Armory Sponsor
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Sionyx digital color night vision camera--legit alternative to a PVS-14? (Page 8 of 121)
|
Quoted:
The Carpe Sus YouTube channel posted a new vid using the Aurora mounted under his AR15 barrel The conditions were the most challenging with respect to getting a clear NV image. The moon was not up yet There was cloud cover (no starlight) The coyote fur color matched the ground (natural camo) Due to wind being non favorable the shot was at 150 yards (well beyond the Auroras native magnification)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcQtDYBdxqE
The positives: The camera didn’t blink upon recoil The use of supplemental IR assisted in seeing eye shine with the Aurora 
 185 Yard Coyote: IR Hunter Thermal & SiOnyx Aurora NV Video |
|
Its foggy and raining for the 87th day straight. I tried to take pics through my optics with the Aurora mounted in front. I am using a Samsung S8. The dueling tree is 100 yards away. On all pics with the Aurora, it is zoomed in 3 clicks, which according to the manual gives true 1:1 view. I did not try to shoot the target with the Athlon scope. I did try with the Burris 3x, and found my POI had shifted 3 feet to the right. This is most likely a deficiency with the mount, I have found that I can grasp the camera while mounted and slightly shift it left and right. It could also be a problem with the riser I have it mounted on. I won't know until I do more testing on a less crappy day. I didn't take pictures of it mounted in front of a 1x red dot, and I had no POI shift in that setup. It is possible that the image could be better on night mode, I'll try to look this evening. But I would say 6x zooms in on the pixels too much.
Attached File Conditions at noon time. Attached File Athlon Argos 6x24x50, at 6x. Attached File Argos with Aurora. Attached File Burris AR332. Attached File Burris with Aurora. |
|
I could be wrong, but I would think that if the aurora is behind the optic (I.e. red dot), then your aiming point will correspond To point of impact. In this scenario, you are using the Aurora to observe your aiming point. However, if you put the aurora in front, then your aiming point is observing the screen on the Aurora and your point of impact will no longer correspond to your point of aim unless the aurora happens to be mounted in the perfectly correct position. I think that to use the aurora in front would require zeroing with it in this position and having a 100% repeatable mount for it. Don’t have experience with this, so correct me if I am wrong. |
|
Quoted:
I could be wrong, but I would think that if the aurora is behind the optic (I.e. red dot), then your aiming point will correspond To point of impact. In this scenario, you are using the Aurora to observe your aiming point. However, if you put the aurora in front, then your aiming point is observing the screen on the Aurora and your point of impact will no longer correspond to your point of aim unless the aurora happens to be mounted in the perfectly correct position. I think that to use the aurora in front would require zeroing with it in this position and having a 100% repeatable mount for it. Don’t have experience with this, so correct me if I am wrong. |
|
An extensive collection of actual footage from The Aurora in no moon / cloudy conditions - This is the absolute worst conditions for this technology.
I run through various gain settings and night modes and eventually add in IR illumination. Thoughts? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNquR12cg90&feature=youtu.be
|
|
Quoted:
An extensive collection of actual footage from The Aurora in no moon / cloudy conditions - This is the absolute worst conditions for this technology. I run through various gain settings and night modes and eventually add in IR illumination. Thoughts? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNquR12cg90&feature=youtu.be |
|
Quoted:In addition to Lion's Hyperion mount, I've also found this. No info except the poster's name, "cnoct". I drew this up and printed a quickie. Works for me: I made the pupil measurement to fit, and run it back on the Wilcox mount as close to the eye as I can place it. The mount has channels for dummy cord to clip into both units so you don’t lose a camera, etc. The Aurora sits in a little trough so it’s stabilized to prevent spin on the 1/4-20 thread, as well as including a video pin to lock in angle. The angle of the trough allows for the usb door to be opened without removing the camera from mount. It also is curved around the sound ports to not block any important/feature areas. I’m going to see if I can sort of merge this with one of the weapons rail mounts I designed earlier and try for a multi-use modular mount (helmet/weapon/vehicle) approach next. 
Kel |
|
Quoted:
Nice job on the 3-d printed mount. I’m wondering if an adapter could be used to make a surplus j-arm align correctly |
|
Long time lurker on AR15.com... couldn't figure out to recover my old acct, so this is a "new" one for now.
I picked up one of these at the $599 holiday pricing and for the money, I'm pretty impressed. For those who are on the fence, using an IR illuminator, even one of the cheap "Uniquefire" LED units from Amazon (pretty much identical to what SiOynx is including in the "Explorer" package, I think) is a *huge* improvement. I tested last night behind my condo at around 80 yards and the 850nm IR illuminator at the spot setting lights up the view really well. This is one of those devices that, due to the 0.9MP sensor, isn't really demonstrated very well via the picture or video output... you need to view through the EVF itself with the finer dot pitch to see what it's capable of, imho. That said, if you need observation capability with the addition of the option for photo/video output, this changes the game compared to a PVS-14... nevermind the price point being half or less. If you go to the greyscale overlay, you gain a bit more capability than the "Night Color" mode as well. With a 850nm IR illuminator, everything takes on a blue cast anyhow, so there isn't much loss going to the greyscale overlay. Does anyone else know of a viable Picatinny to 1/4" tripod lug adapter that would work well with this? I've only seen one that lacks the alignment lug, so that isn't optimal. Would be good if we could find out who OEMs the adapter SiOnyx is marketing in the Explorer kit. It's still not **cheap** at $600, but compared to the industry standard options out there, it's clear things are going to start changing fast in this technology space. I look forward to their second, refined, version of this hardware, as there are many small things they could do to make it fit a "tactical" role even better. At present, this is clearly a consumer/action-cam oriented observation device, to put it succintly. |
|
Butler Creek Blizzard cap, size #8, makes a good front lens cap. Just trim off about 1cm of the rubber material so it will go on all the way.Attached File Attached File |
|
Quoted:
Butler Creek Blizzard cap, size #8, makes a good front lens cap. Just trim off about 1cm of the rubber material so it will go on all the way.https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/96899/20190103_201009-2016x1512_jpg-795246.JPG https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/96899/20190103_201053-1512x2016_jpg-795247.JPG |
|
Quoted: all the video is with car headlights on or big lights in the field or on game if it showed anything in ambient light they would show it, but they dont https://photos.app.goo.gl/2uJC4ZCCYw3Qjnap8 |
|
Just received my SiOnyx last Friday still playing with it. Very impressed so so far. Big hurdle I am crossing now is using with a tablet which will be easier for me to operate the camera with. Android Kit Kat is a no go for sure and Lollie Pop has been a hit and miss. Picking up a new tablet today a Samsung SM-T380 8". Also looking at this head gear. Comments Please. https://solvidsystems.com/shop/ |
|
Quoted:
The real winner, at least for me, is the extended IR sensitivity. It outperforms everything else I have at 1064nm. Pretty cool shining around a 1064nm laser and seeing the dot clear as day while a Gen 3 tube is blind. A 1060nm LED lights up a dark room while a Gen 3 tube sees it only when looking directly into it (and that LED has some spectral energy well below 1000nm which is mainly what tickles the Gen 3 tube). A 1064nm aiming laser and laser illuminator is now on my to do list. And there's the rub. Been waiting for this to become real. As digital processing overcomes its hurdles and catches up with analog tubes' capability, the digital's flexibility for design improvement starts to outclass the tubes. Until now needing IR support light made the user a beacon to anyone with higher quality gear. Oh, okay .... I'll just move outside of your analog tube's spectrum. Now I can use cheap supplemental illumination and aiming lasers that your analog gear doesn't detect. . . . I can think of a dozen more ways that this is a game changer that I won't post in open forum, because the mere thoughts should be ITAR protected. Honestly, I wouldn't have addressed this one if it wasn't already out there. |
|
Quoted:
@txdx And there's the rub. Been waiting for this to become real. As digital processing overcomes its hurdles and catches up with analog tubes' capability, the digital's flexibility for design improvement starts to outclass the tubes. Until now needing IR support light made the user a beacon to anyone with higher quality gear. Oh, okay .... I'll just move outside of your analog tube's spectrum. Now I can use cheap supplemental illumination and aiming lasers that your analog gear doesn't detect. . . . I can think of a dozen more ways that this is a game changer that I won't post in open forum, because the mere thoughts should be ITAR protected. Honestly, I wouldn't have addressed this one if it wasn't already out there. Quoted:
Quoted:
The real winner, at least for me, is the extended IR sensitivity. It outperforms everything else I have at 1064nm. Pretty cool shining around a 1064nm laser and seeing the dot clear as day while a Gen 3 tube is blind. A 1060nm LED lights up a dark room while a Gen 3 tube sees it only when looking directly into it (and that LED has some spectral energy well below 1000nm which is mainly what tickles the Gen 3 tube). A 1064nm aiming laser and laser illuminator is now on my to do list. And there's the rub. Been waiting for this to become real. As digital processing overcomes its hurdles and catches up with analog tubes' capability, the digital's flexibility for design improvement starts to outclass the tubes. Until now needing IR support light made the user a beacon to anyone with higher quality gear. Oh, okay .... I'll just move outside of your analog tube's spectrum. Now I can use cheap supplemental illumination and aiming lasers that your analog gear doesn't detect. . . . I can think of a dozen more ways that this is a game changer that I won't post in open forum, because the mere thoughts should be ITAR protected. Honestly, I wouldn't have addressed this one if it wasn't already out there. |
|
Quoted:
Could you point me to a 1064nm laser and light? All I can find is medical or lab type setups in that wavelength. 
Apparently they're not as cheap and plentiful as I expected. Ebay search for "ND YAG Rod" will find them. It would be a cumbersome project to implement them. I expected that they would have moved past a rod type laser and have solid state emitters by now .... just like the visible and IR flashlights. |
|
Has anybody been able to find a picatinny rail mount for this sight? I tried several:
This one was not stable - it lacked the anti-rotation pin https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XB39SY4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This one had anti-rotation pin slot, but I'm not sure how to install/remove the camera on it https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FSGHZ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 |
|
Quoted:
Has anybody been able to find a picatinny rail mount for this sight? I tried several: This one was not stable - it lacked the anti-rotation pin https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XB39SY4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This one had anti-rotation pin slot, but I'm not sure how to install/remove the camera on it https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FSGHZ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The mount that came with the explorer kit is not very elaborate. I would be surprised that no other camera has a similar threaded hole/pin dimension. |
|
Quoted:
Has anybody been able to find a picatinny rail mount for this sight? I tried several: This one was not stable - it lacked the anti-rotation pin https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XB39SY4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This one had anti-rotation pin slot, but I'm not sure how to install/remove the camera on it https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FSGHZ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 
|
|
Quoted: I just got the one in your 1st link the round base also acts as a jam nut and locks both the camera and rail mount seems like it will work pretty good.Have not field tested it yet. I will be using mine for hog hunting may try this mount. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XXBN3PZ/?coliid=IGITG1LRKJTBI&colid=D4K5BDAP3AY2&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it |
|
Quoted: As a camera mount it may work, but it certainly will not position the camera in front of your eye. |
| T.REX Arm is back with another video on digital night vision tech--this time their review of the Aurora: https://youtu.be/e3SN-ZSG7ls |
|
Quoted:
T.REX Arm is back with another video on digital night vision tech--this time their review of the Aurora: https://youtu.be/e3SN-ZSG7ls Many improvements that can be made fairly easily for this as use as a tactical tool. |
|
Very cool; as an average Joe, I thought TRex was a very informative while still being even-handed about the capabilities and limitations. There's no such thing as a free lunch, as they say.
I hadn't even considered the applications for utility work! Now that I think about it, all kinds of public safety uses! I am also glad to learn how the battery compartment works. So...you guys are going to be developing a swappable lens assembly if this goes well, right? Right?  
|
|
Quoted:
T.REX Arm is back with another video on digital night vision tech--this time their review of the Aurora: https://youtu.be/e3SN-ZSG7ls I wonder if SiOnyx is paying attention? As a pure low-light observation/recording device, this thing fits the bill if you can't be bothered to schlepp an actual full-sized camera around. Pair it with an IR illuminator and it's pretty danged effective. |
|
Quoted: Thanks for posting that. Super informative. Many improvements that can be made fairly easily for this as use as a tactical tool. |
|
Quoted: Yes, it was informative. Despite the color display, out of band capability ( a big deal) and low cost, the lag and battery life currently make this a tactical no-go. It is a big step in the right direction though. Maybe gen 2 or 3 will clean up the details and make digital a viable option. For now, I'll be keeping my pvs14. This fits into the Arfcom philosophy of "Get Both" quite easily. |
|
Cool video of the Sionyx filming the northern lights. Pretty damn cool. Pay close attention to the first few seconds of the video where you can just see the tops of the trees.
I don't know how to imbed.... Here |
|
Quoted:
One of the previous videos did that. He had the Aurora mounted under the barrel recording while using a thermal for aiming. Quoted:
Quoted:
I'm curious to see if it could be mounted on a handguard so it could show a POV shooting/hunting. |
| Great in-depth review of the Aurora by Nick Chen of TFB. He includes mount options and plenty of comparisons to NVGs: https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/01/11/sionyx-aurora/ |
|
Quoted:
Great in-depth review of the Aurora by Nick Chen of TFB. He includes mount options and plenty of comparisons to NVGs: https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/01/11/sionyx-aurora/ @NV4U2 Also curious if the objective lense can be upgraded. |
|
Quoted: So, he thinks the lag is only in the EVF. Is that possible? Is it something that could be fixed by upgrading the EVF (rear of the unit)? @NV4U2 Also curious if the objective lense can be upgraded. The objective lens plugs into what might be a proprietary plug, like a slightly smaller hdmi part. The evf has the male end. The only mechanism on the evf is the diopter adjustment. I see no reason why it couldn't be changed, just depends on if it's feasible or not. |
|
Can anyone recommend a smaller IR illuminator? What about a head mounted (headlamp not helmet) one for indoor or around camp use? I'm not sure if it would work, but also figured that having one less hand occupied might be a good thing. Was looking at the Petzl Strix - any thoughts? Is the IR on it for illumination or identification?
NV4U2 - gone dark? This is *super sketchy* and the first (but seriously) bad vibe I've gotten on this product. More than a little concerning. Dropped full retail on a unit yesterday after having read through this whole thread and feeling pretty good about the company. I'm seriously concerned about "unusual" behavior and hope it doesn't indicate something untoward from a business perspective. As an aside, anyone know the deal with the poster who changed all of his posts to "unit stopped working" or whatever? Thanks for any input. |
|
Quoted:
Can anyone recommend a smaller IR illuminator? What about a head mounted (headlamp not helmet) one for indoor or around camp use? I'm not sure if it would work, but also figured that having one less hand occupied might be a good thing. Was looking at the Petzl Strix - any thoughts? Is the IR on it for illumination or identification? NV4U2 - gone dark? This is *super sketchy* and the first (but seriously) bad vibe I've gotten on this product. More than a little concerning. Dropped full retail on a unit yesterday after having read through this whole thread and feeling pretty good about the company. I'm seriously concerned about "unusual" behavior and hope it doesn't indicate something untoward from a business perspective. As an aside, anyone know the deal with the poster who changed all of his posts to "unit stopped working" or whatever? Thanks for any input. I wonder if the NV4U was an employee who got told to stop posting. Who knows, whatever. |
|
Video from last night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFq5Jfp0Ju0 |
|
Quoted: One of the previous videos did that. He had the Aurora mounted under the barrel recording while using a thermal for aiming. |
|
Quoted: Aside from having a ton of stuff bolted to your rifle, this is a cool idea. If I can locate a pic/rail mount for my aurora, maybe I’ll try this... |
|
Quoted:
There's lots of small and cheap AA IR illuminators on eBay/Amazon. I think I bought two 5W ones. They are ok. I wonder if the NV4U was an employee who got told to stop posting. Who knows, whatever. The "UniqueFire" IR illuminators on Amazon seem decent. Nothing special. They use 18650 cells though, which are common enough. I wouldn't be shocked if this (or similar) is what SiOnyx is including in their Explorer package. I'm curious how vital it is that the Aurora Picatinny mount have the retention for the EVF/battery latch, as described in that TFB review. I didn't realize that was the reason their "custom" Picatinny mount was so long. |
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Sionyx digital color night vision camera--legit alternative to a PVS-14? (Page 8 of 121)
Armory Sponsor