Only had to take it apart about 30 times to rid the image tube of all the specks

They say purging removes a lot of the dust along with any moisture too. Yours looks pretty clean to me.

Looks good dude. I need to take mine apart one of these days. I don't know if more dust got in it or what but mine isn't looking as clear as it used to.
Need another tube while I'm at it.

Im gonna find out if it has fogging issues tonight, hopefully I can get away without doing a purge

I'm in the same boat, I'm about to start my first PVS14 build.



If it needs nitrogen purging, where do you get that done and how much does it usually cost?

?

What was your total cost?

traded into the tube from an upper and some pc repair work, but you can get the exact same tube on the EE for $2k right now and another $650 into the Housing

That's not the tube you want for a budget build.

His tube is teh sechs.

Where did you get the rest of the parts? I see completion kits on ebay and from other vendors for 650, while other vendors list the brand as ITT and charge 950.

Equipment Exchange

Purging your pvs14... Kinda.

Some times I come across outdoor cameras that will not stop fogging up, I live in southern arkansas where humidity is extreme and and temp drops drastically at night, Outdoor surveillance cameras fog up like crazy if not installed right, So here's what I did to my pvs14s. I watched the humidity levels and waited for a night when it was low, usually going to be a cold night before it frosts. I took it outside on the porch table since we have a humidifier inside. Took off the battery pack and placed a small silica packet under the circuit board. These come with outdoor cameras so you may have to source one. Then put it back together, make sure your seals are good.  I have done this to 2 pvs14s and I have tried to fog this up and it will not.

There are other ways I've tried, like building a small blast cabinet out of large plastic bag, and pumping the air out with a hand pump (well ventilated area) then filling it up with argon/nitrogen, repeat 2 times, then pump enough air out so you can finagle a screwdriver thats inside to replace the 4 screws. But I find the first way the easiest, since I take mine apart regularly, and this is the way I recommend to my friends that are building theirs. I figured it since it works on cameras that cost up to $6,000 dollars, it should work on my home built monocle.

And If you want to have it purged later this will defiantly work until you have it done.

other things to consider when disassembling.
leave the eye pieces in, taking those off is just asking for specks on your image, There's something about the threads to the eye piece just dumps garbage onto your tube.
run a dehumidifier at your work bench.

Thanks J

Thanks, will give that a try next time I take it apart... no fogging issues last night so I think they should be good for now.

Any one want to try and help me do the same as OP.  I am not sure where to find a good tube, but I am game for suggestions.  I liked the housing in the EE as a starting place.

The same guy selling the housing has the exact same tube available for 2k (new still in foil)

This guy

How does this compare?  

HERE

Sweet baby Jesus, don't pay full price for tubes sold by an ebay seller with zero feedback.



 

Same tube the guy I linked on the EE has.... I would listen to Couch-Commando.... will be interesting to see what that lot sells for though


ETA: San Dieg.. probably from Camp Pendleton

Also, I'd be very wary of those myself.  If you look closely at the packaging those tubes are packaged like all other electronic parts that you get from the federal supply system (I know, I was a Navy NUC  ET for 20 years) and the warranty expiration looks like it is December 2016.  I'm not saying everything isn't on the up and up with them just saying that I, personally, wouldn't be bidding on them.

yep that is exactly how we received them on the MEU when the electro-optics techs had to repair them

WOW.  I guess I was looking there to get a reference on what is out there.  I like the 650 kit but 2k for a single tube is a bit steep.

ya used, even slightly your looking at 14-1600

I am cool with total investment of 19-2k.

I think there is a gen 3 pvs on the EE right now with a bunch of accessories for $1,800

Well I ordered a housing from EE (same as pool shark) and a ITT F9815K tube.  Hope to have it all together soon.  Thanks for the inspiration and ill be sure to put some pictures up as I go.