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Posted: 9/8/2011 6:16:31 PM EDT
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Hello everyone,
[Skip to bold if you don't want the background history] A buddy of mines was getting rid of his old setup and I just so happened to take it off his hands before he got the chance to dump it in ebay. I didn't get anything else in particular aside for the unit itself and a rhino mount. From what I could research so far, the unit itself is a foreign russian unit manufactured by "Lomo LLC" and is a gen 2 tube in a lookalike pvs7 housing. The specific model itself is the Recon - 2 and the build on it looks pretty shoddy, but I figured if I could get it to work, I could have a new toy :) So from what he tells me is that the unit just one day went dim and then never came back on. Popped new batteries in to no effect. The unit was pretty new when he purchased it, but his calls to Lomo LLC were never returned. So fast forward onto today. I'm looking at the unit and inspecting it back and forth and can't seem to find any damage. Popped in the batteries and proceeded to turn the unit on, low and behold its just as my buddy described; nothing but pitch black and a red dot if I turned the IR on. I'm not sure if the electronics crapped out or the tube itself is crapped but everything else was in pretty pristine shape. My buddy picked up a pvs14 not long after this unit took a dump and its been sitting in storage since. Now, the problem is finding a service tech stateside that could take a look at the unit. I've already exhausted google in hopes of finding a Lomo service center, but it seems that they've pulled out of country already. The housing is extremely similar to the pvs-7 so I was hoping someone with experience with those units could point me in the right direction. The only night vision unit I've ever owned was a gen 1+ unit that I used to navigate the creek while night time hunting. Other than that, I'm clueless as to how to handle this situation. Is it alright for me to take apart the main housing? Are there any precautions that I should take? Any input on this issue is greatly appreciated. Thank you :) |
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Well, most US guys won't mess with it because it is Russian. That said , if you are handy we can talk you through some tests ? I suspect the tube power supply is bad. Second option is if you PM me and pay for shipping both ways I can look at it and tell you what is wrong. Pulling the tube and applying power directly to it will determine whether your issue is in the tube or the housing.
The tests are easy and won't take long. I will check it out free as long as you pay shipping. If you can unscrew the front objective yourself and pull out the tube we can talk you through the testing steps. 
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See where the plus and minus signs are on the tube ?? Apply 3 volts to the tube in a dark room and tell me if it lights up green. Easy to do this with a CR123 battery. Just adapt wires to the positive and negative sides of the battery and touch them to the corresponding wires on the tube.
If it does not light up then sadly your tube is toast. I am not real familiar with those Russian tubes but they all work pretty much the same. Let us know what you find. I can't see inside the housing to tell if the wires are soldered or have plug type terminals. You may be able to just disconnect the tube entirely and apply voltage to the wires. If not, you may have to remove a little insulation and supply power that way. Whatever method you use make sure the tube is getting 3 volts directly from the battery. My understanding is the biggest weakness in Russian tubes are the electronics. Common for the power supply's to go tits up.
ETA : The room does not have to be pitch black just dimly lit. You are only powering it up for a few seconds to test it so no harm will be done. |
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Ok ,so we know your tube is toast and we need to look for a replacement. In my honest opinion Last Lancer or CJ7Hawk are your best bet. Harlikwin is also very familiar with Russian technology and maybe he can offer his advice. I am pretty sure you can substitute a US made MX-10130 tube but am not sure which mods need to be undertaken.
I don't mess around with much Russian gear so my experience is limited. I will send out some messages and we will get them to chime in with your options. Without the scope in hand I don't want to give you bad advice when a lot of money is at stake. I really don't think replacing this with another Russian tube is in your best interest. We need to find what will adapt to your housing. As I suspected your power supply is toast which is fatal and not cost effective to fix on a Russian tube. |
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Can you measure the tube with some calipers and post the results? Moving to a MX10130 would be the best bet if possible. The first step is to know if it will fit - Regards David edit: Just looking at that tube, it looks like it's pretty thin... If the optical distances can't be made to match up with a MX10130, then perhaps a modified M2160 would fit? It's definitely glass-in, glass-out. Making a PSU fit might be challenging though. LastLancer is your best bet on identifying the tube, but I don't think that will mean you can get one. Russian tubes are hard to come by. Fitting a MX10160 with any necessary modifications is probably your best option. |
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I have 43mm x 22.3mm on the digital calipers.
Thanks alot for the help thus far! I took a quick look at the MX 10130 tube and it seems that it wouldn't work without the pvs7's objective lens assembly ( I would assume that they're not the same threads ) This is such a bummer since I was really hoping I could prove my buddy wrong on the outcome 
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Quoted: I have 43mm x 22.3mm on the digital calipers. Thanks alot for the help thus far! I took a quick look at the MX 10130 tube and it seems that it wouldn't work without the pvs7's objective lens assembly ( I would assume that they're not the same threads ) This is such a bummer since I was really hoping I could prove my buddy wrong on the outcome Does the lens assembly go right up to the tube or something? If so, you might be stuck. If not, then it looks like the lens assembly you have might work. You'd just need to leave things sticking out a bit further. If The only thing you have to do is change the objective lens, then the work involved isn't all that much. It would certainly make an interesting project :) Regards David
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Late to the party I guess.
Dimensionally IIRC the russian tubes are a bit different than the US tubes. You might be able to find a dealer to sell you the Russian spec tube. I hate to "recommend" ATN but alot of their tubes are Russian and if I recall they used to sell the recon2's or their version of it back in the day. Other places to try might be Canadian NV shops they deal with Soviet tubed stuff as well, GSCI (IIRC) might have these tubes. Otherwise see if there is someone who still sells the unit and try to get in touch with them, perhaps they can help you out. |
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Sorry guys, if it wasn't for Dino who has sent me a PM, I would have entirely missed this thread.
What we're dealing with here is a shorty Russian 43mm non inverted tube. These are unique for Russian producers, no other company makes them. These tubes often suffer from PSU failures. I have personally killed two without having done anything wrong. Many Russian designs are set up for these - LOMO Recon-2, ATN NVG7, Dedal DVS-8, ATN PS-22, Newcon NVS7, Dedal D450C.. All housings from ATN that are marked Gen2 CGT use the shorties. The most prominent type is EKRAN EPM66G or EPM66G-2 which comes in A- B- and S- performance grade. Alternatives would be EPM221G-00-11 or EPM223G-00-11. The easiest way to obtain one would be from Newcon - described NC064322 / NCXT4322 This format also exists in Gen3 GaAs, made by JSC KATOD, type EPM102G-05-22. Newcon sells these as N3064322 / N3XT4322. http://www.newcon-optik.com/Specs/NVS_type.pdf |
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LL, Harlikwin and David, thanks for your help. When it comes to the Ruskie stuff I am usually at a loss. I can help diagnose but what can replace what is much harder when you have little experience with the kit. The guy has lots of options and a clear direction to the problem. What makes this forum great is the wealth of knowledge from many minds.
Thanks again , Dino |
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So I got in contact with a rep at Newcon Optiks.
They're asking $2200 for a new tube. I gave them several model numbers but he only responded with one price and wasn't specific at all 
Wasn't looking to blow that much on a beater but if anyone here needs spares its up for grabs! |
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Quoted:
So I got in contact with a rep at Newcon Optiks. They're asking $2200 for a new tube. I gave them several model numbers but he only responded with one price and wasn't specific at all
Wasn't looking to blow that much on a beater but if anyone here needs spares its up for grabs! Was that for a g3 or g2 tube? Thats nuts... |
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Quoted:
G2+ NCXT4322 I know :( Probably going to dump it on ebay now or some private sales forum. I gave my buddy $400 bucks for em so I hope I could atleast make half that back Not a bad gamble. Sometimes you lose on these things. The price for the tube is beyond outrageous for a 2nd or even 3rd Gen Russian tube. Good project scope if you want to try and adapt a US MX-10130 . Those can be had reasonable used on eBay. You may just want to hold onto it and search eBay from time to time for the tube you need. But, Russian tubes are rare in the US because we have access to Gen 3 cheaper so the Russian company's rarely try to sell any of their tubes over here. They are few and far between on the US auction sites. Selling the housing because of this may be even harder. If you want a used tube or even a better chance of selling the housing for a decent price try the BBSAirgun night vision forum across the pond (UK based forum). I think it will draw more interest and many of us here are members. They can get rowdy at the BBS at times but we will look after you if you want to try your luck with those guys. Most of them are good chaps and they may even know where you can get a cheap tube for it. Just takes us US guys a while to adapt to their humor and antics ! |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
G2+ NCXT4322 I know :( Probably going to dump it on ebay now or some private sales forum. I gave my buddy $400 bucks for em so I hope I could atleast make half that back Not a bad gamble. Sometimes you lose on these things. The price for the tube is beyond outrageous for a 2nd or even 3rd Gen Russian tube. Good project scope if you want to try and adapt a US MX-10130 . Those can be had reasonable used on eBay. You may just want to hold onto it and search eBay from time to time for the tube you need. But, Russian tubes are rare in the US because we have access to Gen 3 cheaper so the Russian company's rarely try to sell any of their tubes over here. They are few and far between on the US auction sites. Selling the housing because of this may be even harder. If you want a used tube or even a better chance of selling the housing for a decent price try the BBSAirgun night vision forum across the pond (UK based forum). I think it will draw more interest and many of us here are members. They can get rowdy at the BBS at times but we will look after you if you want to try your luck with those guys. Most of them are good chaps and they may even know where you can get a cheap tube for it. Just takes us US guys a while to adapt to their humor and antics ! Are we using the same site? Its been a long while since I've seen reasonable tube prices on the bay... |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
G2+ NCXT4322 I know :( Probably going to dump it on ebay now or some private sales forum. I gave my buddy $400 bucks for em so I hope I could atleast make half that back Not a bad gamble. Sometimes you lose on these things. The price for the tube is beyond outrageous for a 2nd or even 3rd Gen Russian tube. Good project scope if you want to try and adapt a US MX-10130 . Those can be had reasonable used on eBay. You may just want to hold onto it and search eBay from time to time for the tube you need. But, Russian tubes are rare in the US because we have access to Gen 3 cheaper so the Russian company's rarely try to sell any of their tubes over here. They are few and far between on the US auction sites. Selling the housing because of this may be even harder. If you want a used tube or even a better chance of selling the housing for a decent price try the BBSAirgun night vision forum across the pond (UK based forum). I think it will draw more interest and many of us here are members. They can get rowdy at the BBS at times but we will look after you if you want to try your luck with those guys. Most of them are good chaps and they may even know where you can get a cheap tube for it. Just takes us US guys a while to adapt to their humor and antics ! Are we using the same site? Its been a long while since I've seen reasonable tube prices on the bay... All depends on your definition of reasonable. The deals are around but you really got to man the post for hours to find them.  Got a few decent deals but they are becoming harder to find.
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Sorry guys for the lack of response!
I am hugely grateful for all the information and the helpful guidance of everyone here. Unfortunately for me, I work 3 jobs so I have a routine that I try to juggle too hard at times. Once it kind of turned into (GAWD DID I JUST SPEND ALL THAT MONIES ON A PAPER WEIGHT!?!?!?!? :<) I kind of put the entire thing on the back burner for a later follow-up / assessment. I had quite the thought lately and figured I might as well go all in or go home. Most likely going to be picking up a ALL AMERICAN PVS14 set and no more foreign nono stuff for me. I did have a question I wanted to ask though; How much should I ask for this piece now? Theres no way I would get the $400 I paid for it and it seems too low to put it on the market for half that. What would be a fair price to ask for it?? |
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