We get a lot of calls regarding head NODs. Basically this includes NV and/or thermal monoculars as well as dual tube setups and also COTI type units. And the invariably brings in discussion of the helmets (or night cap like head covers), shrouds, mounts, bridge, interfaces, counterweights and then lasers, illuminators - i.e. "full setup".
So here goes some experiential thoughts from this corner.
I actually started in the NV/thermal world in early 2013. My first head NOD was a yukon gen1 critter and it was really terrible
I wore it outside 3 times I think. The first time I literally ran in to a tree. I removed it and quickly realized I could see better with my mark I eye balls. The other 2 times I was experimenting with it to see how well it could see things like IR tape and vis light and IR light in moonlight and not in moon light. It was borderline useful for those purposes, but I certainly don't recommend !!!
For head use, I hardily recommend gen3, well these days, the only cases where gen2 makes sense to me is in ganglands with restrictions. With gen2 you are gonna have to run an illuminator unless you've got a decent moon. And that's the same with all the digital stuff I've tried. The bushy equinox stuff (I have 2) is pretty dang good for what it is - in day mode - I can literally read a book from across the room
and at night at 600yds on like 11x digital with a good moon over head I can see really well. But note those caveats !
So the digital stuff is not useless - but in my book - its not something I would use for "serious" activities. The equinox are heavy and REQUIRE copious illum or big moon to see very far.
I've been able to barely get the equinox working as a clip behind ...
though beyond 100yds the alignment between the opics and the illum was insufficient with that setup (which I called "Frankenghun") and so couldn't see anything. It could be improved but not a priority - again - not for "serious" activities.
So, bottomline, the non-gen3 or above (if any such exists) are non-serious and should be avoided except for playing around in the backyard sort of thing.
My second NV device was an ATN PS-22. I think I was so dumb then, that I got the PS-22 mixed up with the PVS-22
... the PS-22 was definitely another disappointment. The collimation sucqued. I still remember the offset I had to dial, 4 clicks left and 7 clicks up (1/2 MOA clicks on L&S mk4 3.5-10x tmr). I sent it in to ATN and paid $150 for recollimation, got it back and exact same offsets still applied.
Later Aaron Fouraker (my first NV/thermal coach) also recollimated it and again - same offsets applied. Maybe the housing was "bent"
So, I had learned my first key lesson - if you actually want sh^t to work, skip past the crappy stuff, get real sh^t. It still might not work, but at least your odds are better !!
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After that, I got a once in a life time (small) chunk of money and was able to take some of that and get some "real" stuff (or at least "real" to me at the time.
2 x PVS-14s
1 x COLR
1 x Apollo42 (336)
At the time, I thought these items would be all I'd ever need - well I've totally destroyed that theory !!
Early days head NOD setup.
Dual 14s on IC bridge on TATM mount on Tm Hillary bump. LED ir illum on one side, RGBW vis light on other side. I ran this sort of setup from about 2014 thru about 2018. It was pretty good and I wouldn't decry using it today, though in recent years I've stripped off the side lights, reduces weight and profile.
As I started to move around at night with nv and thermal I began to realize the power of thermal. I could be looking at an empty pasture on my land in KS with a 14 and hold up the apollo ( i used it a lot as a handheld monocular) and see a field of 3 deer. Carrying the apollo in my hand (or even with a lanyard - around my neck) still required a hand to use it and required me to stop moving and hold it up. I dreamed of a head mounted thermal I could scan with - with no hands - and while moving.
Pics of the apollo with lanyard and mounted on 22LR for barnyard defense. About 1/2 the critters I've killed in past 8 years have been with the 22LR within 150yds of the coop.
I practiced the sh^t out of mounting the apollo on the rifle and could do with 1 hand quickly. I still use larue rail clips to index a spot to feel for on the rail to mount any / all clipons.
So late 2015 I got a q-14 (both the patrol and q-14 came out at the same time. Aaron advised patrol, but I stuck with Armasight. The q-14 was disappointing in some ways but useful in at least one ! The "dream" had been to run on head as hand-free spotter while moving. That dream was never completely realized. The q-14 was mum-14 form factor and I wanted to be standardized on pvs-14 form factor - and running those side by side - was - for me - in those days - beyond my ability. I've since learned how to do it.
Note the significant fore and aft offset of the q-14 on pvs-14 in this mounting attempt.
But the q-14 was fantastic as a ratter on the 22lr is was the most accurate thermal monocular designed device, for shooting I've had, due to its tiny click value primarily.
I killed around 180 rats/mice in this period (2014-2016) and 90% of those were with the q-14 on the 22lr.
1 mad minute around the greenhouse one night.
BTW, the other 10% were gotten with laser max ir-laser ( a tiny, cheap, plastic, pistol sized critter ) and 14 on head with LED ir-illum on head. I would "broadcast" with the LED illum, spot their eyes, even down in a wood pile - and aim and shoot with the laser. Got a lot of head shots in those days, cause I was aiming at their eyes. But the q-14 was much more efficient. I could scan and shoot with the q-14 on the 22.
But in about six months, I got an ATN ODIN 320 1x. This unit finally enabled me to realize the "dream" of head mounted, hands free spotting while moving. It was a pvs-14 form factor and so even I - even in those days - could mount side by side with 14.
This ODIN was a "Gen1" ATN thermal (it was OLDE when I got it) and AFAIK these were NOT chinese, whereas all the subsquent gens gen2 thru present of ATN thermals are chinese. The ATN gen1s had FLIR cores.
Even though the ODIN was a 320 and fixed focus it was still very useful on head. One night I was even able to PID a yote at ~500yds while rolling my the 4-wheeler. The yote was heading up a hill in open terrain and PID was by movement. I wouldn't count on being able to repeat that - but it did happen and I'll never forget it
But I spotted and PID'd many a critter while rolling on the 4 wheeler - the dream had come true and was capable of even more than I expected. It was quite "liberating".
I'm going to pause the story here - but I'll be back !
We're roughly at Feb '16 now by chronology. The hide is over on Scout, during this period.
www.google.com
. My 100 yard zero is low, which means my previous 400 yard adjustments were affected (as seen on the target).
