Night vision question

[Blackdogjnr]

As always, hope I'm not being really thick ...

I have been enjoying spying on my noctural vistitors and would like to get a better look at them without cramming a torch in their faces every night!

Can you get affordable night-vision torches or anything similar? or would it literally be a case of spending lots of money?

I've had a google but can't seem to find anything of use...

[volence]

I have an infra red torch that I was given by someone. I used to use it when I was a paranormal investigator. With a night shot camcorder you can see further. I'll have to see if I can find out where he got it. It was a few years ago

I googled and found this:

http://www.tomsgadgets.com/products/....aspx?pc=IR100

[salukiwhippet]

You can get decent NV kit for reasonable money these days, most of it is let down by the built-in IR illuminator.
Nightvision - AirgunBBS.com Is a very good NV forum, as the title suggests it's mostly shooting folk, but they are a very helpful crowd and will advise if they can. Give it a try.

James

[Jim Ford]

There's a big difference in principle and price between a camera that's sensitive to infra-red light that's reflected off an object that's artificially illuminated with an infra-red lamp - and one that detects and intensifies infra-red that's radiated from objects.

Don't think you're going to afford the sort of equipment that police use in helicopters when chasing villains.

Jim

[Blackdogjnr]

Hi,

Thanks for the comments and the links.
The torch looks cool, so would I be right in thinking that if I shon this on a hedgehog or frog it'd be slightly less offensive to their eyes than my current torch?

BDJ

[volence]

I dont think animals can see the infra red much. I haven't used mine on any animals on purpose but i didn't disturb any too much. The ladies screaming at "ghosts" when woodpigeons were disturb is the only thing that disturbed the animals

[salukiwhippet]

The IR won't disturb them at all. It won't disturb you much either, 'cos you won't be able to see it! IR is not visible to the human eye, you need a night vision monocular or similar to pick it up.

James

[BigAl]

As a person who's 'numerically inclined, there are said to be (upward of) 30million different species of life in the world. Of these approx 950,000 (i.e. nearly 1 million) are animals. And what I find surprising is that nearly half of these are nocturnal.

[Jim Ford]

Well I never - I'll bet you're a wow at dinner parties!
;^)

Jim

[BigAl]

Well, at least, I'm told that I'm numerically-inclined. You could've knocked me over with a feather when I was first told that, as maths was one of my weakest subjects at school. It's improved considerably since then by virtue of studying and teaching chemistry. I s'pose I do tend to quantitate things.