Night Vision Goggles 101
What Are Night Vision Goggles And How Many Kinds Are There?
Night vision goggles look like a pair of binoculars, but will display images that could not ordinarily be seen by the human eye in the given light conditions, and even though they look like binoculars, most do not have any magnification incorporated. There are several types, but the main two are light amplifier, and infrared. While there other devices using different methods, these are costly, and in some cases are only used by the military.
Light amplifying night vision uses the available light, whether moonlight, starlight, or other types to create a display. While infrared uses the heat emitted by an object or person to create the display. Light amplifiers come in three categories: generations 1, 2, and 3. Generation 3 being the best generation and considered above the military applications. Ocular outputs on all light amplifiers are always green, this is the easiest color to differentiate between shades.
Generation 1 requires the most light to operate (moonlight, starlight, etc.) and the quality of the ocular output is good, sharp, and bright. These are the most popular due to the quality, retail availability, and pricing. This type is perfect for the average outdoors man.
Generation 2 is generally used by law enforcement, and large news media. This type does not require as much existing light to work with, and the ocular output is better quality than the generation 1 goggles, but the price is a little more prohibitive. Often used in extreme low light conditions and by the military in the field, they are most often built a little tougher. These work well on cloudy nights, or nights with no moon, or starlight.
Generation 3 uses a gallium arsenide photocell. This is the most up to date technology available today, and is better than the military uses. The photocell, being extremely expensive itself, drives the price of this technology into the extravagant range. You get what you pay for though, these devices can see in a zero light situation.
And finally there is the Infrared, or thermal imaging. These units display images according to heat detected. The display colors will range from black through the color spectrum to white, with red and white being the hottest areas. These are often used to find objects and individuals that may otherwise not be seen, even with light amplifiers. Sometimes these are used in conjunction with light amplifiers.
We hope this has explained away any confusion you may have had about night vision goggles.