I’m eyeballing the $99 Sightmark one... looks low enough to sit below optic objectives, sits on the centerline (not hanging off the side), tool-less attachment, 10,000mAh, USB-A output ... not 3D printed.

Every one I've tried sucks.  But I have not tried the Sightmark, that actually looks interesting.  If you get one, let us know what you think of it!

Looking at it... I wonder if anyone makes a battery pack in the form of a VFG.

Problem with that is you’d be looking at a single 18650 form factor for the cell with maybe putting the USB-A connection up near the VFG mount. But even then you’re only looking at 2500-3000mAh.  That’s only giving a thermal 2-3 hours of runtime off the externals. A 10000mAh LiPo brick is going to give you  7-8 extra hours. And if it’s tool-less QD it can be pulled off the gun when it dies easily and you go to internal batteries.

Very intardasting.


Someone needs to design a centerline version that you can slip a different battery pack into (rail mount with a modular battery pack).

I have the TNVC one and I like it a lot. Of course, it’s on an Armasight/Flir Zeus with no easy way to connect it without the proprietary battery plug/cap that the TNVC version offers. Only thing I don’t like is the fact that it’s offset from the rail.


Reminds me. I need to buy another properly sized battery bank so that I can have an extra charged up (like I ever go hunting anymore )

Here you go... high or low profile centered on rail... or even 45-deg offset... QD, MLok, and Dickmod.

https://darknightoutdoors.com/10-000mah-external-battery-packs/

$49

I’m tempted for the price alone and Mlok direct mount but it looks 3D printed...

@lilMAC25

Very tempting

That one looks like it rides above the rail.  The Sightmark looks to be a lower-profile setup.  I decided to order one to play with it, I'll report back with my thoughts when it arrives.

Awesome, let us know!

I'm actually eyeballing this one now. Simple friction fit and 3D printed and not very low profile... so not amazing.  But it's $45, less than 2" wide, still 10,000mAh and centered direct Mlok mount so it will fit within the silhouette of all the guns I plan on using the optic on.

I'm holding off on FOing until I hear from you though.

The Sightmark battery arrived!  It comes packaged in a box, inside of which are a manual, charging cord and the battery:

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The battery arrived fully drained of power, so I'm currently charging it.  I have taken a photo of it in my hand, for a sense of scale:

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It's larger than I expected, with about the same footprint as a cell phone, but thicker.  It's also lighter than I expected given the size; the manual says it's 9oz.

When it's done charging I'll figure out the best place to mount it to one of my thermal equipped rifles and snap some more photos for y'all.  That being said, of course I already gave mounting a try.  It goes on (rock on) fairly easily, but it doesn't come off (rock off) nearly so easily.  I didn't want to lose a fingernail from my hand slipping while trying to pry it off, so I ended up striking the side with the spring-loaded mounting locks with a rubber mallet and off it came (falling right onto the concrete floor -- apparently undamaged, fortunately!).  So... I think the mounting system needs some rethinking for a 2.0 version.

The fairly low profile afforded by the mount is nice, though, as my SkeetIR's objective lens completely clears the battery.  More later.

Well, here it is on the rifle:

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I can't say it's terribly elegant.  I still haven't figured out a way to get that battery off without it dropping to the floor (it's a three-handed operation, at least).  I also need to figure out a solution for dealing with that way-too-long SkeetIR USB cable.

All in all, given the form factor, I don't think this is a significantly better option over other solutions.  I'm going to keep on looking...

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Damn, that thing is way bigger than it looked. Low profile though.  Do you think my 50mm Yoter objective (1.5” centerline, .525” rail to bottom of lens) would clear that battery?

Sounds like it mounts solid though... with spring loaded rock’n’lock, better too tight than too loose. That’s good. I was worried about it falling off under recoil or bumps.

I’ll bet if that thing were 1.75-2” wide (rail width) and still 7500mAh it’s be pretty badass. I don’t think it’d work well on my Tavor (probably my optic’s primary host) because the charging handle is right under it and could be somewhat obstructed.

I’m going to buy that one I posted up higher and let you know.

Depending on how much power you need this one looks compact.

https://basicprecision.com/products/basic-power-kit-picatinny-mountable-external-rechargeable-power-bank-with-connecting-gear-for-thermal-scopes-and-thermal-clip-on-units


Also here’s several other options. I’m trying out one of the small 5000mAh batteries. I think it will work for me well.

https://apex3d.shop/collections/power-kits

you need to throw a shorter 90 degree usb cable on that thing so you dont accidentally break the port off.

I think that a usb micro port isnt it?

amazon link

First one looks nice. Like the QD on the end.

No, the Skeet uses a (proprietary?) 7-pin adapter.  I'd tinker if I could get my hands on a spare cable, but alas, I only have the one cable that came with each Skeet.

Alright, so I ordered this kit for $80.

10,000mAh MLok kit for Bering thermal.  It’s 3D printed but should do the job.  Comes with a focus ring (Also 3D printed) and magnetic breakaway mount, too... but even if they suck, the battery and mount for $80 aren’t bad at all. I got the direct mount MLok version because I decided I want to put the battery against the side of the handguards. This one is only 2” wide, so should be a fairly slick mount. I don’t think any battery is going to clear the Yoter’s 50mm onjective unless I use a riser mount and that’s not happening.

I got a couple of those 5K Kits from Apex, and another company (forget the name, they sold a Bering extended cap too) - but in the end, the most compact and highest capacity, was self mounting an Anker 10K PD (Will be changed to a Nitecore Waterproof 10K, just haven't mounted it yet). I did use the magnetic cable from one of the kits though. It "sticks out" the same distance as the Windage dial. I installed "grippy" rubber on both sides of the battery - one grips the Rail, the other grips the stretched OneWrapTM. Hasn't moved from range use, yet (I don't hunt). It's for a Yoter-C. That Sightmark pack is a big boy

Ok, my Apex 10Ah Bering power kit showed up.

TLDR;
A) the holder is OK for light duty use. There’s dedicatedly a few improvements it could use.
B) The magnetic breakaway cable and mount are great. Buy one.
C) the focus ring kinda sucks. Usable for what it is and I like having it, but it first poorly and is chunky. I’ll get a real aluminum one when this one craps out.

Initial impressions:

For being a PLA printed item, the battery carrier looks a lot cleaner than I thought it would. Mounting is OK; I’m sure it will withstand recoil reasonably enough, but I think a decent impact would rip the mounting screws right out. If I wanted to run around and do night training or crawl through brush with it, I’d put a heavy layer of vetwrap around it and the rail. There’s enough meat in the base that instead of using two screws directly through to the MLok nuts (or the picatinny QD directly to hex nuts) there should Have been a load distributing flat countersunk plate to screw through (or a tapped steel nut plate for the picatinny QD setup). That would greatly increase the area of plastic engaged by the clamping force. And putting a small lip on the open end to improve retention would have been nice.

Here it is on a Tavor 7, Aero 22” 6.5CM, and 11.5” DD M4V7S

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The magnetic battery cable setup is nice. Really nice. It looks a little sketchy because it’s printed, but it’s very solid and very functional. I almost didn’t get it as an add-on because it cost extra, but it’s the best part of the kit. Pull the rubber dust cap off the charging port and pop this little bad boy on.  They make the kit for pulsars and combined with LaRue index clips, it’s a must have regardless of how you’re mounting your battery.

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The focus ring is a bit chinzy. It’s undersized by about 2-3mm around the circumference which prevents tightening the knob down. It will definitely break if I try to tighten any harder... it might even break if I try to loosen it at this point.  Maybe the Yoter ring is bigger than the hogster focus ring.  It’s functional though and adjusting focus is a breeze; it just looks bad and fits a bit mediocre.  Makes me want to go out and buy an aftermarket aluminum ring.  In the pics, you can go from basically focusing 3 feet away rotated all the way CCW to focus at infinity rotated to about 1-2 o’clock ( pictured).

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@Pneumagger

Great info. I agree the power cable is really nice. The battery holder is fine but like you said drops or a big hit will probably end it. The holder is open on both sides so it just keeps the battery in place with friction. We shall see how that does under 556 / 308 recoil. For now it seems perfect for what I wanted. That being a light weight and slim profile external power option.

Here’s mine for the Pulsar Thermion.
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That battery cable mount is so slick on that pulsar, it makes me jealous I didn’t get an XP50... LOL. The single cell is Pretty slick, too.

Maybe that’s really the durable solution; just getting a couple round 5000 or 3000 mAh bank with a QD flashlight mount that fits.  Each battery can give you a few hours and thenmagnetic cable and Apex BOSS mount (for whatever thermal you got) is only another $20.

Thanks for buying and trying. That thing is huge.

Today I got an Apex-3D Anker 10ah kit with the rail mount option.

Unfortunately the (QD) rail mount mechanism is too lose to really lock in place.  I took the lever apart and managed to tighten the mechanism a half-turn (which is the minimum amount of adjustment, the way it's designed), but then it was too tight to clamp onto the rail.

So... now I'm wondering what I can replace the crap pic mount with.  Would it work with an LT-270L (the Surefire mount)? Or with an LT-271 (the DBAL mount)?  The screws are offset 1.25" and the channel looks to be .365" wide.  Anyone know?

ETA: for anyone with the M-LOK version of this Anker mount... does it fit into a single slot, or does it need to span two slots?

Mines the MLok in the pics above. It needs two slots.

Seen a local guy I know mount his anker battery to the top of a quad rail using zip ties and maybe 3M tape to keep from sliding around. It seemed to work good and was simple.

Said he bought a long charging cable to plug his rifle (battery) up in his truck and leaves it in the back. No cells in the thermal itself.

Rail mounted is a dumb way to go about it.  You want that weight further back.  Better and cheaper is getting any old stock pouch and any old power bank which is better and cheaper than overpriced "tactical" options

Stock pouches won't work on a bullpup and also sketchy on ARs due to charging handle interference.  Running a wire from the stock to a scope is longer and more prone to snagging; rail mounting lets you use well shield/controlled wire routing using picatinny or mlok wire holders designed for cable management.  That triad stock not cheaper than the APEX 3D battery mounts posted upthread.  Sometimes weight distribution matters (patrolling, stalking, offhand shooting) and sometimes it doesn't (shooting off bipod, tripod, bags).

Like anything else, it works well for some applications, not so good on others.

I have none of those problems with my ATN stock mounted power bank (bought for cheap from AMZN warehouse).  Also use a cheap M4 mag pouch on another rifle with no problems.

Which M4 mag pouch?  The ones I found look like they'd interfere with cheek weld and/or stock adjustment.

not this one but similar.  Doesn't interfere at all

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00655DBRS?tag=arfcom00-20

Okay, NOW we're getting somewhere.  I combined the (now discontinued) CAA battery buttstock with the Apex3D+Anker 10AH, and a special-order cable/soldering project, and now I have something that's starting to approach intentional-looking.

I don't like the Picatinny rail adapter that comes with the Apex battery holder, so I'm experimenting with another battery mount system and will report back...

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