Black spot/temporary blindness caused by IR digital night scope use

[army646]

Hi does any one use an IR night vision scope and suffer from the ‘black spot’ temporary blindness in one eye effect when you have been looking through it for a while and then look elsewhere?

Is there any way to reduce this effect? I have read that placing an astronomy type ‘moon filter’ in the rubber eyepiece can help reduce the brightness without losing contrast. Has anyone tried this and did it work?

If I cannot do anything to reduce this effect, I am afraid I will end up selling the scope and going back to an ‘add on type’ with a screen, which will be a shame.

Any thoughts/ideas other than turning the screen brightness down to minimum and putting up with it?

[Dougy]

For me, i use on the lowest brightness possible, i use thermal spotter on red monochrome with lowest brightness i can, then for the actual scope mounted NV being tubed its only on for the shortest time possible for the shot and to check the shots gone true. 

I do have a slight issue but far far less using red than any of the other colours, i find white hot or black hot the worst. 

[Mice!]

15 minutes ago, army646 said:

Any thoughts/ideas other than turning the screen brightness down to minimum and putting up with it?

Are you searching/ scanning with the scope? A separate spotter using your opposite eye would probably help you.

6 minutes ago, Dougy said:

do have a slight issue but far far less using red than any of the other colours, i find white hot or black hot the worst. 

I always flick through the colours as I find different colours work better depending on the weather, but I never use white or black hot.

[Dougy]

Just now, Mice! said:

I always flick through the colours as I find different colours work better depending on the weather, but I never use white or black hot.

I never alter the colour, just the contrast to suite the conditions. 👍

[army646]

I am currently using it for spotting, but looking for an IR spotter (monocular) with a laser range finder. The sight in question is an ATN X Sight II HD 3-14x and I find the ‘green’ night mode a bit hard work. Also I find I need to keep the screen brightness at 2, 1 seems a bit too dark. I recon old age and ****ty eyes might be part of it!

What about the ‘moon filter’ option, any one tried it?

Edited February 16, 2023 by army646

[Scully]

At the risk of appearing thick, are we talking IR as in ‘infra red’ or IR as in ‘illuminated reticle’? 

[ShootingEgg]

4 hours ago, Scully said:

At the risk of appearing thick, are we talking IR as in ‘infra red’ or IR as in ‘illuminated reticle’? 

Night vision/thermal. When looking down at the digital image. 

I would imagine your pupil will be shrinking due to the light of the image you are looking at, then when you come off the scope ****** light from the moon can get into your eye. I get it from my thermal spotter but not my digex scope.

[Ultrastu]

Yes it's a problem .I moved away from this type of nv for exactly  this reason .I felt it would damage the vision in my right eye over time .

5 years later and my right eyes vision is not as good as my left eye . So maybe this was a contributing factor .

I swapped to a screen type nv and never suffered black spot eye again .

I dont think there is a solution. 

[Rim Fire]

I get it with thermal but with an IR i just turn it down as far as it will go 

[Mice!]

56 minutes ago, Ultrastu said:

Yes it's a problem .I moved away from this type of nv for exactly  this reason .I felt it would damage the vision in my right eye over time .

5 years later and my right eyes vision is not as good as my left eye . So maybe this was a contributing factor .

I swapped to a screen type nv and never suffered black spot eye again .

I dont think there is a solution. 

A fella on the Agf had problems with his right eye using a Pard, think it was a 008 and he had to stop using it for a while, with on going treatment.

[Scully]

5 hours ago, ShootingEgg said:

Night vision/thermal. When looking down at the digital image. 

I would imagine your pupil will be shrinking due to the light of the image you are looking at, then when you come off the scope ****** light from the moon can get into your eye. I get it from my thermal spotter but not my digex scope.

Thanks. I have a Wraith, and already have a PVD in my right eye, hence the reason for asking. 

[army646]

It sounds that I am not alone on this one. I think that an IR NV scope is not for me, so it looks like I will be going back to a screen type add on and a IR monocular spotter with range finding. It’s a real shame, don’t want to let it go after using it a couple of times!

Is anyone interested in an ATN X Sight II HD 3-14x piccatiny to 11mm rear extended mount, 32gb card, power bank & leads, stock bag, x2 new rechargeable batteries for the included IR torch and possibly charger.

It will make a superb scope for someone a bit younger than I, with youthful eyes that adapt a bit better to the changing light level. Anyone interested before I list it on here or the ‘Bay’.

let mo know and I will post photos either here or on the ‘other sales’ section

Now Iam going to sound thick Scully, what’s a PVD?

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, it's never a good idea to use a dedicated n/v sat on a rifle for spotting to long and it can cause an eye black out which you then need a few minutes to readjust eyes, I had this years ago with my L/R until I bought a night vision spotter but then I used with caution and did quick scans, 

[Sprucey]

12 minutes ago, army646 said:

It sounds that I am not alone on this one. I think that an IR NV scope is not for me, so it looks like I will be going back to a screen type add on and a IR monocular spotter with range finding. It’s a real shame, don’t want to let it go after using it a couple of times!

Is anyone interested in an ATN X Sight II HD 3-14x piccatiny to 11mm rear extended mount, 32gb card, power bank & leads, stock bag, x2 new rechargeable batteries for the included IR torch and possibly charger.

It will make a superb scope for someone a bit younger than I, with youthful eyes that adapt a bit better to the changing light level. Anyone interested before I list it on here or the ‘Bay’.

let mo know and I will post photos either here or on the ‘other sales’ section

Now Iam going to sound thick Scully, what’s a PVD?

PM'd

[ShootingEgg]

3 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, it's never a good idea to use a dedicated n/v sat on a rifle for spotting to long and it can cause an eye black out which you then need a few minutes to readjust eyes, I had this years ago with my L/R until I bought a night vision spotter but then I used with caution and did quick scans, 

Not only that but why swing a potentially loaded rifle round a field as a spotter?? Not exactly a safe way to scan a field.

[hafod]

I had a yukon mounted on my howa I had to take it off and sell it

I only used it twice had severe migraines ( 2 really debilitating headaches) after using it on both occasions the worst thing I ever bought

I,ve gone back to using a lamp 

[Scully]

8 hours ago, army646 said:

It sounds that I am not alone on this one. I think that an IR NV scope is not for me, so it looks like I will be going back to a screen type add on and a IR monocular spotter with range finding. It’s a real shame, don’t want to let it go after using it a couple of times!

Is anyone interested in an ATN X Sight II HD 3-14x piccatiny to 11mm rear extended mount, 32gb card, power bank & leads, stock bag, x2 new rechargeable batteries for the included IR torch and possibly charger.

It will make a superb scope for someone a bit younger than I, with youthful eyes that adapt a bit better to the changing light level. Anyone interested before I list it on here or the ‘Bay’.

let mo know and I will post photos either here or on the ‘other sales’ section

Now Iam going to sound thick Scully, what’s a PVD?

PVD is a Posterior Vitreous Detachment; I hadn’t heard of it either until my optician told me I had one. 

It’s an age related degenerative condition and manifests itself as ( usually ) little black dots floating around in your vision. Once you know what it is it’s not a problem, I just don’t need any more black spots in there! 🙂

[Rewulf]

It's the same as looking at any bright light in a dark scenario, turn it down as low as you can still see by, and limit yourself to a maximum of 2 minutes .

The filters tend to degrade the image and I've never had any success with them.

I scan with thermal and shoot with ir , and don't have a problem in the main.

[oldypigeonpopper]

23 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, it's never a good idea to use a dedicated n/v sat on a rifle for spotting to long and it can cause an eye black out which you then need a few minutes to readjust eyes, I had this years ago with my L/R until I bought a night vision spotter but then I used with caution and did quick scans, 

Get yourself a night vision spotter, monocular/binocular , with a rangefinder the cost goes up , or look at these a LE 32 weaver mounted, 

[smokingdragon]

Any chance that these NV issues are highlighting an existing undiagnosed eye isssue? I would if it were me, get an opticians appointment to be safe.

[Dave-G]

I get easily affected by near eye screen devices and consider them as having a 'no smoke without fire' aspect, who knows what long term deterioration they may be causing. Even as kids we were taught not to sit too close to a TV.

Heads up screen types are better for me where the screen is about 10 inches from the eye.