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Futurama was founded in 2013 as a diverse distribution and retail company, retailing leading international night vision and thermal imaging brands such as: Pulsar, FLIR, AGM Global, ATN, Hard Headed Veterans, Acebeam, Icarus Photonics and many more.

Digital night vision

Digital Night Vision is a form of night vision that is entirely reliant on ambient light and infrared illumination. This technology is most commonly used in stationary closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and gives you a white and black image with limited range which is based on available ambient light and the strength of your IR illuminator. This is by far the least expensive form of night vision.

This technology is mostly used in the format of rifle scopes or binoculars for hunting jackal and bush pigs and is not to be used in a life or death situation but rather for leisure and sport.

In the example shown you can get a digital night vision rifle scope with a built-in laser range finder which is perfect for hunting jackal and bush pig.

Digital night vision uses: Hunting, pest control, and observation.

Image intensifying tubes

Image intensifying tubes, or green and white phosphor night vision, are available to the public in Gen1 and Gen2 formats as monoculars, bioculars, binoculars, and goggle kits, but not as rifle scopes. This technology is relatively more expensive than digital night vision but can be used successfully in life threatening situations as well as to successfully drive a vehicle in complete darkness.

This is the modern form of the green night vision you very possibly used on the border, but just the modern iteration and much more capable. They come in various formats for different applications, but it is important to note that these products are very sensitive to light and can never be turned on in the day or in the presence of bright

light as their image intensifying tubes can very easily be damaged. Monoculars are best used for foot patrols, bioculars are best used for driving and foot patrols, goggle kits are best used for driving and foot patrols, but have two tubes making it twice the price, and binoculars are best used for long range observation.

Image Intensifying Tubes uses: Tactical situations, driving, foot patrols, house clearance.

Thermal vision

Thermal imaging is the most modern form of night vision and does not use light at all. It works with heat signatures using infrared radiation emanating from objects such as humans and or animals.

Thermal imaging allows you to detect a heat signature such as a human, cow, or other animal at ranges of up to 1 500 m+ depending on the size of the lens and the optical magnification.

If someone is walking away with your sheep at a distance of 1,5 km and you have a top of the range thermal product, you will be able to see them and how many of them there are without them seeing you, and you can then act and call for assistance and catch them.

Thermal imaging products have various colour pallets for heat signatures such as white hot and black hot that are best used for detection and identification. What this means, is that anything alive and hot will be white on your screen and anything cold will be grey or black making it very easy to spot the heat signatures.

These products, although very expensive, are used widely to catch criminals stealing livestock, to stop farm attacks, and for hunting and recreational purposes.

Thermal vision uses: Long range observation and detection, hunting and recreation.

Farm attack prevention

Being able to see at night gives you an enormous upper hand over criminals to prevent farm attacks and livestock theft. By the time you have jumped into your bakkie and turned its lights on, the criminals have already spotted you and are aware you are on the way, which gives them time to flee the scene. However, if you have thermal imaging or night vision, you will be able to move in darkness undetected by the criminals and have complete awareness of how many there are, what they are doing and how far away they are. At this point you can contact your farmers’ association, security company or neighbours and ask for back up to protect your livestock, farm and family, and catch those criminals.

Whatever your needs or situation, there is a night vision product that can do the job; it’s all about buying the right product based on sound advice and experience.

Night vision tours

Futurama’s night vision specialist goes on tour across South Africa four times a year to personally offer product demonstrations and consultation to farmers, anti-poaching units and security companies at their own premises. Here you would be able to see and test everything from digital night vision to thermal imaging and Gen2 night vision in various forms such as monoculars, binoculars, rifle scopes and goggle kits, as well as bulletproof vests and tactical gear. All nine provinces are covered over a 30-day period four times a year.

For demonstration bookings, please contact schalk@futurama.co.za, or call us on 021-851-32844.

Anti-poaching involvement

Futurama supplies and supports over 26 anti-poaching units across South Africa. During one of the recent tours, Futurama donated four night vision compatible red dot sights to help and support a team to find poachers at night.

Ultranexus

Ultranexus, which is Futurama’s imports and distribution company, is the official distributor for leading international brands such as: Pulsar, FLIR, AGM Global, Hard Headed Veterans, Acebeam and Icarus Photonics. Pulsar is one of the world’s most reliable and advanced digital night vision and thermal imaging manufacturers. Their head office and main factory are located in Scotland and they offer fantastic after sales service. Their products are well known for reliability and ease of use. Pulsar is famous for their state of the art digital night vision rifle scopes, but more importantly, for making the world’s best thermal monoculars, binoculars and rifle scopes.

FLIR is one of the world leaders in thermal imaging and manufactures a range of the world’s most robust and  renowned thermal imaging monoculars for security companies, anti-poaching and private use. Some of their most popular products include the FLIR Scout range of thermal monoculars as well as the FLIR Breach helmet mounted thermal monoculars.

AGM Global is one of the world’s leading night vision and thermal imaging brands and specialises in image intensifying tubes in the form of monoculars, bioculars, binoculars and goggle kits. Their leadership has a combined experience of over 40 years in the industry and their quality is second to none. ATN is one of the world’s leading digital night vision and thermal imaging manufacturers, famous for products like the ATN X Sight 4k Pro digital night vision rifle scope as well as the ATN Mars thermal imaging rifle scope.

Hard Head Veterans is a US veteran owned and operated company which manufactures some of the world’s best selling ballistic and bump helmets. Acebeam manufactures some of the world’s most reliable and powerful flashlights, hunting lights, headlamps, road bike lights, tactical flashlights, diving lights as well as everyday compact flashlights. This is, after all, the first form of night vision and never to be underestimated in a life or death situation.

To enquire about signing up as a retailer for the above-mentioned brands, visit our website www.ultranexus.co.za or contact Schalk Kruger on: sales1@ultranexus.co.za or 084-200-8458.