Useless you had superhero powers, seeing at night would be completely impossible without the use of a night vision scope. If you are a hunter or have ever tried to use a camera at night you might agree with me.
I have put together a list of 8 DIY night vision scope projects that you can DIY easily from the comfort of your home or workshop. You need to be prepared, however, there are some complicated projects included that would take your time and require skills.
I hope you find the perfect night vision scope after going through this short and concise guide. Also, get ready to spend a moderate amount of money on tools and materials.
Table of Contents
1. DIY Cascade Night Vision Scope
If you are having issues seeing in the dark you would inevitably need the help of a night vision scope. Using one is ideal for hunting in the dark, it makes you see the target easily without having to use a flashlight. In this DIY guide, the creator takes us through a series of steps of how he was able to make this amazing DIY scope.
This night vision scope uses a Gen 1 image intensifier tube, it costs about $130. You will also need a lot of other materials like; black duct tape, spray paint, toggle switch, C-CS Adapter ring, and a lot more.
The complicated section is the making process which will need you to test the tube, make the eyepiece, and add power. There’s also a segment that involves shimming and focusing the system. The final part has to do with installing the scope on the fun.
2. How To Build A Night Time Vision Scope
I have heard a lot of people talk about a night vision scope and how complicated it is to make one, however, from my research so far, building a night time vision is not rocket science. With the steps in this tutorial, you can make for yourself an amazing night vision scope.
One of the most important steps is gathering and assembling the parts that will be necessary for the build. Some of the equipment you’ll need are; PVC pipes, a project box, wires, a toggle switch, a magnifying loop, and a few others. You will also need pilling up tools like; multimeters, a soldering iron, and a hot glue gun.
You will need to test the tube in a dark area to make sure it works properly. Next up, you need to create an eyepiece, add power. My favorite part is the painting process, you can use any color you want. The full tutorial is accessible below. You’ll learn all you need to know.
3. DIY Night Vision Scope
This is a night vision scope that you might want to build for your next building project, it can also be referred to as a night vision camera. It can be used for hunting at night where there is extremely low light, it can also be used as a dashcam for recording at night.
The camera consists of 4 major components which are a near-eye monocular display, Runcam Night Eagle 2 Pro FPV camera, DVR recorder, and custom electronics. For the pros, there’s a basic schematic that shows the connection between the camera and the scope. There are also other schematics that show more detailed connections.
This project might not be easy to make for a total beginner, you will need certain skills to be able to build this. Skills like 3D printing, and soldering small SMD components. You will also need to know a bit about circuits.
For more details, the full guide to this DIY night vision scope project can be found in the link below.
4. Homebuilt Night Vision Scope
This might cost you more to build but that inevitably means you would have to spend money to build this night vision scope. Infrared LEDs are not required for this scope to work. Depending on your budget, military parts can be used to create a generation 2 or 3 vision scope.
You will need these components for the build; a 50mm lens, a used 35mm film camera, a battery box for AA batteries, and of course, a cascade tube. A total number of 21 components are used for this home built night vision scope.
You might need to spend about $100 for a night vision tube, getting one from eBay should be cheaper. The creator included a diagram that shows how to wire the MX9644 AND P8079PH. Building this DIY night vision scope will definitely take time and money. However, you’d be totally proud of your achievement.
5. DIY Night Vision Scope Camera
Do you have an old VHS camcorder at home that you aren’t using? It’s time to rip it apart and make good use of its components, starting with the viewfinder. You will need a couple of tools for this project.
The creator started by removing the viewfinder off an old VHS camcorder, you’ll need to be careful so that it doesn’t get damaged while trying to remove it. The next step has to do with making the circuits that will support the camera (12v), the LED (1.5v), and the viewfinder (5v).
After making the circuit, you’ll need to prepare the box that will contain the switch and also hold the viewfinder. This is a great night vision scope that works great. The making process won’t be completely easy, but it will be worth it.
The most complicated part of making this homemade night vision scope is the circuit, it won’t be a walk in the park if you do not have the necessary skills required for understanding the process.
6. Homemade Night Vision Scope
Are you looking for a cheap and effective way to build a night vision scope for your rifle? Here’s a video tutorial to check out, the creator did a great job of explaining in detail how he was able to make a low budget night vision scope for a rifle.
For this project, you will need to buy a small camera, you can get one off eBay for a cheap amount. You will also need an LCD screen to see what the camera is looking at, and an infrared night vision flashlight.
Next up, you will need to find a way to put all the acquired components together, in the tutorial, the creator will walk you through how he was able to combine the LCD, small camera, and infrared night vision camera together.
7. How To Build Night Vision Scope
When it comes to complex builds, a video tutorial is ideal because you get to see the components and how they were put together. You will rarely miss a step while watching a video tutorial. Here’s one that shows you how to build a night vision scope using an infrared camera, a silicone tube, a box, a pipe end cap, and a 3 ½ inch TFT monitor.
The making process is quite easy and basic, it starts off with making a whole in the box so that the cap would fit, afterward, you need to drill a hole in the cap so that the infrared camera fits nice and tight.
A complicated process is installing the TFT monitor, but the creator explains in detail how he was able to fix the camera in place. I think this is a low budget night vision scope that can be made from the comfort of your home.
8. DIY Digital Night Vision
This night vision scope is made using a 3D printer, it might cost you more to make this if you do not have a 3D printer in your home. Tools required include; soldering iron, hot glue, wire strippers, sandpaper, and a couple of other tools. You might have most of these materials already, even if you don’t, they are cheap to purchase.
The expensive materials are the hardware used for this project which includes a camera, near-eye display, switch, 400mah batteries, and a few others.
Due to the fact that this is a 3D model, you can decide to remodel yours, but to save time, you the creator included his design files, and they are available for free download. You can download and print yourself using a 3D printer. After the 3D model is ready, you will need to do some post-processing which is quite easy.
The next step has to do with wiring, it might be hard for you if you have no clue about circuits. However, the creator included images that make the process easy for beginners. Another thing to do is to make the lens cover. This is a fun project that you can make in your spare time. If you are interested in making this DIY night vision scope, you can check out the complete tutorial below.
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