Igen Igen-le User manual

NIGHT VISION VIEWER

& STILL CAMERA

OWNER’S MANUAL

MIGEN-LE Rev.2 071312

CAUTION:

Do not point Infrared Emitter

directly into eye at close range.

Keep out of reach of children.

The infrared emitter emits a BRIGHT,

although invisible, beam of light.

As with any bright light, do not point into the eye.

1-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY

The

iGenLE

is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship under

normal use for one year from the date of purchase to the original owner.

Damage due to neglect, accidental damage or misuse of this product is not covered

under this warranty. Decisions regarding abuse or misuse of the product are made

solely at the discretion of the manufacturer.

Proof of Purchase is required to make a claim under this warranty.

Liability under this Warranty is limited to replacing or repairing, at our option, the

product returned, shipping cost prepaid to Night Owl Optics. Shipping cost to Night

Owl Optics is the responsibility of the consumer.

NOTE TO CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE THE U.S.A.

This warranty may vary in other countries, check with your distributor for details.

Factory warranty follows the channel of distribution.

Warranty does not cover shipping costs

34 3

Table of contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-6

Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

First Time Operation . . . . . . . . . .8-9

Gain control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9

Infrared Emitter . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11

Number of lux table . . . . . . . .10-11

Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-14

Power/IR button . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Image Capture button . . . . . . . . . .13

Triple Action Switch . . . . . . . . .13-14

Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15-24

Eyepiece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Objective Lens . . . . . . . . . . . . .15-16

Infrared Emitter . . . . . . . . . . . .16-17

Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17-18

Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20-21

Video format . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21-22

Date and time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Display off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Auto off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Reset Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Daytime use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Tripod adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Image Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . .26-27

Image Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27-29

Lens Doubler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

How to install Lens Doubler . . . .31

Menu System at a glance . . . . . . .32

Return for service info. . . . . . . . . .34

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

To return product for service, please first contact Night Owl Optics

for a Return Authorization (RA) Number. Ask for Night Vision

customer service.Reference the RA number on your package and

return the product within 15 days of calling to:

Night Owl Optics

1465-H Henry Brennan Dr.

El Paso, TX 79936

Phone: 915-633-8354

Warranty coverage does not include the cost of transporting the

product back to an owner who is located outside of the United

States of America.

Objective Lens

Infrared

Emitter

Tripod Mount Battery

Compartment 3-Way

Switch

Video

Composite

Output

Memory

Card Slot

Power/IR

Button

Image

Capture

Button

Eye Piece

Introduction

The iGenLE Night Vision Viewer is the leading edge of the new

tubeless night vision technology. Traditional night vision

devices employ electron bombardment vacuum tube

technology to amplify ambient light. iGen technology uses image

processing techniques, special optics, and low-light sensing technology

to bring night vision into the digital age.

Menu System

The menu selections are:

EXPOSURE (Adjustable from 2fps to 30fps)

REVIEW

AUTO OFF (1,2,3,4,5,10,15,20,30,45 minutes or OFF)

MAIN

DISPLAY

BRIGHTNESS (1,2,3,4)

ON-OFFON

OFF

COLOR

IMAGE (white, red, green, blue)

TEXT (blackwhite, red, green, amber)

SYSTEM TIME (to set date and time)

VIDEO

NTSC

PAL

IR START

AUTO

OFF

VERSION (displays software revision level)

RESET RESET YES

RESET NO

EXIT

The iGenLE advantage is:

• The world’s only night vision system with integrated photographic capability.

•

Better image quality with high, 30-line-pair per millimeter, edge-to-edge display resolution

• Better image quality with no image distortion from photocathode or

phosphorescent screen blemishes

• Easier diopter focusing

• Two-times the sensitivity to infrared light, useful in total darkness with the aid of

the infrared emitter

• Intelligent infrared emitter. Microprocessor automatically adjusts infrared intensity

and electronic gain to optimize image to changing ambient light conditions.

• Undistorted infrared emitter – bright clear scene illumination with no dark spots

and no uneven light patterns

• Ambient light amplification capability higher than Generation-1 technology at

default exposure. Light amplification capability superior to most Generation-3 with

the use of exposure control.

• Easy-connect video capture capability through composite video output

• Programmability

• Bright-light see-through capability. No bright-spot blooming or halo-effect typical

with conventional night vision.

• More robust. No risk of damage from bright light exposure. No fragile vacuum tubes.

LENS DOUBLER INSTALLATION

1.Screw the Lens Doubler (adapter already

attached) into the

iGen Objective Lens.

2.Remove the cap

from the front of

the Lens Doubler.

Caution

a.) Protect your lens from dirt, dampness and

excessive heat.

b.) Avoid touching your lens.

c.) To clean the lens, blow off dust first and

then wipe gently with microfiber cloth

(included) or lens tissue.

d.) Do not use eyeglass tissue as it may

damage the coating.

OBJECTIVE

LENS

3.5x LENS DOUBLER

Batteries

Requires 4 AA alkaline batteries (not included)

Typical battery life from one set of batteries is 4.5 hours in continuous use in

viewing mode, or 2.3 hours in continuous use with the infrared emitter at

maximum intensity. Continuous use in capture mode will reduce battery life by

approximately 25%.

To improve battery life, reduce display brightness or program the auto-off feature to

cause the device to automatically shut down after specified intervals.

Package contents:

1. Case

2. iGen-LE with memory card

3. Tripod with window mount

4. 58mm Lens Doubler with 44mm adapter

5. Strap

6. Manual

Lens Doubler

Features

• Increases image magnification from 2.6x to 6.1x

• High Definition Telephoto Lens

• Multi-Coated Optical Glass

• Lightweight - 5.5 oz

1st Time Operation

To best understand operation, for first-time use, test the device in a lighted room with the

lens cap attached.

The small amount of light entering through the pin-hole in the lens cap will simulate a

night-time environment.

Press-and-hold the power button to turn on.

Push up on the triple action switch located on the bottom.

Focus eyepiece.

1. A menu will appear. Use this menu to focus the eyepiece.

2. Rotate the eyepiece rubber cup until the menu letters are sharp and in focus.

If the menu disappears, push up again to see the menu again.

3. Use the menu as a focusing target. This adjustment focuses your individual

eyesight on to the display screen.

4. After the eyepiece focus (technically called the diopter lens) is adjusted, do not

change this adjustment. After you set the eyepiece adjustment, use the front

lens to focus on objects in the distance.

Get comfortable with the gain control.

Push the triple action switch to the left and to the right.

Image Review

Camera motion can have a negative effect on photo quality. The slightest camera

movement while taking pictures can compromise the quality of a photo. Even excess

force on the Image Capture button can blur an image. In extremely low light

environments, try to hold the device as still as possible, and avoid excess force while

pressing the Image Capture button. Lower exposure rates, while improving low light

sensitivity, require more stabilization of the device to avoid blurring the image. If

possible, rest the iGen-LE on a surface or attach to a tripod.

Use of the Infrared Emitter is strongly recommended for picture taking. The

additional light provided by the IR will greatly enhance image quality. Also notice

that in IR AUTO mode, aiming of the IR, particularly at close range, is important. In

IR Auto Mode, infrared light output is automatically adjusted using illumination

levels in the middle of the image, so if a specific object in the scene is important,

keep that object in the middle of the scene.

As you push the switch left or right (but not up), you are manually adjusting the electronic

gain (light amplification) of the internal computer circuit.

Notice the following as you increase gain (push to the right):

1. At very high gain settings, the image gets “noisier”.

Notice a “snowy” image at high gain settings.

2. As you increase the gain quickly, you may notice a momentary very bright image

which quickly darkens itself back to normal intensity. This behavior is the device

sensing that the image is overexposed, and automatically reducing internal gain

and/or exposure to compensate. In an actual dark environment, iGen would not

throttle back the gain in this manner.

If the “overexposed image” message appears, it is prompting you to reduce

gain. If this message disappears automatically, then the internal processor was

able to automatically reduce the gain or exposure.

With the lens cap on, notice that rotating the objective lens (large lens on front of iGen) has

little effect on the focus of the image. The pin-hole on the lens cap lets in only a narrow

beam of light which requires little mechanical focusing to align. If the scene is out of focus,

you may need to rotate the lens many degrees to achieve a small amount of optical focusing.

This characteristic will not be apparent when using the iGen with the lens cap removed.

Press the Infrared Button several times.

Notice that it has 3 different modes: AUTOMATIC, OFF and MAXIMUM

Image Review

While reviewing images, Press Up on the triple action switch to display the menu.

Menu Choices are:

• CONTINUE to continue viewing saved images.

• EXIT to return to viewing. Notice that the image capture mode is deactivated

after entering the Review Mode; “CAPTURE” is no longer displayed.

If you desire to exit Review Mode and return directly to Capture Mode,press-

and-hold the capture button.

• DELETE to permanently delete the currently displayed image from the memory

card. There is no “delete all images” function; if a mass delete of many saved

images is desired, deletion with the memory card connected to a computer may

be quicker than deleting each image individually with the iGen.

Characteristics and Limitations of Night Vision Photographs

Night Vision images are characteristically less detailed than day-time images, as

there is less light available. The iGen-LE is a black-and-white camera system, so all

saved images will be black-and-white. Nighttime is almost completely devoid of

colors, so a color system would be of little practical use.

Infrared Emitter

The basic principle employed by iGen is light amplification. In very dark conditions, where you

cannot see, and your eye cannot detect the small amount of light that is available, the iGen

detects and amplifies very small amounts of available light. But in the absence of any

available light, use the infrared emitter.

To understand how much light is available in different environments, review the following

table. Light intensity is measured in lux. One lux is roughly the amount of light created by a

candle at a distance of one meter.

The number of lux existing in different environments is:

Condition Number of Lux iGen Function.

Sunny Day 100,000+ Too bright. Keep lens cap on.

Overcast Day 100 to 10,000 Too bright. Keep lens cap on.

Indoor Lighting 80 to 300 Keep lens cap on.

Street lighting at night 1 to 10 No IR(infrared emitter) needed.

Full Moon 0.1 No IR needed.

Quarter Moon 0.01 IR might be needed.

Clear night with no moon 0.001 IR necessary at distance.

Dark Cloudy Night 0.0001 IR absolutely necessary.

Image Capture

The use of high capacity memory cards with the iGenLE is not recommended. Saved images are

low capacity, particularly in comparison to modern high-resolution daytime digital cameras, and

thus a high capacity memory card should not be necessary. If a high capacity memory card is

used, the time required for the iGenLE to enter Capture Mode and the time elapsed between

viewed images may be excessive, as many as several seconds. For these reasons, the iGenLE is

supplied with a low capacity card. Some brands of memory cards will require long write times;

as many as 10 seconds may lapse between pressing the capture button and returning to view

mode. The total number of stored images is limited to 400.

Image Review

Choose REVIEW from the main menu to view saved images.

When in the image review mode, the IR and Image Capture button features are

deactivated. Pressing-and-holding the POWER button will still turn off main power.

Use the triple action switch to view images.

Upon entering Review Mode, the last image saved will be displayed.

Push left to see earlier images.

Push right to see later images.

“First Image” or “Last Image” will be displayed if you reach the 1st or last

saved image.

Night Vision technology works by amplifying the small amounts of light energy available in

most dark environments. If you are in an environment where there is NO LIGHT available to

amplify, then the mathematical formula:

zero times

any number

= zero Or the formula: (0 x N = 0)

describes what you can see without assistance from an infrared emitter – nothing.

For this reason, the iGenLE is equipped with an active infrared emitter. iGen emits an

invisible beam of near-infrared light. The beam of light exiting the emitter is not visible to

human or animal eyes but is detected by the iGen and reproduced on the display. In most

environments, you do not need the infrared emitter, but in complete darkness, turn the IR on

to the AUTO or MAX settings. The default setting of the IR at start-up is the AUTO mode.

Also notice that while the light emitting from the IR is invisible, the diode does glow a bright

red inside the emitter and can be detected from a distance. If you wish to remain completely

concealed, then do not use the infrared emitter.

CAUTION: Do not point INFRARED directly into eye at close range.

Keep out of reach of children.

The infrared emitter emits a BRIGHT, although invisible, beam of light. It is not a laser, but like

any bright light, you do not want to point it directly into your eye.

The infrared light emission is produced by a light emitting diode, similar to those used in

modern flashlights.

1126

Image Capture(picture taking)

The iGen-LE comes with a memory card installed in the slot on the underside of the device.

When image capture is activated, a still photo of the viewed image is saved on the memory

card in both .jpg and .tif format. Both images can be copied to a personal computer with a

standard card reader installed. The .jpg image is more commonly used, but the .tif image is

also provided. When saved images are deleted in the review mode, both files are deleted.

To activate image capture, press-and-hold the IMAGE CAPTURE button.

“CAPTURE” will appear on the bottom left of the display.

While “CAPTURE” is displayed, a single press of the capture button will save the

image to the memory card. The saved image will be momentarily displayed, and

the device will then return to viewing.

If the message “NO CARD” is displayed, then the memory card is not installed or is

improperly installed.

To deactivate image capture, press-and-hold the IMAGE CAPTURE button again.

If “CAPTURE” is not displayed, a momentary press of the capture button will have

no effect.

In Capture Mode, the device will consume more power. So if not actively using

image capture, you may want to deactivate image capture to prolong battery life.

Controls

1. Power/IR Button

On top side, closest to your eye

• Power:

Press-and-hold to turn on.

Press-and-hold to turn off

• Infrared:

Toggling button activates one of three different modes:

IR AUTO: the infrared emitter will measure the amount of ambient available, and

emit a calculated amount of light to illuminate the scene as required. This

setting will conserve battery life and is usually the preferred setting if you have

decided that the environment is so dark that you cannot see well without its

assistance.

IR MAX: the infrared emitter will output the maximum amount of infrared light

possible for maximum illumination at all times. Constant use at this setting will

minimize battery life.

IR OFF: no infrared light is emitted

POWER / INFRARED

IMAGE

CAPTURE

Daytime Use

To use in daylight conditions, leave the lens cap attached and operate at low gain

settings.

Tripod Adaptor

The tripod fitting is located on the underside of the device, and fits to all standard tripod

mounts with a fitting size of 1/4 - 20.

Tripod mount is recommended for exposures of less than 10fps for image stabilization.

Controls

2. Image Capture Button

On top side, farthest away from your eye.

•Press-and-hold button to enter the IMAGE CAPTURE mode

When in this mode, “CAPTURE” will appear on the bottom-left of the display.

•Press the same button to take a picture.

With each press of the button, the saved image will be displayed momentarily on

the screen. Then operation will return to viewing, with the capture mode active.

• When in Image Capture Mode, Press-and-hold button to exit the IMAGE

CAPTURE mode.

See page 28 for important information on image capture characteristics.

3. Triple Action Switch

Located on the underside of unit, rear of battery door, near your thumb as you hold

the device

Push left to decrease electronic gain

The image will darken with each press of the switch

Push right to increase electronic gain

The image will brighten with each press of the switch

11. Auto-Off

The menu selection “Auto Off” allows you to program the time interval after which

the device, or the IR, automatically turns off. Each user input (press of a button)

resets the auto-off timer.

Time selections are 1,2,3,4,5,10,15,20,30,45 minutes and OFF.

The OFF setting disables the auto-off power down feature.

To save the setting, remember to push the triple action switch up after selection.

The infrared and operating power-down timers are set separately. If the IR auto-off

time is less than the main time, the IR will shut off first, and the device will then

power off after the main time has elapsed.

12. Reset Feature

The “Reset” feature allows the user to restore all factory defaults, with the exception

that the “IR Start” setting which is not changed.

Controls

Push up to activate the menu and program the iGen.

The programming function works as follows:

1. After menu activation, the menu will time-out in ten seconds if you do not make

a selection.

2. To move through the menu selections, push the triple action switch left or

right.

3. To choose a menu selection for programming, push up on the triple action

switch.

You will choose the selection indicated by the arrow.

4. To program a setting, move the triple action switch left or right.

See the settings change.

5. To accept a setting after programming, push the triple action switch up.

6. When a setting is entered using the left/right control, the setting becomes active

immediately, but you must push the triple action switch up to permanently accept

the setting. If you do not accept a setting after 10 seconds, the menu will time-out

and the previous setting will return as the permanent setting.

Adjustable Features

10. Display Off

When using the iGen connected to an external recording device, and you do not

need to view the scene through the eyepiece, you may turn the display off. This will

greatly improve battery life.

To turn the display off, choose “Display”, then “On-Off”. When you toggle down to the

“Off” setting, the display will immediately turn off. After the display turns off, you must

then push the triple action switch up to save this setting. If you do not accept the off-

setting by pushing up after the display turns off, the display will turn back on after ten

seconds.

To turn the display back on, turn power off and then turn power back on with the

On/Off Button.

Adjustable Features

1. Eyepiece (technically referred to as the diopter focal lens in front of the microdisplay)

The iGenLE has two different focus adjustments. The eyepiece lens adjusts to focus the

display to your individual eyesight. The objective lens focuses on objects in the distance.

To adjust the eyepiece, do the following:

a. Push up on the triple action switch located on the bottom.

b. The menu will appear. Use this menu as a target to focus the eyepiece.

c. Rotate the eyepiece rubber cup until the menu letters are sharp and in focus.

If the menu disappears, push up again to see the menu again.

d. Use the menu as a focusing target. This adjustment focuses your individual

eyesight on to the display screen.

After the eyepiece focus is adjusted, do not change this adjustment, even if

the image is out of focus.

After you set the eyepiece adjustment, use the

objective (front) lens to focus on objects in the distance.

2. Objective Lens (large lens in metal housing on front of device)

This lens must be manually rotated to bring objects into focus. As you aim at different

objects at different distances, you may need to rotate the lens to bring the objects into

focus. This operates just like a pair of binoculars.

Adjustable Features

Video Format (continued)

To record to an external device, remove the rubber plug on the left side of the device, and

connect with a composite video cable

(RCA cable). The recording device you use must

have a composite video input jack (yellow color).

With the iGen powered on and focused,

no other iGen settings are necessary. If use of the eyepiece display is not required, extend

battery life by turning off the display with the “display on/off” function.

9. Date and Time (Control is located under the SYSTEM menu)

By adjusting the internal date and time, photos saved onto the memory card will be date-

stamped with the current date in the .jpg and .tif file attributes.

The date and time must be set on a new device; if the batteries are removed for more

than 15 minutes, the internal memory will be lost and will need to be re-set after batteries

are reinstalled.

If the device powers off automatically after a low battery warning, those same low voltage

batteries will still have sufficient capacity to power the internal memory and keep the time

and date current for a long time. So only remove drained batteries when you will

immediately replace them with new batteries.

When in the Date/Time menu:

Push Up the triple action switch to move from field to field.

Push the triple action switch Right or Left to change a value.

Choose Save to leave the menu and save date/time changes.

Choosing Exit will leave the menu without saving your changes.

Adjustable Features

Lens Specifications are as follows:

Minimal Focal Distance: 16” (41cm)

Maximum Focal Distance: infinity.

Ability to see objects at a distance depends on object size and

ambient light conditions.

Angle of View: 12°

Field of View: 70’at 330’ distance (21 meters at 70 meter distance)

Magnification: 2.6 times

3. Infrared Emitter

You cannot adjust the intensity or light angle of the infrared emitter. The emitter casts a

12° angle of light, equal to that of the iGen’s angle of view. Because the emitter is

positioned to the side of the objective lens, at short distances you will notice a shadow

due to this offset. The infrared produces a round beam of light; at close distance, the

circle of light will clip the corners of the rectangular display. At very close range, you may

see a half-circle of bright light, while the rest of the scene is darker. You cannot control

the intensity of the infrared light, other than to set it in automatic mode. In automatic

mode, the output of the emitter is adjusted to provide the correct amount of infrared

required for optimum illumination. Since the device is very sensitive to infrared light, high

Adjustable Features

a movie is a collection of frames repeated at 30 frames per second. Below 15fps, a moving

image may appear to move unevenly. Likewise, below 12fps, the image may shake if a

person is unable to hold the iGen completely still. If you concentrate on holding the device

still, you should find the device very useful down to 10 or 12fps.

At very long exposure times, down to 2fps, the light-gathering capability of the iGen is

truly remarkable. However, to be useful at such long exposure times the device must be

positioned on a stable surface. You may rest it on a flat surface suitable for viewing, or

connect to a tripod mount. The tripod adapter fitting located at the base of the device will

connect to all standard tripod mounts, with a fitting size of 1/4 - 20.

8. Video Format (control is located under the SYSTEM menu)

When recording on an external device using the Video Composite Output, select the

format compatible to your recording device.

Selections are:

NTSC (for devices sold in the U.S. This is the default setting)

PAL (European standard)

When choosing PAL format, the device automatically changes exposure to 24fps, as this

rate is the closest iGen internal rate to the PAL standard. If another frame rate is preferred,

the user can change it using the exposure control.

Adjustable Features

intensity infrared at close range causes the device to reduce internal gain and increase

exposure time. Use of the IR MAX settings is only recommended in a very dark outdoor

environment.

Turning IR off at start-up

The default setting of the IR is AUTO. When the iGen powers on, it re-sets to AUTO

regardless of the mode it was set to before the prior power-down.

In order for the IR to be off upon power-up, set the IR-Start function to OFF with the

following menu choices: SYSTEM / IR-START / OFF.

4. Gain

The triple action switch adjusts the internal or electronic gain. There are a total of 10

different gain settings. These settings are preprogrammed and cannot be changed. Push to

the right and the image becomes brighter. At the highest gain settings, you will notice a

“noisy” or “snowy” image. As is the case with any night vision device, in very low light

conditions users will sacrifice image quality for light amplification. In order to recognize an

object or target under the very darkest conditions, it is usually preferable to see a lower

quality image than to see no image at all.

Adjustable Features

7. Exposure

The most effective way to increase the low light sensitivity of the iGen is to increase the

exposure time of the system. In its default setting, the iGen collects light from the lens at

a rate of 30 times per second for processing. If this exposure time is increased, more

photons of light energy are collected, resulting in greater night-vision sensitivity. At the

default setting, the “shutter” remains open for 1/30th of a second and then closes and

passes the collected light on for processing. If we allow the “shutter” to remain open for

a longer period of time, we collect more photons and thus can “see” better at lower light

levels. The abbreviation “fps” means “frames per second.”

In a lighted indoor environment, you may notice a pulsing or strobing effect at varying

exposure settings. In the U.S., or other countries with 60 hertz electrical systems, exposure

rates other than 30fps and 15fps will be unsynchronized with the lighting system. The

iGen is designed for outdoor use and for use in dark environments so this characteristic

does not affect the device’s performance; such a pulsing effect will only be evident when

testing or practicing with the iGen in a lighted environment.

In countries with 50 hertz electrical systems, indoor pulsing may be apparent at many rates.

While light-gathering capability improves with longer exposure times, at exposure settings

below 15fps, the image may appear unnatural. Longer exposure settings (lower fps

numbers) present fewer and fewer image “snapshots” which are presented to you just as

Adjustable Features

The two highest gain settings may appear too noisy for many viewing environments, but can

be useful at long distances or in the very darkest environments with the use of the infrared

illuminator.

Level 8 (3rd highest gain setting):

The #8 gain setting is preferred for most very dark environments. This setting offers the

best image contrast of the high gain settings. It is most useful for viewing targets up

to 80 yards (73 meters) away.

Levels 9 & 10 (the two highest gain settings):

For long-distance viewing, 100 to 500 yards (91 to 457 meters), the #9 and #10 gain

settings are most useful. These settings provide a brighter, albeit noisier, picture.

These two settings are also useful in the very darkest environments with the use of

the Infrared Illuminator. The illumination provided by the IR reduces the noise that is

apparent in these high-gain images.

Adjustable Features

5. Color (control is located under the DISPLAY menu)

Both the color of the image and the color of the menu text can be changed. Image color

choices are white, red, green, and blue. Text color choices are black & white, green, red,

and amber. A green tinted display screen is typically used in night vision applications

because the rod cells in the human eye are most sensitive to the green wavelengths of

light, 550nm. You are better able to distinguish details when displayed in the color green.

The color red can be useful when you want to maintain your unassisted vision in the dark

when you look away from the viewer.

6. Brightness (control is located under the DISPLAY menu)

The display brightness has 4 settings. The default setting is 3. The darkest is 1; the

brightest is 4. As the display is a major consumer of battery power, darker brightness

settings will prolong battery life.

Access the brightness control by first choosing “display” from the menu and then choosing

the brightness option.

Adjustable Features

The two highest gain settings may appear too noisy for many viewing environments, but can

be useful at long distances or in the very darkest environments with the use of the infrared

illuminator.

Level 8 (3rd highest gain setting):

The #8 gain setting is preferred for most very dark environments. This setting offers the

best image contrast of the high gain settings. It is most useful for viewing targets up

to 80 yards (73 meters) away.

Levels 9 & 10 (the two highest gain settings):

For long-distance viewing, 100 to 500 yards (91 to 457 meters), the #9 and #10 gain

settings are most useful. These settings provide a brighter, albeit noisier, picture.

These two settings are also useful in the very darkest environments with the use of

the Infrared Illuminator. The illumination provided by the IR reduces the noise that is

apparent in these high-gain images.

Adjustable Features

5. Color (control is located under the DISPLAY menu)

Both the color of the image and the color of the menu text can be changed. Image color

choices are white, red, green, and blue. Text color choices are black & white, green, red,

and amber. A green tinted display screen is typically used in night vision applications

because the rod cells in the human eye are most sensitive to the green wavelengths of

light, 550nm. You are better able to distinguish details when displayed in the color green.

The color red can be useful when you want to maintain your unassisted vision in the dark

when you look away from the viewer.

6. Brightness (control is located under the DISPLAY menu)

The display brightness has 4 settings. The default setting is 3. The darkest is 1; the

brightest is 4. As the display is a major consumer of battery power, darker brightness

settings will prolong battery life.

Access the brightness control by first choosing “display” from the menu and then choosing

the brightness option.