I need honest input on these two mounts for a beginner diving in. I'm in the process of piecing together my first complete setup. So far I've got a helmet and IR on the way. I'm waiting for the right used deal (or maybe a sale from a vendor) on the PVS14 itself. I'm either going grab a Rhino II or the Wilcox G11 for it.

Is the G11 worth the extra cost? I mean, is it really worth it? From what I've read, the Rhino II is vastly better than the original Rhino and locks up solid. I'll be using a lanyard/attachment with either mount. However, I'm not opposed to spending more on the G11 if there are benefits that make it worthwhile. Sell me on either system - I'm not really in for the cool factor, more or less functionality. I don't have any plans to dovetail anytime soon. This will be my first unit and hopefully last me a few satisfactory years to recover before I bridge, or buy a second complete setup

The G11 is definitely smoother, more refined, and has a better arm locking mechanism, but for the money the Rhino II is hard to beat. If I where to do it all over again on a budget to buy other/better NV gear I'd buy a Rhino II, a Norotos dual dovetail adapter (skip the J Arm with all the wobble) and a Norotos 15/18 dovetail socket all around for about 240.00

I already have a Rhino II but would like to do the dovetail conversion for a single PVS-14. What all would I need and where can I get it?

TNVC has the best price I've found on the socket and NV in general. Give them a call they're an excellent company to deal with.
https://tnvc.com/shop/norotos-pvs-15-pvs-18-socket-for-aka2-mount/

It's not so much the adapter but then another $200 on the dovetail arm (wilcox I believe).

IMHO buy the rhino II use the bayonet and j arm the Pvs-14 comes with When your ready upgrade the rhino II to dovetail and buy the Wilcox j arm.
(You’ll want a dovetail eventually)

I never used a Wilcox J arm, but there are a lot of reviews saying there is a lot of up and down movement.
http://hudsongravity.com/2016/12/18/why-the-wilcox-j-arm-is-bad-and-why-wilcox-should-feel-bad/

I have the G11 and the J arm. The G11 is really nice but the lever action is a tad heavy going up or down, and it has a bit of an audible clunk if you're not careful. Not a big deal for me overall but I try to be as quiet as I can while hunting

The J arm definitely has wobble but it's ok to me when walking or scanning from a stationary position. Not as stable on the run though

Yeah, if OP is going to do the rhino 2 mod, then skip the wilcox because:

A: Sometimes Wilcox & Norotos stuff doesn't play well together &

B: The Norotos Dual dovetail adaptor is titties for a 14