You heard it right! You can make a night vision scope by yourself at home with a few simple steps. And even better, it won’t cost you a lot like those night vision scopes on the market. With the homemade night vision scope, you will be finally able to view under low light conditions easily. That’s right, no more frustration for hunters and traveler.
Before starting the procedure, go through the list of materials and tools that you will need for a DIY night vision scope. Also, make sure that you can get the basic components required for the type of scope that you want to build.
Such as for making a DIY night vision scope using a cascade tube, you will need the image intensifier tube, mirror, light source, and some other material from any store near you. I am mentioning that because in some countries, there might be some restrictions on the have or making a night vision scope.
Once you have gone through the list of material required and the procedures, you can try any of the following ways to create your very own night vision scope.
DIY Night Vision Scope For Beginners:
Table of Contents
The simplest way to create a night vision scope at home for a beginner requires a few components and thorough research about them to get the best ones.
To begin with, for building a DIY night vision scope, you will need:
- Objective lens
- A scope tube of the required size
- An infrared light source such as the IR illuminator Flashlight
- A focusing ring
- Screws or adhesive tape
- Scope rings or mount
First of all, attach the infrared light source to the scope tube with the help of screws or adhesive tape. After that, attach the lens and focusing ring to the front part of the scope tube.
DIY Night Vision Scope Camera Using Binoculars
If you are a hunter or traveler, you must have an old pair of binoculars. Instead of wasting it, you can use it to make a new DIY night vision scope camera with a few more things easily available at any store near you, including:
- Marker
- Duct tape
- A small flashlight
Start by removing the eyepieces of the binoculars. Now using the duct tape, attach the flashlight to one side of the binoculars. While attaching, consider that the light of the flashlight is pointing inwards.
Draw a small circle on the other eyepiece using a marker. This eyepiece will be the viewing lens of your night vision scope.
DIY Cascade Night Vision Scope/ Rifle Scope For Hunting
Another way to create a night vision scope for mounting it on a rifle is by using an image intensifier tube, a viewfinder from an old camcorder, and PVC pipes. Besides these, you will also need the following items:
- A magnifying loupe
- A project box
- End caps
- Test caps
- Threaded adapter and plug
- Wires
- Toggle switch
- Duct tape (black)
- Spray paint of any color
- A hot glue gun
- Pilers and multimeters
- Soldering iron
- The first step is to test the image intensifier tube to make sure it works properly. Test the tube in low light conditions.
- After testing it, use a threaded adapter and threaded plug to fit the eyepiece into the tube. Also, the plug should be threaded into the adapter using hot glue.
- After making the eyepiece, it’s time to make the objective. For that, make holes and mount the adapters with an end cap. Put some glue on the adapter before mounting.
- Now you have to add power. Make holes in both the tube and the project box to pass the wires from the tubes to the batteries.
- With the help of spray paint of any color, paint the whole tube, only leaving the eyepiece.
- Lastly, with the help of duct tape, fix the tube inside the PVC pipe and insert the objective lens in the tube.
Your night vision scope is ready. If you are using it as a rifle scope, you will need a bipod and optics for that.
Homemade Night Vision Scope Using Military Surplus Parts
If available, there is another way to make a night vision scope using a cascade tube and military surplus parts. Also, the following material is required to make it:
- Lens
- Toggle switch
- Eyepiece
- Film camera
- A Dremel
- 2 AA batteries
- Silicon caulk
- Drill machine
- Drawer pull
- PVC pipe
- Paint for pipe
- Screws
- Glue
- Project battery box
- wires
- Soldering gun
- Electrical tape, screws, nuts, etc.
With a cascade tube, all the processes are almost similar for creating a night vision scope. However, creating this night vision tube won’t require infrared LEDs. You can follow the same procedure mentioned above. Also, if you don’t have any knowledge and experience in electronics, ask for help from someone who has.
Although you can make a generation 2 or generation 3 tube using these components, which will give you better sharp images and last longer than any other homemade night vision scope, this will cost you almost the same amount as buying a night vision scope. But owning a homemade scope made by yourself, depending on your budget, is for sure better than using a bought night vision scope.
Homemade Night Vision Scope Using Sunglasses.
Making a night vision scope using sunglasses does sound interesting. Not only that, this homemade night vision scope won’t cost you a lot and is quite easy to make.
The items required for it other than sunglasses include:
- A 9V battery
- Electrical tape
- Infrared LEDs pair
Step 1:
Begin with taping the infrared LEDs using electrical tape to the inner side of the arms of the sunglasses. Both LEDs should be facing outwards.
Step 2:
Now take the battery and attach it to the back of the sunglasses and in between the lenses using the tape. While getting the batteries, consider the one with wires long enough to reach the LEDs.
Your night vision scope is ready to be tested. You will be able to view through the glasses in low lights or even complete darkness.
Conclusion
If you don’t want to spend a lot on a night vision scope and just want to try making a DIY scope for yourself, you can go for any of these procedures. But for some of these procedures, having a bit of knowledge about electronics is important.
Besides, some might cost you the same as buying a night vision scope, but you might be ready to try them as a professional user, such as a hunter. Therefore, it’s up to you to select the method most suitable for yourself.