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Posted: 8/4/2014 10:18:14 AM EDT
Spent some time on the phone with Mr. Wilcox. Until today I'd only known him by reputation. With his brainpower and innovation he probably could've easily been a billionaire by now if he wanted to pursue a more "selfish" business model, but he seems to love what he does and relishes helping mere mortals like me become just a little less stupid (Vic has done much the same for me -- thanks Vic!) 
Anyway, I was looking at getting something from Wilcox and Ed called me back personally and never rushed me off the phone. He gave me a ridiculous deal on a brand new set of PVS-15's with brand new Omni VII tubes -- something I wasn't really in the market for (and would have bought from Vic if I were) but the deal was just too good to pass on, and he took pity on this poor farmer. 
So... later this week I should be the proud owner of my first set of 15's with Omni VII tubes hand-selected by The Wizard himself. I don't think he has any more, as this is a one-off deal, and I won't mention the price publicly, but thought it proper to give the man a nod in a forum that appreciates someone like him. Next time I hit LaLa land, I hope I can coordinate time with Vic and Ed and buy everyone a very expensive dinner. 
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Same thing I've done for the last 8 years and that is assisting so many of the great folks here! 
Vic Quoted:
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Sometimes I just have to sit back and wonder, what in the hell do yall do for a living? Same thing I've done for the last 8 years and that is assisting so many of the great folks here!
Vic I couldnt imagine what I would do with all that "surplus" money heck my pvs-14 kinda fell in my lap, got a tax refund that was more than I expected and I said to myself "If I dont buy one now I probably wont be able to until I hit the lottery" maybe I need to invent something... oh yea I almost forgot you suck horta!!
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oh yea I almost forgot you suck horta!! Wait until Friday morning. You're REALLY going to hate me Friday morning.
Ed is flat-out frickin' chock full of awesome. I feel like a nervous schoolboy on Christmas Day waiting by the tree for my parents to get in here so I can open my damn presents!
I'm not getting "just" a PVS-15. This one is "special."
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Wait until Friday morning. You're REALLY going to hate me Friday morning.
Ed is flat-out frickin' chock full of awesome. I feel like a nervous schoolboy on Christmas Day waiting by the tree for my parents to get in here so I can open my damn presents!
I'm not getting "just" a PVS-15. This one is "special." Quoted:
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oh yea I almost forgot you suck horta!! Wait until Friday morning. You're REALLY going to hate me Friday morning.
Ed is flat-out frickin' chock full of awesome. I feel like a nervous schoolboy on Christmas Day waiting by the tree for my parents to get in here so I can open my damn presents!
I'm not getting "just" a PVS-15. This one is "special." I saw your thread title and thought DUH Horta! My PVS14 was built by Ed in 2008 and ill put it up against any being made today :) |
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I saw your thread title and thought DUH Horta! My PVS14 was built by Ed in 2008 and ill put it up against any being made today :) I have a firm grasp of the obvious.
I'll say it again, Ed is the man -- though Vic's a close second (gotta send some man-crush Vic's way) |
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I have a firm grasp of the obvious.
I'll say it again, Ed is the man -- though Vic's a close second (gotta send some man-crush Vic's way) Quoted:
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I saw your thread title and thought DUH Horta! My PVS14 was built by Ed in 2008 and ill put it up against any being made today :) I have a firm grasp of the obvious.
I'll say it again, Ed is the man -- though Vic's a close second (gotta send some man-crush Vic's way) I've never spoken to Ed but he sounds like a stand up guy. I can't say enough good things about Vic and TNVC.. Despite being a CEO of a high end company he still takes time to work the "front lines" with customers which is not something you see in many companies today. He has personally made sure I'm squared away with my gear. As a result they are my first stop shop for nvg gear, even if a place has them beat on price I will still buy from them because I want to support a company that operates the way they do. Also, it's almost Friday Horta..... 
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I love Ed and he is a great guy. When I can't find something (which is rare) I call Ed. Ed has never failed me. He is not a big time dealer and marches to his own drummer. Ed has things nobody else has. His box of parts beats mine by leaps and bounds. I needed some pigtails that I could not find. Ed had them ! Ed has everything a night vision guy could want !
Ed is not going to beat someone like TNVC on price because they sell hundreds of scopes and buy in bulk. Ed has things many can't find. I bought a PVS-14 from Ed and loved it. He is not a dealer on the ARF or any NV forum I am aware of. He services many police agencies with used milspec gear. Ed has NV skills and is well respected by anyone who knows NV. |
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Ed is a great guy - he spent a lot of time helping out people on the early forums (nvforum - long since gone) and did so without expectation of favor. I still have an archive of his early wisdom and learnt much from it - especially back when I didn't know the difference between Gen1 and Gen3. David
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This shows you how much I (don't) know... I thought Ed Wilcox and Wilcox Industries (makers of the RAPTAR and cool mounts) were the same thing.    Haha, you made me LOL. Although now that he is semi-retired (last time i spoke with him) and I think his website is not up anymore, I could kinda see how that could happen. |
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Haha, you made me LOL. Although now that he is semi-retired (last time i spoke with him) and I think his website is not up anymore, I could kinda see how that could happen. Quoted:
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This shows you how much I (don't) know... I thought Ed Wilcox and Wilcox Industries (makers of the RAPTAR and cool mounts) were the same thing. Haha, you made me LOL. Although now that he is semi-retired (last time i spoke with him) and I think his website is not up anymore, I could kinda see how that could happen. It gets worse. My ignorance knows no bounds, and In typically shameless fashion I boast to Ed about how many of "his" products I own and wax verbose about how great they are in my efforts to ingratiate myself. He gives a very brief chuckle in response -- more like a hmmph -- and gets right down to business in a very friendly and professional manner. At that time I simply assumed he saw through my ploy, not that I was a complete and utter moron.
That he condescends to still speak with me is surety that the man is a living saint. |
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Don't feel bad horta. I did too until I read this post. Quoted:
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This shows you how much I (don't) know... I thought Ed Wilcox and Wilcox Industries (makers of the RAPTAR and cool mounts) were the same thing. Don't feel bad horta. I did too until I read this post. Thanks for bravely admitting that, Lucid. It's a small kind of consolation that I have brethren out there.
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When I first learned of him and heard his name, I thought the same thing, but like I said, they each have their own web pages. Ed's company is called "Wilcox Engineering & Research" vs the Wilcox that makes the Raptar.
Horta...how did you end up with Ed's phone number, cause I doubt you would get it off the Raptar Wilcox website  . I know I first got in touch with him after seeing a unit he had was up on ebay and then hearing the good things people here had to say.
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When I first learned of him and heard his name, I thought the same thing, but like I said, they each have their own web pages. Ed's company is called "Wilcox Engineering & Research" vs the Wilcox that makes the Raptar. Horta...how did you end up with Ed's phone number, cause I doubt you would get it off the Raptar Wilcox website . I know I first got in touch with him after seeing a unit he had was up on ebay and then hearing the good things people here had to say.I don't think his phone number is even on his website. He had an Omni VII tube on fleaBay that didn't sell, so I tracked his home number down and called him... On a Sunday.
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Thanks for bravely admitting that, Lucid. It's a small kind of consolation that I have brethren out there. Quoted:
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This shows you how much I (don't) know... I thought Ed Wilcox and Wilcox Industries (makers of the RAPTAR and cool mounts) were the same thing. Don't feel bad horta. I did too until I read this post. Thanks for bravely admitting that, Lucid. It's a small kind of consolation that I have brethren out there. Honestly Horta, it's not an uncommon mistake or assumption and I think he's fully aware of the confusion. |
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I purchased one of his NVM-22's based on the PVS-5 Gen 2 tubes, back in 2008 and it is still rocking along with no issues so far. It takes all the same accessories as the PVS-14's. For all intents and purposes, it is a Gen 2 PVS-14. I paid around $750 for the monocular and he threw in a J-Arm and rail mount with the deal.
I took it with me to Afghanistan since I wasn't issued night vision at Ft. Riley. I was part of the ETT Teams. I must have put 500 hours on that tube and had it in all extreme temperatures and conditions that fine country has to offer. It wasn't as badass as the PVS-14's but they were more than adequate for my mission requirements. I never babied them and they lived in padded pouch on my body armor with all my other gear. When I was finally offered the chance to be issued a PVS-14 about 6 months into my tour, I turned it down. The tube is still just as clear as the first time I powered it up. It takes an oddball battery so I brought along 20 of them and only went through 5 of them. The last 4 years, I have only used one more. I sent him an email praising the performance of my NVM-22 and he seemed pleased that his equipment stood the test of real world combat. conditions. |
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Ed is a great guy - he spent a lot of time helping out people on the early forums (nvforum - long since gone) and did so without expectation of favor. I still have an archive of his early wisdom and learnt much from it - especially back when I didn't know the difference between Gen1 and Gen3. David Was that the forum run by USNV in the day? That was a VERY technical forum. Vic |
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I purchased one of his NVM-22's based on the PVS-5 Gen 2 tubes, back in 2008 and it is still rocking along with no issues so far. It takes all the same accessories as the PVS-14's. For all intents and purposes, it is a Gen 2 PVS-14. I paid around $750 for the monocular and he threw in a J-Arm and rail mount with the deal. I took it with me to Afghanistan since I wasn't issued night vision at Ft. Riley. I was part of the ETT Teams. I must have put 500 hours on that tube and had it in all extreme temperatures and conditions that fine country has to offer. It wasn't as badass as the PVS-14's but they were more than adequate for my mission requirements. I never babied them and they lived in padded pouch on my body armor with all my other gear. When I was finally offered the chance to be issued a PVS-14 about 6 months into my tour, I turned it down. The tube is still just as clear as the first time I powered it up. It takes an oddball battery so I brought along 20 of them and only went through 5 of them. The last 4 years, I have only used one more. I sent him an email praising the performance of my NVM-22 and he seemed pleased that his equipment stood the test of real world combat. conditions. awesome story, thank you for sharing...I have put mine thru its paces pretty well, nothing like that though
thank you for your service!! |
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awesome story, thank you for sharing...I have put mine thru its paces pretty well, nothing like that though
thank you for your service!! Quoted:
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I purchased one of his NVM-22's based on the PVS-5 Gen 2 tubes, back in 2008 and it is still rocking along with no issues so far. It takes all the same accessories as the PVS-14's. For all intents and purposes, it is a Gen 2 PVS-14. I paid around $750 for the monocular and he threw in a J-Arm and rail mount with the deal. I took it with me to Afghanistan since I wasn't issued night vision at Ft. Riley. I was part of the ETT Teams. I must have put 500 hours on that tube and had it in all extreme temperatures and conditions that fine country has to offer. It wasn't as badass as the PVS-14's but they were more than adequate for my mission requirements. I never babied them and they lived in padded pouch on my body armor with all my other gear. When I was finally offered the chance to be issued a PVS-14 about 6 months into my tour, I turned it down. The tube is still just as clear as the first time I powered it up. It takes an oddball battery so I brought along 20 of them and only went through 5 of them. The last 4 years, I have only used one more. I sent him an email praising the performance of my NVM-22 and he seemed pleased that his equipment stood the test of real world combat. conditions. awesome story, thank you for sharing...I have put mine thru its paces pretty well, nothing like that though
thank you for your service!! Would it be a thread drift to ask for some photos of these NVM-22's? |
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Here is one of me in Afghanistan for the mandatory pre-mission photo-op, and then of one of the NVM-22 close up. http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t381/wjoutlaw2009/18858_105754679444119_2754927_n.jpg http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t381/wjoutlaw2009/20140812_162623.jpg They issued you an AN/PEQ-15 but no NOD? 
~Augee |
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Was that the forum run by USNV in the day? That was a VERY technical forum. Vic Quoted:
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Ed is a great guy - he spent a lot of time helping out people on the early forums (nvforum - long since gone) and did so without expectation of favor. I still have an archive of his early wisdom and learnt much from it - especially back when I didn't know the difference between Gen1 and Gen3. David Was that the forum run by USNV in the day? That was a VERY technical forum. Vic It was the "old" forum Vic. Before we had any forum. I don't remember who ran it but David saved all or most of it. The forum is gone but it had tons of great information.
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Quoted: It was the "old" forum Vic. Before we had any forum. I don't remember who ran it but David saved all or most of it. The forum is gone but it had tons of great information. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Ed is a great guy - he spent a lot of time helping out people on the early forums (nvforum - long since gone) and did so without expectation of favor. I still have an archive of his early wisdom and learnt much from it - especially back when I didn't know the difference between Gen1 and Gen3. David Was that the forum run by USNV in the day? That was a VERY technical forum. Vic It was the "old" forum Vic. Before we had any forum. I don't remember who ran it but David saved all or most of it. The forum is gone but it had tons of great information. I'm not actually sure who ran the forum - I picked up it was about to go down just a few weeks before it vanished, and managed to archive most of it - It's a wealth of information, much of which has been lost to history. There's posts there that go back to discuss matters of recoil related damage and mitigation technologies and similar long before it was common knowledge. It ran from August 2002 to September 2009 and the URL was http://www.nightvisiononline.com/ You can see some pages here: https://web.archive.org/web/20090711195617/http://www.nightvisiononline.com/NightVisionSearch.htm Though the classic images that set the forum apart are long-since gone, that page on the archive may still bring back memories... :) David. |
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They issued you an AN/PEQ-15 but no NOD?
~Augee Quoted:
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Here is one of me in Afghanistan for the mandatory pre-mission photo-op, and then of one of the NVM-22 close up. http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t381/wjoutlaw2009/18858_105754679444119_2754927_n.jpg http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t381/wjoutlaw2009/20140812_162623.jpg They issued you an AN/PEQ-15 but no NOD?
~Augee Yeah I asked about that too, and supply said we would get NOD's once we got in country.
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Yeah I asked about that too, and supply said we would get NOD's once we got in country. Quoted:
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Here is one of me in Afghanistan for the mandatory pre-mission photo-op, and then of one of the NVM-22 close up. http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t381/wjoutlaw2009/18858_105754679444119_2754927_n.jpg http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t381/wjoutlaw2009/20140812_162623.jpg They issued you an AN/PEQ-15 but no NOD?
~Augee Yeah I asked about that too, and supply said we would get NOD's once we got in country. Just as soon as they were able to buy them all back from eBay.
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