Night Vision Rigs

[Karma]

Any thoughts on a night vision rigs... opinions, thoughts or suggestions of preferred set up.

A few months back I got to play for a bit with a mounted night vision binocular . The plates were bolted down to keep from changing position on the helmet.

After recently asking what the model was I found out it was an AN/PVS7 night vision binocular

I have to admit using the night vision was cool, but wearing the rig definitely took some getting use to with the extra weight balancing above your brow. Considering the size, it was actually pretty lightweight, look heavier than it actually was to wear. One Hiccup so to speak that I noticed was that when I flipped it up, it goes off (expected), but when I pulled it down again, it did not power back up. I had to turn it off and turn it back on. This was my one and only experiance with a night vision rig so I'm not sure if that is the way it's supposed to function?

I did find the magnification of the rig to be very beneficial. I believe it had 3x or 5x magnification... maybe it was 6x, can't remember off hand.

According to the owner it is "the best!" However, he's one of those players that everything he rolls with is the best in his opinion... LOL!

I've been chatting with a couple friends about picking up rigs for themselves, so any and all imput would be appreciated.

THANKS!!!

[James]

I toyed with the idea of night vision at one point, but it's no longer a high priority for me. The AN/PVS systems used by the military run for $2000-3000 new, though I've seen some "liberated" units going for sub-$2000. Compared to the military systems, the civilian systems suck. The cheapo monoculars will run you about $100-200, but don't come with helmet mounts and the binocular systems push $600-700 and only have suspension mounts (don't attach to helmet). The cheapest systems are Gen. 1, which provide basic image intensification and limited image resolution. They also do not provide overload protection for when you're exposed to a sudden flash of light or accidentally turn them on in daylight.

Gen. 2 systems provide enhanced resolution and usually come with overload protection circuitry. However, they're also 2-3x more expensive than Gen. 1 systems. Gen. 3 systems are the type used by the military. They are the best of the best. Of course, they are also the most expensive.

Optics Planet has some night vision units for sale: http://www.opticsplanet.com/s/search.php?page=1&query=PVS&r...

I suppose what type you buy is ultimately up to what you're willing to spend. If you've got a good bit of money to slap around go for the ATN Cougar night vision binoculars. They're about $600; unless, of course, you want to go all out and strap a PVS-7 NVG unit to your helmet...