Night Vision is one of the coolest and most useful tools you can have at your disposal. It’s great for a wide variety of functions, from hunting and tactical situations to home security or camping. Dependent on your needs you might need a really high end pair of Night Vision Goggles or a compact NV monocular. We have a lot of resources to help you find what you’re looking for, from our How-To Guides and blogs like GearExpert to our product specialists, who are always happen to give you a recommendation. But it never hurts to have more information and another way of looking at a product type. That’s where ATN has really stepped up their game.
ATN just unveiled their new Interactive Night Vision Catalog, or INVC, and it’s impressive. You can check it out now by clicking that link, but the basic idea is that you have a really clear, easy to understand tool that shows you various types of Night Vision devices, their features, their prices, their uses and the technology behind them. The first screen you see looks like the image at the top of this page.
As you can see, there are four possible choices to start with. If you already know what type of night vision you want (goggles, monocular, rifle scope, etc.) you can select the first option and see a wide variety of choices and narrow them down by type. If, on the other hand, you know what activity you’re using your night vision for, but aren’t necessarily sure which type of unit is best for that, you can pick the second option and see options for “Security”, “Hunting”, “Camping” and “Boating”. Some of these categories will show you a handful of questions you should consider the answers to before making a selection, such as, for “Boating:” Will you be wearing the night vision unit while driving the boat? You’d want something hands free for that option. A monocular with head gear or goggles would be best.
ATN Night Vision by Price
The third option puts your budget first. There are a ton of great ATN night vision units out there, and fortunately they’re at different prices, so if your budget is limited you don’t have to go without a night vision unit. This section is helpful in that it also shows you how the different prices affect what Generation of Night Vision you can afford. You won’t find any Thermal Imagers or 4th Generation Night Vision for a few hundred dollars, but you will find some capable 1st Gen units that are great for many situations!
Check out the Technology Section of the INVC to learn more about the science behind ATN’s Night Vision!
The 4th section is my favorite, as it showcases the fantastic technology behind ATN Night Vision. The really cool thing is it explains each different type of night vision, the science behind it, the performance you can expect and why you might choose one over the others. This section also shows off just how varied the tech is. From the most advanced Gen 4 units and ATN’s own White Phosphor Technology (which produces a black and white image rather than a black and green image for an easier view) down to the more affordable Gen 1 units that are perfect for more casual users. This section is also fantastic for getting a better idea of the difference between image intensification night vision (which is the “normal” style with a black and green screen) and thermal imaging, which provides an image of the heat signature of a target. Both styles will help you see in low light conditions, but they’re very distinct from one another and you shouldn’t think of them as interchangeable. If you’re not sure which is for you, the technology section of the INVC will be a huge help. You may not understand all the science behind night vision, but after looking through this section you’ll have a much better idea.
It can be tough to pick the perfect Night Vision unit, but when you have a great resource like the ATN INVC the task is a whole lot simpler. ATN won a user-voted Brilliance Award for Night Vision Brand of the Year just a few weeks ago, and this new Interactive Night Vision Catalog Tool is a perfect representation of why: ATN gives you what you want and need.
About Brian
Avid outdoorsman, writer, shooter and amateur astronomer with experience working with and explaining rifle scopes, binoculars, red dot sights, night vision and more. He appreciates it when you LIKE his posts!