my neighborhood is an older part of the city, 1950s Florida construction, with streets lined with large trees that block a lot of the street lighting...I'd like to improve my night vision capability... while not that worried about visible white light, I'd prefer to be a little less conspicuous .... I solicit any anecdotal reports on relative inexpensive infra red binocular or monoculars...as well as infra red cameras like the SiOnyx Auora or even high end PVS-14 white phosphor thin film units... thanks

I've ordered a mount to attach a 6P Surefire to the camera mount on a set of 12x50 Tasco binoculars, but it hasn't arrived yet.. regards

having played with numerous devices, always looking for an acceptable inexpensive alternative, eventually i finally gave in and purchased a new ITT PVS-14/7 Pinnacle from a trustworthy dealer.

30-plus years of looking thru NVDs, even today the PVS14/7 is still be my first choice.

on a couple occasions a half dozen buddies have gotten together at night and tested a number of different units side by side. even better quality gen-2 models and a couple of foreign gen-3 models (russian, american, asian, etc) didn't do enough to make them worth owning. (gen isn't the only thing to consider, there's the quality of optics, field of view, magnification,features, batteries used, runtime, quality of imager, toughness, serviceability, customer service, et al)

due to the high cost of a PVS-14, some buddies ended up getting less-expensive used ITT Model 160. while it was far better than nothing, the 160 never seemed to satisfy anyone enough and a couple guys ended up eventually getting what they should have in the first place.

recently we played with a SiOnyx Auora. while a fun low-cost toy, it didn't cut it, nor did it seem to do what the ads and vids indicated.

oh yes, those "inexpensive infra red binocular or monoculars" didn't cut it either. btw, if using an IR light source, remember its like using a regular flashlight where closer objects appear overly bright (even blinding) and farther objects aren't illuminated well enough (if at all).

if serious about a PVS,this download PDF might be worth a read - PVS14 Buyer Guide

Mr. Coyote... thank you for your reply... that is exactly the type of response I was looking for...Les

I misunderstood the topic title until I read further.

But for amusement, I note the following:

A WWII Propaganda Campaign Popularized the Myth That Carrots Help You See in the Dark