What do terms Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 3 mean?
Gen. is an abbreviation for “Generation”. Night Vision devices of all generations are evaluated by two commonly used measures: • Light gain: measures how many times a night vision unit can amplify the available light. • Resolution: measures how sharp and clear the amplified image will appear. (Resolution is defined in line pairs per millimeter or lp/mm). Gen 1 equipment was originally developed in the 1960s primarily for military applications. Gen 1 night vision equipment is build around image intensifier tubes with very simple configurations. Gen 1 image tube is vacuum-sealed and consists of a photocathode and a phosphor screen. Gen 1 equipment has lower light amplification (gain) and image quality (resolution) when compared with Gen 2 and 3, especially on the edges of the screen. Nevertheless, Gen 1 night vision is the most popular and demanded product line of night vision units on the consumer market. Gen 1 equipment is great to have fun with and satisfies the needs of most recreati
