There are practical ways to make homemade night vision devices, especially if investing a huge amount of money for professional devices is not a practical choice. Aside from the cheaper cost and typically accessible materials required, making your own night vision cameras, webcams, goggles and scopes is also a fulfilling way to learn more about how the night vision concept works.
Still or Video Camera
A homemade night vision camera allows you to view and record subjects even in total darkness. You can convert a consumer or professional still or video camera into a dedicated night vision camera by simply removing the infrared filter that covers the camera's infrared sensor. This requires unscrewing the camera case and opening it to reveal the camera's internal parts. After removing the often red-colored piece of glass placed over the sensor, replace this with a processed negative from any picture shot using a film camera. You can also use an old X-ray sheet as an alternative. Make sure you cut it according to the size of the infrared filter, then use superglue to cover the sensor with it. Re-assemble the camera. In order for the camera to work in darkness, use infrared LED lighting while operating the camera.
Webcam
Cheap webcams without extra features and infrared capability can be converted into a dedicated night vision webcam by following the same process as converting a still or video for night vision use -- remove the infrared filter and add a piece of a photo negative. You can use this as an extra webcam for night vision use, which is not only advantageous for regular web streaming and chats under low light conditions, it is also a practical way to use a webcam as a security camera that can see and record even in total darkness. As with still or video cameras, operating a webcam with homemade night vision requires LED infrared lighting.
Goggles
Wearing night vision goggles allows people to see even in total darkness. When making do-it-yourself night vision goggles, the welder's goggles are popularly used because their lenses can be easily removed from their goggles frames. A congo blue gel with a primary red gel on top of it is specifically placed on each lens before returning it to the frame. To enable your goggles to produce infrared light, about four to five infrared LEDs are attached on each side of the frame. The illumination from them allows the filtering of the light through the colored gels attached onto the lenses. The LEDs are powered by wiring them to a cell battery, which is attached to the side of the goggles as well.
Scope
A homemade night vision scope works like a screen of a night vision camera or as an alternative to a night vision goggle. Aside from using it as a typical device that allows you to view things even in very dark places, you can also make your own night vision scope for your binoculars or even build a homemade rifle scope from it. Making a do-it-yourself scope follows a similar process as making night vision goggles. You also need to use blue and red filters, LED lights and a battery power source.
Tags: night vision, night vision, homemade night vision, even total, even total darkness