Posted: 11/9/2015 10:52:26 PM EDT
|
I want some night vision, but I am completely uninformed.
Yes, I understand generations come with great differences in image quality, less need for IR illuminators etc. That being said, brand reputation, price vs value...I'm clueless. Can I get a foot in the game under a grand? Is it worth it to do so or am I basically buying a Hipoint when I could just save a little more and do better? Experience, and recommendations appreciated. |
|
Go here. Read.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/f_6/18_Night_Vision.html Then do what the First post says. |
|
What are you going to be using it for exactly? Intended use will play a large part in dictating what is 'good' and price. That being said, night vision is not cheap and it isn't something that you want to cheap out on. Expect to spend more than 2k for most applications when you figure in accessories. There is also a night vision sub forum in the armory filled with really knowledgeable people and great posts. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
|
And spend the next 2 days there. |
|
This, read everything you can in there before you ask though. As there are always several "What should I get?" posts by people who could have found out by reading the stickies. Then give Ryan at Nightlong Ind a call and talk about the options. |
|
Quoted:
And spend the next 2 days there. Quoted:
And spend the next 2 days there. Lol I think I spent two months there reading before I bought anything. |
|
Quoted:
And spend the next 2 days there. Quoted:
And spend the next 2 days there. ..And whatever your initial budget is, double it. |
|
Quoted:
I've heard PVS14 mentioned just from reading threads and picking up on stuff. You're saying the quality is worth double my price point? Just wait, save, and go that route? No good options below that price point? If you want to be able to actually see things without extra illumination needed, go Gen 3 and never look back. This is definitely a buy once, cry once endeavor. Cheaping out will just leave you dissappointed and wanting more after you already blew your wad. Save, research, and shop around. |
|
Quoted:
I've heard PVS14 mentioned just from reading threads and picking up on stuff. You're saying the quality is worth double my price point? Just wait, save, and go that route? No good options below that price point? Gen2 works fine for most things, especially modern European gen2 gear. |
|
Again, read the NV forum for a while and you will learn a ton and probably realize its best to save for a Gen 3 PVS14 to start out.
I would save for the Gen 3. You wont be disappointed. A Gen 2+ Photonis tube in a Pvs14 housing can be had cheaper, but again I would personally save up. |
|
Quoted:
I've heard PVS14 mentioned just from reading threads and picking up on stuff. You're saying the quality is worth double my price point? Just wait, save, and go that route? No good options below that price point? $1000 doesn't buy the rest of the shit you'll end up with for a PVS14. |
|
Quoted:
Gen2 works fine for most things, especially modern European gen2 gear. Quoted:
Quoted:
I've heard PVS14 mentioned just from reading threads and picking up on stuff. You're saying the quality is worth double my price point? Just wait, save, and go that route? No good options below that price point? Gen2 works fine for most things, especially modern European gen2 gear. So do used PVS7's. A good PVS7 will rival a PVS14's image quality, especially if it's a later PVS7.... I recently got ahold of a latest/greatest PVS14RC and there was virtually no different in image quality when th gain on the 14 was turned down to match the SNR "snow" in the background, turning it up didn't get a better image, just more snow. |
|
PVS-14 or don't bother with NV. I looked and read for quite a while. Didn't want to spend the coin for it then a great deal from a local guy showed up on EE. Don't be afraid to buy used but either make sure they're a trustworthy seller or arrange for a demo.
But you'll come to that decision once you research it. I despise the "buy once cry once" BS that gets played out here but with NV it is true. |
|
Quoted:
If you want to be able to actually see things without extra illumination needed, go Gen 3 and never look back. This is definitely a buy once, cry once endeavor. Cheaping out will just leave you dissappointed and wanting more after you already blew your wad. Save, research, and shop around. Yup. Bought a Gen 2 D300 milspec unit for about $800 once. Ended up selling it after a month. Now have a TNV/PVS-14. I take that bastard almost anywhere where I'm going to be outdoors overnight. 
|
|
Quoted:
I want some night vision, but I am completely uninformed. Yes, I understand generations come with great differences in image quality, less need for IR illuminators etc. That being said, brand reputation, price vs value...I'm clueless. Can I get a foot in the game under a grand? Is it worth it to do so or am I basically buying a Hipoint when I could just save a little more and do better? Experience, and recommendations appreciated. I got a screaming deal on a d300 gen2 + around 06. $800 it's still a good tube but It has cost me so much pain an frustration trying lasers, illuminatiors ect ect.and I just put together a psgt old school helmet mount of of ebay parts for about $80 my advice don't dabble. if you do get a crimson trace IR laser & a tlr1 ir led that's enough to do a gen 2 tube like mine justice. & that combo is only about 300. on amazon total. if you want to go big $$$ then go to the night vision forum & follow their lead. there is no top end to the cost. you can get into $10,000 setups very quick if you want to. that doesn't include rifle rails and the like just tubes & accessories. like lasers head mounts illuminators rifle mounts. ect, then you have thermal setups(whistles) 
my current setup is a tlr-2 IR eye safe- its a ir led &IR laser in one unit they run 400-500 ish the other light is a tlr-1hl all white light. this is about my 6th serious attempt to set up a carbine to go with my gen 2 tube. since I got it back in 05 or 06 
above was my setup around 2010 it was a miserable fail. the laser was oo bright & it ran off one cr 123 battery for about 10 minuets then dead. but it was visible out to 700 meters all in all my current IR setup plus my D300 gen 2 + tube & helmet& mount I have about about $1400 in it I went through hell getting that right. but when I started there was only 1 civilian ir laser producer in the US& right after I got it he was prosecuted by the FDA he was found innocent of everything. 2 years later things have gotten easier & cheaper over the last 2 years as civilian legal guidelines have come out.for IR lasers. you can get very good equipment now for under $1000 I think the APITAL is around $1400 now. & it's a Cadillac of a toy. Just my opinion avoid the V series stuff from surefire but I found them weak in both white & ir performance. others may disagree. my gen 2 + d300 is enough for me to play with I have hunted, stargazed watched the northern lights and even driven vehicals with it I have not used it enough to make me believe I need a gen 3 tube. hope my comments helped you OP |
|
LOL beat me too it. EDIT: OP take your time figuring out what you are looking for and what you want. In general most people are going to start out with a Gen 3 PVS-14 from a good vendor with a warranty. Watch TNVC for their Black Friday/Christmas deals. While you can mount it on your rifle, this is not ideal, you will want to helmet mount it. There are a lot of options, but Team Wendy is my favorite. You will also need a helmet mount for your PVS-14, an IR flashlight, and an IR laser for aiming. There are many different options in this arena. That is your basic setup. After you spend a pile of money on amplifying light, you will lust after thermal. Thermal makes the PVS-14 look like a child's toy, but the PVS-14 is a good place to start. |
|
For what it is worth I picked up a PVS-14 Gen 3, it was NEW IN WRAP from NAIT for $1395 shipped with judicious shopping around.
I can't find the pic of it right now... Don't know where it went. But it is a typical PVS-14... there is one tiny blemish on my tube but it is not in the Critical Field of view... Single Battery model with a Litton (L3) tube, Auto Gated with Gain Control. I also picked up a Steiner DBAL-A3... for a shade less than the NOD, I did add the Wilcox Amber Filter in place of the Eye Cup, I had rhino mounts and J-Arms laying about but it came with a J-Arm... And a Sacrificial filter on the Obj (light interference filter) Both worthy additions... |
|
Quoted:
I've heard PVS14 mentioned just from reading threads and picking up on stuff. You're saying the quality is worth double my price point? Just wait, save, and go that route? No good options below that price point? Anything you get at that price point simply makes it $1,000 more expensive to get what you will end up with. Either spend nothing or about $2K |
|
Quoted:
I've heard PVS14 mentioned just from reading threads and picking up on stuff. You're saying the quality is worth double my price point? Just wait, save, and go that route? No good options below that price point? Depends on what you are trying to do. If you just want a weapon mounted scope to shoot hogs or yotes and your budget is fixed, look for a good used PVS-4. |