TN/DTNVS-MG – DUAL TUBE NIGHT VISION SYSTEM – MANUAL GAIN

Hand-select and custom tube spec requests available–please use “Notes” function on orders for custom requests. Especially rigorous spec requests could effect lead times.

NEW FOR 2024!

Manufactured by ACTinBlack, the DTNVS family has become one of the most successful night vision binocular designs with over 26,000 units in the field and has seen extensive use and testing by Law Enforcement, Commercial, and international military customers. While the original DTNVG and DTNVS family were originally designed as Automatic Gain Control / Automatic Brightness Control (AGC/ABC)-only systems for simplicity and ease of use, as tube performance continues to improve, especially L3Harris’ unmatched Unfilmed White Phosphor technology, end-users have increasingly requested Manual Gain Control (MGC) in their binocular goggle systems to allow them to adjust the system gain, giving them greater control over the brightness of the intensified image by regulating the level and intensity of amplification.

The Manual Gain Control on the TN/DTNVS-MG is regulated by a newly redesigned front plate, utilizing a single, dual-function, knurled knob in the same location as the original device power control knob, which controls both system ON/OFF, gain, and navigation illuminator function by pressing and/or turning. The TN/DTNVS-MG uses a specially designed flex circuit, attached to a standard L3Harris F9800 10160-format or F9815 11769-format tube in place of the standard “C001” configuration EGAC “pigtail” used on standard MX-11769 tubes configured for the AN/PVS-14, and similar to what is used on the AN/PVS-31A Binocular Night Vision Device (Elbit Systems of America, and Photonis tubes can be adapted to use this flex circuit as well). The TN/DTNVS-MG also features an adjustable IR output for the navigation illuminator located near the centerline of the unit.

While manual gain control has been relatively uncommon in binocular night vision systems (neither the AN/AVS-6/9 Aviator’s Night Vision Imagining System, ANVIS, nor the L3Harris GPNVG Ground Panoramic Night Vision Goggle utilize an MGC circuit), it is standard for most monocular systems, as too great a brightness differential between the aided and unaided eye can result increased eye strain and fatigue, as well as the aided eye simply “taking over,” negatively affecting depth perception and situational awareness, particularly in mixed lighting conditions where the unaided eye may still be able to provide depth and color cues. With the increasing popularity of articulating bridge goggle designs with independently rotating pods and individual tube cut-off like the TN/DTNVS, many end-users are increasingly utilizing their dual tube systems like monoculars in mixed lighting conditions by flipping one pod up to retain both aided and unaided vision, and to allow one eye to remain naturally dark-adapted, making the introduction of a manual gain function to the TN/DTNVS-MG a useful and important function for many end-users.

Moreover, with improvements in image tube performance (between 2016 and 2020, L3Harris improved their average Unfilmed image tube performance by over 50% and averages have continued to increase) resulting in clearer and brighter images, many top-of-the-line image intensifiers may actually appear too bright at maximum gain settings for many users, particularly for end-users who may be light sensitive (if you set your smartphone and computer screens to the dimmest possible settings or need sunglasses the moment you step outside–you may benefit from manual gain). Finally, many users in urban or suburban areas or dimly lit ranges with large amounts of mixed light such as many Law Enforcement and many private users often find it easier to use their peripheral vision and read ambient lighting conditions by reducing system gain to a lower level, even when using both tubes.

Utilizing Manual Gain Control DOES NOT remove, eliminate, or “turn-off” ABC (Automatic Brightness Control), which is present in all modern Generation 3 image intensifier tubes, and which automatically regulates image tube brightness based on the amount of light the tube is receiving / amplifying. All Gen. 3 tubes will automatically adjust to match ambient lighting conditions–Manual Gain Control simply gives the end-user additional control over the brightness / gain level, but will still automatically adjust based on conditions, however, when moving from mixed light to extremely dark conditions, manual gain systems adjusted to very dim settings may need to be re-adjusted to provide a usable image.

***Neither Manual Gain Control NOR Automatic Brightness Control are related to / the same thing as gated / autogated tube power supply, ALL TNVC manufactured systems, including the TN/DTNVS-MG utilize image intensifier tubes with Autogated power supplies***