Night Vision Visable Laser with Night Vision

[Oleshep]

Is it a correct assumption that a using a Visible laser could damage a night vision device?

 

[deersniper]

Yes.

 

[Oleshep]

Can the damage be done by merely observing the visible laser or would the laser have to be directed at the NOD for the damage to occur?

 

[niteshooter]

I would venture a guess that the general consensus is not to do either. Definitely don't shine a laser in the objective lense same as a flashlight or any other similar bright light source.

As far as observing a laser pointed down range somebody once posted a thread about doing such unintentionally with a pvs-14 and a reflection off something put a spot on the tube temporarily.
Kind of like looking across the sun and you see that spot for a while as you try to blink and make it go away as that image had burned onto your retina.

I experimented one time with a visible aiming laser (class 1)and a nod with the same result as stated above. With laser on I could see the whole path of the laser from the edge of field of view toward the center at what was aimed at 500 yards away. Turned the laser off and I could still see a faint shadow line where the laser had been. I cycled the power on the nod unit and shadow was gone, scope worked fine a long time afterwards but I refrain from doing that again.

 

[softcock]

Way to much glaring Bloom with those red visible 600nm range lasers pointers. you can run filter over the pvs14 obj.and that will clean it up a lot . or you can run the laser threw filter .
.

 

[Strykervet]

They won't damage the NODs anymore than will a similar IR laser I'd imagine. The color isn't the issue, it's the output. Most of the color lasers tend to be in the 5mW range but some of the IR lasers can be up to 200mW or more. Now I've used PEQ's and IZLIDs even on high with mine and they work fine provided you don't aim it at the NODs or a reflective surface that reflects a large degree of the radiation back. So in short, a 50mW IR laser will do more damage to the NODs than a 15mW color laser.

 

[Oleshep]

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful input.