Last Updated on March 9, 2021
Night Vision goggles are great for night time observation and surveillance. And it is one of the must-have gears for nighttime hunters, shooters, and military personnel. If you are an enthusiast nighttime observer or shooter, you will probably know that standalone night vision goggles cost a great amount of money. Spending so much money may not be so easy for everyone at the beginning. In that case, you can follow our discussion on how to make night vision goggles easily at home and save a great amount of money.
And when you are sure to have quality NV goggles and have enough money you can easily buy one. To be honest, at one of your nightlife enjoyment processes you will need such goggles. The difference between a dedicated device and a homemade device is huge.
How to Make Night Vision Goggles?
How to Make Night Vision Goggles in 6 Steps
The parts used in dedicated NV goggles such as the objective lens, body, power supply, etc. are high-end. We cannot make them at home or outsource from the market as spare ones most of the time. So we have to use the available alternatives and follow the basic mechanism of NV goggles.
Core Parts of Night Vision Goggles
Every night vision device needs some light source to work whether it is ambient light, the moon, or IR. The reflected light from the object enters through the objective lens. The light is then processed in the tube, magnified, and presented to us. Thus we can see from the night vision devices. Every night vision device needs a power source. The same thing happens in NV goggles. This is the basic explanation of the working procedure in easy terms.
So the main things about NV goggles are:
- Objective lens
- Image intensifier tube
- Power supply
- IR (infrared illumination)
To make NV goggles easily at home, we have to assure some available alternatives to those above parts.
Gathering All the Parts
Objective Lens and Image Intensifier Tube
We can buy our desired lens and generation 1 tube from the market. But it will be too technical for some people. For easy solutions, we can use a cheap CCTV camera or mini camera that will have both the lens and processing unit.
Display Device
Generally, with NV goggles we don’t use any display device. Since in our home project, we are using CCTV cameras or alike devices, we have to connect a display device with the camera. For this purpose, any mini display with a video input option will do the trick.
Infrared Illumination
Without any light source, the camera or device will hardly see anything. For night vision purposes, IR or infrared illumination is the best light source and the safest one. Since human eyes can’t see that in bare eyes. IR diodes or IR flashlight is the best available options. IR diodes are available in various power. High power ones will enable a better image.
Power Source and Voltage Converter
You will need a power supply for the camera, the display device, and IR diodes. In some cases, you will need a step-down voltage converter. Since excessive power supply will kill the devices.
Switch
You will need at least one switch to power on and off the power supply. And it will be smart to use another switch for the IR diodes. This way you can keep the power supply on and at the same time, you can control the IR diodes.
Housing Box
You will need a housing box to accommodate all the components. You can choose any box-like plastic boxes or some VR goggles.
Connecting the Devices
First, we will connect the camera with the display device. If both of them come with RCA connectors you will need an RCA adapter. If you are using a rearview camera, make sure you know that rearview cameras provide you the opposite view, I mean that will show left as right and vice versa.
Mounting the IR Diodes
Next, you will have to mount the IR with the housing. In some cases, you can avoid the mounting part and directly connect it with the power supply. Actually, it depends on how you are arranging all the components. IR’s are arranged in a series connection to reduce the current. The power-on switch will supply the power to the diodes. For better control, we will use a dedicated switch for the diodes to enable or disable the active power for them.
Connecting the Power Supply
We will use batteries for the power supply. Li-ion batteries will be good for this. You need to adjust the battery number and power accordingly so that the NVGs last long. In some cases, you may need to use a step-down converter to fine-tune the power supply.
After preparing the power supply, you have to connect it with the camera and display device using a switch.
Putting Them All Together
So far you will have everything ready to be put together. You will have to perfectly house them in your box. If necessary, you can mount the IR after placing all the components inside the box. Additionally, you can put an IR flashlight with the box for another illumination source.
Final Words
Making night vision goggles at home is tricky and needs patience. But that’s ok since you will save a good amount of money. At the same time, you should know that dedicated NV goggles have no alternative. We hope that after reading these easy to follow steps on how to make night vision goggles, you will have some insights to make your own NV goggles.
Kalman is a hunting expert who has a vast experience with wild game hunting. Though night time hunting is his favorite, he masters the art of daytime hunting and shooting. Being a nature lover and outdoor enthusiast, he wants to pass the knowledge acquired over time to the next generation.
