Night/Thermal Vision Aids

[Don Lobo]

hi there

years ago I had a night vision monocular that magnified the little light there is at night. if it was pitch black, it did nothing. worked ok, but not amazing.
I remember reading that the Russian devices were expensive but worked well.

anybody using any devices like this? or a thermal/infrared device?
mono or binocular?

cheers!

[Matt Johnson]

We have a Sionyx Aurora monocular. Does what its supposed to do - saved us a few times seeing buoys and moorings - but imagine is grainy and sometimes that makes it difficult to understand what you're seeing.

[Ruso]

I am using PVS-14 Gen 3 Night Vision Monocular with headset. Helpful. Thermal is good for hunting - pray temperature signature. Overall with such devices you get what you payed for.

[Jammer]

The good ones are expensive and have export restrictions that mean you can't cruise internationally with them.


I got a pair of really good 7x50 binoculars and find that, in practice, they give me what I need at night. They perform much better than smaller or cheaper binocs, at night, big difference. During the day you can't tell them apart.

[jordanbigel]

Originally Posted by Jammer

The good ones are expensive and have export restrictions that mean you can't cruise internationally with them.

Hmmmm, perhaps so. But is that relevant?

I cruised for 6 years, visited a dozen countries and no one ever asked to see my monocular, binoculars, or trinoculars.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by jordanbigel

Hmmmm, perhaps so. But is that relevant?



I cruised for 6 years, visited a dozen countries and no one ever asked to see my monocular, binoculars, or trinoculars.

So to be clear if you had something that was export restricted and you never get caught then that means there isn’t a problem?
Not saying it was or you did but if it was and you didn’t then all is okay?

[Jammer]

For clarity, there aren't any export restrictions on ordinary binoculars, like the ones I have, that I suggest as a starting point for boaters who want better means of observation at night. Binoculars are 100 year old tech that you can take anywhere. The only improvements in standard marine 7x50s in 100 years are that they're now truly waterproof, they last longer, and they have coated lenses.


Night vision devices are different. Copies of the PVS-14 used by the US military are readily available for purchase in the USA for a couple thousand bucks each, and are available with various "generations" and qualities of intensifier tubes. The better ones are regulated like munitions. In the USA they are legal to own and use but you cannot take them out of the country without an export license. Doing so is a federal crime. In some countries they're regulated like firearms, and bringing one into the country without prior authorization can result in the same sorts of penalties as bringing in a firearm without prior authorization.


There are thermal vision devices (FLIR) that are perhaps more useful in a marine environment than night vision. Rather than amplifying available light, they sense infrared and convert it to visible images. You can buy and posses them lawfully in the USA, prices are in the "couple thousand bucks" range, and the good ones are export restricted just like night vision devices.


In both cases they do work, and are useful for SAR. You can pick out things like channel markers in the dark, and other boats, but radar is better for that. So the question then is what are they really good for on a cruising boat? What do they give you that ordinary 7x50s and radar do not? And for boats that leave the USA, is the benefit worth the paperwork and the possibility of having to skip some countries where the paperwork can't be approved?

[tkeithlu]

I owned two Gen 4 image intensifiers, and then discovered that the Dept of Defense would not allow them outside the US, even for my research purposes. Those two were in the $5,000 each class, with images acceptable as evidence in court.

Separate image intensifiers from infrared imagers. The first magnifies available light about 50,000 times. The second, commonly FLIR units, image infrared light, which is not much use in spotting buoys, but works for man over board, assuming that there is still body heat available.

But, back to the 7x50 binoculars. Given the 50mm objective lens and only 7X magnification, a ratio of 7.1 to 1, they collect more light than your Mark I eyeball. Therefore you can see more through them at night than you could without. That's why they are the standard for ship board use. 7x35 is common amoung birdwatchers, who have to carry them around and only use them in daylight. Over about 7x is hard to hold steady, unless your budget will allow for stabilized binoculars.

Try it. It works. Get the best 7x50 pair available.

[Bill Seal]

Are there any restrictions on the $200 - $400 LCD hunters night vision binoculars?