Introduction: How to Make a Portable Infrared Night Vision Scope

Last weekend I decided to make an infrared nightvision scope and here it is. The reason why it works is that the infrared camera can see the infrared lights, but human eye can't. I attached the infrared camera to an old VHS camcorder's viewfinder, so I could see what the camera shows. Three 9 volt batteries support everything, so it's portable.
It can be used outdoors and indoors too and can built in a single weekend.

Step 1: What Will You Need

What will you need:

Parts:
-a project box / hobby box (mine is 7cm x 11cm x 5.5cm)
-a viewfinder from an old VHS camcorder (I used Grundig vs170)
-a low lux black and white infrared camera
-a 5W IR LED (If you a use 940nm LED it is fully invisible for human eye, but cameras see less light, so it's perfect if you use it indoors. If you want to use the scope outdoors it's recommended to use 850nm LED. 850nm LED's light looks like a very small red light, so it's the best choice for big distances. I used a 940nm LED.)
-the front part of a cheap flashlight
-3pcs 9v batteries
-copper clad circuit board
-wires
-heat shrink tubes
-a piece of aluminium as a cooling gill
-electronic parts:
-1x 7805 regulator
-1x 78L12 regulator
-1x lm317 regulator
-2x 0.33uF capacitor
-3x 0.1uF capacitor
-1x 10uF capacitor
-1x 240ohm resistor
-1x 1,5K ohm or 2.2k ohm variable resistor
-3x battery clips
-1x video plugin

The tools:
-a hot glue gun
-a soldering iron
-pilers
-a multimeter

Step 2: Remove the Viewfinder

I removed the viewfinder from the camcorder. Fortunately, I could do that easily, I had to pull it's cable from the side and screw the screws out. I unsolderd the other side of the plugin which was useful, because I did't have to cut the viewfinder's cable in half.
In every viewfinder there are 6 outputs: VD, HD, DATA, Video, Ground and +5v. We need only the video for the input, the ground and the +5v. (If the fourth picture is too small here's a link to a bigger picture: http://www.hobbielektronika.hu/forum/getfile.php?id=57729 )
You should solder a wire to the video, the +5v and 2 wires to the ground.

Step 3: Make the Circuits

In this step you have to make the circuits, which will support the camera(12v), the LED(1.5v) and the viewfinder(5v) with power. The LED has got an own battery. The viewfinder and the camera uses the other two batteries together as you can see on the third picture.
After I have finished with the circuits I made a U shape from the aluminium and screwed the back of the regulators which need cooling (5v and 1.5v).

Step 4: Prepare the Project Box

I drilled two round holes to the right side of the box and two square holes to the other side. After that I drilled two small holes to the top of the box for the viewfinder.

Step 5: Install the Parts

After you have drilled the holes you can install the switches and connectors easily as I did on the pictures. You should hot glue the regulator circuits, so they won't move, but you don't have to glue the batteries to the box to make them easily changeable. I haven't taken the camera out of the casing first, I just tested if everything works.

Step 6: Install the Final Parts

Finally I drewed the LED to the piece of aluminium, drilled two holes in the front to install the LED whith the flashlight part and the camera. I used a black painted bottle cap to save the camera's front and put an old camera part in the front of it.

Step 7: Use It :)

Congratulation! You have made your own infrared night vision scope. Here are some pictures, how it works. It is hard to show in a photo, but it works great and the most amazing thing is that human eye can't see it. I hope you will have as much fun with it as I had! 

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