Intro To Night Vision

surrealone said:
@Studentofthegun, I'd be happy to let you have a looksee sometime if you like, as I know you're somewhat local to me since you bought a handguard from a good friend of mine who lives in Raleigh a month or two back. :)
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Yeah met him at the mall of all places lol. Good guy to do business with.

Where did you order yours from?
 
Studentofthegun said:
Yeah met him at the mall of all places lol. Good guy to do business with.

Where did you order yours from?
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He was a roomie when we were both at NC State, and we hang out regularly now that I'm back in the area (after being in the midwest for 20 years). Very good guy.

I ordered from Ivan Tactical and I opted for the expedited shipping option based on the advice of a naturalized citizen local to me who indicated that shipments out of Orel, Ukraine take forever to get across land prior to shipment to the USA without an expedite. My order was placed in the wee hours (here) on 2/25/21 and tracking of that expedited shipping shows the device:
  • Left Orel the same day (2/25/21)
  • Was in Moscow the next day (2/26/21)
  • Left Sheremet`evo Intl. Airport on 3/1/21
  • Hit Poland on 3/2/21
  • Hit the Czech Republic on 3/4/21 (obviously by way of overland transport)
  • Was delivered to its next destination on 3/4/21 as well (obviously by way of plane ... since its next destination was customs in New York)
  • Sat in customs in New York for seven (7) weeks until 4/22/21
  • Hit Greensboro's distribution center on 4/24/21
  • Showed up on my door on 4/26/21

I mention this because what I'd read suggested that with an expedite I could expect about 3-4 weeks of wait ... but effing US customs turned that into far more. I hope you're luckier than I was. :)
 
Just ordered a set of these laser protective glasses:

Revision Stingerhawk Basic Ballistic Eyewear Kit (Type: Black Frame / E2-5 Laser Protective Lens)

1FD2B31F-D169-47B3-8303-700ABCEF6AC9.jpeg

$70, shipped.

There is a bit of discussion up thread about these.

ETA: Not Laser Protective E2-5 Lenses. I broke the link so no one was mis-guided.
 
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steelciocc said:
Just ordered a set of these laser protective glasses:

Revision Stingerhawk Basic Ballistic Eyewear Kit (Type: Black Frame / E2-5 Laser Protective Lens)

https://www.evike.com/products/12388/



$70, shipped.
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I saw these at Evike when I ordered my E2-5 Stingerhawks but noted the lens in the photo is far too yellow. (The E2-5 lens should be much more of a greenish tint.) If what you receive is yellow, then the airsoft version sold on Evike may not be viable for actual laser protection and may only be viable for ballistic protection.

Despite the attractive price at Evike I ordered from Revision, directly -- specifically to make sure I didn't get a knock-off/copy because I feel my eyes are too important to take chances with to save $120. I'm hoping you get the real deal, as that'll be big savings! The easy way for you to check/tell if you receive an actual E2-5 lens is to look at the right-most portion of the lens (with eyepro positioned as if someone had it on and was looking at you) for the protection level of the lens which should be etched into it and read: 820-850-4: 1064-5

Let us know how it turns out when it arrives!
 
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surrealone said:
I saw these at Evike when I ordered my E2-5 Stingerhawks but noted the lens in the photo is far too yellow. (The E2-5 lens should be much more of a greenish tint.) If what you receive is yellow, then the airsoft version sold on Evike may not be viable for actual laser protection and may only be viable for ballistic protection.

Snip...
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Yep, these were just yellow ballistic protection only. Genuine Stingerhawk but not E2-5 lenses.

I talked with Revision Military directly about them. Evike is an authorized dealer for Revision eyewear, they are just misrepresenting the actual product on their (evike) website.

Dealing with the airsoft folks now for a return : )
 
y'all keep it up.
i read every post.
this is great information.

eventually, i would like to get a combination unit
of night vision and thermal imaging that is "good enough"
for general use. this would not be attached to any firearm.

a friend demonstrated his old ITT Generation 3 monocular.
it had 2 dead pixels, but worked "good enough" for me.

if anyone has a recommendation for less than $1K, please post.

thanks.
 
steelciocc said:
Yep, these were just yellow ballistic protection only. Genuine Stingerhawk but not E2-5 lenses.

I talked with Revision Military directly about them. Evike is an authorized dealer for Revision eyewear, they are just misrepresenting the actual product on their (evike) website.

Dealing with the airsoft folks now for a return : )
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Sorry you had to go through the hassle. Also, thanks for contacting Revision -- hopefully they'll force Evike to do the right thing OR carry the correct product for what they are advertising.
 
turkeydance said:
y'all keep it up.
i read every post.
this is great information.

eventually, i would like to get a combination unit
of night vision and thermal imaging that is "good enough"
for general use. this would not be attached to any firearm.

a friend demonstrated his old ITT Generation 3 monocular.
it had 2 dead pixels, but worked "good enough" for me.

if anyone has a recommendation for less than $1K, please post.

thanks.
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There's a really nice one for sale right here on the forum that has some nice kit with it.

NC - Sionyx Aurora Black night vision setup

Pretty cool little unit. Color night vision camera, weapons rated meaning it can be mounted on a 5.56 rifle. Comes with a quick detach weapon mount, lens protector, eye cup, extra battery and the original case. Also have a Lions Gear FAST dovetail mount that allows you to attach to a helmet...
carolinafirearmsforum.com carolinafirearmsforum.com
 
Studentofthegun said:
There's a really nice one for sale right here on the forum that has some nice kit with it.

NC - Sionyx Aurora Black night vision setup

Pretty cool little unit. Color night vision camera, weapons rated meaning it can be mounted on a 5.56 rifle. Comes with a quick detach weapon mount, lens protector, eye cup, extra battery and the original case. Also have a Lions Gear FAST dovetail mount that allows you to attach to a helmet...
carolinafirearmsforum.com carolinafirearmsforum.com
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Decent deal. It's not a combination of NV and thermal (per what turkeydance was looking for) but I know of nothing decent that is a combination of NV and thermal that is under 1k (since you don't get into anything even moderately usable in thermal by itself for less than $550ish -- and those are the cheapest handheld Flir devices). The Sionyx -is- usable as poor man's NV provided you play with the settings to minimize motion blur (due to DSP processor lag) and have a decent IR illuminator to go with it.

Context (for turkeydance's benefit):
Expecting a 'good enough for general use' combo thermal + NV device for under $1k is like expecting to win the PowerBall lottery right now .... because reasonably usable thermal is EXPENSIVE by itself, let alone when combined with anything, device-wise. Steelciocc's COTI device adds thermal to his PVS-14 and it's what I would consider 'good enough for general use' ... and a new COTI runs $2.8k-$3kish by itself ... plus the cost of the PVS-14 to which it's attached. ... and it's only this 'cheap' because the newer (superior) ECOTI recently came out and essentially deprecated the COTI.
 
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surrealone said:
Decent deal. It's not a combination of NV and thermal (per what turkeydance was looking for) but I know of nothing decent that is a combination of NV and thermal that is under 1k (since you don't get into anything even moderately usable in thermal by itself for less than $550ish -- and those are the cheapest handheld Flir devices). The Sionyx -is- usable as poor man's NV provided you play with the settings to minimize motion blur (due to DSP processor lag) and have a decent IR illuminator to go with it.
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Yeah...I was trying to help the guy out based on his price range.

For the vast majority of folks, the gen 3 monocle is the way to go. It'll do what one needs it to do. It ain't cheap, but no decent night vision is.
 
Video of test on first evening with my single gain BNVD by Night Vision Devices:
(recommend viewing in 1080p on Youtube; you may need to set it rather than letting it autodetect)

BNVD Tube Info:
Code: 
SPEC:   LEFT      RIGHT
------------------------
 PCS:   2201      2337
Gain: 20/8270   20/8240
Halo:   0.75      0.84
 EBI:   1.4       0.88
 RES:    76        76
 S/N:   30.4      30.0
 FOM: 2310.4      2280

Notes regarding recording gear:
  • Recorded using a Night Vision Recorder by BrainExploderMerch's (which entails a RunCam 4k)
  • Recorder is attached to the LEFT tube of the BNVD
  • Images you see online of night vision are almost always darker than what the naked eye sees -- since the cameras in use have lenses and those lenses eat some light on the output side of the tubes.
  • For context, what I see is about 4x-5x brighter and more detailed than what the NV Recorder sees -- due to the camera recording an image reflected off one-way glass (i.e. lots of light loss in what the camera sees) in addition to it having its own lens(es).
  • What the NV Recorder sees is also 'reversed' (with respect to left and right) from what I see ... since it's recording a reflection.
  • Gain basically had to be all the way up OR I had to be looking at something extremely well lit for the NV Recorder to get good images
  • The times the images go dark (i.e. when I turned the gain down), I could see just fine using the BNVD; it's super dark in the video ONLY because the NV Recorder is light-lossy in its recording
  • The NV Recorder has been attached and focused, but beyond that its software settings are bone stock as it's brand new, too -- meaning it may not be fair to judge the NV Recorder's capabilities off this first (ever) video capture by me using the device. I have learning to do!

So that others can benefit from my experience buying from Night Vision Devices:
Malcolm at Night Vision Devices was excellent to work with; he verbally provided solid info regarding the differences between the milspec fallout XLS tubes (which have 1344 FOM [minimum]) they have at the cheapest price point ... and the milspec SLH tubes (which have 1600 FOM [minimum]) I bought. The key difference between these tends to be blems (i.e. number and location) and a little bit of FOM. For this reason I opted to go with milspec SLH tubes. My thinking was to buy/cry once, and I added options (porting, battery pack, white phosphor) and increased FOM on that basis, as well.

I did this with the BNVD hand-held. I'll get a proper photo of my helmet setup as soon as I finalize it. Key to this is the NV Recorder affects my planned IR and admin light layout, so I need to play with it (again) now that everything is here.

-- Surreal
 
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So, in the end, are you happy you ended up with binos over a monocle?

I like mine pretty well. I didn't get the most amazing specs ever, but I got decent ones. They were rather expensive, and I haven't had a lot of chances to use them yet due to various things. Overall I'm happy with them and glad I've got these as well as a monocle as a backup.

DA37C8FD-C290-493B-82D7-8E15B4D9F912.jpeg
 
I also make myself some iris thingys that have been so popular on social media. Pretty cheap to get the parts off Amazon.
There are some prints and debris on there after the dremeling and so forth but once they were all cleaned up I’ve got irising covers that also have sacrificial windows.

F061CAC0-0BBA-48F3-AE6C-0C96182548F0.jpeg

0CC59A6E-8CCA-4EBD-A894-91C2210D917E.jpeg
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I’m on the same bandwagon as @Studentofthegun and @surrealone but I went for the lower spec (“budget”) binos. Not great specs but they’ve been working well so far. I need to get them out on a really dark night to realize their limitations.

L / R
Photocathode Sensitivity 1547 1691
Halo .97 .80
Resolution 72 64
FOM 1584 1408
S/N 22 22 (this is the real sucky spec)
EBI .85 .10

I did add a COTI to the mix but the jury’s still out on its value.

As you can tell, I have a lot of spare time on my hands : )

A1936367-1F48-4EC9-82D6-D7AFD6ABC606.jpeg
 
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steelciocc said:
I’m on the same bandwagon as @Studentofthegun and @surrealone but I went for the lower spec (“budget”) binos. Not great specs but they’ve been working well so far. I need to get them out on a really dark night to realize their limitations.

L / R
Photocathode Sensitivity 1547 1691
Halo .97 .80
Resolution 72 64
FOM 1584 1408
S/N 22 22 (this is the real sucky spec)
EBI .85 .10

I did add a COTI to the mix but the jury’s still out on its value.

As you can tell, I have a lot of spare time on my hands : )

View attachment 352744
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Hey homie, remember what this is about. If you can see in the dark without getting ripped off, you've won the night vision game. Best I can tell you definitely won. :)
 
Studentofthegun said:
So, in the end, are you happy you ended up with binos over a monocle?

I like mine pretty well. I didn't get the most amazing specs ever, but I got decent ones. They were rather expensive, and I haven't had a lot of chances to use them yet due to various things. Overall I'm happy with them and glad I've got these as well as a monocle as a backup.
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A monocle would have been just fine for the bulk of my planned use cases, but I ultimately wanted binos as they are more natural to use AND because driving makes a lot more sense with binos (one of my use cases entails boating at night). With that in mind, I'm happy I went this route ... because if I'd gotten a monocle I'd have ended up with either a) dual/bridged PVS-14's and all the extraneous weight that entails or b) dual MOD3 bravos and the added costs of the floating bridge plus twin PVS-14 mounts (since the MOD3 bravos can be readily separated and used as monocles). Getting near-matched tubes would have been difficult for each scenario when starting with just a monocle ... but doable when buying from the same vendor, twice.

I was prepared to go the MOD3 bravo route to avoid the added weight of a dual PVS-14 setup, but its flexibility to be readily split from binos into a pair of separate monocles (to allow me to share my NVGs) came with its own set of tradeoffs, namely: no swing-up ability, no ability to utilize an external battery pack, and no ability to buy into better FOM tubes (at least not where I was looking to get them). When I considered it, I just didn't see myself splitting up the pair often enough to justify it, so the only reason to consider going the MOD3 bravo route would be to piece my way into duals by taking a pair of smaller, bite-sized financial chunks over time.

Thankfully, an unexpected bonus combined with my tax return precluded the need, so here I am with dedicated duals sooner rather than later -- but man, I hated it when the credit card bill came! On the plus side, I'm happy I went this route because tension headaches from extended monocle use is very real (ask me how I know!) ... and I have extended use plans (e.g. all night use). Binos WILL serve me better in this regard...



Studentofthegun said:
I also make myself some iris thingys that have been so popular on social media. Pretty cheap to get the parts off Amazon.
There are some prints and debris on there after the dremeling and so forth but once they were all cleaned up I’ve got irising covers that also have sacrificial windows.
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That's SWEET and probably a real money saver. I wish I'd known you did this, as I'd have checked to see if you were up for making some for me (such that I save some money and you make some money). I considered this sort of thing as I stumbled across people who were using Butler Creek caps to do it, but I was just spread too thinly to even think about taking on another project that involved learning plus fabrication/experimentation. Thus, I bought a Tarsier Eclipse kit from Matbock.

Speaking of that, so that others can benefit:
When working with Malcolm at Night Vision Devices, I emailed asking about the objective's outer dimensions used on the single gain BNVD (https://www.nvdevices.com/product/bnvd-sg-night-vision-binocular/) I purchased. I asked specifically because Matbock makes two differently-sized Tarsier Eclipse products:
  • One that fits the objectives of: AN/PVS6, AN/PVS-7, AN/PVS-7B/D, ANVIS-9, AN/PVS-14, NEPVS-14, AN/PVS-23 (F5050YG)
  • One that fits the objectives of: AN/PVS-15, AN/PVS-18, AN/PVS-31 BNVD

Malcolm indicated (and I quote), "The optics on the BNVD-SG will be the same as the ones on the AN/PVS-14. We use the mil spec pvs-14 diopter/eyepiece and objective lens/focus." Thus, I ordered appropriately. Well ....... when I put the Tarsier Eclipse units onto my binos yesterday, they were super loose and barely stayed on the focus ring of the objectives. I contacted Matbock about this by email this morning (describing the problem and providing the same link to the binos that I provided, above), and Jason Harr of Matbock promptly replied as follows:
"It looks like you may have been given incorrect fit information-you need Type 2, not Type 1 Tarsier Eclipses for your BNVD-SG. We will send you Type 2s along with a return label to send the Type 1s back to us. Please let us know if you experience any further issues once you have the Type 2s."

EDIT:
As it turns out, Matbock was wrong (and shipped me the wrong kit) and Malcolm of NVD was correct. See this post for info: https://carolinafirearmsforum.com/index.php?threads/intro-to-night-vision.82051/page-3#post-1574374
 
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steelciocc said:
As you can tell, I have a lot of spare time on my hands : )
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Man that looks good! Especially sweet job on the Ops-Core RAC arms, AXL RAC link, and earpro. I see Ops-Core AMP comms plus the RAC arms in my future -- less because I want the comms and mostly because I want the NFMI capability for doubled-up earpro. Next year, I think! (I'm hearing they may have M-LOK mounts for the RAC arms by then; we'll see.)

What camo kit did you use for the BNVD's and do you recommend it?
 
Yeah, the AMP Arms work well (I’m just using cheap Howard Leights as earpro). As for the camo on the binos, I just bought a sheet of this and cut pieces out myself.

https://gearskin.eu/product-category/gearskin-compact/

I like this adhesive backed cloth gearskin but, the fabric appears to “wash out” under IR light. I don’t know if it “glows” like some accessories do under IR, I’m waiting to be around someone else with NV so they can tell me if I’m glowing or not : )
 
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steelciocc said:
Yeah, the AMP Arms work well (I’m just using cheap Howard Leights as earpro). As for the camo on the binos, I just bought a sheet of this and cut pieces out myself.

https://gearskin.eu/product-category/gearskin-compact/

I like this adhesive backed cloth gearskin but, the fabric appears to “wash out” under IR light. I don’t know if it “glows” like some accessories do under IR, I’m waiting to be around someone else with NV so they can tell me if I’m glowing or not : )
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I was gonna get these but every single one is sold out. Guess I will either wait or make my own like you did.

Nocorium Wraps

Nocorium
nocorium.com nocorium.com
 
Did a search and after 3 pages not one thing on coyotes. I'm looking for a thermal scope for under $2000 to wack some yotes. Wrong thread I guess. :confused:
 
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steelciocc said:
I like this adhesive backed cloth gearskin but, the fabric appears to “wash out” under IR light. I don’t know if it “glows” like some accessories do under IR, I’m waiting to be around someone else with NV so they can tell me if I’m glowing or not : )
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Excellent info. I won't be using THAT stuff. Washed out camo doesn't blend properly. It's not as bad as the 'glow' of which you speak, but it'll stand out unless you manage to use some cover to obscure it.


Studentofthegun said:
I was gonna get these but every single one is sold out. Guess I will either wait or make my own like you did.
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TNVC has the Nocorium wraps in stock, but I'm wrestling with which of what they offer (if any) is correct for the BNVD-SG's we have -- so I've not pulled the trigger on anything.


Downeast said:
Did a search and after 3 pages not one thing on coyotes. I'm looking for a thermal scope for under $2000 to wack some yotes. Wrong thread I guess. :confused:
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The two have some overlap, but they aren't completely interchangeable ... at least, not yet. Basically, as technology sits today, night vision is for observation/viewing while thermal is ultimately for detection of that which you can't necessarily observe/view clearly/readily with night vision. They combine rather nicely, which is why the military's fusion systems are the hotness.

Some people DO use thermal as night vision, but they must move a lot slower than those with analog NVG's because of digital signal processing lag causing motion blur in most cases. Likewise, some people DO use night vision with scoped guns for applications like yours, but most analog tube housings are only rated to take the recoil of 5.56 NATO rounds or less ... so there's a recoil limitation associated with use of NVG's behind scopes. Neither scenario is ideal use of the equipment, but it CAN be done for very specific use cases. Also, the runtime on most thermal is a lot lower (due to the DSP eating power to do its processing ... and the need for a display that also eats power) than an analog night vision setup given the same battery reserve serving each -- meaning you're carrying more weight for extended use of thermal -- in the form of spare batteries, battery packs, etc.

@Studentofthegun can probably help point you in the right direction, though, as he uses thermal scopes IIRC. I suspect you can get something serviceable with a $2k budget. ATN makes a few at or near your price point if memory serves...
 
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Downeast said:
Did a search and after 3 pages not one thing on coyotes. I'm looking for a thermal scope for under $2000 to wack some yotes. Wrong thread I guess. :confused:
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If I was looking at thermal in that range, I'd probably look at this:

AGM Rattler TS25-384 | AGM Global Vision

AGM Rattler TS25-384 from the AGM Global Vision. ✔️Best Priced ✔️Excellent quality ✔️Fast shipping ✔️Easy Setup ✔️Order now!
www.agmglobalvision.com www.agmglobalvision.com

and this:

www.southernlegacyoutdoors.com

BERING OPTICS HOGSTER-R 25MM | Southern Legacy

Bering Optics HOGSTER R™ VOx 384×288 Ultra-Compact Thermal Weapon Sights are aimed at the growing feral swine market. The sight is exceptionally lightweight, compact and rated up to .308 recoil. The HOGSTER R™ can be quickly mounted on any type of weapon equipped with Weaver/Picatinny Rail. It...
www.southernlegacyoutdoors.com www.southernlegacyoutdoors.com

I really like my Hogster. For the money it is tough to beat. I've got the 35 but have heard wonderful things about the 25. Going to be tough to beat it at that price point.
 
surrealone said:
Speaking of that, so that others can benefit:
When working with Malcolm at Night Vision Devices, I emailed asking about the objective's outer dimensions used on the single gain BNVD (https://www.nvdevices.com/product/bnvd-sg-night-vision-binocular/) I purchased. I asked specifically because Matbock makes two differently-sized Tarsier Eclipse products:
  • One that fits the objectives of: AN/PVS6, AN/PVS-7, AN/PVS-7B/D, ANVIS-9, AN/PVS-14, NEPVS-14, AN/PVS-23 (F5050YG)
  • One that fits the objectives of: AN/PVS-15, AN/PVS-18, AN/PVS-31 BNVD

Malcolm indicated (and I quote), "The optics on the BNVD-SG will be the same as the ones on the AN/PVS-14. We use the mil spec pvs-14 diopter/eyepiece and objective lens/focus." Thus, I ordered appropriately. Well ....... when I put the Tarsier Eclipse units onto my binos yesterday, they were super loose and barely stayed on the focus ring of the objectives. I contacted Matbock about this by email this morning (describing the problem and providing the same link to the binos that I provided, above), and Jason Harr of Matbock promptly replied as follows:
"It looks like you may have been given incorrect fit information-you need Type 2, not Type 1 Tarsier Eclipses for your BNVD-SG. We will send you Type 2s along with a return label to send the Type 1s back to us. Please let us know if you experience any further issues once you have the Type 2s."

There are three key takeaways / lessons learned from this:
  1. My binos (and steelciocc's) require Type 2 Tarsier Eclipses.
  2. Rather than rely on a NVG vendor's assessment of its parts so you can try to order the correct Tarsier Eclipse for your NVG's - contact Matbock directly if you're not sure and send them a link to your binos, as they know their products best.
  3. Matbock is a US-based, veteran owned/operated company that stands behind what it sells. Buy with confidence knowing its customer support team remembers/knows what REAL customer service/support is ... and delivers it.
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Update:
  1. Malcom was correct with his fitment information -- the single gain BNVD (https://www.nvdevices.com/product/bnvd-sg-night-vision-binocular/) from Night Vision Devices requires the Type 1 Tarsier Eclipse that fits AN/PVS6, AN/PVS-7, AN/PVS-7B/D, ANVIS-9, AN/PVS-14, NEPVS-14, AN/PVS-23 (F5050YG).
  2. Matbock apparently just assumed I had Type 1's from the first order (or checked the order and it said Type 1's on their end) ... so when they sent me replacements, they sent Type 2's that fit AN/PVS-15, AN/PVS-18, AN/PVS-31 BNVD
  3. #2 resulted in me having 2 pair of Type 2's last week. I contacted Matbock about this and they promptly shipped me a set of Type 1's while I returned both sets of Type 2's.
  4. The type 1's are now sitting snugly on my single gain BNVD's from Night Vision Devices and aside from the wallet pain, I couldn't be happier!

Despite the SNAFU of the wrong Type the first time out ... and wrong replacement Type, I still think highly of Matbock, as their Customer Service team handled this with much aplomb by making sure I had the right type for my NVGs ... with all shipping on them. Good CS is such a lost art, I tell ya... but I have noted that veteran owned/operated companies tend to have it ... and it's just one of the myriad reasons I go out of my way to do business with veteran-owned/operated companies when I can.

Surreal
 
At the suggestion of @surrealone here are some Amazon links to hardware I’ve used for securing my stuff.

There are lots of retention options out in the world, most of them expensive. I’ve fashioned my retention from some bulk shock cord, split rings and mini-snap links. The individual components add up in $$ but, there are multiple projects worth of material of each.

I got these ideas all off of arfcom, I’m not claiming to have figured this all out on my own.

10mm Split Rings
Mini-Snap Links
1/8” Shock Cord

42E7A3A0-C39D-4AE6-BAD1-9A47F10F4755.jpeg

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I looked at the spendy Wilcox NVG Lanyard and found I preferred the simplicity of shock cord, too, since lanyard lines can and do break ... and shock cord is cheap and easy to replace. There are a number of retention options out there that are pre-fab to use shock cord. Here are a few:
  • SBL NVG Lanyard by T.Rex Arms (intended for retention of NVG's but can be used to retain up to two devices of any type, simultaneously)
  • Squid Retention System (SRS) by Costa Defense (intended for retention of multiple devices of any type, simultaneously)
  • Tentacle by Microbat Systems (intended for retention of a single device of any type)
  • MSL by Microbat Systems (intended for strobe retention)

A number of the items, above, can benefit from some of what @steelciocc linked in the previous post -- either to augment something missing (like the mini-snap links) or the replace something that sucks because the manufacturer cheesed out (like the split rings that come with the SRS, for instance). Microbat Systems also has a Lanyard Kit for anyone not interested in making one from scratch like @steelciocc did, but know that it uses the same large (~15mm OD), sharp, reflective snap rings the SRS comes with.
 
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My setup:
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Notes:
  • I rattle-canned the formerly all-black battery pack.
  • I cut the clip off the back of the Nitecore NU05MI, roughed up the back of it, and added/trimmed hook material to its back -- specifically for use on loop material I added to the battery pack.
  • I'm looking for a camo kit that fits my NVGs and am not having any luck, so far.
  • EOG makes a counterweight that's 1/2" smaller, but it entails a big chunk of metal being attached to one's head (instead of shot in a sealed bag), and I didn't like that idea.
  • My counterweight setup is intentionally centered, as I intend to add Ops Core AMP earpro, and I want to be able to stow the earpro low on the back of the helmet (hence keeping rear sides clear).
  • The HL1 M-LOK mount I purchased was a special request. Others interested in this (versus the latest Type 2 I linked) can contact the seller and ask for a Type 1. The Type 1 is thinner, keeping the light closer to the helmet, which I prefer for use on the right side -- while the Type 2 sits lower to the ear yet sticks out farther from the rail.
  • I'm still looking for an aimable HL1 M-LOK mount. Based on a photo I saw, Shooters101 is currently working on one, but it's not yet available for sale.
  • If I can't find an aimable M-LOK mount by October, I may switch the admin light to the new/improved iteration of the Streamlight Sidewinder Compact II that is due out roughly then -- assuming it's aimable, M-LOK, and sits low to the helmet.
  • M-LOK helmet rails kind of suck to buy accessories for, right now, since most manufacturers are still trying to milk sales out of their products that work with ARC rails. That said, M-LOK rails are the obvious future due to interchangeability of mounted items with weapon platforms. Manufacturers are slowly shifting in that direction, so I wanted a helmet with M-LOK rails and elected to endure the early-adopter pain that goes with such a choice.
  • I hated the idea of giving money to Team Hillary (i.e. Team Wendy) given that they hosted then-presidential-candidate-HRC at their facility. Their helmets are awesome, but rather than choose one of their bumps (which have M-LOK rails, the Cam Fit system, and a built-in Wilcox shroud -- all of which I wanted), I elected to buy from Hard Head Veterans (a veteran owned/operated outfit) -- and then upgrade -- minimizing my spend with Team Hillary. The HHV bump helmet is priced low enough to make upgrading palatable, and I consider the helmet upgrades I did worth every red cent because: the Team Hillary Cam Fit system is huge for adjustability/stability; the 4D Tactical pads are memory foam covered in moisture wicking material that are the most comfortable pads I've experienced, to date; and the Wilcox shroud provides lockup so solid with my Wilcox G24 mount that my retention system is just that, a retention system (i.e. it's not needed to add stability because there's no slop, at all, between shroud, mount, and NVGs).
 

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@steelciocc spotted Nocorium wraps for the Night Vision Devices BNVD-SG. They are available, here: https://tnvc.com/shop/nocorium-night-vision-vinyl-wraps/

The following images were snagged from the TNVC site and plopped here solely for convenience (since there are a number of images and options at the above-linked site).

NOCORIUM_BNVD-SG_IMG01.jpg

NOCORIUM_BNVD-SG_IMG02.jpg

NOCORIUM_BNVD-SG_IMG03.jpg

Installation Video:
 
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So ... I'm looking at next year's equipment budget while thinking it might be nice to add thermal capabilities to my mix. I don't hunt yotes, but the capability associated with doing so (i.e. thermal scope on a rifle) might be nice. On the flip side, I've got binos plus laser illumination/designation capabilities (and a NV-capable RDS) on an 11.5" barrel, suppressed AR pistol, so thermal scanning capabilities (a la clip-on thermal) might be nice.

I dislike the idea of building out yet another rifle for night use (a la a rifle with dedicated thermal scope), but I recognize that for long-range, fixed position shooting it's probably the best/right answer. Still, I'm leaning toward a clip-on thermal device (likely an Infiray Jerry-C if I can find a US distributor) for use with my existing I2 and IR devices since 100 yard or less shooting is probably max distance for me, at night.

Is this reasonable/viable ... or will I just be frustrated with use of the RDS for targeting at 100 yardish ranges ... and the laser for closer ranges ... when using clip-on thermal in the tube of my non-dominant eye?
 
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Fred said:
Is it a good idea to set up a dedicated mounted thermal, maybe a ReapIR or something like that, with a right side offset NV compatible red dot and an IR device? I don't know how much the thermal optic would interfere with shooting passive with the offset red dot.
Click to expand...
Is it a good idea? Perhaps. However, use of offsets is not for me given that I dislike offsite sights/mounts (largely due to the snag factor -- which I would think would be worse at night). If I were prone to building out a gun or upper with a thermal scope permanently mounted, a piggy-back mounted RDS would be a viable option for me. It would mean chinweld when using nods, but that's par for the course, anyway...

That said, I'd still like input on clip-on thermal via nods leveraging laser & RDS aiming .... versus a dedicated thermal scope.
 
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Hmm, no takers on my previous post. Oh well.

As an update, the Nocorium Wraps for NVD's BNVD-SG that I referenced above (in this post: https://carolinafirearmsforum.com/index.php?threads/intro-to-night-vision.82051/page-3#post-1612382) were ordered back in August, and I received them promptly. I had them installed pretty quickly, but I've been lazy about taking photos or providing notes.

About 90% of the wraps' fitment was perfect, while the last 10% was clearly for a slightly different version of the BNVD-SG's than we (@Studentofthegun, @steelciocc, and I) have from NVD. Still, there was enough material for me to make it work using an Exacto knife and some creativity. I also ordered Nocorium wraps for an external battery pack because it was cheap and I estimated it would have enough material for carving/cutting up with an Exacto knife to let me add camo to my Wilcox L4 G24 Mount; turns out my estimate was pretty solid.

Here's the result -- please note my camera/lighting makes the wraps look more washed out and beige than they actually look in person; they look a lot closer to green and FDE when viewed in the flesh:
20211005_194504.jpg
20211005_194522.jpg


In other news (which @Tim might find interesting), a PERST thread on ARFCOM that I spot-check from time to time revealed someone custom 3D-printing Zenitco perst laser covers designed to eliminate the excess spill/ring my dirty commie laser seems to produce. $10 plus $5 S&H gets the part shipped to one's door as of this writing, but do note it's only for the PERST-3. I never much cared about the dirtiness of the laser, but I was impressed with the effort so I ordered a laser cover to support the effort and to see for myself what sort of difference it makes. (The images in the ARFCOM thread certainly do look like it cleans up the worst of it.) The part that may interest Tim is the fact that the creator/seller mentioned to me (via a fleabay msg exchange we had) that he is "currently working on turning the excess spill from the IR laser on the perst4 into something useful and equivalent to a soft/diffused perst3" ... and Tim posted that he has a PERST-4. So ... maybe keep an eye on the ARFCOM thread I linked if interested in something for a PERST-4.

I plan to do a video (using my nods and the BEM NVG recorder) of the PERST-3 in action as soon as I function check, gas tune (for suppressed and unsuppressed use), and zero the recently-finished pistol on which my PERST-3 is mounted.

20211004_175800.jpg
 
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Arrr! I ended up selling the Perst to someone that wanted it NOW!

I keep intending to order another (green this time) but haven't gotten to it n
 
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Tim said:
Arrr! I ended up selling the Perst to someone that wanted it NOW!

I keep intending to order another (green this time) but haven't gotten to it n
Click to expand...

Be aware that some company has apparently sparked this nonsense (ignore the overblown headline in this clickable link):

No idea if there will be any impact, but one should probably be aware...


@Studentofthegun, @steelciocc, @Tim:
I need to add a white light w/ tape switch to the pistol. I'm open to suggestions as I'm NOT a flashlight geek and solid suggestions would save me a pile of research. Since my application will mostly be suppressed, if there's a mount one recommends to move the light up alongside the suppressor (to minimize suppressor shadow), that would be good to note, too (and also save me research). Know that I'll sometimes shoot unsuppressed, so whatever gear is chosen needs to be able to handle the concussive force produced by the muzzle device (SilcencerCo brake which is an ASR mount [i.e. QD suppressor host]) if I use a mount that places the light next to the suppressor. Buy/cry once is the mantra, here...
 
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