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Posted: 11/5/2014 12:11:37 PM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Well, I didn't end up liking the inverter mod after a few days of using it (weird focus artifacts...) so I undid it and opted for adding an extra convex-planar lens between the inverter and the ocular. Doing that not only resolved the issue with the spherical distortion but actually made the 25mm lens zoom equal to my other eye so no more unzoomed images... and doing this I was also able to shorten the scope, but this time shortened almost all the way to its shortest possible length... G. Interesting. I also undid the change I'd made to the inverter. After going back and forth, it seemed to really increase the distortion. Would you mind giving some more details on the lens addition you made? |
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Posted: 11/5/2014 6:58:47 PM EDT
[#2]
Got my PV-14 from Apex today. Came fairly clean with the front cap, intact rubber eye cup and little screw in deal for the battery compartment for cr123 batteries. Lens is clear with no blems, just a little dust. I'm super happy with it so far, ten minutes of ownership. I'm going to take it out in the yard later tonight, so far so good.
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Posted: 11/5/2014 8:02:29 PM EDT
[#3]
<<The retarded limitation of 2000 characters is making this much harder than it should be....>>
GTI_AR: Not at all, the only hard part might be coming up with the lens... The parts that you'll need are: A 1.25" threaded barrel: For this I used the silver barrel of my Orion 25mm Plossl eyepiece. Threads fit right in! A ~28.9 mm plano-convex lens with low magnification, I am not sure if an objective of an old pair of binoculars might work due to much magnification, but its definitively worth a try. I used the lens that came on the T3C-2 IR illuminator, which happens to be exactly 28.9mm lens. Two rubber o-rings of 28.9 mm: I made them both up, one out of a piece of 20something AWG wire and the other out of a rubber mat that I cut to shape (well, judge by the pics, kinda hacked, but gets the job done just fine) Pics: Grab the scope by the ocular lock ring and the eyepiece diopter lock ring (not the thing that adjust the focus) 
Unthread the diopter adjustment section 
With the diopter section out, there is an inner barrel... this piece unthreads so go ahead and unthread it 
. . <continues> |
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Posted: 11/5/2014 8:03:46 PM EDT
[#4]
<continues>
. . Now grab one of your rubber o-rings (this one was made out of some spare cable I had lying around since I couldn't find any o-rings that matched the size) The idea here is to prepare a seating for the lens. There is a small lip inside the threaded barrel where this o-ring should be placed upon: 
Now onto the lens: Here are two pics of how it looks with a caliper and from a cross section view... Make sure the convex part goes facing the ocular and not the open side... (the 2nd picture gives direction) 
Place the lens on top of the first o-ring and then place the 2nd o-ring on top of the lens 
Now grab a 25mm Plossl eyepiece and unthread the barrel... 
. . <continues> |
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Posted: 11/5/2014 8:04:17 PM EDT
[#5]
<continues>
. . Then thread the barrel onto the diopter adjustment... 
Tighten it well so the lens doesn't move around 
Finally, screw the diopter section back onto the NSP2.... 
....and you're good to go!! Enjoy. G. |
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Posted: 11/5/2014 8:07:28 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Got my PV-14 from Apex today. Came fairly clean with the front cap, intact rubber eye cup and little screw in deal for the battery compartment for cr123 batteries. Lens is clear with no blems, just a little dust. I'm super happy with it so far, ten minutes of ownership. I'm going to take it out in the yard later tonight, so far so good. I am contemplating purchasing one of these as well. One question: how bad is the distortion on these? Is it noticeable? I mean, I ask because if the Night Spirit optics quality is of any indication, then the eyepiece on these are probably just as bad... (at least it has no optical inverter since the tube is an inverter tube I believe) Thanks... G. |
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Posted: 11/5/2014 10:57:27 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I am contemplating purchasing one of these as well. One question: how bad is the distortion on these? Is it noticeable? I mean, I ask because if the Night Spirit optics quality is of any indication, then the eyepiece on these are probably just as bad... (at least it has no optical inverter since the tube is an inverter tube I believe) Thanks... G. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Got my PV-14 from Apex today. Came fairly clean with the front cap, intact rubber eye cup and little screw in deal for the battery compartment for cr123 batteries. Lens is clear with no blems, just a little dust. I'm super happy with it so far, ten minutes of ownership. I'm going to take it out in the yard later tonight, so far so good. I am contemplating purchasing one of these as well. One question: how bad is the distortion on these? Is it noticeable? I mean, I ask because if the Night Spirit optics quality is of any indication, then the eyepiece on these are probably just as bad... (at least it has no optical inverter since the tube is an inverter tube I believe) Thanks... G. I'm not sure what your asking exactly. You mean like an optical warble or ripple? I didn't notice anything that stood out to me in that way. One thing I have noticed that focusing this thing is odd. If i forcue on a tree about 30ft away looking down at my feet is disorienting, but not so much if I focus on my feet and walk around, things are just a bit blurry at distance. Also the IR emitter on my particular is really weak. Indoors it works great, boot outdoors where it looks completely dark to my eys (it really isn't with houses in the distance etc) it does almost nothing. It has to be suuuuuuuper dark for me to notice the IR. In my shop with absolutely no light of any kind it does light things up a bit. I hope that helps. Also this is my first night vision device, so I may not know what I'm missing, or getting. |
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Posted: 11/5/2014 11:57:59 PM EDT
[#8]
You actually got a very nice first scope! My first scope was a Gen1 and now I wish Gen2 stuff would've been 500-700 bucks in the mid 90s...
All I was wondering was if the image didn't look a little bit like a fishbowl around the edges when you pan the view around, as in, it looks like it doesn't match your other eye but only around the edges. That was the biggest complaint I had about the Night Spirit 2 (which uses the same housing as the PS-14 you got, but a different kind of inverter/tube and ocular piece) The focus is due to the fast speed on the lens. I think they are rated F1.2, so it has a very narrow focus range... Thanks for the help. G. Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm not sure what your asking exactly. You mean like an optical warble or ripple? I didn't notice anything that stood out to me in that way. One thing I have noticed that focusing this thing is odd. If i forcue on a tree about 30ft away looking down at my feet is disorienting, but not so much if I focus on my feet and walk around, things are just a bit blurry at distance. Also the IR emitter on my particular is really weak. Indoors it works great, boot outdoors where it looks completely dark to my eys (it really isn't with houses in the distance etc) it does almost nothing. It has to be suuuuuuuper dark for me to notice the IR. In my shop with absolutely no light of any kind it does light things up a bit. I hope that helps. Also this is my first night vision device, so I may not know what I'm missing, or getting. |
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Posted: 11/6/2014 12:09:07 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You actually got a very nice first scope! My first scope was a Gen1 and now I wish Gen2 stuff would've been 500-700 bucks in the mid 90s... All I was wondering was if the image didn't look a little bit like a fishbowl around the edges when you pan the view around, as in, it looks like it doesn't match your other eye but only around the edges. That was the biggest complaint I had about the Night Spirit 2 (which uses the same housing as the PS-14 you got, but a different kind of inverter/tube and ocular piece) The focus is due to the fast speed on the lens. I think they are rated F1.2, so it has a very narrow focus range... Thanks for the help. G. Quote HistoryQuoted:
You actually got a very nice first scope! My first scope was a Gen1 and now I wish Gen2 stuff would've been 500-700 bucks in the mid 90s... All I was wondering was if the image didn't look a little bit like a fishbowl around the edges when you pan the view around, as in, it looks like it doesn't match your other eye but only around the edges. That was the biggest complaint I had about the Night Spirit 2 (which uses the same housing as the PS-14 you got, but a different kind of inverter/tube and ocular piece) The focus is due to the fast speed on the lens. I think they are rated F1.2, so it has a very narrow focus range... Thanks for the help. G. Quoted:
I'm not sure what your asking exactly. You mean like an optical warble or ripple? I didn't notice anything that stood out to me in that way. One thing I have noticed that focusing this thing is odd. If i forcue on a tree about 30ft away looking down at my feet is disorienting, but not so much if I focus on my feet and walk around, things are just a bit blurry at distance. Also the IR emitter on my particular is really weak. Indoors it works great, boot outdoors where it looks completely dark to my eys (it really isn't with houses in the distance etc) it does almost nothing. It has to be suuuuuuuper dark for me to notice the IR. In my shop with absolutely no light of any kind it does light things up a bit. I hope that helps. Also this is my first night vision device, so I may not know what I'm missing, or getting. Ahh gotcha, nope no fishbowl/fish eye effect. But there is something odd, it's like the outer edge of the image is a bit off. Not distorted but a bit darker than the center of the image. It was distracting for about 5 seconds but it acts like a vignette and my eye just centers in the image now and I don't even notice it. If I didn't have so much other junk to buy I'd pick up one of the NVG-7s, heck I still might with my Xmas bonus. |
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Posted: 11/6/2014 12:44:42 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Ahh gotcha, nope no fishbowl/fish eye effect. But there is something odd, it's like the outer edge of the image is a bit off. Not distorted but a bit darker than the center of the image. It was distracting for about 5 seconds but it acts like a vignette and my eye just centers in the image now and I don't even notice it. If I didn't have so much other junk to buy I'd pick up one of the NVG-7s, heck I still might with my Xmas bonus. Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to consider getting one... how does it look indoors? Can you see well around with minimal illumination? BTW, the vignette maybe caused because the lens usable area is a bit too tight for the intensifier photocatode diameter... If I had the cash I would probably go straight for a real PVS-14. I used to be all about dual tube goggles (PVS-5/PVS-7 back in the 90s) but soon realized that a monocular was actually a lot better and can be used for a lot of things! (like try sticking a dual tube goggle on your telescope for stargazing, or as a weapon mounted scope...) G. |
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Posted: 11/6/2014 12:37:40 PM EDT
[#11]
^ Indoors it works really whell with a tiny bit of light. My neighbor about 100ft away across the street has a sodium light over his garage. The way my house is angle I can't see it unless I'm looking for it outside my bedroom window and it's never bothered me while I'm trying to sleep. It lights up my room with the monocal on. I always thought it was dark in my room, but it seems there is a ton of light coming in.
Out in my shop that has no ambient light at all I could navigate around if I moved slowly. The built in IR it helps but it's defiantly weak. An external Illuminator would help. Gunna get one for my HD SBR. |
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Posted: 11/6/2014 2:41:12 PM EDT
[#12]
Gman - thank you very much for the write up. I'm not sure if I'll be undertaking that procedure, but it doesn't look too difficult now that you've explained it. The eyepiece is easy to come by, but you're right in that the 28.9mm PCX lens is a little trickier. Edmunds has tons of 30mm lenses - not having disassembled my scope (and not having it in front of me), is that 28.9mm a snug fit?
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Posted: 11/6/2014 5:46:38 PM EDT
[#13]
No problem, you're welcome.
The lens has some head room, the two o-rings is what press-fits the lens in there, without them the lens would wobble around. I would venture to say a 30mm lens would fit in there.. It probably has less of in mil on each side. But one thing is clear, there is some room around it. Here is a T3C-2 on ebay for a few bucks, http://www.ebay.com/itm/Russian-Night-Vision-Scope-Image-Intensifier-Black-With-Bag-T3C-2-Vintage-/281485476874?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4189d7840a you could get that and take the IR lens for your Gen2 and then sell the Helios 100mm lens for a couple hundred dollars. (I think almost new go for about 300-400 bucks) and the scope itself for a few bucks with some cheapo M42 lens on it... My T3C-2 was dead so no point in selling it, so I decided to reuse most of it. G. |
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Posted: 11/6/2014 5:53:32 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
^ Indoors it works really whell with a tiny bit of light. My neighbor about 100ft away across the street has a sodium light over his garage. The way my house is angle I can't see it unless I'm looking for it outside my bedroom window and it's never bothered me while I'm trying to sleep. It lights up my room with the monocal on. I always thought it was dark in my room, but it seems there is a ton of light coming in.
Out in my shop that has no ambient light at all I could navigate around if I moved slowly. The built in IR it helps but it's defiantly weak. An external Illuminator would help. Gunna get one for my HD SBR. Surprising to hear the IR illumiantor is weak; mine seems to light up a pitch dark room up to 20 feet like a 2000 lumen flashlight... I think these scopes are great, and 799 for a decent Gen2+ seems like a good deal; however, I already have one and its hard to justify spending that money on what I already have... so I am thinking I'll probably wait until next year and just get a Gen3 PVS-14; Like I said, I don't think it makes sense to purchase another Gen2 when all the little annoyances on my NSP2 have been addressed... Thanks. G. |
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Posted: 11/7/2014 2:49:32 PM EDT
[#15]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Ahh gotcha, nope no fishbowl/fish eye effect. But there is something odd, it's like the outer edge of the image is a bit off. Not distorted but a bit darker than the center of the image. It was distracting for about 5 seconds but it acts like a vignette and my eye just centers in the image now and I don't even notice it. If I didn't have so much other junk to buy I'd pick up one of the NVG-7s, heck I still might with my Xmas bonus. BTW, the vignette maybe caused because the lens usable area is a bit too tight for the intensifier photocatode diameter... G. ^ What does that mean, and how would I fix it? I have no idea what that means.
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Posted: 11/7/2014 4:29:50 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
^ What does that mean, and how would I fix it? I have no idea what that means. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Ahh gotcha, nope no fishbowl/fish eye effect. But there is something odd, it's like the outer edge of the image is a bit off. Not distorted but a bit darker than the center of the image. It was distracting for about 5 seconds but it acts like a vignette and my eye just centers in the image now and I don't even notice it. If I didn't have so much other junk to buy I'd pick up one of the NVG-7s, heck I still might with my Xmas bonus. BTW, the vignette maybe caused because the lens usable area is a bit too tight for the intensifier photocatode diameter... G. ^ What does that mean, and how would I fix it? I have no idea what that means. http://polarisusa.com/articles/4/choosing-the-correct-lens Basically the lens projects and image that is barely smaller than the surface area of the photocatode on the intensifier tube. Therefore this will give you the vignette darkening effect around the edges due to less light shinning around the edges. Solution would be to use a different lens than the stock. G. |
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Posted: 11/12/2014 12:43:38 PM EDT
[#17]
WOW, I have not revisited this thread for a while. There is definitely some sharing of experiences with how to customize your optical hardware. <EDIT> Richard  |
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Posted: 11/12/2014 1:38:08 PM EDT
[#18]
Looks like the Night Spirit's cost has gone up $50...
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Posted: 11/12/2014 3:05:48 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Looks like the Night Spirit's cost has gone up $50... That is correct. The latest price was triggered by the remaining inventory level. I believe that the Night Spirits are an excellent value! We have sold them to both on-line and walk-in customers. As you can imagine they are our best selling night vision device. Richard |
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Posted: 11/12/2014 3:08:07 PM EDT
[#20]
glad it wasn't just me that noticed the price hike.
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Posted: 11/20/2014 4:38:25 AM EDT
[#21]
I DID IT!!!
So, it took me a few days to get courageous enough to do this but I finally opened the rubber sealed slits on the tube and managed to crank the gain up by a huge margin and now its like on another league!! Underneath these rubber sealed holes there are set screws that you can tune to increase the gain of the scope. So these tubes look like they have amazing specs, they are just detuned as a lower performing tube when in reality these can perform much better... granted, perhaps by cranking the gain that much up will shorten the life of the tube, but since I only use mine once in a while, I am not going to lose any sleep if it dies at 5000 hours instead of the rated 10000 hours... my Gen0 was supposed to be rated at 1000 hours, yet I got 20 years out of it.... So, here is the procedure to turn your decent NSP2 into a beast!! :) I am not sure if this procedure applies to the ATN PS-14, but I am sure the tubes also have slits to adjust the gain and the ABC... DISCLAIMER: I am still figuring out what some of these set screws do so proceed with caution. I also recommend writing down the number of turns you perform on any of these if you want to set the guy back to stock... With that said, I have to say that it was like night a day for my scope. This is where you can actually see the SNR of these tubes is not that good, but the best is that it will render a perfectly useable bright image (albeit noisy) even on a pitch dark room with zero light (just one green micro LED of a wall wart) <continues> |
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Posted: 11/20/2014 4:39:17 AM EDT
[#22]
<continued>
On my tube (which looks like an EKRAN EPM66) there are four slits: From RIGHT to LEFT on the picture: set screw #1 Overall Gain -Turning this one in a clockwise rotation will increase gain, counterclockwise will lower overall gain set screw #2 Unknown -I am not 100% sure but this probably controls the ABC lower limit (ABC = automatic brightness) set screw #3 automatic brightness protection? -Not 100% sure about this guy either, but seems to control max ABC gain... set screw #4 havent played with this guy at all, feel free to tinker with it and report results. You guys have to try this out... Cheers and hope you like it!! G. |
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Posted: 12/9/2014 2:28:03 PM EDT
[#23]
I just got a brand new discounted ATN goggle kit with the F1.2 lens for my NSP2 and the skullcrusher for the NSP2 and my Gen3 AB Pitbull.
The Skullcrusher is the same as the Armasight one, which I've tried before and its very comfortable. The F1.2 lens is the same lens as the PS14, so its fairly compact compared to the CCTV one. I will post some pics later tonight. The Skullcrusher can be adjusted so the eyepiece is not right to your eye, and it has two slots to insert the attachment bolt. G. |
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Posted: 1/6/2015 5:03:37 PM EDT
[#24]
After reading through the 15 page would have a few question:
Planing to buy a night spirit, will use with a NV competible Eotech 554, so if i buy a standard pvs 14 weapon mount that will fit that device ? Also is there any special need to adjust the two device height or they will simply fit ? Thanks |
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Posted: 1/8/2015 11:24:38 PM EDT
[#25]
Wow. There is so much great trial and error info in here. Thanks for your efforts german. I really wish I would have bought the night spirit before the increase. $399 is a great price to get into them and tinker.
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Posted: 1/8/2015 11:26:29 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I just got a brand new discounted ATN goggle kit with the F1.2 lens for my NSP2 and the skullcrusher for the NSP2 and my Gen3 AB Pitbull. The Skullcrusher is the same as the Armasight one, which I've tried before and its very comfortable. The F1.2 lens is the same lens as the PS14, so its fairly compact compared to the CCTV one. I will post some pics later tonight. The Skullcrusher can be adjusted so the eyepiece is not right to your eye, and it has two slots to insert the attachment bolt. G. |
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Posted: 1/9/2015 1:13:46 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Please post some pics! Your setup is the budget ideal I was looking for. We're you able to fully correct the 3x zoom to a 1x? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I just got a brand new discounted ATN goggle kit with the F1.2 lens for my NSP2 and the skullcrusher for the NSP2 and my Gen3 AB Pitbull. The Skullcrusher is the same as the Armasight one, which I've tried before and its very comfortable. The F1.2 lens is the same lens as the PS14, so its fairly compact compared to the CCTV one. I will post some pics later tonight. The Skullcrusher can be adjusted so the eyepiece is not right to your eye, and it has two slots to insert the attachment bolt. G. Well, its been a while since I've used the Gen2 on the skullcrusher after getting my Gen3s. The consensus after much testing was that the F1.2 lens that came with the kit wasn't that good. The Japanese F1.3 lens that I have does let more light in and its overall sharper (cheap ATN optics?), so I don't recommend getting the ATN F1.2 lens to anyone (plus it had more distortion than the Ultrak F1.3 lens too) . I keep the Gen2 around as a backup scope now, so I'll get it out of the case and take a few pictures of the setup. The ATN skullcrusher is worth keeping tho; I recommend it over the Rhino skullcrusher, which is a pain in the neck to setup plus no swivel to lift the monocular. ATN skullcrusher is very comfortable, even after wearing it for a long time, particularly so if you don't want to wear a helmet. The moral of the store is tho, that knowing what I know now, I would've skipped the NSP2 altogether and would've gone straight into building a Gen3 device. (which is what I've already done twice) G. |
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Posted: 1/9/2015 1:20:25 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Wow. There is so much great trial and error info in here. Thanks for your efforts german. I really wish I would have bought the night spirit before the increase. $399 is a great price to get into them and tinker. 449 is still pretty good. I paid more than that for mine on eBay, only thing is mine was new tho... It is a good scope, really; the tube inside is pretty darn good for the price. It is an EPM66G-C tube autogated which will blow the doors off anything Gen1, even the Spark Core. I jerry-rigged (duct taped) the NSP2 to a PVS-14 eyepiece and if you could somehow invert the image, the tube would be a really decent performer for the price. Unfortunately, the piss poor optics of the housing is what makes the overall device performance suffer. I might pick up a PVS-7 housing and stick the tube inside since it is a 43 mm tube... we shall see. I still feel that the device is worth 449 bucks... 399 was better, but 449 isn't much of an increase, really. The tube is super easy to modify and it will give you a much better detection range in darker places... It is not a 64+ lp/mm tube with 20+ SNR, but it is fairly decent... G. |
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Posted: 1/9/2015 9:23:22 AM EDT
[#29]
I'm probably just going to keep saving for the PVS14 for its multi function ability and compactness. My nature is to be cheap and frugale as possible on purchases like NV.
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Posted: 1/9/2015 9:31:12 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm probably just going to keep saving for the PVS14 for its multi function ability and compactness. My nature is to be cheap and frugale as possible on purchases like NV. Pvs14 is the way to go if you can save up the $$$$. I saved 2 years to get one (and all the accessories) and have not regretted it once. When these night spirits popped up, I jumped on one hoping to make a back-up/buddy rig and it has been good for that, although I'll eventually get another PVS as the backup. |
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Posted: 1/9/2015 10:21:51 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Pvs14 is the way to go if you can save up the $$$$. I saved 2 years to get one (and all the accessories) and have not regretted it once. When these night spirits popped up, I jumped on one hoping to make a back-up/buddy rig and it has been good for that, although I'll eventually get another PVS as the backup. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I'm probably just going to keep saving for the PVS14 for its multi function ability and compactness. My nature is to be cheap and frugale as possible on purchases like NV. Pvs14 is the way to go if you can save up the $$$$. I saved 2 years to get one (and all the accessories) and have not regretted it once. When these night spirits popped up, I jumped on one hoping to make a back-up/buddy rig and it has been good for that, although I'll eventually get another PVS as the backup. Were you able to weapon mount the NS? I couldn't find a reliable/current source for a rail mount.
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Posted: 1/9/2015 10:47:48 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
So mike, Were you able to weapon mount the NS? I couldn't find a reliable/current source for a rail mount. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I'm probably just going to keep saving for the PVS14 for its multi function ability and compactness. My nature is to be cheap and frugale as possible on purchases like NV. Pvs14 is the way to go if you can save up the $$$$. I saved 2 years to get one (and all the accessories) and have not regretted it once. When these night spirits popped up, I jumped on one hoping to make a back-up/buddy rig and it has been good for that, although I'll eventually get another PVS as the backup. Were you able to weapon mount the NS? I couldn't find a reliable/current source for a rail mount. Sorta. There is a mount to put it behind a scope, but I didn't like it because of where it sat and the image/FOV just wasn't something I was comfortable with in terms of shooting at something. You also need to go through the process of replacing the 3x objective with the 1x camera lens as described earlier in this thread. The mount can be found on Ebay sometimes described as a "picatinny J arm". Trying to use NV as a magnified weapons sight is one of those things where I think it is better to just get an actual NV scope/sight rather than take a scouting monocular like this and try to engineer it into something. |
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Posted: 1/9/2015 2:25:44 PM EDT
[#33]
I wonder if anyone has had any success using the AIM PRO with a NS. I got my NS a few weeks ago and was blown away how good the tube is. A friend of mine brought his Armasight Vulcan CORE sight yesterday, and there was a literal night and day difference between the two.
This is the AIMPRO for those that are unfamiliar. http://www.opticsplanet.com/armasight-night-vision-monocular-advanced-integrated-mount.html Also, has it been determined that all the NS tubes are the same? I read on here somewhere that someone said theirs was autogated. Just curious due to the fact my tube is so good and blemish free.
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Posted: 1/9/2015 3:02:50 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I wonder if anyone has had any success using the AIM PRO with a NS. I got my NS a few weeks ago and was blown away how good the tube is. A friend of mine brought his Armasight Vulcan CORE sight yesterday, and there was a literal night and day difference between the two. This is the AIMPRO for those that are unfamiliar. http://www.opticsplanet.com/armasight-night-vision-monocular-advanced-integrated-mount.html Also, has it been determined that all the NS tubes are the same? I read on here somewhere that someone said theirs was autogated. Just curious due to the fact my tube is so good and blemish free. Yes, the tube inside mine is an Ekran EPM66G-C autogated... and it is actually fairly good for the price Apex sells them for; the housing and optics are what detracts the NSP2 from being an excellent performer. The Spark/Vulcan, <insert whatever creative Armasight name here> Core is all a marketing gimmick... if it says Core, run for the hills: you're making someone very rich... And comparing any Core hype to a NSP2 is like comparing a Dodge Neon base model to a Chevy Camaro ZL1... both are cars, but that's where the similarities end. Like a review on Amazon for the Spark Core: "When it gets dark, you won't see squat..." G. |
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Posted: 1/9/2015 3:56:02 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Yes, the tube inside mine is an Ekran EPM66G-C autogated... and it is actually fairly good for the price Apex sells them for; the housing and optics are what detracts the NSP2 from being an excellent performer. The Spark/Vulcan, <insert whatever creative Armasight name here> Core is all a marketing gimmick... if it says Core, run for the hills: you're making someone very rich... And comparing any Core hype to a NSP2 is like comparing a Dodge Neon base model to a Chevy Camaro ZL1... both are cars, but that's where the similarities end. Like a review on Amazon for the Spark Core: "When it gets dark, you won't see squat..." G. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I wonder if anyone has had any success using the AIM PRO with a NS. I got my NS a few weeks ago and was blown away how good the tube is. A friend of mine brought his Armasight Vulcan CORE sight yesterday, and there was a literal night and day difference between the two. This is the AIMPRO for those that are unfamiliar. http://www.opticsplanet.com/armasight-night-vision-monocular-advanced-integrated-mount.html Also, has it been determined that all the NS tubes are the same? I read on here somewhere that someone said theirs was autogated. Just curious due to the fact my tube is so good and blemish free. Yes, the tube inside mine is an Ekran EPM66G-C autogated... and it is actually fairly good for the price Apex sells them for; the housing and optics are what detracts the NSP2 from being an excellent performer. The Spark/Vulcan, <insert whatever creative Armasight name here> Core is all a marketing gimmick... if it says Core, run for the hills: you're making someone very rich... And comparing any Core hype to a NSP2 is like comparing a Dodge Neon base model to a Chevy Camaro ZL1... both are cars, but that's where the similarities end. Like a review on Amazon for the Spark Core: "When it gets dark, you won't see squat..." G. ETA: how did you find out what tube is in yours? I removed the ocular and objective and all I see is an ITT with a white ring around it.
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Posted: 1/9/2015 6:24:14 PM EDT
[#36]
Resolution alone is worthless without any gain... just MO... naked eye will see better than the Core in the dark; your eyes have far superior FOV and resolution than anything Gen1... and for less than a 100 bucks you can buy 2700+ blinding lumens that will make your eyes work better in the dark.
To remove the tube: There is a lockring, unthread the lock ring (it should come off with a fingernail pushing, don't use a screw driver in case it losens and damages the tube...) and once is out there is a rubber ring and a thick paper ring. Remove both and the tube should slide out. I went around looking at Ekran, Katod and some other tube manufacturers websites and based on the images and some barely visible markings on my tube I determined it is an EPM66G-C... the autogating is obvious since the tube whines like a mosquito when exposed to bright street lights. G. |
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Posted: 1/9/2015 6:41:12 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Resolution alone is worthless without any gain... just MO... naked eye will see better than the Core in the dark; your eyes have far superior FOV and resolution than anything Gen1... and for less than a 100 bucks you can buy 2700+ blinding lumens that will make your eyes work better in the dark. To remove the tube: There is a lockring, unthread the lock ring (it should come off with a fingernail pushing, don't use a screw driver in case it losens and damages the tube...) and once is out there is a rubber ring and a thick paper ring. Remove both and the tube should slide out. I went around looking at Ekran, Katod and some other tube manufacturers websites and based on the images and some barely visible markings on my tube I determined it is an EPM66G-C... the autogating is obvious since the tube whines like a mosquito when exposed to bright street lights. G. ETA, just tested it indoors. I get no whine at all, but it does dim when exposed to a brighter light source. Hard to explain, but the image starts to flutter or step down i guess.
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Posted: 1/10/2015 12:39:24 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
So, without removing the tube, I can just turn it on and point it at a street light and listen for a whine? ETA, just tested it indoors. I get no whine at all, but it does dim when exposed to a brighter light source. Hard to explain, but the image starts to flutter or step down i guess. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Resolution alone is worthless without any gain... just MO... naked eye will see better than the Core in the dark; your eyes have far superior FOV and resolution than anything Gen1... and for less than a 100 bucks you can buy 2700+ blinding lumens that will make your eyes work better in the dark. To remove the tube: There is a lockring, unthread the lock ring (it should come off with a fingernail pushing, don't use a screw driver in case it losens and damages the tube...) and once is out there is a rubber ring and a thick paper ring. Remove both and the tube should slide out. I went around looking at Ekran, Katod and some other tube manufacturers websites and based on the images and some barely visible markings on my tube I determined it is an EPM66G-C... the autogating is obvious since the tube whines like a mosquito when exposed to bright street lights. G. ETA, just tested it indoors. I get no whine at all, but it does dim when exposed to a brighter light source. Hard to explain, but the image starts to flutter or step down i guess. Thats the BSP shutting the tube down to prevent damage, so you know that works. Now, does the tube in yours match the tube that I posted earlier on this thread? The tube on mine clearly whines, my younger kid can hear it go like a mosquito, I can hear it too and so does my wife; so I wasn't imagining. It might be hard to hear... This is how I just got it to whine on my ear: Get inside a pitch dark room, a windowless bathroom; turn ON, then turn IR ON and stick the side of the housing to your ear. Move your head around with the scope stuck to your ear, when the IR light spot shines too close, you'll hear the whine of the tube. I also have difficulty hearing my Gen3 autogated tube, its very faint and only when I power it up... the NSP2 is much easier to hear than my Gen3 autogated tube. EDIT: I just made a video that shows the whine on my Night Spirit 2. Before people jump the gun and say "you turned the monocular in a lit room... etc etc..." The video was taken with the pinhole cap on; which still lets light in, but it won't damage the scope. The hallway is lit by a single 60W incandescent bulb. VIDEO: Night Spirit 2 Autogating sound G. |
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Posted: 1/10/2015 1:54:03 AM EDT
[#39]
Ill be honest. There was alot of background noise that might have washed out the mosquito sound. I will dick with my ITT tomorrow, I am just worried about screwing something up. From which direction should I remove the Tube? Are there any connections that I need to be concerned with?
ETA: Ok, your right. I put it up to my ear and turned it on with the pinhole cover on and moved it around and heard a mosquito sound. I had no idea these things were autogated.
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Posted: 1/10/2015 3:47:33 AM EDT
[#40]
Glad to see is not my imagination... it is real hard to hear it but you can hear the whine noise if you are in a quiet place.
The tube IMO is worth salvaging for another tinker project, the housing tho, well, that's another story... I am tempted to buy a PVS-7 housing just to try retrofitting the tube in there... it won't be a super duper Gen3 PVS-7, but for the cost of a used housing I can get a decent Gen2 scope... G. |
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Posted: 1/22/2015 11:48:03 AM EDT
[#41]
I am glad to see the information and experiences with the ex-SOC night vision is being shared.
I want to add an update regarding availability. APEX has sold out of the ATN NVM-14's and the US Night Vision PVS-14's. The ATN Night Spirits, PS-14 and NVG-7's are still available as we received more of them than the other models. Richard |
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Posted: 2/4/2015 2:12:02 AM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Glad to see is not my imagination... it is real hard to hear it but you can hear the whine noise if you are in a quiet place. The tube IMO is worth salvaging for another tinker project, the housing tho, well, that's another story... I am tempted to buy a PVS-7 housing just to try retrofitting the tube in there... it won't be a super duper Gen3 PVS-7, but for the cost of a used housing I can get a decent Gen2 scope... G. This was a no-go. The Ekran EPM66G output window doesn't fit deep enough for the PVS-7 collimator to focus the image correctly when viewed through the eyepieces. I tried this with my first PVS-7 housing and I couldn't get it to work... The PVS-7 circuitry should power the tube fine, the voltage between the NSP2 psu and the PVS7 was the same (both regulated power supplies) I even managed to duct tape the C-mount lens in the front of the EPM66G and got the image to focus correctly on the output windows, but the image at the eyepieces was still blurry due to the collimator being too far out. Unfortunately, this is as far as I go with the NSP2; I just sold it today to another member who is already enjoying it. G. |
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Posted: 2/23/2015 12:09:50 PM EDT
[#43]
I have to updated this thread in a while.
I thought I should mention that we are out of the NVM-14's, PVS-14's and getting to the end of the PS-14's. Richard |
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Posted: 2/24/2015 4:41:28 PM EDT
[#44]
I figured I bought the last PS-14 since the webpage was immediately removed after I placed my order, but now it's back up.
Anyway, I received my PS-14 a few days ago and I'm so happy with it! I'm not exaggerating when I say it was almost in mint condition. All the parts are there and intact. Functions great, IR is strong, and there's only a few small imperfections with the tube. I had my doubts about buying a gen 2 and really considered springing for a gen 3, but now that it's in my hands I have no regret about my purchase. With the money I saved, I was able to buy a Streamlight Super Tac IR flashlight, Laser Max IR laser, a skate helmet and PVS-14 rhino mount, plus a few grand left over. Everything works amazing, although I think I will spring for a better laser down the road, as the build quality of the Lasermax isn't great. My experience with night vision is extremely limited, but from what I can tell, I think these PS-14's are a hell of a deal. |
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Posted: 2/24/2015 5:25:30 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I figured I bought the last PS-14 since the webpage was immediately removed after I placed my order, but now it's back up. Anyway, I received my PS-14 a few days ago and I'm so happy with it! I'm not exaggerating when I say it was almost in mint condition. All the parts are there and intact. Functions great, IR is strong, and there's only a few small imperfections with the tube. I had my doubts about buying a gen 2 and really considered springing for a gen 3, but now that it's in my hands I have no regret about my purchase. With the money I saved, I was able to buy a Streamlight Super Tac IR flashlight, Laser Max IR laser, a skate helmet and PVS-14 rhino mount, plus a few grand left over. Everything works amazing, although I think I will spring for a better laser down the road, as the build quality of the Lasermax isn't great. My experience with night vision is extremely limited, but from what I can tell, I think these PS-14's are a hell of a deal. Glad you like it! :) Those were exactly my thoughts when I first purchased my Gen2 Night Spirit back October 2014... now I am building my 5th Gen3 scope... G. |
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Posted: 2/24/2015 6:18:56 PM EDT
[#46]
I ordered one of the Night Spirits yesterday, can't wait to get it! I don't have any experience with any cheap or expensive night vision so I'm just hoping it doesn't have too many black spots
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Posted: 2/24/2015 6:40:38 PM EDT
[#47]
I have one with a dim tube from apex. Thinking of selling it for parts.
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Posted: 2/25/2015 12:24:59 AM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have one with a dim tube from apex. Thinking of selling it for parts. Read this thread and find where to crank the gain up; it will make it brighter. G. |
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Posted: 2/25/2015 12:25:30 AM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I ordered one of the Night Spirits yesterday, can't wait to get it! I don't have any experience with any cheap or expensive night vision so I'm just hoping it doesn't have too many black spots It shouldn't, most of those are commercial grade tubes with almost zero (or zero blemishes) G. |
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Posted: 2/25/2015 12:24:52 PM EDT
[#50]
Now that I have a PS-14, are there any tubes available that will fit this housing if the tube dies or I decide to upgrade to gen 3? Does it take the same tubes as a PVS-14?
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