You could buy 4 Auroras and 2 of the Wilcox bridges and still be under the cost for a conventional dual tube setup.

I confess I have one, but it hasn’t been out of the box yet.

Great post!

Liked.

Awesome.

Price went back up to $799.  Seems to have gone up to that price everywhere else too.

Has anybody seen these for sale locally? Are they a internet only type thing?
If I could finger one for a few minutes I would more than likely buy one.

would this be a good option for a first time user?

i have no experience with NV, and at the current prices for quality analog setups, i thought i never would.

$800 + hardware makes this easily in the realm of possibility (hopefully sub-$1200 all in).

my purposes would be casual hunting and night shoots (I'm not a LEO or MIL, my life wont be on the line any more than the average hunter/shooter).

so objectively speaking, not comparing it to a PVS-14, is this worth the money as an NVG?

I know there have been digital "game changers" that haven't panned out. Is this one of them, or is this actually some next level innovation?

i appreciate anything y'all have to say

I'm right there with you wondering the same thing. I almost bought one on black Friday because with a coupon it was definitely right priced. What kept me from hitting the buy button is that I'd like to put my hands on a unit and try it out first.

i always hear the phrase "you should expect to spend as much on an optic as you do the gun"

if that same rule being applied to NV became practical, i think the market would expand exponentially.

Same. Waiting mostly on adapters and such to use standard accessories with the Aurora.

Would really like to have a rail mount 1/3 lower cowitness so it can be used with optics

I bought a rail mount on Adorama.   The camera hole was a threaded blind hole, so I just drilled it out all the way through and bought a 1/4-20 screw to attach the Aurora.   I tried it behind a RDS and it worked ok.

I’ve played with mine a little.

An IR illuminator makes all the difference in the world.  Really pretty cool, especially at that price point.

I’m have no clue how it would work as NV compared to a tube setup, and the lack of mount options may currently be an issue, but for just sitting around in the dark looking at stuff, it works really well, especially with a cheapo IR flashlight. Watched my dog bark at deer last night. Screwed around with it indoors (with IR illumination) a little too.

I think there is a little latency in fast movement, but it’s not bad.  Other than the normal little bit of orientation/depth perception issues normal to one-eyed movement, it’s definitely usable.

Should have bought one during Black Friday. Guess I gotta wait a few weeks for a Christmas sale.

You're in luck.  I was looking for a mount like the one pictured today and found this on Amazon!

SiOnyx Aurora Day/Night Action Camera

by SiOnyx

Price: $599.00  & FREE Shipping

Amazon Link

SiOnyx is offering the same price now on their web page.

Yep that pushed me over the edge and I ordered. Funny enough my email came from ARFCOM newsletter.

Looking forward to trying some NV for my first time!

Wondering if buying the whole kit for $899 would be the way to go.

https://www.sionyx.com/store/p23/Aurora_Explorer_Edition_Pre-Order.html

Wow, that was quick.  I checked their price about 10 minutes before I posted the Amazon link because I wanted to see if they had the rail mount from them.  It was still at $799 then.

Is that <$300 worth of accessories?

Oh bloody hell that price drop just made this decision a lot harder, or easier depending on which way you look at it.

That was my debate. I ended up going with the device only as I figured I could piece together my own kit down the road if I like the platform. I don't know enough about IR illumination etc to jump on the full kit.

IR illum is pretty easy. Tons of different companies offer IR flashlights. Just mount the Ir light to your rail like any other flashlight.

Link to the mount above?

Not sure as what comes with the basic kit is rather vague.  Why I was asking.

Really do not think any QD mount will work, so the factory mount may be the only way to go (without mods).

If the illuminator is good, is that worth $100?

Nice case.....

Yea, I just want the QD mount, none of the other stuff w it.

Thanks! Will definetly be picking one up!

At this price I'm really tempted

Tempted due to price, but given that I have dual tubes and latency is kindof a killer for walking IMO, I think I can talk myself off the ledge.  Keeping an eye out for the next generation.

I'm pretty sure someone from SiOnyx is monitoring comments here on AR-15.  Not that that's a bad thing, but yesterday when I made a post about the price drop at Amazon, it immediately (Like in 10 minutes or less) fell from $799 to $599 on their own website.  Also, after I made comments here about wanting to buy a QD mount, within a few hours I got an email from them with a quote for that exact item!  Turns out they wanted $129 for it, and I'm not going to drop that kind of coin on something I'll only use a few times at most.  Also, I already have a QD that will work if I drill a hole and fabricate a locator pin for the camera.

I've been amazed by this device since I got mine back in early September.  It is well engineered and constructed, and I haven't found any feature or design issues so far.  A few friends who've bought them because of seeing mine, feel the same way.   I've pretty much been testing and using it daily looking for faults and issues, but so far, nothing jumps out at me.

The more I see of this device the more tempted I am to just pull the trigger and get one. However I'm probably just going to wait until they offer a version with a bigger eye piece. That is really the only thing holding me back.

Same here. With my luck as soon as I buy one they will have a revision come out that is geared toward helmet mount and navigation. I really wish I knew what the limits of a firmware update for one could be.

I'm following Sionyx on zuccbook and you should see some of the ignorant comments they get on their posts.

Amazon pricks are charging me tax, rather give the money directly to the MFG.

interesting.... hey Sionyx!  if you really are listening, can I borrow one for some hunting I have coming up in Jan.  I'll test it out before buying one.  i'll see how it performs under very little moon and Nebraska winter temperatures while hunting coyotes and raccoons!

A man can dream, right?

Damm!, $129 for the mount, guess I'll have to figure something else out as well....

I was really hoping to pick one up before my cam comes next week..

I wouldn't mind spending $129 for a mount but it's got to be high quality as that's upper tier pricing and you're holding a very expensive piece of equipment. The pictures I saw of the mount didn't really impress me. I'm sure some more options will come out as the Aurora becomes more popular.

Alright, I just ordered one. What helmet and mount is available for this? Not worried about cost (as long as it doesn’t cost more than the device itself ).

None at the moment.

only thing I have seen that looks usable at the moment is a guy with lots of pics/vids
https://www.instagram.com/solscud007/
basically a movo dse6 rail tie strapped to some head mount

The Wilcox mount with the FLIR dovetail should work, but I read you may have to do a little filing to fit the Aurora camera mount

WOW- crap that price is very nice but with tax is nearly what I paid on Blackfriday so I am not too mad

I am considering this mount for the rail-

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XB39SY4/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A3NAF9JENREPWV&psc=1

Any thoughts?

Not sure if this will cowitness properly but I suppose I can add a riser under it.
Not QD but it's probably the cheapest and lightest option?

Also since Sionyx is watching this thread - we really really need a front objective protector / bumper / cap of sorts. The front of the camera is going to get scratched up  / broken or damaged in no time if used in the field. I had a heck of a time finding something that would work. 50mm objective flip up cover with a clear window.

Also, would be nice to have a hood or flexible tube that interfaced the front of the sionyx with the desired optic mounted in front of it?

I guess someone has a silicone tube or simply cut piece of bicycle inner tube to do this...

Ok, so it looks and sounds pretty good for what it is, and it's competitive also due to the price. Everyone seems to agree it is an apples and oranges comparison, but this is a pretty nice orange. EAR99 is a pretty big deal for travel. So boaters, photogs, police, and many other types would probably benefit. Life and performance is presumably indefinite so that is nice as well.

I note a few things that would concern me if I were to take it hunting or shooting.

It is IP67 for immersion/splash, not 810G.

I haven't seen any claims made about shock/vibration. Just because you can mount it to an AR15, doesn't mean it's a good idea. If it reaches 500rds and dies? Then what? So it would be nice to see it tested under a specific test protocol. Testing can be expensive so maybe that will come later.

No mention in the warranty about damage caused by recoil, though I didn't read the whole thing very closely (for other terms that might cover similar circumstances).

If they take this product in a more "tactical" direction in the future, I would recommend a few changes.

Change the battery type to CR-123, or even 18650, or go to a separate battery compartment entirely (or something in between like the backup cell in the ANVS mount from Wilcox, and another pack behind). Less bulk (and weight, if head mounting). Doesn't matter on a rifle as much because I guess you could have a VFG, or pic-rail mounted battery compartment, or something.

Unless the environmental specs were revised, I don't see many/any mil/leo customers dumping their existing NVGs to mount two of these. Us Armchair Commandos might obviously want to do it because of the lower cost, but that probably isn't a lot of their customer base. So weapon mounted and/or tripod mounted and hand-held are probably the priority (which I think favors keeping the batteries on the device, because weight and bulk are less a concern).

Did I read correctly that the eye piece comes off in order to change the battery and SD card? I assume all the innards are vulnerable to splash and dust when the battery compartment is open? Seems flawed to me.

It should also have longer eye relief (as someone else already mentioned), and protective lens covers and a rubber eye cup. Some may say that is more "tactical" than this was intended for, but couldn't wildlife be spooked by any leaking visible light? So perhaps more people would benefit. And an eye cup is cheap.

Aurora is $550 shipped on EBay right now if you use code "pickupsale"

dang it - much better than black friday deal!!!

Has anyone here with taken/posted pics of the Sionyx pointed up at the stars on a clear night?

I found this one on their site. Is it an accurate representation of actual use?


I went out for a walk with my unfilmed WP PVS14 last night and enjoyed the "OMFG look at all the stars" effect as usual, even caught a couple meteors that I'm sure I'd have missed with unaided eyes. Yes, I know it isn't a fair comparison, and I don't expect the Sionyx to be that good, but I'd like to hear other's impressions of how much "wow factor" you get with the Sionyx when pointed up.
Thanks!