User Panel
Posted: 2/17/2006 6:46:24 AM EDT
Just received ANOTHER disturbing phone call that ITT is having ANOTHER price hike!! With the latest hike, it looks as if we are seeing a total of 50 to 60% increase on the price of tubes!! Geez, we are already seeing ANPVS-14's (NON-MIL SPEC, Non-Gated, normal 64lp WITH some blemishes) going for above 4K! I stated it earlier in another post, if you want to get a quality NVD, DO IT NOW with your tax return! I've heard STRONG rumors what ITT is gearing torward and it's NOT pretty! This does not seem like it's going to get any better I'm afraid. It REALLY has started and I REALLY feel sorry for the middle man dealers out there.
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Going to try get this thread moved to the new ARF15COM dedicated NV forum. www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=6&f=18
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In some cases the DEP tubes are MUCH more $$. Their top of the line tube some say is equal in qaulity to our Pinnacle tubes but their photo response is way low compared to our current Gen 3. In time, I hope to obatin a DEP tube and do a side-by-side comparison to dispel the arguments. |
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So, is a DEP tube more than an ITT tube? If not would it be as good or durable (sorry I'm not quite up on what to look for in a NV) as an ITT? I appreciate you keeping up with this thread. 96Ag ETA: Victor I just found your Industry section, I'll read it then post questions there. |
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Most of the better tubes are coming from the Netherlands. The "DEP" tubes are close to our Pinnacle units but VERY expensive. Their other tubes are equal to our Gen 2+ units. I hear US Night Vision and others are using more and more Euro type tubes due to they are having a hard time getting qaulity ITT tubes. Times are tough to get consistant IIT quality due to the military demand at the present time. Just be sure when you purchase a unit, you always ask waht EXACT tube is being used in the unit. Hope this helps Vic |
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Victor,
I saw that you have mentioned foreign tubes. Can these be purchased now or they like the tube sales mentioned above used only by other manufacturers? Which manufacturers are using the foreign tubes and What is the upside/downside to them? Thanks in advance, I am becoming more and more interested in NV. 96Ag |
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I must be really confused about how business works. Why would ITT be HAPPY to have their sales market or available customer base reduced? As prices reduce, the market for civillian NV will increase by a huge amount. If you could get a low end third gen scope into sporting goods stores for 1000$ or less I could see a market in the tens of millions. Why in the world would telling even a small percentage (even 2-3%) of your market they can't buy your product help you in any way? It would be like you not selling to non-ar15.com team members, it would be foolish. Maybe I could see IR laser manufactures limiting sales to civilians for liability reasons (high liability for a small market) but NV is totally passive. Basically if the feds limit sales of light enhancing or thermal imaging equipment then it will be obvious to anyone what they intend. They intend to setup and maintain a huge force multiplier over their "subjects". bp |
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Let me clarify a bit....Last year, ITT WAS SERIOUSLY considering stopping all sales of individual tube sales that dealers purchase to assemble their own units, i.e. MUMS, 740's, 760's, Raptors, etc. Thus, the only game in town if that happened was to buy ITT's own assembled PVS-14's and other units THEY exclusively make. Also keep mind that ITT CAN CARE LESS about the comercial market. If the commercial market ended today, it would be a SMALL crimp in their gross profits compared with the hundred million dollar contracts out there with our govy. Hope this helps, Vic |
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Of course I hope you are correct on ALL! ITT would be VERY happy if some sort of legislation were past!! They (themselves) just about dropped ALL commercial tube sales last year. We all get to play the waiting game this year to see what their disposition will be. It's all called greed! |
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>-NV Fed legislation and possible limmited sale restrictions?
> I see this as extremely unlikely and pointless. People in the US buying and sending NVDs to enemy combatants isn't really a problem. Most of the equipment found in the hands of the bad guys so far is of russian design. Not to mention an enemy equiped and trained with even 1st generation night vision would be a huge equalizing power in night conflicts. We use flashing becons to denote friendlies and lasers to engage targets and those can all be seen with any IR capable device. There are so many non-criminal civilian uses for NV, NOT related to firearms I just don't see it high on the congress critters priority lists. (hopefully) That said, .gov has done stupider things before, and will again. I certainly hope your wrong. I've also heard something about the UN taking NVD of of a restricted list? (not sure what that means). bp |
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Well 2006 is here....Some highlights of 2005
-2005 saw the NV industry come THIS close from having ITT stop all commercial tube sales to the public. Thus, major in-flux of Euro tubes. -15%-20% hike in NV prices. -ITT wins big on 4 major NV contracts worth millions. -Single Battery configuration PVS-14 geared torward LE sales, to save a few ounces in weight. Not welcomed as ITT would have hoped. -Omni VII Tube Spec unveiled. -Litton saw contracts taken away for improprioties and huge losses in NV sales and a STRONG rumors their productions lines were shut down. Their future is uncertain. -DRS buys out NVEC (Night Vision Equipment Company) -ALL Raptor 6x and 4x's restricted to LE and Govy sales. (A company decision) -KAC's new version of the UNS. 8-10K price tag with no public sales. What to look for in 2006..... -Another round of ITT's decision to continue or not, commercial tube sales. -More ITT price hikes. -Shot Show 2006 announcments. -More information on Hybrid NV sytems. -Litton to be bought out? -NV Fed legislation and possible limmited sale restrictions? These are some of the hightlights, It's going to be a VERY interesting year in the NV world. More to come I'm sure. |
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So...what's the current price for a PV14 (or whatever it's called) NVD with ADJUSTABLE gain?
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They run in the neighborhood of $3200-3400 |
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I saw that disclaimer as well....Hmmm, I am wondering if that is for ALL gear or if there's a certain price (limit) one pays for an exclusion? Need to check into that, as our service folk deserve a bit more.
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News is still that ITT HAS raised their prices again! Time will tell what the end product increase will be.
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Here is some news from the Army Times...GREAT NEWS for our servicemen and famlies out there for buying NVD's and other gear as well.
<<<In an October issue dated 10/17, Army Times page 32, the Dept of Defense has finally provided the forms for servicemen to download, to apply for reimbursements. The website where they can go to download the reimbursement form is www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd2902.pdf They can get hard money for buying tactical gear and apparel, $1100 each! Also, at the moment, the Senate has proposed to extend this reimbursement program out until Oct 2006! Unhappy with how the Defense Department limited a program to reimburse service members, family and friends who pay for protective gear and other items the military has not provided troops deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Senate approved an amendment to expand the program. The cutoff date for purchases, which already passed under current law, would be extended to Oct 1 2006. The items covered would expand to include collective armor or protective equipment for vehicles, advanced hydration systems, guns scopes, global positioning systems and communications devices>>> |
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I am a little confused at how this is a good thing (at least for NV gear). If I spent 3500$ on a PVS14 and the government gave me 1100$ to help out, that would be great. But that form clearly states that the equipment becomes US government property. I'm sorry but the government getting used NV gear for 1100$ after the troops spent 3500$ on it is far from fair. Now for body armor and stuff (usually under 1100$) its not a bad deal if you dont want it when your done over there. bp |
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Hi Pervs,
Gosh, nowadays ITT is into soooo much. It's amazing how many NV contracts they win. I guess that's what happens when your the ONLY ball game in town. Litton is basically out of the running for MOST major contracts nowadays. I reported early this year most of their production facilities were closed down at one time. Not sure what those guys are doing on any new upcoming gear. ITT is pretty "closed lipped" when it comes down to new products and such, but they did just win the new Omni VII contract for the latest Gen III contract for our military folks. |
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It should be another interesting Shot-Show discussion with ITT this February! Wonder how much prices will soar next year! |
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Victor,
There is an ITT plant in Roanoke VA, do you know if this is where they make NVD's? I'm going to check their website, as I'm curious to what other products they make. I may be giving you a call when the bank account allows. Thanks ETA-Disregard! ITT Night Vision ITT Industries Night Vision 7635 Plantation Road Roanoke, VA 24019 Telephone: 1-540-563-0371 Fax: 1-540-366-9015 Toll free: 1-800-448-8678 I wonder if they do factory seconds |
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What is the price you offer an a PVS 14 kit. If you have multiple kits, please price them here.
Thanks |
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Email/IM sent. |
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More news to come on this subject. |
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hey vic- your right itt tubes are gonna go up from what i hear, looks like we will be diggin deaper in our pockets yet again-
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MOST have raised prices already 10-15%. A few have not due to thier current stock of tubes in inventory are based on the older prices. These are the good guys! |
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I received a few prices for the UNS (if you can actually find them) 7-9K! Everything is a compromise though. |
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Grrrr.
Looks like I'm back to the UNS. |
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While the eye relief does not change, the best way to describe the F7201/D-830 is that it is a COMPROMISE. You do not get the best daytime performance nor the best night vision performance. While it is adequate (as example that F7201/D-830 IS used by LE/Military), you give up some performance in gaining versatility. Hope this helps. |
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Prices on ITT tubes are schedule to go up 10 to 15%. In some areas we are already seeing this.
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jlford30,
+1 for Victor, I just bought a PVS-14D kit from him and it's everything and more!! You won't find a nicer guy and his service is 2nd to none. IMO he's one of the best to get NV equipment from... don't wait, prices on tubes are going up according to all my sources. Good Luck, Bill V. |
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Thanks for the kind words Bill....Now for some big news...
It seems that the BIG Omni VII contract I talked about in a previous thread was DUALLY awarded to BOTH ITT AND Litton for approx. 3,3 BILLION!! Yikes! www.fedvendor.com/contract_award/index.htm?fstype=3&fkeyword=NIght%20Vision www.fedvendor.com/contract_award/view.htm?dataid=ADP11267527530006621&keyword=night|night|nighte?s?|vision|vision|visione?s?&ftype=3 I thought this was a "winner take all" contract, but it looks as if Litton was given a BIG bone to stay afloat. They have had several contracts yanked from under their feet over the last several years, I wonder how long this will take? |
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Gosh, I hope not!! |
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Gosh, I JUST found out ITT is raising their prices AGAIN!! It seems your average 14 or MUM could cost a 100 bones more or so very soon! You'd think these guys work for thr oil companies!!
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hey vic-
your right, prices are going up! hold onto your seats boys- prices are gonna continue to rise |
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Where's a good place to buy and what should I be looking for?
Looking for a a/npvs-14 style monocle. Thanks |
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Email/IM sent to you. |
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Think "inexpensive SURPLUS" instead. |
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It seems more Tubes ARE becoming available from ITT, BUT high performance/blem free tubes to selective dealers "HIGH on the food chain" is what I am hearing! More to come I'm sure.
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I heard from a friend yesterday who is a crystal growing engineer. He says that the NVG industry may be caught off guard anyways. He says that his company is working on a NV contract to develop a new seeding and growing process that will lead way to NV visors. The process allows for larger optic field of view and curvature of the display. The application is likely to be a wrap-around goggle from what he says. This will have a considerable advantage for aviation applications where a more 3-d view is needed.
too bad all those goggles will become museum pieces if their research works out. |
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Interesting news and good news in this field due to using goggles for air vehicles causes visual preception errors. This phenomenon has caused countless mid-airs over the years. Wright-Patt has done various studies over the years looiking into various cockpit screens. www.hec.afrl.af.mil/Organization/HECV/hecvl9.asp Thanks for the informative post. Edited to add: Gotta love that screen name you have!! I wish I could shoot tabacky at a roach 10 fett away! |
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Hey Ink, Probably won't be "filmless", usually cannot use a filmless with any type of recoil. I think the forces want to mount these. |
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Not arguing but I thought it was the thin film that gave out under recoil and that eliminating the film did away with the possibility of the film breaking? I don't know this for sure -- that's just what I thought I had read. |
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