Night Vision Binoculars - question

[CaptMike04530]

Does anyone use night vision binoculars onboard, particurlarly on rivers? Can you share with me your thoughts about how helpful this is for spotting drift etc..

[Jolly Tar]

What are ya steering and what river ya steering it in?

I have a regular pair and I have an image stabilized pair that I got a GREAT deal on at Defender.
I have been up and down the Hudson with LOTS of ice and with LOTS of junk in the Spring (pushing and towing petro tank barges), never have I needed NVG. The IS Binos actually proved to be VERY helpful when rattling back and forth in the upper wheelhouse allowing me to focus which would NOT happen hooked up using a regular pair.

JT sends from NY Harbor

[drc1966md]

One ship I was on used a fixed NVG mounted on the forward mast to look straight ahead and down at the waterline on our very blunt bow to record the lack of physical contact with any other vessels. Sometimes the lookout was not able to stand on the bow and look over the rail safely. The lookout always did his job and we avoided any further problems by maintaining a record of many close calls initiated by crossing recreational vessels including jet skis in case there was a complaint. The NVG worked well when it was viewed on a CCTV monitor in the pilothouse.

[CaptMike04530]

We cruise Just about any river worth running on, Hudson, Mississippi, Illinois, Cumberland, Tennessee, St. John, Kennebec, Ohio... you get the picutre. We are the only remaining overnight passenger vessel that can pass from the Mississippi to Chicago...

If you can provide a model # and what you paid @ Defender, that would be helpful.

Thanks,

Capt. Mike

What are ya steering and what river ya steering it in?

I have a regular pair and I have an image stabilized pair that I got a GREAT deal on at Defender.
I have been up and down the Hudson with LOTS of ice and with LOTS of junk in the Spring (pushing and towing petro tank barges), never have I needed NVG. The IS Binos actually proved to be VERY helpful when rattling back and forth in the upper wheelhouse allowing me to focus which would NOT happen hooked up using a regular pair.

JT sends from NY Harbor

[Jolly Tar]

JUST visited Defender's website

IS Binos I bought at the beginning of LAST year are:
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|17|18|323949&id=1316055

I did NOT spend $739, more like half that as they were on sale. They ARE fabulous binoculars though.
They also list a NV Bino by Fujinon:
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|17|18|323946&id=165774&cartId=1730177

I'm partial to Fujinon as my regular pair are their Mariner model which are going on 10 some odd years old. They HAVE taken the dive off the helm console and been hosed up bad. C-Note later and shipping out to Baker Marine in California and they're right as rain. They make great optics

I noticed these from Nikon, which appear to be the same grade of bino, but can't vouch for their performance:
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|17|18|323946&id=165774&cartId=1730177

Little pricey fer me though.

Hope this is some help

JT sends NY Harbor

[CaptMike04530]

Thanks for the info!