I currently have a pvs-14 setup behind my aimpoint and ready to move it to a helmet. I have a Steiner otal coming, and need advice on what I want to do.
First off I don't need a ballistic helmet for what I want to do so I was looking at these helmets.
Lancer helmet
Atairsoft helmet

Next I was looking at these mounts.
Rhino II with dovetail
Noisefighter pro

Maybe get some pads for the helmet from tnvc.
Is this a decent setup?
I'm not looking to go for broke but want to get some use out of my nv.

I'd look at a Team Wendy or Ops Core bump helmet over airsoft. They have full suspension systems and won't cost that much more once you add pads to the airsoft helmet. Plus, you won't be trusting your NODs to a fake shroud.

TW or OpsCore. I just got an email from Opscore yesterday saying they had helmets in stock ready to ship.

I use a Rhino II w/dovetail when I had a pvs14, it worked well. Definitely cheaper than other options, too. I bought a Mod Armory J arm to pair with it and had no problems.

Spend a little more on an opscore bump helmet.

Keep an eye out on the EE or gear sale groups online. I often see good deals on used TW or Ops Core bump helmets. No matter what you get spend the money to upgrade to 4D pads. Best investment I have made for my helmet.

Initially thought these pads were all hype. That quickly changed when I installed the Deluxe Pads in my TW Carbon Bump - which lead to the OC & Shellback helmets soon after!

Just here to say I recently purchased through eBay, a Rhino II (complete with ACH shroud that I don't need) for $85, VAS shroud for $38, J-arm for $25, and ARC rails for $24. Everything brand new, no knock offs, and all seemingly very cheap even with shipping and tax compared to typical web storefronts. Not sure if all of it 'fell of the truck' or what. Might be worth it to take a look if you 'eBay'.

Little wary of getting something on eBay, worried about knock offs. Seen on Amazon the rhino II for $60ish, sounds like a good deal but should I be concerned if it will work or if it's a knock off?

Are these real?

Rhino II @Amazon
Another Rhino II @Amazon

ETA- never mind I see they are clones.

Everything on Amazon with their unlimited supply will be clones. On eBay, you’ll find sellers with one or two or a few, read the descriptions well, look for their pics (not stock photos), with original packaging and labels (my Rhino II, VAS, and J-Arm all had NSNs, Cage codes, part #s, etc), and certainly appear to be the real thing. I’m a newb to NV, hopefully I’m not mistaken. Again, just an option.

Minor edits and can someone confirm this authenticity for @fmkenner: https://www.ebay.com/itm/354274086120?hash=item527c618ce8:g:LeEAAOSw7A9ifGxY&amdata=enc

My recommendation would be OpsCore, G24, and dual dovetail. Not purchased from Amazon or eBay.

I've tried airsoft helmets, I've got a couple of friends that tried airsoft helmets, none were ever happy.

Get an OpsCore FAST bump helmet. You can find them from $330 all the way down to $300 or lower. I just ordered one for my girlfriend from DSG Arms and with their .mil pricing I got it for $285. That will give you a helmet that is guaranteed to be in spec (shroud and rails) and is guaranteed to take all accessories like covers, pads, etc.

For mounts, there are some floating around the EE currently. That’s your best bet for a less expensive, real steel mount. If you want knock-offs that may or may not work, Amazon is the place. I believe there’s guys who have posted having an ok time with them, but I’d suggest not getting a clone. eBay will have surplus stuff and you can also search some surplus stores (online or local) for mounts.

Same thing goes for the J-arm. There are several in the EE and pop up regularly there.

For me, I had Robert at JRH send me a Lo-Sto mount and an AX-14 Pro J-arm. Not exactly cheap but not super expensive and it does exactly what I want.

Reason I figured I would go with an air soft helmet was because of this Thread.
Nv would be the only thing I would use it for.

The biggest advantage you're paying for with an Ops Core or Team Wendy bump helmet is the suspension system that keeps the NV in front of your eye during movement. You're not getting that with an airsoft helmet, and it would be more expensive to put a good suspension system in one than just buying a good bump.

Trusting a chinese knockoff shroud with a $2500 NOD is up to you. Some shrouds have been proven in combat by the thousands for decades. Others were assembled in People's Factory #7 to match a picture from the internet for children to play dress up. Maybe People's Factory #7 acquired some stolen IP or reverse engineered a genuine shroud to make it the appropriate spec that week, I don't know. No one else knows either.

Like it’s been pointed out, yes, you can buy all the stuff you need off of Amazon for half the cost. It might work great forever or might crap out; I won’t sit here and say that non-name brand can’t be as good.

However, there are at least two things you should consider.

1. Whatever NVD you had is probably $2k+. They are ruggadized but can still be easily damaged if dropped. Replacement parts can be several hundred dollars, plus other issues like losing the purge on the tube or other more complicated issues. The Chinese Amazon mount and J-arm might work, and I’m not saying you need to buy the most expensive stuff, but when you consider that package being $100 and industry standard equipment being $250-600, it makes you wonder how corners were cut. Name brand stuff isn’t marked up 90% over cost, so how is that stuff so much cheaper?

2. As Robert pointed out, tolerances. You can buy the helmet, mount, and j-arm for $200. When you start putting everything together, those manufacturers might have very different tolerances. Working in manufacturing, I aim for product to be close to nominal, but if I have +/- .030”, that’s a lot of movement that overall measurement can have. Referring to my first point, tolerances are probably opened way up to cut costs: holding +/- .030” is a lot easier than +/- .005”, tighter tolerance equals higher cost. So your $200 investment might end up requiring additional time to send parts back and forth due to fitment issues, possibly accruing shipping expenses and/or fees. That $200 might blow up to $300 and possibly still not be optimal.

Now, wall of text aside, you’re the only one who can make a choice on this. First thing we should have asked is what is your budget? Inexpensive to you isn’t inexpensive to someone else. Even buying a brand new Ops Core bump, you should still be able to get a complete setup for $500 or less. You don’t need 4G pads, you don’t need a helmet cover, or anything else; those won’t get you to where you want to go. If you really just want to wear your NODs, but a Nightcap. Unfortunately you’ll have to buy a shroud in addition to the mount and j-arm, but you can get one for less than $100 on Amazon. That would probably get you going for around $300 if you can find the mount, etc. used.

Feel free to PM if you need some help or ideas. I’m not a super expert but I stared at stuff long enough buying my -14 that I have a decent idea on how to setup.

I went with Hard Head Veterans and have been very happy

https://www.hardheadveterans.com/collections/tactical-helmet-hard-head-veterans

I'm not getting the cheap mount from Amazon. At first I thought how can it be so cheap then realized it was a clone. I'm set on getting a rhino mount with dovetail and the noisefigher arm pro from tnvc, that way I know it's going to be good to go. Where I stand is the helmet. I don't know much about them, everyone is suggesting a team Wendy or ops core. After reading that article in snipers hide which suggests that airsoft helmet like a lancer would work if set up correctly gets me conflicted about it. I know I'll get the mount for sure and pause, maybe save a little for the suggested helmet.

It's not an article. It's a forum post from a single person with unknown experience and qualifications. Meanwhile, there are at least 8 forum posts in this thread from experienced users suggesting the opposite.

Those airsoft helmets don't have suspension systems designed for stabilizing NODs like the suggested bump helmets do. The fact that a user suggests otherwise makes me question their NV experience.

There are some guys who don't use suspension systems in their helmet due to under-helmet comms, but that's an exception nowadays with current options.

FWIW, I went through the same considerations. Due to the original sticker shock of NV gear, I tried to nickel and dime the smaller stuff to save some money. I ended up regretting it every time, and it eventually cost me more money in the end.

Ok, I gotcha. I do agree with topgunpilot20 that what you linked is another thread on another forum exactly like this one.

Like I said previously, can it work? Maybe. Will it involve troubleshooting, custom fitting, and possibly additional funds to work? Probably. There’s numerous threads in this forum of guys making unconventional setups work, but often it’s a lot of hands-on, trial and error.

I would also point you towards JRH. Robert has a complete helmet package for just over $1k. Even if you don’t buy that, it’s one of the better setups and you could piece something similar together. If you’re dead set on the Rhino II, I’d look on places like TacSwap or the EE here for someone upgrading to a better mount and grab it on the cheap. Even eBay resellers have USGI surplus mounts and you can always ask here to verify if it’s the real deal. I’m sure there’s enough experience here to spot clones.

If you have time to wait, I’d definitely troll the EE for what you need. I ended up getting a helmet and a bunch of extras for a good deal. Helmet-wise you might also look for an ACH/MICH. Heavier than a bump but more stable than those clones, ballistic protection, and compatible with a lot of accessories like improved pads.

@fmkenner

Dug through the EE and found all these. Might not be exactly what you want but it’s all good items and will get you running. You just will need a helmet.

Rhino mount and bayonet j-arm $125

Bump helmet with upgraded pads $345
Don’t know what size you need, but that’s an XL for that brand.

Dual dovetail mount $150

Rhino I mount $35

Bayonet Rhino mount $50

Titanium (I think) Rhino II mount, believe it’s dovetail $100

Not many arms in the EE right now, but that’s 1/3 of what you need right there for $100 or less. It’ll get you going.

As far as I know the Chinese haven’t cloned the rhino II yet only the 1. Snag a II from the EE or eBay & this ^ video will show you how to convert it to dovetail.

I bought my kid an Emerson Ops Core bump clone airsoft helmet off of Amazon a few years back for @ 49.00. The helmet didn't glow under NODs/IR, rails where actually good quality and held Peltor headset adapters like real ARC rails, the shroud was garbage plastic (not molded in), the suspension/OCC dial/pads, where good/okay, but the Velcro was excellent. Since he no longer needed it I decided to upgrade it with a Wilcox L4 shroud 49.00, Ops-Core H Nape 25.00 (Ebay real) since the Emerson one glowed under NODs/IR, and 4D tactical pads 65.00 (Ebay real again) that I had in the parts bin. In total it was @ 188.00 spent, the fit is great and now serves as one of my loaners. IMHO you'd be better off buying the OpsCore bump since it is rated for head protection and the pads/OCC dial is a great system. In closing there are mostly clone kit on Ebay as well as Amazon and unless you know what you're looking at you will be sending most of it back for a refund.  

correct. instead of an out of spec shroud you would have to spend $60 to replace, you are stuck with a sloppy molded plastic shroud you cant change.


either get the Airsoft G24 for $100 or get a used rhino 2 for ~75 and the dovetail conversion for about the same.

Mtek flux from PTS is the premium "airsoft" bump. its licensed from Mtek. about $150. or check KOTA for imported ballistic for cheap.

Did you contact Gentex/Ops Core about it? That’s another point: those airsoft clones aren’t going to be supported very well. Something wrong with an Ops Core or TW, I’m sure you can call them and get a replacement if it’s out of spec.

Thinking hard in me of their bumps

After looking around I'm looking at them too. Would a bump helmet be that much heavier than a ballistic helmet? Price point seems a bit easier to do.

HHV was just not comfortable for me.  at all.  Sold it. Ops Core bump with 4D pads is amazing.

I'd be more apt to get the Ops core helmet then save some $ on a cheaper mount.  As much as I hate to recommend chinesium, a buddy of mine has a knockoff G24 that works perfectly.  Made me wish I had gotten one for my backup helmet instead of another real G24.

Any bump helmet is going to be lighter and have more ventilation than a ballistic one. However, you can find surplus ACHs for cheaper than a (name brand) bump helmet.

IMO, I won’t buy HHV stuff; I’d buy Team Wendy before them.

Bumps are lighter than ballistic.

The helmets I have suggested are all bumps (opscore FAST) and substantialy cheaper than a big end ballistic. As said the shroud, suspension and adjustment of the FAST make it worthwhile.

I would suggest any first time helmet buyer get a bump first. Due to cost and weight. Some people can't deal with the weight. There are good deals on ACHs out there and that might make

I ordered mount and arm today, 8-10 weeks for delivery. I have time to figure out a helmet solution. HHV wasn't comfortable? Wouldn't the pads from tnvc help with that?

Why wouldn't you buy from HHV?

What mount and arm did you go with? And if you don’t mind, where did you order from?

My son was going to get a set of armor and wanted a ballistic helmet to go with it. I'm really More concerned with mounting my pvs-14. I figured why not get a ballistic helmet as I could use it as I wish and he wouldn't have to get that later. I could use it on my 4 wheeler and it might provide some protection. Probably would be ideal to have both a bump and ballistic helmet.

I got a rhino II with dovetail and a noisefigher pro.
Got it from tnvc.

More personal preference than anything else. HHV is produced in China which is why their product is less expensive than TW or Ops Core/Gentex. In your case with just needing a bump helmet is one thing. When looking at ballistic helmets I’d prefer to have something US made rather than made in a Chinese factory that may or may not have a lot of oversight, which is why I have an Ops Core helmet and just bought an Ops Core bump for my girlfriend. I also had the available funds to be pickier, which doesn’t translate over to your situation.

Again, that’s just my opinion. They might make fantastic gear that’s just as good as TW or OC, but I’d rather buy domestic on stuff that is supposed to protect me from bodily harm. I just want to help make sure you see affordable and decent options so you can enjoy your setup and not hate the setup you have.

I'm still in my planning stage, did get my mounts but still looking at helmets. Going in I was only planning on a airsoft helmet, I'm re-thinking that now. A decent bump or ballistic helmet is probably a better option.

If we're throwing politics out as a concern I would build a helmet out of duct tape before I bought TW

Here is a ballistic helmet to consider.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/Bullet-proof-Denmark-helmet/18-535015/

https://bulletproofzone.com/products/protection-group-denmark-level-iiia-arch-ballistic-hi-cut-helmet?_pos=3&_sid=ed627c5dd&_ss=r

coupon "YOUGOT10" still is good for a 10% discount

ETA:

Attached File

What happened with tw?

They went all in for Hillary

Yeah, I was trying to not go that far. But yes, that’s also why I’ve only bought Gentex/Ops Core. But given a choice between HHV and TW, I’d grudgingly go TW.

However, OP is on a budget. I had expendable funds to be picky and found a good deal in the EE. If and when I find a bucket for my teenager, it’ll most likely be a Gentex ACH unless a deal on a better helmet pops up. For my girlfriend, she use the bump for other recreational activities like rafting and such.

pads could help, yeah.  I felt the helmet sat too high on my head despite being sized properly, felt sort of...top heavy?  It just didn't fit my head right but the OC was immediately like, "okay this is sweet".
ETA: i wet years without a car when I was in my twenties, only my bike.  Could be I was chasing a proper fit b/c of that, proper fitting helmet is key when riding.

And Gentex donates to D candidates too.

Pick whatever product suits your needs and price.

Fwiw, I use a Team Wendy Exfil carbon bump.

Ah, politics... the most divisive tool ever created... we all argue while they (politicians) get rich, and laugh.

G.

Can someone point to where the Gentex in question donates to Democratic candidates? All the screenshots and searches I've seen are for the automotive OEM (https://www.gentex.com/) and not the PPE manufacturer (https://www.gentexcorp.com/).

I'll also note that Team Wendy is now owned by Avon Protection, will we be boycotting all Avon products now?

FWIW, I've used the TW LTP in the past and still use the SAR Tactical, along with an Ops-Core FAST SF.

I'll also note that Ops-Core is blowing out the old style of the FAST Carbon (https://shop.gentexcorp.com/ops-core-fast-carbon-high-cut-helmet/) and that despite the website saying that coupons code do not work, they appear to still reduce the price in the cart at the very least (maybe it'll block you when you actually try to purchase, dunno, I've no need for another bump).

I get this is normally the case but I bought an airsoft replica and my shroud locked up great. I bought a “legit” shroud because that’s what everyone says to do and it was loose as shit. I put the airsoft one back on.

The ops core rails (real ones) I got to replace the airsoft rails were much better though, I’ll admit.

I put 4d pads and a H harness on my airsoft helmet and it’s just as sold as my friends legit bump.

But ymmv.

I've been looking real hard at hardhead veterans and I'm liking what they stand for, and compared to others they are easier on your wallet. Says american made fibers are sent overseas to be pressed, assembled in Texas. You would be hard pressed to find anything completely made in the USA. I work in the auto industry making parts for Chrysler, they have overseas connections. At some point something came from overseas from just about everything. I think I found my helmet. I usually try and pause and think on it for a bit to make sure it's exactly what I want. Anyone else have a ballistic or bump helmet from HHV?

@Defaultmp3 or anyone, where does one find the coupon? Thanks!