Recently acquired a TNVC L3 and a DBAL-D2.  I've been using a thermal scope for night stalking hogs in the woods around my home, mostly walking dirt trails and gas pipeline right of ways.  My complaint has been that I can't see snakes with thermal and have to wear snake boots.



Well, I still can't see snakes.  Is there a way to focus the monocle to where I have clear focus on long distance objects and still see where I'm walking?  Some of the swampy mess I walk in has water moccasins in it and I'd like to see a little better where I'm putting my feet, also so I don't step in a hole and fall down.  I've gotten pretty good with shifting my balance while feeling for the next step, but it takes time and slows me down.



Observations:

1. I can drive my Teryx side by side at about 35 mph comfortably with one monocle and the helmet mounted illuminator.  It actually works better than the headlights except I'm looking through a more narrow field of view.  Takes a few minutes to become accustomed  to, but then it's great.  I found keeping the other eye shut keeps the dust and bugs from sanding it into oblivion. (I was on 4,000 acres behind locked gates, so not worried about getting hit by Bubba's pickup)



2.  The DBAL is extremely effective.  On high power with the illuminator tightly focused, the range is unbelievable while the laser is still very much usable at 400 yards.  My fears would be the pointer would be too large to be effective for aiming at anything over 70-100 yards and I was pleasantly surprised.  The green pointer is symmetrically round and, although I haven't had the chance yet, I believe that with a rest I could take a hog at well over 200 yards with it.  I wish I had gotten some video of the pointer/illuminator on the right of way to show the range.



3. The DBAL-D2 is lighter and smaller than I had in mind.  After reading reviews about it I was concerned it would be "like a brick".  I hardly notice it on the carbine at all. Although I had the remote switch installed, I found I used the switch on the back end of the illuminator more often because it is so conveniently located.



4. Night vision is fun and highly addictive.  

Never used one but here you go MATBOCK

Grab some decent eye pro so that you can drive with 2 eyes open. I find the Walleva lenses in Oakley MFrames to be acceptable and they meet .mil impact standards.

Interesting, thanks for posting that.  

Walleva lenses are a LOT less expensive than Oakley too, so if you break them... It doesnt hurt as bad!

There are other brands of eye pro that aren't that expensive and work well. (Revision)

This...or the phokus research hoplite, if ya run one post your thoughts please, am interested also.

 

Love my hoplite. Really does cut down on the brightness but works great with ir and the second hole opening insert.

That is Skypup's Honda Pioneer. Were you all testing some fun new gear?

I think I'm going to pick one up, don't mean to hijack the thread but would it be something feasible to work with say some tritium night sights on a pistol?

 

So, basically these devices are just adjustable orifices (orifi?) that permit more or less light through.  I played with my monocle last night, leaving the daytime lense cover on and sure enough, I can see clearly at short distances.  





Why not just take a Butler Creek, pop a 1/2" hole in it and use that, flip it down when close range focus is needed?



NVM, looks like it's been talked about already.




https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=6&f=18&t=455062
 

Trying to take out some coyotes in a clear cut at sundown with the Reaper on a KAC-25:

 Thanks for the link!!!



 

do you think the pointer on the  DBAL-D2 is too large to do racoons and smaller animals at 150-200 yards?

I've killed coons at 175-200 yards, just be sure to target your laser at that distance, I just cowitness the IR laser with my ACOG and GTG.

I do have TNVCs neutral density filter on it to mute the bloom and make the laser precise m target