in extreme low light, and the minimum light conditions your tube requires to produce a discernible image. Less than Anything less than 1 is good, more than that is bad.

Phosphor Screen and Image Colour

Most tubes give a green image. Some people are okay with green, to others it causes eyes train, which is why some people add filters to change the colour to be gentler on the eyes. The downside is that filters reduce the image brightness and clarity.

While it isn't new technology, in recent years white phosphor screens have become more popular. They are in really baby blue and not white, but they are much easier on the eyes. There are some very high quality white phosphor tubes, and some pretty bad ones. Remember that white phosphor tubes only refer to the colour of the phosphor screen and in no way correlate with the quality of the tube itself.

October 11th, 2018, 00:06	#1
pestobanana Squid Porn Superstar, I love the tentacles! Trader rating Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Richmond Hill and Waterloo, Ontario	Night Vision Guide for Canadian Airsofters A lot more people are getting into night vision in the Canadian airsoft community nowadays, and many of them are sending me the same questions. I think it may benefit the community for me to write it all in one place, since the current amount of misinformation in existing "NVG FAQs" here is akin to a virgin writing a sex guide. Now, I don't know everything about NVGs. If you have something you'd like to add, or have a correction and can verify it, then please do let me know to change it. I will try to write this in more simple terms for ease of understanding. General Nomenclature NVG - Night Vision Goggle NOD - Night Optic Device or Night Observation Device NVGs and NODs are basically interchangeable terms to refer to night vision devices IIT - Image Intensifier Tube - Often just referred to as the tube, the high tech part of a NOD. Photocathode - The screen used to convert light into electrons Photosensitivity - How good your photocathode is at converting light into electrons MCP - Micro Channel Plate - An electronic wafer inside some image intensifier tubes that intensifies the flow of electrons inside the the tube, improving image output. Autogating - Sometimes just referred to as gating, it means when a tube has a power supply that turns on and off very quickly and flickers in order to improve image quality in dynamic lighting conditions. Gain - The output brightness of the screen, just the brightness. Not to do with clarity, photosensitivity, etc. Film - A thin layer of sintered aluminum oxide that blocks ions from the MCP from damaging the photocathode, but blocks out electrons in the process as well which is undesirable. Generations Night vision works by converting visible light and invisible near infrared light into electrons, and then converting those electrons back into an image at the phosphor screen. Gen 1: Gen 1 is bad, don't get it. The image intensification is not great and these generally don't see much without using an illuminator. The optics on Gen 1 devices are usually very bad with bad eye relief and massive fishbowling issues. Gen 1 may be useful if you play in an area where nobody has nightvision except you, but honestly you'd be better off with a flashlight. Gen 2: Gen 2 is improved over Gen 1, basically with the addition of a MCP. Some people throw around the term Gen 2+ but it is a meaningless made up term for marketing purposes. This is where the generational term becomes more of a "title" based on tube chemistry than an accurate representation of tube quality. Because of that, there are some very bad Gen 2 tubes and some very good Gen 2 tubes. If you are going to get a Gen 2 device, get something with a tube made by Photonis. Gen 3: Gen 3 is defined as having a Gallium Arsenide photocathode, which is significantly more photosensitive than previous photocathodes. Gen 3 is what you should be looking at buying. Gen 3 devices are significantly more expensive than Gen 1 and Gen 2, and generally come with fairly decent optics. *Filmed, Thin Filmed, Filmless:* Gen 3 tubes can generally be split into 3 types. Standard film non gated, thin film autogated, filmless autogated. Thin film and filmless tubes require an autogated power supply to prevent damage to the photocathode during use. Standard film tubes can have an autogated power supply, however military tubes typically do not come with a gated power supply. Standard film blocks around 50% of what you could see in order to protect the photocathode. Thin film reduces that to 70% and enhances what you can see. Filmless removes the film completely and uses other techniques to prevent photocathode damage. Tube Specs and Tube Formats: The most common formats are MX-10130, MX-10160, and MX11769. MX-10130 - These are tubes for the PVS-7. Nobody really uses them in Canada. MX-10160 - These are a standard tube format without an adjustable gain pigtail. These will fit any standard PVS-14 style housing with our without gain control. If it is put into a housing with gain control, the gain control will simply not work and will be fixed at a pre set level. Fixed gain is also known as automatic gain. MX-11769 - These are a standard tube format with an adjustable gain pigtail. These will fit any standard PVS-14 style housing with gain control. They will not fit in housings without gain control. *Fixed Gain vs. Manual Gain* - Many people think adjustable, manual gain is superior. Really, fixed gain is the same as keeping your gain cranked up the whole time, I personally don't see many reasons to turn it down and see less. Some people will turn it down to reduce eye strain over longer periods of time. Those that desire manual gain control will usually get in a monocular housing such as a PVS-14. Seeking out a binocular housing with manual gain is not recommended for most housings. The PVS-31 has a central gain control, however Sentinels, Mod3s, and similar binocular housings are not intended to have adjustable gain. There are however limited runs of housings that were made with gain knobs, but each side has to be adjusted individually - one knob for each tube - making it a generally undesirable feature. *Autogating* Gating is where your power supply turns the unit on and off very rapidly. It is desireable but not a necessity. A common misconception is that autogating prevents damage from light damage. It does not, though it does reduce the effects of high light environments. Autogated tubes can be burned through laser damage or prolonged light exposure in the same manner that non gated tubes can. What autogating does to very well, is it reduces bloom from light sources, and improves image quality in high light situations. It is a desirable feature in dynamic lighting environments such as urban combat and CQB where there are lots of street lights, flashlights, kill lights, etc. It is far less important if you are in the woods. *OMNI Contracts* Omnibus contracts are U.S. government procurement contracts. You will often hear people throw the term OMNI 1 through to OMNI 8 when they talk about a tube. Each contract had their individual tube specifications, however the public seems to correlate them to this general chart: https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/U...ces/18-317705/ Do note though, that these are minimums, not averages, so for example even though the minimum specifications for an OMNI 8 tube are lower than the minimum specifications for an OMNI 7 tube, there are tons of OMNI 8 tubes that greatly surpass the performance of most OMNI 7 tubes. Here are the specs that should be important to you when selecting a tube, and my opinions on what I would consider good: SNR - Signal to Noise ratio - Basically the amount of image your tube provides compared to the random scintillations generated by the MCP. Higher is better. Anything above 20 is decent, 25 is great, 30 or more is excellent but extremely hard to find in Canada. Most people will not be able to discern the difference except in extreme low light conditions. Resolution - Measured in lp/mm or lpm, meaning lines per millimetre. Higher is better. 57 lpm or lower is considered shit, 64 lpm is considered standard, 72 lpm is considered excellent. Photocathode Sensitivity - How good your photocathode is at converting photons into electrons. higher is better. 1600 is okay, 2000 is great, 2500 is phenomenal. Halo - When you look at a light source, anything from a lit cigarette to a street light, you will see a washed out glow around the light source. I believe the size correlates to the distance between your photocathode and the MCP. Smaller is better. 0.7 is excellent, 1 is average, 1.5 is bad. EBI - Equivalent Background Illumination - This is the measure of how much output your system gives with no input. In other words, it tells you how bright absolute darkness will look in your tube. This is important in extreme low light conditions because it determines how much visual contrast you will have in extreme low light, and the minimum light conditions your tube requires to produce a discernible image. Less than Anything less than 1 is good, more than that is bad. Phosphor Screen and Image Colour Most tubes give a green image. Some people are okay with green, to others it causes eyes train, which is why some people add filters to change the colour to be gentler on the eyes. The downside is that filters reduce the image brightness and clarity. While it isn't new technology, in recent years white phosphor screens have become more popular. They are in really baby blue and not white, but they are much easier on the eyes. There are some very high quality white phosphor tubes, and some pretty bad ones. Remember that white phosphor tubes only refer to the colour of the phosphor screen and in no way correlate with the quality of the tube itself. Last edited by pestobanana; October 27th, 2018 at 23:13..