Best budget night-vision setup for beginners? (under £300)

Hi all, I'm just getting started with this hobby and don't want to drop a fortune before I know if it's for me. I've seen some folks using night-vision gear but the good stuff seems to cost an absolute fortune.

I've been looking at some cheap monocular units on Amazon (around £80-120) and a decent tripod (£40), plus maybe a decent torch for backup (£30). Total would come to about £250-280. Has anyone actually used this sort of kit? Will I just end up with a pile of rubbish, or is there a sweet spot for budget gear that actually works?

I'm planning to do some observations out on the Yorkshire moors over the summer, nothing fancy, just want to see if I can spot anything unusual. Open to other suggestions if anyone's got recommendations.

Those cheap Amazon units are honestly hit or miss. I bought three different ones last year and two were basically unusable - fuzzy green picture that gives you a headache. The third one was okay for messing about but not good enough for serious work.

What I'd suggest: save up a bit more and get a proper entry-level unit from a brand like Yukon or ATN. You're looking at £400-500 but it'll last you years. False economy to cheap out on optics - you'll just end up buying again.

I've had decent luck with refurbished military-grade monoculars. CEG Surplus on eBay sometimes has Gen 2+ units for £200-300. Not pretty but they work. Pair it with a good LED torch (NOT infrared, use white light with the NV) and you're golden.

I'm planning to do some observations out on the Yorkshire moors over the summer

Mate, if you're heading to Yorkshire you need to think about weather. Moors get proper fog, rain, and mist. Whatever you buy, get something weather-sealed. Also bring a decent tripod - hand-holding NV for hours will wreck your arms.

Honestly just get a good DSLR with a fast lens and skip NV entirely. Modern cameras with 3200+ ISO and noise reduction are better than rubbish night vision, cheaper, and you get actual evidence. That's what the serious investigators are using now.