Anyone know what this thing is?

http://m.ebay.com/itm/RAYTHEON...793161230?nav=SEARCH

I would post a pic but photobucket has recently lost their minds, and i havn't settled on an alternate yet.

I was intrigued, so ordered bought one intending to open it up and satisfy my curiosity. I was thinking about machining the rear for an eyepiece housing to see if it'll make a cool spotting scope.

If nothing else, i can polish it up and display it in my shop.

Anyone seen something like this before?

I wonder if it could be from a missile or rocket?

Bears a strong resemblance to what we in the USAF referred to as a "NOD"
Night.
Observation.
Device.
It was our version of a starlight scope and was used in guard towers.
Just a guess, though.

Looks more like a camera module, and if so, the optic relief will not be suitable for a naked eye to use.

Not positive on that of course, but basing that on my experience with military optic sight manufacturing.

Funny how they show everything but the eye piece side.

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
Funny how they show everything but the eye piece side.

It's like most military junk- It probably cost thousands but is worthless today.

The last image shows the "eye" piece side- There's no eye piece just red and black wires. Like power wires.

There's no adjustments it's fixed. It looks more like a source of some sort. If it was a scope there'd be a sensor array since it's not made for the eye?

The red and black wires look lile they woild possibly be power sources for a focusing mechanism.

Visible in one of the side view pics, theres a thin gap between the rearmost electrical part and the main body of the thing. That whole electrical part sits rigjt behind where im guessing the erecting lense is housed.

Im only guessinv that it has an erecting lense, because another side view pic shows a bump in the casting in that spot,whech looks like an internal feature to hold the erector and/or reticle lense.

There looks to be a video coaxial connector on top, closer to the objective lense. The wires from the image sensor, if thats what it is, must be routed internally.

If the lense turns out to be suitable for naked eye viewing, the focal length shouldn't be an insurmountable issue, i can make an eyepiece housing that puts the eyepiece at the correct f(x) location for that objective lens.

I predict a cool magnifying glass and some scrap metal. Anything sold on eBay that the seller says is "untested", you can bet the farm it doesn't work.

Unless there is a big data connector somewhere with a bunch of wires, I'll bet it is an ir illuminator.

I believe your right. Im thinking its an ir illuminator from an m1 tank. I keep coming up with nsn 1240-01-119-5652

Which makes it useless to me . A cool paperweight.

Think of all the rats Mars could light up with that thing. If it is an IR illuminator, keep it pointed away from eyes when monkeying with it.

Think I just saw it...
Watching Rush Hour 2...Jackie and Chris are peeping on Roselyn...looks just like it.

It has a power source with a fuse holder on the red wire. Look close and you will see a connector on the left side for a video output.

You do not know the model number or have a schematic to determine the voltage required and the video output level.

Looking at the picture with the tape measure, there are some identifiable characters...

82577.....
SERMO.....

I did a Google search with that, and found a reference to an page at "Army Property.com" that refers to a "Cage Code" of 82577 as being assigned to Raytheon, which at least jibes with the note on the eBay listing.

Not sure how helpful that will prove, but thought I'd throw it into the mix.

The best ive come up with is:

19207-12272751

19207 is a contract cage# assigned to Raytheon

12272571 is a manufacturers part# for the aluminum housing.

The aluminum housing is part of an assembly called "lens and prism assy, transmit", price, $7998.49!. The part# for the assembly was listed as 12282577.

Looks like my paperweight is a " lens with prism assembly that originally cost the military about $8000

The " lens and prism assy, transmit" was part of a larger targeting and fire control system.

Other part#s associated with the assembly had names like "light tube", " beam splitter" . very interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by nshumway:
Unless there is a big data connector somewhere with a bunch of wires, I'll bet it is an ir illuminator.

That was my guess--an infrared light projector.

flashguy

Dispute it with Ebay and get your money back. Tell them it was sold as a spotting scope, but it's really a transmitter.

Does the thing power up? Get a pair of IR goggles and you can light up the alien creatures when they start to swarm.

on the top view image at the right, is that a lens? If so, it is missing the eyepiece.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
Does the thing power up? Get a pair of IR goggles and you can light up the alien creatures when they start to swarm.

I'm definitely keeping it. Regardless of what it turns out to be, it looks badass!