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4th Generation Night Vision Goggles

So just why should someone consider purchasing a pair of 4th generation night vision goggles over the other generations that are already available?
Probably the biggest reason for choosing a 4th generation pair over say a 1st, 2nd or 3rd generation pair of night vision goggles is that the technology is much improved.

Certainly in the last 10 years the industry has seen a marked improvement on how well the image intensifiers work in order to produce a much clearer image to the user. Today with 4th generation goggles, a person is able to see much better quality images no matter what the light condition is like. This is why it now makes them the best performing of all night vision goggles that a person can actually purchase today.

Sometimes these types of goggles will be referred to as Generation 3+ goggles rather than Generation 4, but they do differ in two ways from the Generation 3 goggles.

4th Gen night vision goggles have an automatic gated power supply to them which now regulates the voltage of the photocathode, which allows them to instantly change to adapt to the lighting conditions that they are being used. Secondly they have either had the ion barrier removed or it has become much thinner which means that the noise and image being produced is much less distorted.

Because they have removed or made the ion barrier much thinner in 4th generation NVG’s today as well as improving the gating system, this meant that the range of detection as well as the resolution at which the images are seen by the user is much improved. They are especially good as they can even be used when the light is extremely bad. As the ion barrier has either been removed or made thinner this results in more of the electrons being able to make their way through to the image intensifier which has resulted in all the images being produced of a much higher quality.

However, it is important to note that only a few manufacturers are actually currently producing these 4th generation night vision goggles and although they are presently being used by both military and law enforcement agencies, it may be some time before they become readily available to the general public. But even when available to the public, you can expect to pay a premium for them because of their advanced imaging capabilities.

Ricky is the owner of http://www.nightvisiongoogles.net. Visit his site today for more night vision goggles reviews such as the Ferranti night vision goggles.


By Ricky Lim

ATN PS-23 Generation 4 Night Vision Goggle with Head-Mount Assembly

ATN PS-23 Generation 4 Night Vision Goggle with Head-Mount Assembly

  • Very Rare - 4th generation, autogated/filmless tubes!!!! LIMITED Quantities Available!!
  • Built-in Infra Red illuminator lets you see even in total darkness
  • Adjustable Flip-up headmount for hands free use
  • Automatic brightness control for high-light
    protection , unit will turn off automatically if exposed to excessive light for more than 10 seconds. If the unit is move away from the bright light, it will reactivate automatically.

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By Paul Maxey

Whether you’re a beginning amateur astronomer or a seasoned veteran, if you’re not using binoculars for astronomy you’re most certainly missing out. I’ve enjoyed stargazing with binoculars for many years and, during that time, have evaluated many different types of binoculars. While being an amateur astronomer can bring with it a high cost of entry, it doesn’t have to if you approach your new hobby appropriately from the beginning.

The truth is, many phenomena in the night sky can be seen with minimal equipment and even with the naked eye. In fact, a good pair of binoculars can take you a long way before you even begin to consider buying a telescope. One of the main advantages I’ve found over the years with binocular astronomy, as opposed to the traditional telescope, is the sharpness and clarity. By viewing with both eyes simultaneously, you can see as much as 35-40% more detail than you can with a telescope.

When it comes to astronomy, binoculars can be used primarily for locating objects in the night sky, for viewing them, or both. Each application requires a different set of priorities when determining the binocular specifications. That said, here are several factors you should consider:

* 1) Mounting: Your first priority for viewing the night sky is whether you will hold them or mount them on a tripod. Binoculars that will primarily be hand held should be lighter. This generally means they will have less magnification, but they will also have a larger field of view, allowing you to view more of the sky at one time. Mounted binoculars can have a much larger objective lenses, meaning much higher magnification. But, this naturally means a smaller field of view. Another consideration is that binoculars mounted on a tripod will provide greater image detail than binoculars that are wobbly and constantly trying to maintain focus on distant objects.

* 2) Aperture: You can use virtually any binoculars for an occasional look at the night sky. But, binoculars with large objectives (50mm and larger) are much better suited for more serious astronomical purposes than their smaller and more compact relatives due to their greater light-gathering ability. Nothing quite compares to viewing celestial objects through a pair of giant astronomy binoculars. The view is much wider than that of a telescope allowing large objects, such as nebulas and entire galaxies, to fit in their field of view. Keep in mind also that the older you are, the less likely it is that your eye pupils will be able to open to larger exit pupils. Hence, 7×50 binoculars (7 mm exit pupil) may not be appropriate for you. Your best bet may be to try 10×50 (5 mm exit pupil).

* 3) Magnification: Once you begin looking at binoculars with a magnification of 10x and higher, they can get heavy very quickly, making for an incredibly shaky image. Again, consider mounting them on a tripod so you can go for a larger magnification.

* 4) Lens coatings: Lenses are coated to improve light transmission through the lenses. Binoculars that are not coated can lose as much as 50 percent of the light that enters them. Frankly, there’s no excuse for anything less than “fully multi-coated” (FMC) for astronomy. This simply means that all air-to-glass surfaces are coated multiple times. With multi-coating now featured on very low-grade binoculars it is very inexpensive.

* 5) Eye relief: If you wear eyeglasses, you’ll want to find binoculars with the proper eye relief. Many models provide long eye relief, allowing you to see the complete field of view with or without eyeglasses.

* 6) Field of view: This is how much of the sky you can see through the binoculars at any one time. Most that offer extremely wide views do so by compromising the quality of the image. A wider field of view can also be obtained with more expensive eyepieces.

As is evident from the above, not all binoculars are suitable for stargazing. As with anything, you must find the right balance of features and price for you. But knowing your options in advance will greatly aide you in finding the best pair of binoculars for you or the budding astronomer in your family to enjoy the wonders of space and science.

If you want to read more, see our quick review of binoculars for astronomy by visiting http://www.buydiscountbinoculars.com, a popular binoculars website that provides tips, advice and resources to include information on Apogee binoculars, Leupold binoculars and more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Maxey
http://EzineArticles.com/?Binoculars-For-Astronomy—How-To-Purchase-Binoculars-For-Viewing-The-Night-Stars-In-All-Their-Glory&id=1117289


Zhumell 20×80 SuperGiant Astronomical Binoculars - Bestseller!

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A Beginner’s Guide to Telescopes

  • Author: admin
  • Filed under: binoculars
  • Date: Jul 1,2008

By Angelo Valenti

For a backyard astronomer you have many options on what type of telescope to use in your endeavor. With all types of pricing, you may decide to go cheap on your first telescope, which is not advised. A cheap telescope may hinder you enjoyment of star gazing. Telescopes come in a wide variety of prices, starting with the cheap knockoffs, to the professional models that may cost thousands of dollars. If you are a beginner, you may first want to do some research to find the right starter telescope that fits your needs and budget, you should be able to find a decent starter telescope for just a few hundred dollars.

The telescopes we are going to concentrate on are Reflector, Refractor, and the Schmidt-Cassegrain class. Descriptions of each follow below.

Refractor Telescopes

The first telescope a beginner may think of are reflectors. That is the style that we are most accustomed to seeing, and cheap ones can be found plentiful in department and discount stores. But with a quality refractor telescope, This is where the comparison ends. A refractor telescope is usually a long, thin tube, mounted on a tripod. Because of this design, Refractor telescopes are portable and easy to move, and are simple to use. Refractor telescope are generally used for viewing the moon, sun, and planets.

The aperture of a refractor telescope is an important consideration for optimum viewing. This is the light gathering lens diameter. Generally, you would want have an aperture of 70mm, but you may prefer a larger diameter for a larger view.

Reflector Telescopes

If you are interested in viewing far away galaxies, distant star clusters or nebula, theReflector Telescopeis the one for you. Reflectorsuse mirrors in the base of large tubes for gathering light. An addition of a mount, or Dobsonian moves up and down to adjust for altitude, and it also pivots, a very easy design to use.

6″ and 8″ are popular sizes, but larger sizes are available. Price per inch, reflector telescopes are an inexpensive option for viewing deep sky objects.

Schmidt-Cassegrain

A telescope that brings together the technologies of both reflector and refractor telescopes is called a Schmidt-Cassegraintelescope.

These are the telescopes that you would use in astrophotography. A camera can be easily mounted to the eyepiece allowing breathtaking shots of the cosmos. Use of a computer and software allows you to program objects and coordinates for easy viewing. The Schmidt-Cassegrain pricing is about midway between refractor and reflector.

Angelo Valenti

This guide is designed to help the beginner astronomer make the right decision on what type of telescope may serve there needs. We make no claims to the superiority of any brand of telescope.
For more information, telescopes and accessories, please visit http://telescopefanatic.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angelo_Valenti
http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Beginners-Guide-to-Telescopes&id=1171471

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