Is auto-gating essential for Gen 2 night vision?

Is auto-gating essential for Gen 2 night vision? The answer is no, but it’s definitely preferred for better image clarity. Here’s why:

Most Gen 2 non-gated tubes come with BSP (Bright Source Protection), a system designed to protect the tube from bright light by reducing its voltage. However, BSP is passive and reacts more slowly than auto-gating, often dimming the entire image when exposed to strong light sources.

On the other hand, auto-gating works actively by rapidly pulsing the power to the tube, allowing it to adjust exposure in real-time. In our test of two NVT4 Gen 2 tubes (one gated and one non-gated), both were exposed to a streetlight and directly to an Armytek C2 Wizard flashlight on 380-lumen mode for 20–30 seconds. The auto-gated tube did a better job of maintaining sharpness, especially in areas like the handrail and floor that were closer to the light source, keeping those details clearer and more defined. As well as the trees and the clouds.

After the exposure, both tubes developed a faint central burn, but we were able to recover them using black boxing. That said, auto-gating doesn’t save you a lot in terms of burn prevention — it provides a slight improvement but isn’t a magic fix. In real-life use, you won’t be keeping the tube locked in one spot like we did on a camera tripod. You’ll naturally be moving around, which helps prevent burn-in from sticking around too long. If you move around, you’ll avoid concentrated light exposure in the same area.