Hi everyone.  I am considering investing in some night vision, but I have never used any quality stuff before.  I was wondering if any of you guys would be kind enough to let me look through a set one evening.  I am around the Lafayette area, and I would gladly provide you with a case of whatever beverage you choose for your trouble.  Thanks gentleman.

What are you looking for?

From what I'm seeing so far a pvs14.  I would like to use it to do some night coyote hunting.  I know very little about it though.  I would like to be able to mount it on a rifle and use with optics, as well as hand held/ head mounted.

Okay, I can't help you with that, I don't have any monoculars but they are on my short list...

http://tnvc.com/shop/tnvpvs-14-itt-gen3-pinnacle/

I've not seen a single picture on the internet that does those things any justice. They're good folks to deal with and the unit I've handled was exceptional.

You might call them and have a chat. They'll get you pointed in the right direction.

I will warn you though that it is a little like fucked up oddly shaped Legos. Your head is the foundation, everyone's head is different. The helmet (or other mounting solution) will be specific to your head to some degree and may need adjusting for correct fit and function. After that, You'll need the assembly of stuff connecting the PVS-14 to your mounting platform.

Then you get into questions like: Do I want manual push button locking fold up/down, or do I want "Force to Overcome"?

The equipment I've tried is still a work in progress, but here we go:

Crye AirFrame - I had to use original pads in the back and the front half of a Team Wendy Epic Air pad kit to make it fit correctly while still giving enough stand-off to provide impact resistance. I probably spent 8 hours adjusting pads and checking for fit. My idea, based on car days, is that the padding should make contact as evenly as possible with your head. I needed to accomplish this, while keeping it as low as possible while still maintaining as much stand-off as possible (I'm 3/4" front, rear and sides, but I think I'm only 1/2" from the top with ear-pro on) and keeping it as stable as possible. Basically I just took the suspension system out and jacked with pads until the helmet was slightly snug, in the right place, and with the correct stand-off. Once done, I put the suspension back in and made sure.

Ops-Core Skeleton Shroud - I needed to grind down the back of it in places to make it fit the contour of an XL AirFrame. The FIRST rule of mounting anything to a racing helmet is that it can't compromise the shell. As such, the sharp aluminum corners digging into the ballistic material of a ~$900 helmet didn't appeal to me in the slightest. Also with this shroud, the Wilcox VAS lanyard needs to be modified to fit and you'll probably need to source another screw. You don't have to use the Wilcox, but you do have to use SOMETHING to leash that thing to your mounting platform. That is a hell of a lot of money hanging out in open space.

Wilcox G24 mount - Perfect. Force to Overcome doesn't appeal to me. A lot of people don't mind it, but I do. I've got a thing attached to my head that flops down right in front of my eye. I want to control it manually. Your opinion may differ.

Wilcox J-Arm w/o on/off switch - Kinda fail. The arm itself is plastic (sure as hell didn't expect that), and the mount has some play in the mechanism that allows you to switch eyes. I would live with it, however the G24 mount is at the bottom and most rearward of its adjustment range. The Wilcox J-Arm will be replaced with a Norotos Dual Dovetail which should move the PVS-14 back about half an inch, possibly down as well, and free up some adjustment. As an added bonus, it should also take away any play in the system. I was told the Wilcox J-Arm with on/off also moves the PVS-14 rearward slightly, but I wasn't interested in trying. I must emphasize that the play isn't bad awful, it is just really noticeable on this setup because the PVS-14 is too far away from my eye.

The PVS-14 was already linked. Awesome device. Again, talk to them. You might want a different tube if you intend to weapon mount it. Zero experience. I don't like only being able to see in the dark while I'm pointing a rifle around.

On the front is a Phokus Hoplite - I can't say enough good things about this device. It acts as your cap, your refocus device, and a sacrificial window. Outstanding piece of equipment.


Supplemental IR: The helmet has a Surefire V1 (NOT a typo) in a VTAC mount attached to a section of OpsCore Arc/Pic rail. Logic is as follows: A monocular is going to fuck with your depth perception big time. Using a very even "beam" like the M1 makes this worse by looking kinda like a flashlight, but not acting like one. Things that should be squarely in a hot center are no better illuminated than the objects around them. The V1 however looks like a traditional flashlight under NV. I confirmed this theory by using a TNVC Torch Pro on its widest setting. To me, actually having a correct beam pattern helps my brain deal with only having one eye.

With regards to MASSIVE supplemental IR like the Torch Pro or integral illumination on the DBAL D2 - I have no idea. I do not have enough time with the system inside at long ranges in pitch black, and my only outdoor experience has been under a clear sky with a full moon with some ambient lighting scattered around. It was bright enough that I really didn't need any supplimental IR to PID targets within range.

It is a strange world for sure, especially when you're looking at something that you can see unaided like a lit sign in the distance - for example a blue and red open sign. One eye will be able to see everything within the FOV of the PVS-14, but only in shades of green. The other eye sees nothing but a Blue and Red open sign.

Like I said, call them and talk to them.

The old Sniper's Hide NV subforum had some really good material as well:
http://forum.snipershide.info/forumdisplay.php?f=43

Including this gem from TNVC regarding buying a PVS-14:
http://forum.snipershide.info/showthread.php?t=63638

It is a leap of faith. It'll do things you didn't expect it to, but it will also not do things that you hoped it would do.

After that... I personally like the DBAL-I2, but I'm currently looking at a CQBL-1 and possibly an ATPIAL-C. I'm utterly spoiled by the green vis laser on the DBAL-I2, an option which isn't available on the other two systems listed. Still, I'm open to new ideas.

Good luck. If it were mine to do with what I please, I'd head your way with it for a demo.

Thanks for the replies guys.  I will give TNVC a call.  I mainly just wanted to look through a gen III device and decide whether or not I felt it was worth spending that much cash.

Regardless of what many on this board say Gen 2 is very usable. The later Gen 2 SHP stuff is on par with early Gen 3.  Unless you have to have the best of the best don't overlook later Gen 2 you will be surprised at how well it works....

This. For a first set I would look into a gen2 D300. About 1/2 the price as a PVS14 and works just as well. Especially just for hunting you don't need some crazy tier 1 unit or need to spend $2,700+ when you don't even know if you will get into it that much.

I have used a few different high brands of NV for work and purchased some of my own because I like having my own gear. I will say this with the upmost confidence, look into Armasight , their stuff works very well at great prices. All the tubes that I have seen have been very crisp and blemish free. I have only looked through the gen 2 and gen 3 stuff. I am pretty sure you can get a  gen 2 monocular from them for  around $1700...

This makes sense.  After reading the replies and looking through the nv forum I think a head or helmet mounted unit such as a pvs 14 or similar with some sort of weapon mounted laser would be the most versatile.  I still haven't been able to look through a device, but from the comments I've read it sounds like most guys are very pleased the first time they use them.  Thanks for the replies.

The TNV/PVS-14, as mentioned, is absurd. A helmet mounted V1 provides copious amounts of IR illumination out to beyond the capabilities of my eyes and a DBAL-I2 takes care of aiming.

Im in the Evansville area if you wanna give a PVS 14 and a PEQ15c a whirl.