Generation 3

Generation 3 is the American branch of image intensifier development. DTD does not hold it in stock, and we are straight about that rather than listing a price we cannot honour. What we can do is build one of our devices around a Gen 3 tube and quote you for it.

What Generation 3 actually is

The generation number describes the photocathode, the surface that turns light into electrons. Generation 2+ tubes, which is what we stock, use a multi-alkali photocathode. Generation 3 uses gallium arsenide. In practice a Gen 3 tube tends to hold detail deeper into a dark night, and the difference is most visible under starlight with no moon and no artificial light at all.

It is not a straight upgrade in every respect, and anyone who tells you it is has something to sell. A high figure of merit Gen 2+ tube and an entry Gen 3 tube can look closer than the generation label suggests, and halo behaviour, edge sharpness and how the image holds when a light source enters the scene are judged by looking rather than by reading a number. That is what the dark room in Villmergen is for.

Why we do not stock it

Gen 3 tubes are almost entirely manufactured in the United States. That puts them under United States export control as well as the Swiss dual-use regime we already work within. A Gen 3 build is therefore not something we can put on a shelf and ship next week: eligibility, paperwork and lead time are decided case by case, and for some destinations the answer will be no. We would rather tell you that at the start than after you have paid.

Everything we list and sell today is Generation 2+, autogated, in stock, and shippable under the process described on every product page.

What we can build

Any of the four platforms below can be built around a Gen 3 tube. The housing, lenses, mount interface and warranty are the same as the versions we sell; only the tube changes.

  • DTD PVS-14, single tube monocular
  • DTD PVS-31, dual tube binocular, low weight
  • DTD 1431 MkII, dual tube binocular with independently folding pods
  • DTD PNVG-18, four tube panoramic goggle, 100 degree field of view

What we need from you to quote

Send the following to info@dtdsystems.ch and we will come back with a written quote, a realistic lead time and an honest answer on whether it is possible for your country.

  • Which platform: PVS-14, PVS-31, 1431 MkII or PNVG-18
  • Your delivery country
  • What you will use it for, in one line. This is what determines whether Gen 3 is worth the money for you, or whether a high tier Gen 2+ does the same job sooner and for less
  • Whether you are replacing or upgrading an existing device
  • Any requirement on phosphor, gain control or mount interface

Before you commit

Come and look. We keep a dark room at the showroom in Villmergen and you can compare tube tiers side by side, by appointment. For most buyers that half hour settles the question better than any specification sheet, and a fair number leave having decided that the Gen 2+ device they can take home the same week is the right call.

Deliveries go to Switzerland, Liechtenstein and EU and Schengen countries. Anything leaving Switzerland or Liechtenstein needs a signed End User Certificate and completed Swiss export clearance before dispatch, and if clearance cannot be obtained the order is refunded in full.