Any good night vision/thermal forums in regards to information/pricing/etc etc?
Straight answer to the question. No.
I've been on this site since the beginning.
I was a police department purchasing agent once upon a time.
The most frustrating thing I ever did was researching NV and pricing.
There were too many changes, too fast, too many businesses disappeared, and government contracts took first place on parts, mil first, then LE, then civilian.
As night vision units proliferated, there was a thread here pre-Scout, on selecting a PVS14. Someone else might be able to link it, but, most of that crew is long gone.
PVS14's still proliferate, but green tubes have become scarce, with WP becoming the go to. However, tubes are all built around government contracts, and rejects or over runs make up the civilian market. And they have become scarcer.
Pricing is what the market will bear. Today, less desirable tubes /units cost more than I paid 5 years ago for hand picked top grade units.
Old mil units, surplused out, like the 7's bring low dollar. As you found out with the trade offer.
I would keep them to drive with or see to move through the woods with "some depth of field" ability that thermal does not give you.
Once you move into thermal, the price can go sky high, and the mil grade units out of most of our price ranges.
However, there are three members here who can answer most questions on thermal except across the board unit pricing. Wigwamitus, DownrangeThermal, HoghuntingAustin, although there are some very knowledgeable others here.
The advice Diggler offered is sound.
I have experience with high grade military units not available to civilians which makes that experience pretty useless to most.
I use the 7/8k ir defense defense units because they fit what I needed based on work and sport hunting. The less expensive items did not meet my needs at the time. At that time.
Since retirement, now, doing farm depredation removals, I still use the ir defense units, and there are horror stories surfacing, several here.
For whatever reason, the thermal market has changed so fast, its hard for any of us to keep up, and again, there are several here who know specifics to certain units.
If you ask about them specifically, the users will speak up. We all learn when they do.
I find myself scrolling through the nv topics, looking for the one that sounds best for s particular unit. Might be 15 pages in.
After reading it, bumping it, with your question can get pretty good results and can give you an idea of which user you might hit up for more information.
I wish I could be more positive trying to answer your question, but recognize my limitations.
Best to you. VR
