• Winner! Quick Shot Challenge: Caption This Sniper Fail Meme

    View thread

Night Vision Lens heater for condensation

Hootiewho

Sergeant
Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
May 12, 2006
664
711
46
SC
I posted this on ARF, figured I would ask here as well.

When running a clip on NVG in the South, especially this time of year we get a ton of lens condensation, and condensation on everything else. I was reading on some astronomy forum about making use of such a heater to avoid this issue. I’ve tried cat crap and can be lacking.

If it is safe for telescopes and cameras, I assume it would be GTG for a clip on?

Something like this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UNN8Z8?tag=arfcom00-20?tag=arfcom00-20





http://philhart.com/content/dew-heaters-night-sky-photography
 
Same here in OR. and always high humidity here. everything is dripping wet on cool night if there is no wind blowing , ( surface moisture collects) all gets a good wet fog-over on the lenses of both, rifle scope Ocular, Clip-on and peq's.

The Heater looks cool idea . but 1st thing pop's in my head. I am packing like a gear queer now at night, and ( do I want ? ) another item with more batteries and cord.

I don't glass/scan with my rifle set-up, so once it all set for the shot I don't touch it much .
I do a beer cozy between the clip-on Ocular and Obj. of scope, but No wind, cool night is the big problem. So I set-up . turn-on clip-on, check focus. then check my Illum. and laser for function . Then I pull a lightweight drop cloth and drape over the top of the rifle so that covers the Scope, clip-on and peq. . Drop cloth ends up collecting and gets pretty wet over a couple hours, and what is under it does not.
-
 
Same here in OR. and always high humidity here. everything is dripping wet on cool night if there is no wind blowing , ( surface moisture collects) all gets a good wet fog-over on the lenses of both, rifle scope Ocular, Clip-on and peq's.

The Heater looks cool idea . but 1st thing pop's in my head. I am packing like a gear queer now at night, and ( do I want ? ) another item with more batteries and cord.

I don't glass/scan with my rifle set-up, so once it all set for the shot I don't touch it much .
I do a beer cozy between the clip-on Ocular and Obj. of scope, but No wind, cool night is the big problem. So I set-up . turn-on clip-on, check focus. then check my Illum. and laser for function . Then I pull a lightweight drop cloth and drape over the top of the rifle so that covers the Scope, clip-on and peq. . Drop cloth ends up collecting and gets pretty wet over a couple hours, and what is under it does not.
-

pretty much identical to my routine😎
 
I live in GA so not many harsher climates for the lens condensation problem. Having said that the idea of quickly warming up part of a sealed chamber with multiple sealed mating surfaces that protect very expensive components doesn't sound like a great idea.

It's also part of the reason I don't EDS with an RDS on my pistol for most of the year. Even the single lens will fall victim I learned, luckily not the hard way. Lots of LE types carry one of those lens rags that packs in a little pouch for your keychain clipped to their optics and that seems to work for them.
 
I live in GA so not many harsher climates for the lens condensation problem. Having said that the idea of quickly warming up part of a sealed chamber with multiple sealed mating surfaces that protect very expensive components doesn't sound like a great idea.

It's also part of the reason I don't EDS with an RDS on my pistol for most of the year. Even the single lens will fall victim I learned, luckily not the hard way. Lots of LE types carry one of those lens rags that packs in a little pouch for your keychain clipped to their optics and that seems to work for them.

It shouldn’t need to be warmed very much from what I have been reading. I understand the point you’re making 100%, but they have been doing it on cameras and telescopes for a long time without any ill effects from what I have been reading. I went ahead and ordered a USB heater unit and some adhesive temp strips to put on the optic. I’ll heat it gradually and see how it does then report back.

Also, while I love a RDS on a pistol, you are spot on. Exactly why I haven’t went full on with one for carry either.