•Generation II — contains a microchannel plate for increased gain. Generation II devices were designed for more difficult viewing situations and are mostly used by military or scientific personnel.
•Generation III — contains a gallium arsenide photocathode and a microchannel plate. Generation III devices are designed for applications such as special military operations due to their high light sensitivity and clear viewing in the darkest conditions.
IMAGE INTENSIFIER or INTENSIFIER TUBE —the part of a Famous Trails night vision system that gathers and increases light to show a viewable image. See “Generation” for the different image inten- sifier designs.
INFRARED (IR) ILLUMINATOR —a source of light (such as an LED display) that outputs in the near-infrared range (750nm to 3um).
LENS SPEED—the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of the lens. A lower lens speed produces brighter images. (Expressed as f number.)
MICROCHANNEL PLATE (MCP)—the component located behind the photocathode that increases gain in Generation II and III Famous Trails systems by multiplying electrons.
MONOCULAR—a device that contains an image intensifier and optic set for use with one eye.
MULTIALKALI—a semi conductive substance that coats Generation I and Generation II photocathodes.
NEAR-INFRARED—the wavelength of light most present at night and invisible to the human eye. Its range is between 750nm and 3um, the lowest in the infrared category. For more information, look up “Photonic Spectrum”.
NOISE—also called video noise or scintillation, it appears as a slight sparkling within a Famous Trails image.
OBJECTIVE LENS —see optics
