You 100% right. I was thinking of this this morning and came looking for this thread to address just that.
If you do get the NV stuff make sure it is usable without IR lights. We've got some day/night security cameras on the property that use the IR lighting to work. Through the NV scope those camera's look like giant green flood lights - very easy to see.
The most I can/could afford at the time was the Gen II+ that works OK without the IR light. Most of the time I dont bother with the IR light because on a night with lots of stars out it really is not needed. BUT, on a clowdy night it needs a bit of illumination.
Don't get any of the Gen 4 (or "filmless") night vision. The amplifyer tubes do not last very long and are very prone to breakage. Also, remember to turn on your NV equipment once a month for 10 or 15 minutes. Not powering them up can cause them to go bad.
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