Novel Combination of Audio and Night Vision

The Bushnell 26-0300 is an entry level night vision (NV) spotting scope that also includes a directional microphone for listening to those things that go bump in the dark. It utilizes a 1st generation intensifier tube. See my "background" entry below for more information about NV generations. The scope is Russian made, operates on a pair of AA alkaline batteries, includes a built-in infrared (IR) illuminator, and can be mounted on a tripod. A handstrap secures the scope to your right hand and keeps the simple controls (on/off, and IR) at your fingertips The controls for the microphone are equally simple: on/off and volume adjustment, but they're mounted on the left side. First, this is primarily a night scope, so I'll address that before the audio. For a low price 1st gen scope, the image produced is impressive. Nice, clear field of view with minimal edge distortion, which is a real problem with many 1st gen units. But, like most 1st gen, it isn't very useful without the IR light. IR light is invisible to the unaided eye, but shows up well in NV scopes. Fortunately, Bushnell's IR light on this unit is bright and well focused, making it useful at distances beyond 10 yards.
The audio microphone is very sensitive, but not as directional as I'd hoped. Off axis sound is amplified just as much as on-axis, making it difficult to use the mike to locate the source of unseen sounds. This makes it more of a novelty than a useful feature.

Background

Night vision equipment (usually abbreviated "NV") is vastly different from what most of us use as daytime optics, such as spotting scopes, binoculars and rifle scopes. The magnification is usually low, less than 5x in almost all cases, and rarely above 3x. And few, if any, NV scopes offer zoom magnification which is popular on daytime optics. What's important in NV is not how large the viewed object is, but how clearly you can see it in dim light. The single biggest factor in NV performance is the intensifier tube. NV optics work by amplifying light through the intensifier tube and then sending the amplified image to the eyepiece. Most NV scopes are powered by 3 volt camera batteries or a pair of AA cells. Some have an additional battery for an attached infrared (IR) lamp. But, be aware that the tube is very sensitive to bright lights and should never be turned on during daylight hours without the protective lens cap in place. These intensifier tubes are available in four different levels of performance:

A) 1st generation, which is what was used in Vietnam in the 60's and early 70's. This is the lowest priced, most readily
available NV. Those on the market are usually Russian made, and quality varies greatly. If you're thinking of buying a
"1st Gen" NV scope, you'll be much better off if you can actually look through the scope you're buying before you purchase it. There are quite a few poor quality 1st gen tubes out there. "1st Gen" allows you to see well in places where it's not all that dark to begin with. The image is usually slightly distorted towards the edge of the field of view. These NV scopes benefit greatly from infrared illuminators, which are usually built into the scopes. The IR light is invisible to the naked eye, but shows up very well in a NV scope. Without an IR illuminator, most 1st gen scopes are very limited in what they can see.

B) 2nd generation, developed in the 70's and issued to the military in the mid 70's, is a big step up from 1st gen equipment. The image is much brighter and more well defined than anything in 1st gen. The distorted edges are gone. They allow you to see considerably further in less light than anything in 1st gen. 2nd gen scopes are also much less dependent on IR illuminators, but most include them for use in pitch black conditions, such as inside unlit buildings at night. Accordingly, 2nd gen scopes cost about three or four times as much as 1st gen. Most 2nd gen scopes have US made tubes. These scopes are commonly used by sportsmen as well as search and rescue or law enforcement.

C) 3rd generation, developed in the 80's and deployed in the 90's for the military, is currently the best that's readily available to the public. The 3rd gen scopes are much more efficient than 2nd gen and cost two to three times what a 2nd gen scope will. These scopes offer a very clear view in even very dim conditions. In fact, under most outdoor conditions, the use of the IR illuminator is unnecessary. Even in unlit rooms at night, the IR only needs to be used for seeing details unless the room has no windows. Lighting up the IR illuminator of a 3rd gen scope is like turning on a bright light when you get up in the middle of the night: it's uncomfortably bright at first. Most nonmilitary users of 3rd gen will be people who need high resolution night vision on a regular basis. Boaters, astronomers, security, etc.

D) 4th generation, developed in the 90's. These scopes are available to the public on a limited basis. They represent the state of the art in civilian night vision scopes and are a step up from 3rd gen by providing an almost daytime view, even in the middle of the night. However, these scopes are not easy to find, and those that are available will cost thousands of dollars. This makes them out of reach for most potential users. But 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen scopes will do the job quite well for most of us. 4th gen is beyond the needs of nearly anyone outside of the military.