THE CAGE
NIGHT VISION
THE CAGE:
NIGHT VISION
AS ALWAYS EACH MONTH BILL SPEAKS TO THE ENTIRE AIRSOFT ACTION TEAM TO FIND OUT THEIR
THOUGHTS AND PREFERENCES FOR RIGHTEOUS GAME GEAR, AND THIS TIME HE TURNED HIS
ATTENTION TO NIGHT VISION EQUIPMENT, NOT EXPECTING TO UNLEASH A DEBATE WITHIN THE GROUP
THAT IS STILL RAGING!
W
hether you like it or not, Night
Vision gear, be it scopes,
monoculars, binoculars, or
indeed “Mil Grade” tech has become
a part of airsoft! Once upon a time
it was the territory of the hardcore
MilSim player, but with the technology
becoming easier to access, and indeed
dropping dramatically in price, it’s now
well within the reach of most players,
even for a simple night game.
Before I “open the box” on what the
Airsoft Action team thought though,
let’s have a look at what we’re actually
talking about as there are still huge
misconceptions about what “NV” really
means. Simply put I’m talking about
kit that lets you “see in the dark”, or
in extreme low-light conditions and as
I said before, this can physically have
many forms. You can have NV gear
mounted on your rifle or carbine, you
can carry it in a pouch as a scope, or
you can, with the correct mount, have
it placed on your helmet, ready to
“drop down” when you need it. This
last one, of course, has a certain “cool
factor” and is totally “legit OPR8R” but
whichever way you may mount or carry
it, in my opinion, it can quite literally be
a “game changer”.
NV tech usually works in one of two
ways, either through thermal imaging
or image enhancement. Basically put,
thermal imaging uses a special lens to
focus on the infrared light emitted by an
object, which is then transformed into
a detailed temperature pattern called a
thermograph by the detector elements
in the night vision goggles or scopes.
Image enhancement devices (often
referred to as NVDs) though, focus on
the light reflected off objects rather than
the light they emit. These devices use an
image-intensifier tube to collect infrared
and visible light through an objective
lens, and then enhance it so that it can
easily been seen by the naked eye.
When it comes to NV gear, we’ve all
heard the phrase “Generations” and, in
a nutshell, the higher the “Generation”
number, the more advanced the
device. Though modern “Gen 1” NV
devices are the most popular they are
now becoming quite dated. “Gen 2”
NV is primarily used by professionals
or LE as they include the addition of
a micro-channel plate (MCP), which
is able to amplify light many more
times than Gen 1 models, giving you a
brighter and sharper image. “Gen 3”
is the latest in night vision technology,
featuring a photocathode with gallium
arsenide added to it, producing an
even brighter and sharper image.
“Gen 4” NVDs feature gated filmless
technology; Gen 4 devices have had
their ion barrier film removed and their
systems gated, resulting in an increase
in target detection range and resolution,
especially in low light conditions.
Generally speaking, modern Gen
1 night vision devices will be able to
handle most activities, including airsoft
use. Generations 2, 3 and 4 do have
advantages that come along with their
higher price tag, with longer viewing
distances and the ability to perform
under the lowest of light conditions.
These top-end devices definitely have
their place… if you have the coin!
However, as well as the cost of the
device itself you also need to consider
what level is not only available, but legal
“GENERATIONS 2, 3 AND 4 DO HAVE ADVANTAGES THAT COME ALONG WITH THEIR HIGHER PRICE
TAG, WITH LONGER VIEWING DISTANCES AND THE ABILITY TO PERFORM UNDER THE LOWEST OF
LIGHT CONDITIONS. THESE TOP-END DEVICES DEFINITELY HAVE THEIR PLACE… IF YOU HAVE THE
COIN!”
44
APRIL 2020