IR led a dead giveaway?

Most units under gen 2, and many of the gen 2 units, cannot really benefit from a 940. (40 illuminators really work best with a gen 3 unit. They will help, but will not be any better for a Gen 1 than a 840 really would.

This is also why the military has units that have separate IR on/off switches. Granted they cost much more, but there are units now that don't need IR's too much if theres minimal ambient light that don't break the bank. Digital is a good way to go. Pulsar is coming out with nice digital units thats work well under minimal ambient light and without an IR. Not too far of a distance, but still pretty well.

My understanding is that 940nm IR emitters, lights, etc. are completely invisible to the naked eye.

http://www.opticsplanet.com/pulsar-pola ... light.html

The dull red glow that you see is from the illuminator only. If there is a some ambient light, you can use the NV device without an illuminator and get decent results depeending on the quality of the optic you are using. Many newer devices have detachable IR's because California now has a law regulating their use. Anyway, you can use the device without the IR on, but with more limited results.

I badly want to acquire a Generation 1+ unit that is under 800 bucks for airsoft. I'm sure there are lots of options but I have shot out people using NvGs due to their red IR led giving their position away. Are there any night-vision devices that have a LED that is harder to spot that fit my budget? Or should I wait a year to get the money for a higher end system.

Thanks in advance! and post if you want any other questions made clear