Nightvision on the cheap: Help me out.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:42 pm

Kurt_ wrote:Military night vision works on moonlight. I'm aware I'd need a light source in a house or something, but right now I'm trying to get something that will work with the light emitted by the moon.

Military night vision units use thousand-dollar image sensors designed for infrared, not the P.O.S mass produced CMOS sensor you have. Your signal-to-noise ratio is going to be absolutely terrible at that light level and you cant extract a signal from noise by just amplifying it - you'll amplify the noise too. Like I said, you are just turning up the static.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 5:59 pm

Then let it rain static.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:20 pm

Just found the IC that takes input from the CCD.

However, I found a flaw.

I need to amplify that signal 30,000 times...

I'm going to TRY Kyo's circuit next week probably, but um... this appears to be a stumbling block. Suggestions? How does professional nightvision do it? With lenses? With lots of transistors?