Nocturn Industries

The Ultralight Articulating Night Vision Binocular

This is the lightest 18mm binocular on the market to date at a functional weight of 14.55 oz in the lightest configuration (I.e. Lightweight optics, Diopter assemblies, and hardware) or 18.42 oz. fully assembled with MIL-Standard optics, assembles, and battery. The articulating design allows users to use one eye or both eyes enabling the simultaneous use of a thermal optic or other non-passive aiming systems. This also enables users to operate vehicles without limiting head space by eliminating the need to stow the unit upright or to tuck the pods against the helmet when stowed.

It is simple with a minimalist design. An onboard battery with no remote power keeps things simple and wires off the helmet. Push button on/off in the cap to reduce weight and reduce the footprint of the bridge. Individual pod power on/off when articulated to the side for single or dual eye use and to eliminate backsplash when stowed or rotated out.

An original new “Friction Lock Interpupillary Adjustment” feature allows users to quickly and easily set IP stop distance with a simple rotate into place and forget design. No tools or knobs.

This unit is light weight without compromising strength. It is rugged and exceeds MIL-STD-810G plus has been drop tested to the NATO 1.5 meter firearms drop test standard. All products are designed and hand built in New Hampshire, USA.

Material(s)

Impact resistant polymer & 6061-T6 aerospace grade
aluminum, aerospace Grade 4 Titanium

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Finish

H-Series Cerakote
(Matte Black, Coyote, and OD)

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Tube Type

18mm MX-10160 style or MX11769 style with EGAC pigtail
removed.

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IR Iluminator

No

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Individual Pod on/off

Yes, individually.

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Housing Weight

4.33 oz./0.27 lbs / 123g

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Device Weight Standard

17.81oz./1.13 lbs/505 g
(Mil-Spec PVS-14 lenses and Photonis Image Intensifiers)

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Device Weight Lightweight

14.55 oz. / 0.90 lbs / 412.6 g (RPO 3.0 PVS-14 lenses and Photonis Image Intensifiers)

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On-Board Power

CR123A onboard with a runtime of ~25hours

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Out-Board Power

Optional LEMO port

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Manual Gain Control

No

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Ingress rating

Exceeds IP-68, and MIL-STD-810H

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Warranty

Lifetime repair or replacement of all housing components no
questions asked.(Does not cover damages to intensifier tubes.
or lens assemblies)

Common Terminology:

FOM (Figure of Merit)

Image Intensification tube specification designation, calculated on line pair per mm x signal to noise.

Center Resolution

The ability of an image intensifier or night vision system to distinguish between objects close together. Image intensifier resolution is measured in line pairs per millimetre (lp/mm) while system resolution is measured in cycles per miliradian. For any particular night vision system, the image intensifier resolution will remain constant while the system resolution can be affected by altering the objective or eyepiece optics by adding magnification or relay lenses. Often the resolution in the same night vision device is very different when measured at the centre of the image and at the periphery of the image. This is especially important for devices selected for photograph or video where the entire image resolution is important. Measured in line pairs per millimetre (lp/mm).

SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio)

A measure of the light signal reaching the eye divided by the perceived noise as seen by the eye. A tube’s SNR determines the low light resolution of the image tube; therefore, the higher the SNR, the better the ability of the tube to resolve objects with good contrast under low-light conditions. Because SNR is directly related to the photocathode’s sensitivity and also accounts for phosphor efficiency and MCP operating voltage, it is the best single indicator of an image intensifier’s performance

EBI (Equivalent Background Illumination)

This is the amount of light you see through a night vision device when an image tube is turned on but no light is on the photocathode. EBI is affected by temperature; the warmer the night vision device, the brighter the background illumination. EBI is measured in lumens per square centimeter (lm/cm2). The lower the value the better. The EBI level determines the lowest light level at which an image can be detected. Below this light level, objects will be masked by the EBI.

HALO 

Halo is the circular region around a bright light that appears “brighter” – It’s caused by elastic collisions of electrons with the MCP surface which subsequently then bounce off and down another hole. Halo’s are the same size all over the screen and the size is dictated by the distance between the photocathode and the MCP. Basically, it’s the round circle around lights when you look at them with Night Vision and it’s generally used as an indication that you’re looking at something that’s too bright.

Photocathode Sensitivity 

Photocathode sensitivity is a measure of how well the image intensifier tube converts light into an electronic signal so it can be amplified. The measuring units of photocathode sensitivity are micro-amps/lumen (µA/lm) or microamperes per lumen. This criterion specifies the number of electrons released by the Photocathode (PC). PC response is always measured in isolation with no amplification stage or ion barrier (film). Therefore, tube data sheets (which always carry this “raw” figure) do not reflect the fact that over 50% of those electrons are lost in the ion barrier. While for most latest 3rd generation image intensifiers the photoresponse is in the 1800 µA/lm (2000 µA/lm for the latest Omni VI Pinnacle tubes), the actual number is more like 900 µA/lm.

Luminance Gain

Also called brightness gain or luminance gain. This is the number of times a night vision device amplifies light input. It is usually measured as tube gain and system gain. Tube gain is measured as the light output (in fL) divided by the light input (in fc). This figure is usually expressed in values of tens of thousands. If tube gain is pushed too high, the tube will be “noisier” and the signal-to-noise ration many go down. U.S. military Gen 3 image tubes operate at gains of between 20,000 and 45,000. On the other hand, system gain is measured as the light output (fL) divided by the light input (also fL) and is what the user actually sees. System gain is usually seen in the thousands. U.S. military systems operate at 2,000 to 3,000. In any night vision system, the tube gain is reduced by the system’s lenses and is affected by the quality of the optics or any filters. Therefore, system gain is a more important measurement to the user.