Night Vision levels the playing field in the darkness, but what can you do without power?
You may need to find a way to use Night Vision without batteries.
| Quick Navigation Night Vision Without Batteries What is the Lifetime of a Piezoelectric Actuator? Realistic Expectations STARGATE M. 2x35 Night Vision Monoculars Diagram About Gen 1 Night Vision |
Night Vision Without Batteries
Night Vision is important for survival in the dark, but it’s worthless if you don’t have it, or if you have it and the batteries are dead! Every night vision scope, monocular, or goggles we could fine requires batteries.
How can we have Night Vision without batteries?
Update: As of 12/11/19 the STARGATE M. 2×35 Night Vision Monocular seems to be available through Newcon-optik.com.
We are constantly on the look out for new battery free night vision tech for survival and SHTF, so if you know of something that pops up, please contact us!
The STARGATE M. 2×35 Night Vision Monocular (aka: NewCon Optik SGT-150P StarGate Night Vision Scope) does not require batteries to power it’s image tube.
The STARGATE Night Vision Monocular does not require batteries to power it’s image tube. Instead, it uses a patented lever-activated power supply.
The lever activates a piezoelectric charge generator, that provides the high voltage required to bias the image tube.
This voltage bleeds-off very slowly and the image is intensified for as long as you continue to depress the lever. After several minutes, you may notice that the brightness of the image has decreased.
To restore it simply release the lever and squeeze it back down, ONCE! Do not “pump” the lever as if you are charging a battery, you get nothing for your effort and the Newcon will deactivate itself for some time.
| IIT | STARGATE M |
| Generation | 1 |
| Optics | |
| Magnification (x) | 2 |
| Field of View | 20 |
| Objective F# | 1.1 |
| Lens Aperture | 35 |
| Focus Range | 3 – ∞ |
| Diopter Adjustment Range | ±4 |
| Mechanics, Electronics and Environmental |
| Dimensions (mm) | 165x60x65 |
| Weight without batteries (g) | 450 |
| IR illuminator | Yes |
| Operating temperature range (°C) | -20 to +40 |
What is the Lifetime of a Piezoelectric Actuator?
The lifetime of a well-designed piezo actuator is not limited by wear and tear. Tests have shown that PI Ceramic PZTs Multilayer Piezo Stacks can perform 10 Billion and even 100 Billion cycles without loss of performance if operated under suitable conditions. (Source)
Realistic Expectations
The STARGATE M. 2×35 Night Vision Monoculars are made in Russia. They are the first generation Night Vision optics, that they issued to their military.
These will not rival the current generation of Night Vision nor the more expensive first-generation Night Vision, but they are better than any night vision device with a dead battery and are certainly better than no night vision at all.
On a starless, cloudy night, without much ambient IR light, you may need to use the IR Illuminator, which does require a single CR123 battery. Most times I do without the illuminator as its normally not needed and it act as a beacon to others utilizing night vision.
The Newcon SGT-150P is a solid, well made and nicely designed tool. It’s made of metal, The only plastic or rubber parts are the ring covers for the user adjustments and the front lens cover.
STARGATE M. 2×35 Night Vision Monoculars Diagram
STARGATE M. 2×35 Night Vision Monocular or NewCon Optik SGT-150P StarGate Night Vision Scope Manual
Would I buy this again?
I certainly would buy the STARGATE M Night Vision again. I intend to buy at least one more pair of them and can realistically see having 3 pairs.
I have better night vision but I can still think of 2 reasons to own these:
- Night Vision without batteries. No batteries are required so these will probably still be around long after my batteries are all dead.
- If I lose or break these, I won’t feel as bad as I would if I broke my higher-end Gen-1 units.
Feature Recap
- No batteries are required
- Ideal for camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities
- The image intensifier provides a sharp image, which is as good or better than competing products at 2-3 times the cost
- The included powerful Infra-Red Illuminator allows observation in complete darkness
- Low price
About Gen 1 Night Vision
STARGATE M – Newcon Optik is a Gen 1 night vision device.
If you are new to using NVDs and wondering what that means, well, gen 1-night vision is considered as the oldest of its technology (apart from gen 0 which was originally created by the US Army in WW II). It’s been utilized since the early 1950s.
Compared with the succeeding generations, devices made using this technology don’t have a global standard. In a simpler explanation, it means that their tube’s quality can vary depending on the device.
Gen 1 NVDs are great to use for short-range observation. They are highly recommended for the average person who simply wants to experience night vision technology.
Gen 1 NVDs have tubes that tend to show blemishes or black dots when you look through the devices. They don’t really work well on moonless or cloudy nights. To get sharper images, you may need to use an IR illuminator.
Hi I need to have one desperately for hunting and can you get it on eBay around the same price or less without having to bid
I only need the IR torch.