/nvg/ pastebin

/nvg/ pastebin
For discussion of all things night vision, from Chink digital to Gucci gen3+

>What should my first device be
BERING OPTICS GT14

>What does generation mean?
>Gen 0
ww2 active NV, requires IR flood lights to operate. Photosensitivity around 60 micro Amperes per lumen
>Gen 1
Vietnam War tier starlight scopes
>photosensitivity around 150 to 200 micro Amperes per lumen
>Gen 2
Mid-Cold War tier. Photosensitivity around 230 micro Amperes per lumen
>Gen 3
1980s-present tier. Photosensitivity around 800 micro Amperes per lumen
>Gen 2+
Uses Gen 2 photocathode chemistry with modern production technology
Photosensitivity of around 750 micro Amperes per lumen and beats some low spec Gen 3s on resolution, other specs. Generally a go value for the hobbyist.
>4G
Photonis marketing term for their high FOM tubes. They use Gen 2 chemistry but make generally good products.
>Gen 3 vs. Gen 2+
Gen 2 will have slightly weaker ultra low light performance. Modern gen3+ tubes can have a photosensitivity of 900 micro amperes per lumen, compared to Gen 2+ chemistry which tops out around 750. That's a 22% difference in theory, but the gap is much narrower to the eye.

>What device should I buy?
It depends on your budget.
>under $150
Chink digital. Don't scoff, these can be plenty of fun for cheap.
>under $500
Gen 1 analog. These can also be fun but not sufficient for tactical use.
>$1500-$2400
Gen 2/2+ Wolf NVM14 or comparable, Bering Optics GT14. If you choose a non-standard housing (read: anything that isn't a PVS-14) make sure you plan how you're going to mount it.
>$2500-$4000
Gen 3 PVS14. Quality varies wildly here.
>$5000+
Gen 3 binocular NVDs
>$14,000+
Gen 3 quad NVDs

>Does thermal see the same IR that NVDs do?
No, your standard NVD can only detect wavelengths shorter than 1,000 nanometers. The wavelengths that thermal sights are tuned to look for are much longer, from about 8-14 micro meters (8,000-14,000 nanometers)

>What are some reputable vendors?
Kosher Surplus
JRH enterprises/NV Devices
Optics Planet
Mod Armory (for mounting hardware)
Ebay (not even kidding)

>Mounting hardware/options
>shitty but cheap
USGI RHNO 1 with J arm
>reasonable and g2g with some tightening/loctite
Chink knock off Wilcox G24 w/dovetail J arm
>Good quality and g2g middle of the road option
RHNO II with dovetail J arm
>Gucci
Legit Wilcox G24 dovetail with articulating J arm

>Can I run dual pvs14 instead of a BNVD?
Yes, but they are heavy. Check out Nitewalker on YouTube he has a good video about doing that.

Based research anon and probable electrical engineering posts his research findings about tube pigtails on 11/13/2021
"According to the patent for the external gain for the MX-11769, it and the MX-10160 tube are identical except for the external gain. It appears to me from how the patent is described, that there was an anti-self-destruct guardrail established for the gain on the 10160 that is tuned at the factory by selecting limiting resistors to keep the gain low enough to prevent damage to the tube. Further, it appears that, when the gain function was moved externally for the 11769 and given a manual range, that this same general convention was used, explaining why there is a resistor on the connector board on the pigtail. This resistor is presumably selected to get the tube gain under the guardrail, and the pot or rheostat in parallel with it ramps the manual gain up and down. This knowledge should take some mystery out of the pigtail. This was all from the patent so there should be no ITAR concerns. My friend found some further information regarding Photonis - that at least some of their manual gain pots were directly wired to the tubes with standard stranded insulated wire instead of flat flex cable. The choice of the FFC was probably only for manufacturability concerns such as poka-yoke. There does not appear to be a performance related issue tied to the FFC. In short - if the FFC is damaged, then it can be replaced with regular wire. This was all taken from old public forums so there should be no ITAR concern about this info either."
Excellent write up, thanks anon.