Ok i have had a gen 2 ATN optic for a long time. Maybe 5 years ago the tube died while using it at night out of no where.

I tried contacting atn about it but i couldnt get a response either by phone or website contact.

So it sat, brokeded on a shelf for 4 years.

This summmer i got frisky and decided to try them again.

Got an imeadiate response from there customer service. They offered to repair the tube.

So i sent it in, they assessed the tube needed replacement and wanted $600 but offered me a $200 discount because it should not have burned out the way it did under normal use.

I agreed and paid. I just received the optic back and it works.

Doesnt seem anywhere near as good as i remember, i have a shitty gen1 to compare it to and asside from the gen1's fish eye, it seems only slightly better. The darker it gets the more distorted the image, in near total dark, the image apears to squirm and pop like fireworks across the image screen.

Outside conditions suck right now though for testing, every farm for miles seems to still have xmas tree lights up and sky is overcast and grey. Gen 2 seems a little clearer but range is almost the same (xmas lights might be helping the gen1).

Took it apart to look at the tube.

Tube is

EPM66G-4K
1802
00172

All i can find on it online is that it appears to be an Ekran from the Ukraine.

Its been a few years since this optic was working and maybe i am spoiled looking through issued pvs14s. But i really recal this optic being much better at gen 2.

Can anyone id this tube and confirm its a gen2?

Any help is appreciated.

Attached File

what is that out of an NVG7 or something? looks kinda short and stubby to be an MX10160 tube.

Night spirit.

But Not the currently talked about non functioning apex ones.

oh, some of those lesser ATN gen 2 tubes are pretty lousy. Ive had some pretty lousy NVG7's in the past. I also had some russian tubes that were pretty good though. If you aren't happy with it, have you tried reaching out to them and complaining or asking for a refund? that or sell it on the EE and look into moving into something a little more robust.

just to confirm - everything you described in your initial post is accurate for lousy gen 2. It will have lots of noise and squirm around and sparkle when it is super dark. You can get an IR Flashlight to help the device out - or upgrade if your budget allows. That apex thread should have a wealth of information about your device and the tube inside it.

Thanks, yeah i contacted the customer sevice rep. She was really nice to work with hense far, but she hasnt reponded to my latest contact yet.

This isnt the same tube type it originally had. Tube was epm-223 and very clear, i dont tecall the model but i had a thread about it when it burned out. its archived.

Strangely the ir illum seems much improved, not sure what they did to it.

But yeah, very disapointed in this tube, barely better than my piece of shit gen 1 far as i can tell from my half assed tests.

Its not at all loud at least. No sound at all.

My gen 1 is, sounds like a friggen real to real projector.

Still no reply from atn.

Would adjustment to the tube make any difference?

Is Sascha still with ATN?  He's answered my emails before and was helpful.

Not that talked to.

I dealt with a lady named Milan who was very compitent and willing to help.

After researching the apex threads and looking over my old thread, it appears the epm66g was one of the proper gen 2 tubes used for the NS2. Not sure why mine is performing so sub-par to my previous epm-223 or other peoples posts about NS2 units.

Given that its the correct tube, and it works, i think ATN is gonna tell me it is what it is.

Update:

I got an email from milan at atn saying that i should do some additional testing, but that if the issues are persistant she will take the optic back for additional repair with no shipping cost, put it on high priority, and work directly with the lead tech to get it addressed.

Also stated that they no longer even carry gen1 tubes so its definitely a gen 2.

I would sell it and pick up a gen 3 PVS-7

Honestly, with the performance i am getting out of this janky tube and how beat up the outside of this optic is, i dont think i could get any where near the price of a used pvs7 out of selling it.

Pics through the device? If you can.

Sure. Its just basic atn NS2.

Ill snap some pics tonight.

Looking through it in my bedroom with the curtains drawn last night. i cant see shit but "sparkle" and a few unidentifiable squirming images of objects (w/out ir). I kinda think i can see slightly better with just naked vision once my eyes have adjusted to it after an hr or so, and with better ability to track movement.

I am gonna do some final testing tonight outside after 2am when all the surrounding farms have turned off there xmas lights and security lights.

Should give me a good peice of definative data as to whether the tube is remotely useful.

Wish i could get some testing in the woods under branch canopy but i dont think thats gonna be doable this weekend with my current schedule.

Gen1 on top.

Nightspirit 2 in question bottom. Attached File

Attemps to get lower light testing outside were unsuccessful.  Still plenty of artificial lights on in the distance.

I attempted to photograph the differences between gen1 and my ns2.

Pic were marginal, light from the gen1 image looked much darker in pics than real life, just wasnt coming across in pics like it does the eye.

Also as i was able to see over 100y with the gen1, it really wasnt a good test for the gen 2.

Attached File
Attached File


Gen1 top NS2 bottom. Again the gen 1 looked much brighter (almost as bright as the ns2) to the eye.

Van is about 100yds from position viewed.

I was unable to get the camera to capture either gen 1 or gen2 inside without ir. Was bright enough to see, but not bright enough for my potato to photograph it.

The NS2 definately picks up light better inside. The issue being the squirm and sparkle is so friggen bad it becomes impossible to identify anything.

Yeah. The optic is fine in ambient light enough for gen 1.

But in low ambient light right at the point gen1 fails and gen 2 should shine as much better, the image on the NS2 strokes out and all the objects in the FOV look like they are all coated in a moving Jackson Pollock painting.

I think i am stuck with having to reach back out to ATN again and send it back out. Hope they are willing to concede its messed up after inspection and replace the tube again.

Other than the blurry photos, the NS2 looks about what my Apex surplus junker looks like.

Thanks, yeah its a really poor example. Damn potato wont capture anything but black when trying to capture the image degradation in lower light than starlight. Looks great under starlight, low ambient environment is my issue.

How does your tube do in low light, ie nightime tree canopy or dark room with no ir illum?

So I was just looking at my NS2 with all the lights off in my lounge. Only lighting in the room was from the LCD panel of my cigar humidor and the standby light on the laptop. The image was dark enough I could not photograph it (typical gen2 no light situation). The large American flag, as seen below, could be seen and distinguished as an American flag, BUT it was dark with a ton of noise. **Noise being the graininess/squiggliness you've described in your thread (NOT audible noise)**

I only own Gen 2 units, but I understand low/no light is where they fall short. Others can confirm better than I.

These things are the shit with supplemental IR tho.

Attached File

Well. At least its better than gen1...

I appreciate the help

Ok so. Milan and ATN have ageed to take the optic back. I am thinking i am going to just accept it rather than send it back.

I am really on the fence about if this is unacceptable or if i am misremebering/unrealistic expectations.

I am going to do a little bit more testing in low light tonight. But barring something earth shattering. I am going to just take it as lower end of "within the normal range" for an ekran gen2 tube.

I found a couple videos of viewing through this tube, my experiances seem pretty similar.

Fyi these are not my videos.