A premium manufacturer, Pulsar is an industry pioneer that designs cutting edge products for hunting, law enforcement, personal security, and search & rescue operations. The brand positions itself by creating the best optics, software, and features available on the market.

Pulsar History

Major Milestones in Optics Technology


The Pulsar brand was first introduced in 2008. In the short years that followed, Pulsar is credited with making the digital revolution a reality for the night vision industry and is now the global leader of night vision for outdoor and security markets. However, the story of Pulsar has humble origins going back to 1991, when a group of engineers had the audacity to start manufacturing wooden spotting scopes in a basement just when the people of their country were emerging from the oppression of the Soviet Union. Things were difficult in the early years but the engineers were a dedicated team that dreamed of making devices that would enhance the lives of people by allowing them to see and experience wonderful things.


In 1998, it was the combination of two companies, Belarusian and American, which started to gain significant momentum in the optics industry. Then by the end of the following year, the company was producing modern spotting scopes and binoculars that were selling well in Europe and the United States. In 1999, the company started making their first night vision devices. The strategy was clear then as it is now; to invest in the people and technology to create the most advanced optical systems in the world. Following this philosophy, many accomplishments were made in a short period.


1991

The team of engineers that would give life to Pulsar start work in Lisa, Belarus, one of the centers of advanced optics research and production for the Soviet Union.

1998

The effort goes international when efforts are combined with an American team from Mansfield, Texas.

1999

The production of its first night vision device start. The device was a generation 1 monocular that was followed by a generation 1 binocular. These devices were among the first to utilize multiple settings of the IR and were the first to incorportate a dual IR system.

2001

The innovation in night vision continues with the introduction of generation 1 night vision riflescope. Another innovation was a night vision riflescope that utilized a titanium housing, a first for non-military applicaitons.

2002

Production of generation 2 and generation 3 starts in Mansfield, Texas. The night vision riflescopes get a technical boost when they were modified to utilize generation 2 and generation 3 night vision intensifier tubes that were developed for the military. This not only significantly enhanced the detection range of the products, but meant the performance was on the same level of devices used by the military.

2003

In addition to successful models that were released to the market in 2003, two major accomplishments were made that would have major impact on the optics industry. This was the year that the first multi-tasking night vision device was created for non-military applications, years ahead of its time. The second major development was in the initial research into applying digital sensors to traditional optics. This was yielding amazing performance enhancements that would also revolutionize the optics industry.

2004

The first successful digital night vision optic was officially introduced and the public response was extremely favorable. No other company was able to produce a viable digital night vision device of equal performance to this first unit for nearly a decade. This technology has been undergoing continuous improvements and is the reason why Pulsar is still the leader in digital night vision systems today.

2005

Growth and success of the night vision market, yielded an amazing 70% of the global gen 1 market, including the supply of products to some of the most well-known optics brands.

2006-2008

The company began to further broaden its range of night vision, specifically in the form of digital night vision and vastly improved traditional night vision devices. This expansion left the company to create a new brand that would serve a higher-end customer, professional users and law enforcement agencies. This strategy lead to the creation of a new trademark called Pulsar. This trademark is the symbol of technological achievement and a dedication to continuous innovation to make the most advanced night vision systems anywhere.

2009

Pulsar officially launched in Europe in 2009 and also unveiled the Digisight digital night vision riflescope at IWA in Europe and SHOT Show in the U.S. This series has been updated and is still recognized as the best performing digital riflescope ever produced and was the first digital night vision riflescope on the market. The Digisight also introduced many other features never seen before in a digital night vision riflescope: first to use one-shot zero, first to use an advanced in-view menu system, first to use a remote activation pad, first to provide both contrast and brightness adjustments, first to provide external power, first to use battery packs allowing longer use in the field, the first to provide a video output for recording, and first to use flip up built in lens caps. Also this year, Pulsar and Sellmark initiated a strategic partnership as its official presence in North America.

2011

Production of thermal night vision started with the introduciton of the Quantum thermal series. The first Quantum is recognized as providing the best software interface, best optical adjustment options, and best optical performance. Also this year, Pulsar established full customer service and tech support in the United States to management the growth and success of the brand.

2012

This year marked another first for a major innovation for the night vision market. Pulsar was the first to develop a digital night vision attachment, the DFA Forward. This unit attaches to the front of a traditional day scope, converting the riflescope into a powerful night vision optic that does not require re-zeroing. Pulsar generation 2 and generation 3 optics were produced in Mansfield, Texas, marking a return to US production and expansion after a four-year pause.

2013

Another first on the market, Pulsar introduced the first night vision optic with built in range finder on the Pulsar Digisight LRF that allowed seamless hunting at night at various distances.

2014

Pulsar debuts its first thermal night vision riflescope, the Apex, with many firsts in its category including: picture in picture display mode, one shot zero, and a thermal iris algorithm for enhanced detection recognition.

2015

Pulsar develops the Core, a new thermal night vision dual-purpose monocular and riflescope unit. This optic is special in that it allows users to have a thermal unit that can be used as a standalone monocular as well as a riflescope by utilizing a specialized attachment system.

2017

A premium manufacturer with an unwavering commitment to image quality, Pulsar pioneered and dominated the consumer thermal and night vision market throughout 2017 with cutting-edge integrated video and Wi-Fi technology designed to simplify live streaming and multi-purpose connectivity with smartphones and other personal devices.

2018

In 2018, Pulsar continues to deliver affordable, top-shelf performance and reliability while adding and enhancing real-world features people actually use like our proprietary picture-in-picture, one-shot zeroing, laser rangefinder and the free, Wi-Fi supported Stream Vision app without complicating device operation.