US night vision specialist SiOnyx is poised to introduce a line of 1,050 nm infrared (IR) illuminators designed to complement and enhance the capabilities of the company’s Opsin helmet-mounted digital night vision monocular.
“Out-of-band illuminators represent a technological leap forward, ensuring optimal performance in low-light conditions while maintaining full covert operations,” the company stated in a 19 March 2024 press release. “The SiOnyx illuminators can be utilised in handheld, helmet-mounted and weapon-mounted applications to adapt to any mission requirements.”
SiOnyx listed the digital Opsin’s advantages over its analogue counterparts as being colour imaging; an edge-to-edge, informational heads-up display; video streaming and recording with metadata; and the option to update the device as the company advances its technology and capabilities.
The company states that Opsin’s advanced low-light imaging enhances situational awareness and keeps operators safe by allowing them to see further into the infrared spectrum with an expanded field of view. In addition to recent firmware updates, the upcoming illuminators round out the Opsin series of night vision products.
“Opsin provides an invaluable capability to users by perceiving out-of-band illuminators and lasers up to 1,200 nm, which most traditional night vision systems cannot detect,” the company stated. “Pairing Opsin with the new SiOnyx 1,050 nm illuminators maintains covertness during critical missions in ultra-low-light or completely dark environments – meaning Opsin users can see their targets while remaining undetected by traditional [image intensification] devices.”
Like many SiOnyx products, the recoil-rated illuminators are ruggedised for the toughest environments, featuring aircraft aluminium alloy, a hard anodised finish, a MIL-STD drop rate of >2 m, and an IP67 water and dustproof rating. Built-in USB-C charging eliminates the need for external charging accessories. The focusable front lens allows flood-to-narrow beam operations, while an adjustable brightness intensity allows the user to fully illuminate their image while avoiding scene wash-out.
The 4-1 illuminator’s built-in adjustable payloads keep the LED positioned in the optical centre, providing focused, accurate illumination with no parallax shift. Users can employ white light for active illumination and maximum visibility; red light for illumination with minimal impact to natural night vision; or quickly switch to 940 nm and 1, 050 nm IR illumination by rotating the selector knob.
The compact helmet-mounted model connects to any standard Picatinny rail mount for always-available, hands-free 1050 nm IR illumination.
