Katana dual tube….. thoughts

[Pbj ak]

I’ve been looking at different sets of night vision and the more I look the more questions I have. At first I thought I would get a single tube but read folks saying it would be better to have “standard” dual tubes vs one “Gucci” single tube. I may still go with a single pvs14 but wanted to ask you guys your thoughts on which dual tube set up to go with.

I’m looking to try to stay under/around $9000 (even less if possible) for the nv and hope to be able to get a helmet, mounts, laser, etc afterward. This is a big investment for me and would hate to not be happy. I live in the sticks and want to be able to walk around at night without a flashlight. I’m outside almost every night and want something robust, comfortable, and of course something I can see good with.

I’ve read on Cff about guys being happy dealing with jrh and after comparing a few different sites I wanted to ask if anyone had any thoughts on the link below.

Also, you can pick 1900 fom or 2200 fom. I know there’s more specs to look at besides that but how much of a difference is there between the two? And is it worth the cost difference?

UNAVB-R “Katana Ruggedized” Dual Tube Night Vision Binos White Phosphor Autogated​

UNAVB-R “Katana Ruggedized” Dual Tube Night Vision Binos White Phosphor Autogated – JRH Enterprises

jrhenterprises.com

 

[steelciocc]

The Katanas are one of the most budget friendly binos on the market today. Everything I’ve read says that they’re a quality housing that would serve you well. They lack an onboard IR Illuminator which, to me, isn’t a big deal - I never use the onboard IR on my binos. The push button on/off switch gets a bit of grief but, I think it would be fine.

Robert (JRH) will gladly field your questions and walk you through all your options with no pressure/expectation of commitment. I think Robert does “hand select” of the tubes he has in stock and will work with you to get the best set within your budget.

As for FOM and other specs - I have a set of very basic spec binos that perform well for me. I don’t remember the exact FOM but, if I remember correctly, both tubes are ~1500 (or maybe less). My SNR is just 22 for each tube. Given this, they still look great on a dark night. I’m sure the higher spec tubes are awesome but, don’t think that a 1900 FOM tubeset will be crappy.

NV pricing has almost doubled since I bought my set in ‘21. Everything NV related is stupid expensive and only getting more expensive. If you want a set, get ‘em. You will be happy even if you don’t get a USSOCOM top-tier tubeset.

 

[Thatonedude]

Here’s another place to look at. There are a branch of Kosher Surplus whom I used many times in the past for various ammo.

Night Vision Gear, Equipment, Supplies & Products

Shop for top-quality night vision gear and equipment at Custom Night Vision. Browse our wide range of night vision supplies and products online today.

www.customnightvision.com

They are very knowledgeable and always easy to deal with.

 

[Avery]

Hi! Been meaning to reply to this post and am now finally getting to it-

I’ve been hearing a lot about the katana lately and think it would be a good option if you decide a dual tube set is what you want. If choosing a single tube I’d encourage leaning more towards that higher spec tube, if you can, for a monocular device. Just so when you are outside on those really dark nights you don’t have to crank your gain all the way up on your nv eye wile the other is struggling in the dark… The higher spec tube will allow you to use lower gain settings that better match the brightness you see with your naked eye. That being said, by no means does it have to be that “Gucci”, highest spec FOM out there. 2200 FOM with a decent EBI would be very adequate in my opinion.

For duals you can definitely get away with lower spec tubes for the reason you should have equal picture quality and brightness in both eyes- less work for your brain to do.

When it comes down to it, you can do a lot of the same things binos can do with a pvs14. But not talking about price I think everyone prefers duals and the Katana is a good option.

Anyway! Hope some of this info is useful!

 

[Avery]

Also, vouch for custom nightvision^
They are really good about talking through things and answering every question. Fast shipping too.