The ECOTI will continue to be a highly sought after piece of kit due to them being a issued piece of military gear (popular in the same way that PVS-31As are looked at by collectors/cloners etc... ).

But it's very apparent based on the feedback we have received that a lot of people have been waiting for a more affordable option with some of those military-specific features excluded. As previously mentioned, the TAD will likely be the go-to device now for regular folks looking to add that capability to their night vision setup.

Pre-orders for the TAD are currently open but selling fast. The next shipment ETA is August.

For anyone wondering about the difference in pallet options, the ECOTI has outline, patrol, and full thermal. The TAD has outline, high contrast, and full thermal. High contrast and patrol are basically the same in appearance.

External power capabilities are being developed / tested as we speak.

It will be a retrofitable upgrade (replacement battery cap) to existing devices, not a whole new version / variant, so it would not be a situation where you buy the original version only to have a brand new version come out shortly thereafter.

We will post more updates as things begin to progress--now that units are finally shipping there will be more bandwidth for development of additional and accessory capabilities.

~Augee

I own a COTI and seldom ever run it, much like the OP from the sounds of it.

The major complaint I have is that it pushes weight further from my head so my neck really feels it. I would love to see just the view window pushed out to the end of the NODs with a cable/dongle and the battery/bulk employed as a counterweight. Then I would be more inclined to run it and it would see a ton of use. I mean, it certainly has a use as it is, but I find myself removing it more than running it, but I am sure being a civilian also impacts my constant need/usage for such a device versus running it only when I need it. However, I am sure that anyone else who *needs* to run one would also appreciate the weight being redistributed on such a device.

So OP - yeah I think it certainly has value in your kit, but selling it might be a viable option if you're truly never running it and would be picking up something else you'd heavily utilize. I certainly wouldn't trash it though - but if you do, please toss it in my trash can.

That's the nice thing with the TAD is it is much smaller and lighter than both the COTI (PAS-29A) and ECOTI (PAS-29B).

These clip-on imagers are great for the ability to easily remove it if you don't need it to save weight and likewise easily reattaching it when you do. Also that you can use it across multiple devices by swapping or purchasing additional brackets if needed.

The key in my opinion is that it needs a purpose. The additional weight penalty is 100% worth it if you genuinely need the most rapid detection capability possible. Otherwise, just hang a thermal monocular on your neck

While it can be cool to run around with it, if you're not "looking" for something, then it's value isn't realized IMHO. It also needs "something" for the algos to really show off it's capability. So for example the image with a bunch of trees only versus someone/something among those trees can be quite different.

I definitely recommend getting used to it in your location/environment and use animals / buddies for DRI (detection, recognition, identification) practice.