Attached File

I figured explaining that you can swap on a CR123 compartment was a little beyond what he was asking

Well and some hold 1 AA and some hold 2.

I stole some copper wire from the AC at work and hardwired my truck battery directly into my dtnvs.

I can see into the future.

I started this thread to kick people in the butt to finally buy in and I'm now wondering how many units have been sold due to this thread.

Keep buying dudes!

I understood him just fine.

IMG_1676 by Jim QRB, on Flickr

I think this thread has done a lot of good, and I rather supect it has motivated a number of people just like me to pull the trigger.

My Photonis Echo-spec PVS-14 arrived this week. Purchase was made from JRH, and given my experience, I certainly recommend him. I will say in all honesty, I wasn't very happy when I looked at the specification sheet. The numbers were well below what others here have seen in their units. Instead of getting frustrated, I waited until dark, mounted it up to my helmet and stepped outside into the gloom. First impression on the gravel drive where there was a little ambient light was pretty good, so I headed out into the forest.  

Where I live it's very thick mixed forest of Hemlocks, White Oaks, Hickory and Virginia and Short Leaf Pine. It's surprisingly dark up in the little valley where my range is, even at mid day. I fully expected the Photonis Gen II to need supplemental illumination once I got into the trees, but to my surprise, I could navigate the trail up the valley just fine. No, it wasn't bright in there, but I could see the trail and I could pick out the obstacles along the path. At a bit over 100 yards distant, I could make out my 3/4 size IPSC steel target. I have an old plastic Surefire light I mounted to my helmet with a cheap Amazon IR lamp. When I touched the switch, it looked like instant daylight all the way out to that target.

So yes, spec sheet be damned, I'm pretty pleased. I think back to some night vision gear I had on loan 20 years ago, and this is so much better it might as well be alien technology. I bought this because it's a fun toy, of course, but mostly because I think we may have some pretty hard times ahead. There are no lights out where we live. No neighbors at all close, and a local sheriff's deputy has explained to me that response time if we needed help might be an hour or more. In short, as Col. Cooper used to say, "Your best defender is YOU!" I'm fine with that, and I think this tool will give me a big advantage over the sort of opposition I could face if lean times come.

Yes, this gear is expensive, but if you think you need it (you already know you want it), I suggest you get it NOW! It may be much less available in the future, and very likely will be more expensive. And just having the equipment isn't enough. Personally, I know I need to put in a lot of practice in shooting skills, as well as movement through my local terrain. I've already learned how to fall into a hole, so at least I've got that out of the way!

Super powers inbound. Ordered an Elbit YH WP PVS14 from Steele Industries on Thursday. Should be here Monday.

Good looking set up.

Whats the rest of your setup in that pic?

Attached File

I’m finally ready to join this thread.

I’ve got about $4k and I’ll see what I can do to make a PVS-14 happen.

https://steeleindustries.com/product/steele-industries-night-fighter-packag
Sheeeit.  4k, ya can get bump, mount and NVD.  Make it so.

This.

Steele

Goonin

Apollogearco

All good

I’d rather buy a real helmet as to not waste the cash on a bump that isn’t super practical.

Trying to work through the different films and wether or not I want white or green.

Buy bump now to save money for better nods, getter ballistic helmet later.

White filmless if you can afford it

Well, want  ballistic, optactical has Team Wendy ( bought out by Avon) OpsCore/ Gentex in stock and prices weren't bad.  Soo say a grand for helmet,  2800 ish for either xls gen 3 or photonis and couple hundred for mount should get ya at around 4k.  Green is cheaper but I like the white.  I know I'm racis.

Not bad advice,  unless you have a pressing need for ballistic, a bump will get you set for peanuts , comparatively.   My wife's exfil bump is light and the padding system is the same as the ballistic and by far the most comfortable helmets I've ever used.

Most people seem to like white more.

A filmless PVS 14 is getting into duals money, and they seem to have a shorter battery life, so I couldn't justify the extra cost over thin filmed.

Filmless is better, but IMHO not $1000-$1500 better.

Where are the 4k or less duals?

I only got a few minutes with various gear at Cola, so I wasn’t able to tell what the real benefits were to white vs green, other than color. Is there a reason to go white other than color preference?

When I say "getting into duals money" I mean that if you're going to spend the $5k on a filmless over the $3500 on a thin filmed, it's a shorter jump to $6k duals than it was from thin filmed to filmless.

Most people seem to find that white enables them to distinguish things better, I wouldn't call it a "preference" so much.

I haven't actually used white, but I have one on order. We use green ones at work.

Team Wendy supports communists.  Avoid.

My eye fatigue is much worse with green.  WP is the way

Supported. New ownership.  Either way, they're fucking comfortable and in stock.  The exfiil ballistic is titts.  Best ballistic helmet I've ever had on my noggin.   Sue me.

Well then it's only a small jump more for filmless duals.

At this rate he might as well get the 41k quads

Seems like I made the right choice then.

As long as he isn't a filthy poor

I do live in Detroit…

Which is why you need NV and a ballistic helmet, plate carrier and mini gun.

Take all your nods money and spend it on moving

Got a dipshit LT who's from Detroit.  Went home to visit, without a gun and almost got carjacked.  What a tard.

Man makes a solid suggestion. Just saying.

I did this the easy way. Old boomer here but am retired military. None of this was around when I was in except those huge riflescopes that glowed green. I asked one of my former students (also a retired Army officer) to find something for me. And he did. So I bought it and he also set it up. All I know is that it works very well. I have about $2600 in it. I live out in the woods and use it every night for a walk around security check for my house and property.  It absolutely gives you an edge.

Attached File

Sweet but the suspension system in those helmets suuuuuuuck!  Fuck I hate those helmets.

What is the story behind this?

Old owner hosted Hilary the cunt during the 16 election. Sucked up being the commie cunts that they were.   Hard to forget where their loyalties lay then.

That was horrible. They gambled on that barracuda winning. Love my LTP but damn, I can’t help but think about the knife in the back every time I pick it up.

I'll admit, buying team wendy hurt, but they are under new ownership, they are American made and they are comfortable as fuck and they are in stock when many aren't.  But the history leaves a sour taste regardless.

He got me a liner adaptor kit for it. Added pads, support, ect. After I got it fit it does well.  But all I'm doing is looking around for critters. Most of the time I don't use the helmet anyway.

Sorry if this has been covered.

What inexpensive bump helmet and mounting hardware is usable for a pvs 14?

I have a atairsoft (recommended in an older "cheap bump helmet thread) helmet and norotos 2 mount the I modified a little to fit better. I use it for my pvs7 and it does OK.

I'm going to get a complete extra helmet and mount for the 14 so I figured I'd ask what others have put together on a budget. I'm not spending 1200 dollars on a mount and 800 on a helmet for a 1700 dollar nod.

I can vouch for the team wendy LTP. Light Tactical polymer.   It's a $ 300 bump that is very comfortable. It has Wilcox mounting hardware and solidly locks up with with the norotos rhino 2 mount.
It's the helmet I got my wife for her pvs14.  Comfortable and light.

Thanks for the backstory.  I'm glad they have new ownership because I too have a LTP.  I worked p/t for about 10 years in bike shops in the summer and ski shops in the winter.  Not only did we get deep discounts on equipment, we had our pick, and the factory reps would dial it in for us.  Having said that, I can't believe how light and comfortable the Team Wendy LTP was right out of the box.

Definitely get a ballistic helmet, not a bump.

My neighborhood is pretty decent.

It’s hard to beat an $87k house.

I wasn't aware their ownership changed. When was this?

Nothing special, I guess. I'm an old retired codger with no income, so I have to be frugal, but that can bite you in the butt sometimes. I bought a cheap Chicom helmet that was recommended here. The price was nice, but it felt like a number 2 wash tub on my head, and I couldn't make it stable.

I ponied up for a TW Exfill. Optics Planet had one for well under $300. Yes, I know they backed Hillary, but we supposedly have a right to our opinions in this country, regardless of how misguided. Dumbasses...

A surplus Rhino II from eBay, and an old Surefire G2 in a Viking Tactics mount and I'm in business. I have a Surefire helmet light I would like to make use of, but I will need to modify it for mounting. I do have an Inforce IR light on my .300 Blackout, and have a Steiner Mini Tor IR laser on the way.

Sure, I'd love to have all the latest and greatest equipment, but I spent as much as I could manage, and I'm pretty excited about my new capabilities. Now it's on me to learn to use it effectively.

Order up some 4D pads for it. It’s like your head is surrounded by breasts.

Gee, that sounds... terrible...

Here's that IR lamp from Amazon. I thought it was $9 but I see it's $16 now. Don't know about long term durability, but I was pretty pleased with it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087Z4GX73?tag=arfcom00-20