Topic: Home built night vision?

[Jim]

While surfing the web today I ran across this project. It looks relatively simple. I think we could come up with all the parts except the viewfinder from an old video camera and the head harness. Anyone up to giving this a try? I'm still studying it for now. Here is a pic with a link to some more text and pics on the project.



http://www.rpi.edu/~bradfe/NVG2.html

Jim

[Bonnie]

Hey Jim,

That looks pretty cool. When you gonna make us one?

Bonnie

[Jim]

I don't know.  I found this while looking for the sony camcorders that have night vision.  It seems they will take a picture in complete darkness about 10 feet away.  Additionally if you add an IR pack, you can take pics 100 ft away.  Of course I was trying to find one on ebay.  I marked a couple but I bet they are going to go kind of high. 

I really don't think this project would be too hard but there are no plans on the internet that I can find, just some text and a few pictures.  It would be kind of neat to try. 

Jim

[Bonnie]

You're our Super Do Anything Jim. You can do it with just a few pictures and a little text on the subject. I got the faith.

Bonnie

[Dianna]

Yep, our Mr. Gadget can do anything. He will be whipping us up a couple of 'em before too long...

I thought it looked rather interesting myself...

Dianna

[Jim]

Trying to make my head swell again.  I don't know.  I was thinking of looking for one of the Sony video cameras that comes with the "night vision".  I may have to take a look at the disopsable digital camera the next time I go in CVS though just to see what it looks like.  The instructions on the net say it just takes a switch, a male USB cable, some diodes, and a couple of battery holders.  Might be a good project for a rainy day.

[Bonnie]

I don't know what the weather is like there, but it has been raining a whole lot hear, so get busy.

[Jim]

I've been watching several of the sony video cameras on ebay. I'm going to see what they go for before I start another project. They are all used and one ends tonight so I should be able to see what they are going for. If it's about the same that I paid for the one I have, I may go that route because it has so much more capability. I need another gadget!

[Dianna]

You know the gadgets that you collect aren't so bad. It is all those remotes!

I was thinking it would be nice to have this little gadget when we go on the tour for the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon...

[Jim]

Not enough time left to get one of these built.  I was in CVS the other day and it appears that they still sell those cameras. 

We'll just have to be satisfied with some digital camera shots and some voice recordings I guess.

[Bonnie]

I will be happy if we get anything

Bonnie

[Jim]

This probably wouldn't be that difficult but it would be way down my list with the ham shack and it's not gonna be long till it will be time to plant the garden.   

[G-Mom]

I checked out the directions for this and it sounds really interesting.  I'm not very electronic,but my kids are and I bet i could get Alex to build it for me.

I want one!

[bayou girl]

Jim,  I don't know how far you got with this, or if you ever did, but there are several cheap head harnesses on the market for hands free lights that would work.  or if you can find an old catcher's mask cheap, that would do it too.

[Penny]

Cool project and seems easy enough to do.

[Jim]

I never did anything with this.  I did get a Sony video camera with night shot but the power of the IR light really determines the range that you can film.  The model I got doesn't support the accessory light that Sony offers either so afout 10 feet is about the extent of it.  I'm thinking now that about 4 of those type that you can buy for home security would be good as they are IR as well and have a much longer range.