I'm no expert, but I can tell you that most NV currently in use are "B" tubes.  A few units have the newer stuff, but due to the costs with the numbers involved, the military is slow to upgrade.  The B tubes are very good, and obviously the newer ones are even better.  But the cost/performance curve is very steep.

Anyway, some other folks will be along with better info than what I have.

-Troy

M.S.T.N. STARTED OUT DEALING PRIMARILY IN NIGHT VISION GEAR, ALL GEN III HIGH END STUFF. WE DO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO MAKE A MARKET IN THIS ARENA PRESENTLY, BECAUSE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MANUFACTURERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AND DEALERS HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY.

BUT WE HAVE RUN $200,000 WORTH OF LITTON AND ITT GEN III DEVICES THROUGH HERE IN THE PAST, SO WE DO KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT IT. BOTH PAUL AND I PERSONALLY USE OMNI-IV MILSPEC PVS-14 UNITS. AND WE'VE LOOKED THROUGH A LOT OF NVD'S.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD IS AT BEST MISLEADING AND IN SOME CASES FALSE.

#1: RESOLUTION IS BUT ONE MEASURE OF PERFORMANCE OF NIGHT VISION DEVICES, AND NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT. THAT IS SIGNAL-TO-NOISE-RATIO. BUT RESOLUTION IS THE EASY TO QUANTIFY AND UNDERSTAND INTELLECTUALLY. THAT IS WHY IT IS THROWN AROUND SO MUCH.

#2: THE NIGHT ENFORCER LINE IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE NIGHT QUEST LINE IN EVERY RESPECT EXCEPT WARRANTY. THE N.E. WARRANTIES ARE TYPICALLY LONGER. N.E. PRODUCTS ARE DEFINITELY NOT MILSPEC. BUT THEY'RE GOOD. SO ARE N.Q. UNITS.

#3: A TRUE "DELTA" TUBE THESE DAYS WILL MEET OMNI-V MILSPEC CRITERIA AND HAVE A TUBE DATA SHEET TO PROVE IT. IT WILL CRUSH, PERFORMANCE-WISE, A LESSER GEN III TUBE, SUCH AS THE NIGHT QUEST OR NIGHT ENFORCER LINE. I HAVE CONFIRMED THIS WITH MY OWN TWO BABY-BLUES ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS.

THAT'S NOT TO INFER THAT THE NIGHT QUEST OR NIGHT ENFORCER LINE IS IN ANY WAY DEFICIENT. BUT YOU SHOULD EXPECT MORE FROM A DELTA TUBE COSTING 50% MORE. THEY AIN'T 50% BETTER, BTW.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: OMNI-IV SPECS ARE HIGHER THAN OMNI-V. LITTON AND ITT COULD NOT MEET DEMAND SO THE SPECS HAD TO BE LOWERED.

WES GRANT
[URL]MSTN.BIZ[/URL]

1)At what range will a $3100 NQ PVS 14 with a "B" tube allow me to identify targets both head mounted and in front of the 4xACOG?

THERE'S NO WAY TO REALLY SAY. THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY VARIABLES. AMBIENT LIGHT, ATMOSPHERIC PARTICULATE MATTER, TARGET CONTRAST WITH SURROUNDINGS, ETC.

YOU'LL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO "SEE" BETTER WITH THE NVD HEAD MOUNTED THAN YOU WILL LOOKING THROUGH AN AIMPOINT OR ESPECIALLY AN EOTHING.


2) Is it likely that the $4500 units I am seeing advertised meet omni IV specs?

NO. THEY WILL MEET OMNI-V, HOWEVER.

3) IF so, what do I look for on a tube data sheet "to prove it"?

HERE ARE A FEW OF THE MORE RELEVANT OMNI-IV CRITERIA. KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE ARE MINIMUMS. I AM TAKING THESE OFF A LETTER FROM ITT REGARDING OMNI-IV SPECS, NOT PULLING THEM FROM MEMORY:

RESOLUTION: 64 LP/MM

SIGNAL/NOISE RATION: 21:1

PHOTOCATHODE SENSITIVITY: 1800

WITH OMNI-V, THE S/N RATIO FALLS OFF A BIT.  DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I THINK THE RATIO IS 19.5:1. RESOLUTION IS THE SAME, 64 LP/MM.

4)How do I get what you and Paul use and how much should I expect to pay?

I HAVEN'T SEEN OMNI-IV SOLD SINCE 2000. OMNI-V WILL SERVE YOU WELL.

WES

IN MY OPINION, AND THIS AIN'T SCIENCE, THE POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURNS IN NIGHT VISION IS THE NQ 6015. THEY'RE GOOD VALUES.

THE OMNI-V PVS-14 COSTS OVER 50% MORE. IT IS NOT 50% BETTER.

BUT IT IS, NEVERTHELESS, MEASURABLY BETTER.

WES