ATN Night Vision - ATN Thermal Weapon Sights

ATN Night Vision Review

ATN is one of the world leaders in night vision technology. Night vision was originally developed for military purposes, but ATN has, through innovation and dedication, designed and built a comprehensive lineup of night vision devices for every application imaginable. ATN has reimagined the technology used by special forces worldwide, and designed accompanying models that are affordable and civilian friendly while still maintaining the capability and reliability of milspec night vision.

There are generally two types of night vision systems availble. The first is what is generally known as image enhancement, the process used by conventional night vision devices. Image enhancement works by collecting ambient light from stars, the moon, nearby lights, or an infrared illuminator. This is done by several components working in combination. Image intensifier tubes, photocathodes, and microchannel plates all work together (in a very complicated process) to amplify collected light so it is visible to the human eye.

The second type of night vision system utilizes thermal imaging. Thermal imaging differs from image enhancement because it does not collect visible ambient light, which is only visible because it is reflected off objects. Instead, thermal imaging systems look for infrared light, which is emitted by objects instead of reflected. An easy explanation of thermal imaging is that it reads the temperature of an object, and displays a picture depending on that temperature. Usually, the hotter an object, the brighter it will appear on a black and white screen. Color thermal vision sights are also available, and color will vary based on temperature. Since thermal imaging devices do not rely on reflected light, their effective range is far beyond that of conventional night vision devices.