Night vision headlamps

I'm looking to purchase a couple of headlamps to use at night and need recommendations. I've researched some on the internet and am thoroughly confused!

My primary use will be being able to see in very low light around other people. I need something that is lightweight, has a good field of view (dispersion?), and won't bother other people. Seems there is some question of whether red, green, or blue light is best. Also, does anyone know of adjustable light (adjusting the brightness of the colored light) headlamps that aren't cost prohibitive? I've read that the best brightness of the colored lights is based on the individual.

My secondary use will be hands free working around the house not using the night vision component.

I guess I should add that I plan to use these in the Amazon rainforest so I do really need to see what's around me. It should also be waterproof/resistant and be appropriately powered.

My budget is less than $100.

a reply to: Iamonlyhuman

I had one a few years ago that attached to my camera for filming the skies.
It was a monocular type.
It was a bit of a pain in the ass because it was one eye and you always had to hold it to your face so you couldn't be hands free.

That went for about $185 and was the cheapest I could find.

If you are going the way of night vision....I suggest spending the money for something really good or you will feel like you bought a novelty toy.
Spend the money and buy it once....I had to learn the hard way.

It was still useful but it is hard to walk in the bush while using it.

This is similar to the one I bought.
www.cabelas.com...

Edit
I doubt you will find ANYTHING for under $100

You definitely want to go with red for low-light use, I used to use an army surplus lamp with a red filter to watch foxes and badgers, they weren't bothered by it.

This seems like the ideal sort of thing for your needs, it won't break the bank and has excellent reviews;

Yalumi LED Headlamp

I hope this can help you some,

a reply to: DrumsRfun

Thanks for the link, I had forgotten about Cabelas. I really do need to be hands free, but I see there are several on the cabelas website I'll look at.

I guess you're right about buying a good one to begin with, I was just hoping that I could get a good one for less than $100.

a reply to: MerkabaTribeEntity

Thanks! I'll check it out.

a reply to: Iamonlyhuman

I just realized you are looking for a headlight and not night vision.
My mistake....I do that.



I'll keep banging the coffee back.

a reply to: DrumsRfun I doubt the OP wants to stumble around the Amazon Rainforest in the dark holding a monocular to their eye,

I think by 'night vision' OP was talking about preserving his or hers natural night vision while still enhancing visibility, hence the talk of coloured lighting and dimming.



ETA, Nevermind lol

originally posted by: MerkabaTribeEntity
a reply to: DrumsRfun I doubt the OP wants to stumble around the Amazon Rainforest in the dark holding a monocular to their eye,

That is a fact. lol

I think by 'night vision' OP was talking about preserving his or hers natural night vision while still enhancing visibility, hence the talk of coloured lighting and dimming.

True!

a reply to: Iamonlyhuman

I have a backup camara with nightvision and it works awesome on my truck , maybe get one but face it forward with a good size screen?

a reply to: Iamonlyhuman

Your going to want to go red. You can go green but that will just mess with your eyes. My headlamp has a clamp for different color filters. I use red when out at night backpacking unless I really need the leds to light up an area.

a reply to: Iamonlyhuman

"Night vision" and "headlamps" are two different things, and they work on completely different principles. Night vision amplifies existing ambient light so you can literally see in the dark (they're also known as starlight collectors and/or thermal imaging on the high end). Some of these devices do have infrared illuminators for short distances. Thermal imaging works on the infrared spectrum and true night vision works on intensifying existing light.

Head lamps on the other hand illuminate things so you can see with your naked eye. The colors do make a difference for some animals, but generally the colors are used to prevent night blindness, and red is generally the best. Other colors are used for different things. Like green for example is a good color for tracking blood in the dark, etc. But otherwise these are just "lights" and you will be able to see them at night because they have to cast off light for you to see.

Now, back to night vision for a moment. (I've done a fair amount of research in this area). There are several levels of devices (basically 3 with a dirivative of a 4th). These are typically referred to as "generations", or "gen" for short. So, you have gen 1, gen 2, gen 3 and gen 3+. Anything saying it is gen 4 is probably a ruse, as gen 3 is about as high, optically, as you can get. gen 3+ starts out as 3 in the manufacturing process, but can later be graded 3+. They can't start out with the intent of making 3+, but it just happens as a result of the quality of the finished product. Gen 3 gear as you might expect is the most expensive although prices have come down considerably recently. You can figure on spending $3-4,000 for good gen 3 equipment on the low end and upwards of $10,000 on the high end.

Gen 1 is basically novelty stuff. Very short range and optically not very good. Think less than 150 feet with any clarity. It's also the cheapest and mostly what you'll see in sporting goods stores. Always remember to look for what "generation" it is! Gen 2 is a big step up in quality and price. This equipment will be good out to a couple hundred feet or more with good clarity. Gen 3 is an even bigger step up, and good out to several hundred yards. You'll pay for it though. And gen 3+ is even better still. This is the top end of the starlight type equipment both price wise and quality wise. Above this you go to thermal, and thermal is a whole other animal! Prices start in the $10k range and go up to millions. Range on some of this gear is measured in miles not feet. It's incredible stuff, but it has equally incredible prices. Do yourself a favor and don't even look into thermal unless you're looking to spend some big cheddar. Otherwise you'll just spoil and discourage yourself with the starlight equipment (which is more than adequate for most people).

There are optical systems higher than gen 3, but last time I checked these were not yet available to civilians (only military and law enforcement). I expect this will change if it hasn't already. I was pretty heavy into looking at this stuff about two years ago so some changes may already be available.

Hope this helps.

Oh, a couple other things I should have added...

Starlight type night vision equipment works on the principle of an "intensifier" and traditional optical glass. The better the optical glass and intensifier the higher the generation. The image you see is actually through a lens. With thermal there isn't really a lens (at least not one you look through). They use a sensor which detects different heat signatures in the infrared area of the light spectrum. You can't see it, but the sensor can detect it. Then the sensor uses circuitry to create a digital image of what the sensor sees. You see the generated image, you're not really looking through a lens per se. It's a subtle difference, but the technology is radically different. They still use optical lenses, but the lenses feed the sensor, not your eye. There are some hybrids too where you get some of both (this is what I have). They're a cheaper alternative to full-on thermal IR gear.

As for what you see; starlight type nightvision generally gives you a green image. So you don't really see colors, just varying shades of green. Entry level thermal gives you a black & white image where either black or white is hot (you can switch back and forth). More advanced thermal will even show computer generated color. This is some really cool stuff, but it ain't cheap!!

Just keep in mind, any sort of night vision equipment is using the creme de le creme of optical glass. Picture it like the high end of camera lenses, because the clarity of the glass is critically important to reducing distortion and 'artifacts' in your field of view. A spec of dust or microscopic inclusion in a lens assembly is amplified 10,000x when viewed at night.

That's about all I got unless you've got some questions.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I have a question! One time when I was backpacking I was with a few friends. We had a gen1 night vision scope on a rifle. We knew that something was following us and it turned out to be a bear. When we looked at it the eyes where shiny kinda like a cat in the dark even though we had the night vision. Is that normal?

EDIT NVM I just got done reading about that. Apparently it is perfectly normal. HMM never knew that

originally posted by: Iamonlyhuman
I'm looking to purchase a couple of headlamps to use at night and need recommendations. I've researched some on the internet and am thoroughly confused!

My primary use will be being able to see in very low light around other people. I need something that is lightweight, has a good field of view (dispersion?), and won't bother other people. Seems there is some question of whether red, green, or blue light is best. Also, does anyone know of adjustable light (adjusting the brightness of the colored light) headlamps that aren't cost prohibitive? I've read that the best brightness of the colored lights is based on the individual.

My secondary use will be hands free working around the house not using the night vision component.

I guess I should add that I plan to use these in the Amazon rainforest so I do really need to see what's around me. It should also be waterproof/resistant and be appropriately powered.

My budget is less than $100.

I know rancher with 3,000 acres who uses a couple pair for locating livestock at night. Dont now which brands, but know he said he has 2...1 mono occular lense, the other is bio-duo occular pair.... both flip down over eyeglasses and/or are separate glasses.

Aprox paid around $350-400 together.

a reply to: Allaroundyou

Most animals active in dusk or dark have a "tapetum lucidum" behind the retina that reflects light across the light-sensitive choroid cells a second time. It also reflects your flashlight if they are focused on you.

a reply to: MerkabaTribeEntity
I will second your recommendation of red light filter. I have used them to good effect at night years prior when still living with the parents. Something kept raiding our chickens nests for their eggs . Using a regular flashlight with a red filter did not bother a single animal when pointed at them. Found dthe possums just merrily trecking towards the coops

I swiftly dispatched it by machete and then buried it. I have used red filters in other low light circumstances since.

I own several headlamps. The kind with a headband and strap over the crown of your head, as well as the kind that clip on to your gimme cap.

Honestly the cheap ones are superior. Duracell and eveready both sell them at the battery section of sporting goods stores. $20-30.

I prefer green light over red for hunting. Predators don't respond to the green light as readily as red. I use green for hunting raccoons that raid chicken feed and deer feeders. Red is better for astronomy, because your eyes remain dilated like it was dark; so there's no adjustment period when you look from a sky chart to the heavens, or through a telescope. It may be due to the impression that most sky objects are bluish, so red light contrasts with them.

I lose the various nightlights, and by new ones every 6 months or so, then find the old ones when I pack a hunting bag next. They are inexpensive and you can buy some with a buddy and trade them back and forth to see which serves you best.

Hope that helps.

You need IR illuminators for NVGs.

Remember that blue light CANNOT be seen with night vision as it is filtered out.

Most of the search and rescue here in az seem to use black diamond brand headlamps

On ebay......NV4Less.....nightvisionforless.com

The best quality...they're the ztmasight lab in California and thge cheapest cost.....a pinnacle tube.....in a pvs-14....it has gain control for seeing trb-3s

Goin on a trail.....it will focus to 14 inches so......one can walk a trail with twigs and not step on one......