I have one I mounted onto a nite shot handi cam that I made an improvised NV system for a spare .22 just to see if it was feasible.

It works, but the FOV is very poor and you have a focal distance for viewing.

When I was in the Army we did not get nice scopes like the ACOG, EO Techs, Ai points, IR pointers, and especially NV. The company had exactly one set of PVS 5’s and our CO’s were the only ones to use these so my experience is limited to the Gen 2+ and Gen 1 monocular I’ve been able to afford. I have to say, I’ve been very pleased with my D500 monocular and when used with my Surefire Vampire and Surefire IR civilian pointer I’ve been very pleased with the results. I have friends who have the latest Gen Nods and Thermals of high quality and I can tell there is a difference. The latest NV definitely has better quality and range and the weight on mine is much more yet I’m still pleased with the performance of my Gen 2+. I’m thinking about adding a Steiner Tor pointer to the equipment I currently have. The Tnermal would be a nice addition and as technology marches on the prices drop on older models. Perhaps I’ll be able to add one of those in the future.

Does anyone shoot with a night vision monocular over one eye, while utilizing a red dot with the other?

OK I know there are odd things that work with your eyes as binocular devices. But this one falls in the WTF level. How would that possibly work?
Back before I had binocular NV I would often just cover my NV side to see what would happen (like the PVS went down) and you can't do sh**. Since the non NV eye can't see anything, and the red dot would presumable be in visual mode, I'm expecting you would see a blob of red. But if it helps you I'm willing to try....

I thought it may work the same way an OEG works. The red dot is superimposed on your NVD view when your mind combines the images. I did try it the other day, actually. As best I can tell, it may be viable. I am not about to abandon my IR lasers for this method, but it seems to work. It was very awkward, because my optic isn't mounted extra high like is popular with some NVD users, but it seems it may work in a pinch, if you typically use IR lasers with a monocular, but find yourself in a situation where emitting said laser wouldn't be preferred. I'd encourage you to articulate one of your tubes out of the way, and try it. I did notice that the relationship between the dot and laser changed a bit, as you got close to the edges of the dot FOV; presumably due to parallax?

Does anyone shoot a piston rifle with NVDs? I haven't, but have heard an interesting note that I was curious whether or not others could verify. A friend of mine says that his Sig 516 creates a haze that becomes problematic in it's obscuring of the target, after a string of fire of more than eight rounds or so. Has anyone else experienced this issue with their piston guns in the dark? He says it becomes that much worse if you activate your illuminator too.

Finally have a helmet getting shipped, along with a dovetail adapter for my rhno 2 mount.

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
Finally have a helmet getting shipped, along with a dovetail adapter for my rhno 2 mount.

I have been curious about those dovetail adapters. Update with your impressions, once you get it.

I’ll try it with the bayonet mount first.

Something I have intended to do, but haven't gotten around to yet, is viewing someone, or myself in a mirror, to evaluate the visible output of a high-power IR LED illuminator as compared to the visible projection of the PVS-14's green light on the users face. Everyone knocks LED illuminators for the visible signature, but you've got a visible signature already anyway. Anyone done this comparison already? What are folks' thoughts on it?

Like so many, Id love to get into the game on NV and/or thermal but don't have the scratch to make it happen.

I have hog hunted with a few guys in the area that have some decent stuff...Trij REPR I think...and it worked well enough.

I'd like to get a means to do thermal detection of my fence lines and have considered handheld units. Problem I see is the light from the screen makes ME easy to spot, in some ways, defeating the purpose.

Any one have good handheld recommendations? Best budget thermal?

quote:

Originally posted by sjames:
I'd like to get a means to do thermal detection of my fence lines and have considered handheld units. Problem I see is the light from the screen makes ME easy to spot, in some ways, defeating the purpose.

In a handheld, you can utilize a rubber eye cup. Many may come with it. A helmet-mounted PVS-14 or dual-tubes can use one too, but many opt to leave it off due to condensation and peripheral vision issues.

Finally got around to assessing a couple things, and got a bonus factoid out of it as well.

In observing the visible output of a high-power LED IR illuminator (TNVC Torch Pro II), when compared to the visible green splash on a NVG-wearer's face, the illumination of the wearer's eye is the brighter of the two. It is certainly worth noting that the visible IR light signature is only visible when the user is pointed at you, and the green splash is only visible when the user is not looking at you. I was observing the two from a distance of about ten feet, in a dimly-lit room (had to be some ambient light for the NVG to function at all). I wouldn't be scared to say that you wouldn't see either, from a distance of 25m of more, if you weren't actively looking for them.

I added a 1/2" riser beneath my red dot and magnifier. Up to this point I have been an absolute co-witness guy, but the passive NVG usage aspect has piqued my curiosity in a higher mount. It is certainly easier wit the higher mount, but will still require a lot of practice to do with any amount of speed and repeatability. Overall, the riser setup came out really good, and I intend to leave it be.

The bonus factoid is that my IR laser (Steiner OTAL) is projecting in a very small way, even when the unit is off. It is bright enough that it was easily visible in the room I performed those other experiments in. It is visible at the aperture as well, when observing the business-end of the weapon. The laser does have a cap, but it seems counter-intuitive to cap it, especially if any kind of "contact" is remotely imminent.

ive got a AN/PVS14 helmet mounted but I also have the rifle mount as well. Its in conjunction with the DBAL A2/PEQ15 mounted on one of my Colts with an ACOG TA31F. Ive had it all for a cpl years and really only zeroed in the visible dot. need to get in gear and zero the IR as well.

If your visible laser is zeroed, so is your IR. The other windage and elevation adjustments are for your IR illuminator.

thank you, that's good to know. Ive not read the Army TM, only used the quick reference card to zero. that's how little ive messed with it. appreciate the info

Another thing you may want to try out, assuming you're right handed, is putting the NVD over your left eye, instead of your right. Keeps it more out of the way of the weapon. That's how I use it, and I have always been under the impression that the majority of users do the same.

Anyone ever try driving with NVGs?
It was high school & I had a truck you could pull the 'dash' fuse & have all lighting off. I may or may not have left a few marks.
Paintballs also show up well, like tracers to walk to the target.
I still have the NVGs, but I'm sure I'm less tactically capable than I was then. The last time I used them was for some night-golf, which is as drunk as it sounds.

I drive (offroad to be precise and mostly in ATV or UTV type equipment) with NV all the time. I don't view it as any special skill at least in the terrain that I have and the equipment I use. Is there a more detailed question involved? Heck with the right stuff they fly aircraft.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
I drive (offroad to be precise and mostly in ATV or UTV type equipment) with NV all the time. I don't view it as any special skill at least in the terrain that I have and the equipment I use. Is there a more detailed question involved? Heck with the right stuff they fly aircraft.

My entire post was somewhat tongue in cheek, I brought up some semi-practical, non-tactical uses for NVG.
At 17 I wasn't exactly experienced with NV, but for the record, I left no marks. I believe the PVS-5 that I have was used for flying helicopters with in the 80s/90s. That would be a skill you need repetitions to do well. If I have to use it as anything other than a toy, I'm probably pretty far down the list of shit that can go wrong.