1970's Vintage Night Vision Binoculars, Mk 1

[chosenman]

Hi all, hope someone out there can shed some light, no pun intended!

I have an old pair of mk1 night vision goggles which are in need of a new pair of tubes. Ive heard these are dodgy to take apart due to the radioactive content.

Is this true???

Peter, did you handle these back in the day??

Any info appreciated.

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

Yep! And if we're talking about the same binos, NVG's they were only withdrawn about 3 years ago. No radioactive content. Don't know where you can get new tubes but you could try Thales who took over Pilkington at St Asaph in NWales

[chosenman]

Cheers Peter, these are 1972 dated infrared binoculars mk 1 and are the type that fit the old steel "turtle" helmet.

Am I ok to strip them, there's a guy in Droitwich who gets the tubes from time to time, apparently they are the same tubes which fit periscopes.

cheers
Steve

[Gil Boyd]

Steve,
I tackled a pair a few years ago and used EEV tubes mate if they are the old basic head harness version.
They can be got hold of locally on: 01245 493493 They are at Waterhouse Lane, Chelmsford Essex CM1 2QU

[Peter Laidler]

What we really need to know is exactly what these binos are. Infrared or IIW/NVG's..

If you start stripping these do so in a camera spec dark-room or you WILL start to burn out the phosphorescence capability of the new tubes.

[henry r]

for future reference peter, a black and white spec (with a red light) dark room or a full, no light, colour dark room?

[chosenman]

Cheers Gil, Peter. They are Infrared Receiving Binocular, no1, mk1, the type that fitted via a primitive harness to the steel turtle helmet, I believe they require IR illumination so where used mostly by RCT and tankies who fitted IR filters to the vehicle lights . They take a CV6099 tube which was used in several devices and are still just about floating around.

I'd heard one or two scary stories about them and was advised not to open them up. Just wanted some clarification to whether I needed a foil hat before tackling the job.

[Gil Boyd]

Steve,
Take current safety advice from EEV who are a good company, there are ALWAYS issues surrounding Phosper and if my memory serves me correctly, mine was simply connecting to wires and removing burnt out tubes, with obviously no batteries connected.
We used to buy their small handheld units called EEV Watchman or Guardman can't remember which, they were brilliant little pocket sized Gen 1 bits of kit. But as Peter says, not wishing to teach you to suck eggs, safety first. Those head harness versions had no IR illumination as you mentioned but had those horrendous MOD bought sealed batteries, similar to the Twiggy but obviously smaller, which I convereted to PP3 for ease of use and operation.
Sadly with my head into buying already manufactured bought GEN 2/3 kit today, my memory isn't the best on the old days of Gen 1.
I know we had Russian plastic bodied pistol type GEN 1 units that every USSR soldier was issued, which radiated more to the user through the phospher screen eye piece when charged into electrons from the onboard batteries that fitted into the pictol grip. We(Home Office) had to inform all Police and Military to ditch them pretty sharpish after hours of detailed testing, that was in the late 80's early 90's if that helps.
So in short, I would send them to EEV and let them do the business for you if you decide to go with them, as I know Delft also do a tube for them too.

---------- Post added at 01:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:13 PM ----------

Steve,
Just found a business card for EEV it was the Night Watchman series GEN 1 FYI

[chosenman]

Thanks for that Gil!!, think I'll do just that.

Cheers
Steve

[Gil Boyd]

Steve,
Safest way mate because once you open her up the cathode screen and everything technical comes at you at once, lots of circuit boards as you have never seen them before built in a circle and loads of minute components that need to be handled with great care and white gloves bla bla bla and so forth........

---------- Post added at 01:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:37 PM ----------

.....and by the way Spec Savers have stopped making glasses for three eyed people now in Russia