Night Vision Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

[NoveSPR]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: westford86</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Great writeup. Now, do you have any advice on how to sell a used NV devices? I'm looking to upgrade, but I need to unload my current PVS first... These dam things are worse than electronics, they just seem to depreciate 30% the instant you buy them, and continue to plummet in value rapidly there after. </div></div>

Put it on Evilbay w a 10 day,no reserve auction starting at 2k. I sold 2 this way. One sold for the 2k and another went as high as 2900. Take a pic through the tube and you will be way ahead of the competition. Like any purchase... buyer beware. If you buy new, you lose a ton of cash should you plan to resell. If you purchase used, you save a bunch of money but take on the inherent risks involved. C'est la vie and good luck. Id probably be interested, as I like to purchase used NV equipment, but i've had my fill for 2011.

 

[jcochran]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

Victor,

Thanks for this post. I thought it was absolutely fantastic and very informative. I think your input on this site is appreciated by more that just myself.

 

[Victor-TNVC]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JaredC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Victor,

Thanks for this post. I thought it was absolutely fantastic and very informative. I think your input on this site is appreciated by more that just myself. </div></div>

Thank you for the kind words Jared, we try to do our best. We (our entire staff) keep learning everyday in the world of night vision. We all actively train and learn from "other" tactical trainers throughout the years to keep us all on the edge of new methods and tactics that enable us to publish these types of guides.

Our NV comparison guide seen on this board is another example of working with the tactical community. Working with Chappy at LMS Defense is common along with other tactical instructors. Some think our "competitors" since they train in NV like we do. This is never the case with us or them. We have fantastic working relationships that we all feed and learn off each other. This very fact is what makes our NV reviews and training the best we can make it that really assists the community.

Vic

 

[WDHaskins]

Application of a PVS-14

Need some guidance on whether PVS-14 is appropriate. Have an Eotech Extreme XPS mounted, with a swing-to-side EoTech G-33 magnifier right behind that. Want to know if I can then mount the PVS-14 behind the magnifier, also on a swing mount, so I can use during day with or without magnifier, and at night with or without magnifier. The EoTech Extreme XPS is night-vision capable. Thanks.

 

[clasky]

Re: Application of a PVS-14

You can certainly do this, but I will say I am not a fan of flip mounts for magnifiers and goggles. My reasoning is this:

A magnifier is generally going to be employed at ranges out past several hundred yards. under that distance, you can run your EOTech or Aimpoint alone. If you are being engaged by a threat at a distance requiring a magnifier, it is not immediate. When a threat is close, speed is most important and accuracy can lack a little. When there is distance between you and the threat, you can slow down a little, but accuracy becomes critical. Rarely, will you find yourself in a situation where the magnifier is needed <span style="font-style: italic">now</span> to engage an immediate threat. Sure, there are times where it makes sense to have it always on the gun, but they are few and far between. Weapon and gear setup is always a compromise.

The same applies to the PVS-14 mounting behind the EOTech. Yes, you can do it and yes, you can do it with a flip mount. But, there is one more factor to consider here. PVS-14's are infinitely more fragile than magnifiers. There are a lot more components, parts, etc that can get busted up under the abuse a gun takes in the field. Do you really want to have your $3K+ optic hanging off the side of your gun?

 

[TestnDoc]

Re: Application of a PVS-14

What options are out there for a filmless PVS14? Cost?

 

[Victor-TNVC]

Re: Application of a PVS-14

Send an email to clasky at tnvc dot com. Thank you.

Vic

 

[sniper king]

Re: Application of a PVS-14

hi!

I need to know, for now what is the prize of a single pvs-14 come with gen 3 pinnacle, thanks!

 

[Grimm]

Re: Application of a PVS-14

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sniper king</div><div class="ubbcode-body">hi!

I need to know, for now what is the prize of a single pvs-14 come with gen 3 pinnacle, thanks! </div></div>
http://www.aspellcheck.com/cgi-bin/spellcheck

 

[ajwcotton]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

STOP RE-NAMING THREADS FOR FUCKS SAKES

 

[Ronn72562]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

Do all pvs-14 come with a blemish of some kind,got mine today and have a very small blemish at the 4 o'clock position?i purchased the commercial pvs-14.
Ron

 

[BrokenSailor]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

I am looking to buy a PVS to use after a ACOG, EOTECH, or LEO Mk IV. My problem is that I want to use it on a 7.62 weapon. Disclaimers on TNVC say this is a no go with the 14 due to recoil. Do I have to upgrade to the PVS-22 to handle this kind of recoil? or are there other options? Thanks much.

 

[Victor-TNVC]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

Putting a 14 in front of an optic is a no-go due to sever POA/POI issues as the the 14 is not optically aligned etc. This is what dedicated clip-on devices such as the PVS-22 are really good at and used exclusively for this purpose.

The L3 tubes in our TNV-14's we sell are warrantied to 300 Blackout and below including 7.62 x 39 and 5.56 of course.

PVS-14 body housings and the tubes inside them slamming against the housing is also a no-go on .308 and above and not much reason to use a 1.1x optic behind a RDS with a .308 as you will not see longer ranges to use them as these ranges.

Keep in mind the most effective way to use NV is really to head mount your 14 and place an IR laser on the gun. Shoot from the high ready and let your IR laser do all your talking. Hope this helps and Merry Christmas!

Vic

 

[Victor-TNVC]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ron1234</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do all pvs-14 come with a blemish of some kind,got mine today and have a very small blemish at the 4 o'clock position?i purchased the commercial pvs-14.
Ron </div></div>

No tubes are perfect and small blemishes are sometimes seen in the tubes. None will ever be dead center and most seen are against white walls. During normal viewing at night look at a target point of some sort, these tiny blemishes some units have will not be seen.

Now some Grade B tubes which are NOT these tubes will have very large pencil eraser and/or match dot size blemishes in the image which can cause distractions depending on location and size.

Thanks Ron.

 

[Ronn72562]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

Thank you Victor
Ron g

 

[Scott Vandiver]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

This thread sure cleared up a lot of questions I had about NV.
Thanks for sharing the knowledge

 

[BrokenSailor]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

OK, so basically if I am using a 1x such as an EOTech I want to use the head mount, and a LASER which is understandable at range. I am looking for a CQB solution using either the EOTech or an ACOG. Preferably the EOTech. Since all this tech came out after my days I do need help.

I am looking for the best optic solution for a CQB M14 and a Long Range M14. One weapon capable out to 600, the other capable out to 1000 yds.

Are you saying that the 1x then becomes useless once contact is made and I am shooting with a LASER only? Using the NV on the helmet through the EOTech where possible? Putting a 3x magnifier on this setup would lead me to think that this would be best but it is still not a dedicated Night fighting CQB weapon. So...

Does the employment of an 3x ACOG on the M14 give me any dedicated improvement with an NV on the rail after the scope? This is a 1 to 600 yd engagement possibility.

Final question is for the Longer Range Scope on an M14. What choices in NV do I have to put after a MK IV Leo on an M14? At this point I do not want to be using a helmet mounted NV here. What NV am I looking at that will handle this recoil at a reasonable price. Will the Night Optics D930 be good or should I be looking at a PVS-22 to handle everything and save money by using one optic and move it around as needed?

 

[Ronn72562]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

Hi Vic
Have a simple question,I have the FDE pvs-14 and have a few scratches where the FDE has turned black,any way to do a touch up?It scratched when I placed the weapon mount on it.
Ron g

 

[Great-White Hunter]

Victor,

Thank you for the excellent information in regards to the 14. I knew a bit about them, but not to this extent.

Getting ready to mount mine on my AR.

Thanks again,

 

[MrM2HB]

Thank you for this lesson. Very helpful.

 

[SnakeDoctor27]

possibly a stupid question... oh well.... i am planning on getting one of the TNVC pvs-14... for use on an ar platform.. will it work on a 300 blk? and also i know they are not rated for 308, but i was wondering for the sake of knowing, if used "only suppressed" on an semiauto platform would that work due to reduced recoil?

 

[Eric-TNVC]

possibly a stupid question... oh well.... i am planning on getting one of the TNVC pvs-14... for use on an ar platform.. will it work on a 300 blk? and also i know they are not rated for 308, but i was wondering for the sake of knowing, if used "only suppressed" on an semiauto platform would that work due to reduced recoil?

The L3 OMNI VIII is rated up to 300 black out. The ITT version is only rated for 5.56.

 

[LimaTangoWhisky]

Re: Buying a PVS-14 (a guide)

Putting a 14 in front of an optic is a no-go due to sever POA/POI issues as the the 14 is not optically aligned etc. This is what dedicated clip-on devices such as the PVS-22 are really good at and used exclusively for this purpose.

The L3 tubes in our TNV-14's we sell are warrantied to 300 Blackout and below including 7.62 x 39 and 5.56 of course.

PVS-14 body housings and the tubes inside them slamming against the housing is also a no-go on .308 and above and not much reason to use a 1.1x optic behind a RDS with a .308 as you will not see longer ranges to use them as these ranges.

Keep in mind the most effective way to use NV is really to head mount your 14 and place an IR laser on the gun. Shoot from the high ready and let your IR laser do all your talking. Hope this helps and Merry Christmas!

Vic

Which IR laser do you suggest to go with my TNVS-14, because you just answered my question about mounting?

 

[mrjohnsmitt]

That was my experience as well. I had to wait awhile since I wanted zero spots and some otherwise pretty high specs. The white phosphor filmless L3 tubed
pvs-14 I received is spectacular...so clear...so much gain. I have been into night vision for years and wanted something better than my old gen 3 monocular.
I did not just want to drop so much money unless I was certain the price was worth it and that it would be a big improvement over what I had. Man, did it ever deliver.
My only night vision purchase that left me completely satisfied. It does what they said it would and besides that they were great to talk with. Worth the wait and the money completely.

 

[SpeedDrop]

Anyone have a comparison of L3 40k NODs and PVS14?

 

[SKRUBD]

Great write up victor a lot of good information

 

[BWdiver]

Re: Application of a PVS-14

You can certainly do this, but I will say I am not a fan of flip mounts for magnifiers and goggles. My reasoning is this:

A magnifier is generally going to be employed at ranges out past several hundred yards. under that distance, you can run your EOTech or Aimpoint alone. If you are being engaged by a threat at a distance requiring a magnifier, it is not immediate. When a threat is close, speed is most important and accuracy can lack a little. When there is distance between you and the threat, you can slow down a little, but accuracy becomes critical. Rarely, will you find yourself in a situation where the magnifier is needed <span style="font-style: italic">now</span> to engage an immediate threat. Sure, there are times where it makes sense to have it always on the gun, but they are few and far between. Weapon and gear setup is always a compromise.

The same applies to the PVS-14 mounting behind the EOTech. Yes, you can do it and yes, you can do it with a flip mount. But, there is one more factor to consider here. PVS-14's are infinitely more fragile than magnifiers. There are a lot more components, parts, etc that can get busted up under the abuse a gun takes in the field. Do you really want to have your $3K+ optic hanging off the side of your gun?

That is sound advice.

 

[5RWill]

So is the consensus now a days stick with a reputable company like TNVC and go for Filmless Gen3+ white phosphor? Recently looked through a Gen 3 pinnacle of a friend's can't remember the specs but i'm slapping myself for owning $3000 optics and not having a night setup.

 

[SKRUBD]

Any idea when you will have more gen 3 filmless WP back in stock?

 

[5RWill]

TNV/PVS-14 L3Harris Gen3 UNFILMED White Phosphor MIL-SPEC

Gen3 Auto-gated Night Vision Monocular Recommended Accessories: Wilcox L4 G11 Mount - BUY HERE TNVC TM14 Mk3 PVS-14 Weapon Mount - BUY HERE NOTE: Due to the high demand and our high spec standards for Unfilmed WP tubes and system QA/QC, current lead times approximately 4-6 weeks on new orders.

tnvc.com

TNV/PVS-14 L3Harris Gen3 Thin-Filmed White Phosphor MIL-SPEC

NOTE: Due to the high demand and our high spec standards for WP tubes and system QA/QC, current lead times approximately 16-20 weeks on new orders. Gen3 Thin-Filmed White Phosphor Night Vision Monocular Recommended Accessories: Wilcox L4 G11 Mount - BUY HERE TNVC TM14 Mk3 PVS-14 Weapon...

tnvc.com

Un-filmed worth the extra $500?

 

[Jcarpenter223]

Great write up. Im hoping early next year ill be dipping my toe in the night vision game. Pvs 14 will help me do that

 

[MilesDyson]

I've been reading for over an hour and just getting to where I'd buy one. Thanks for all the information

 

[Hachi3]

I agree with what others have stated as well, stick with reputable places like TNVC and you can't go wrong. Have seen people go to other places like Own The Night or *gasp* EBay and the units just weren't as good from any of them, may possibly be using tubes from other countries. Had some friends that got fed up dealing with OTN and being refused orders because they weren't "active" military, so just ended up going to TNVC and had no issues, and were able to have their PVS-14's customized with where the blemishes were, or if willing to wait, none at all. Just had to fill out the ITAR forms.

 

[napt0wnc1ty99]

Appreciate the sticky. Had no idea there was this much of a difference. Have book marked your page when I’m ready to decide between PVS-14 and a 30.

 

[cleric]

@Victor-TNVC

dumb question for you...if I buy a monocular now, can I buy another one later and combine them?

 

[stefan73]

For durability, if you don't plan to mount it on a weapon system what would you recommend? I plan to coyote, pig hunting and then just do some fun shooting with some IR toys. I am generally careful with my gear and have never broken a set of NODs yet(22 years of hard use, sometimes harder than others)! Any thoughts or suggestions?

Also, is white phosphor worth the hype? I have used Army issued NVG's for the last 22 years (played with 7's, PVS-14, TVS-2, PVS-4, PVS-10, PVS-26), I am use to the green tubes, but I am wondering if the white phosphor are better? Thoughts?

 

[burgerjoe]

it is commercially available

 

[onion]

@Victor-TNVC

dumb question for you...if I buy a monocular now, can I buy another one later and combine them?

Indeed you can. Some people run dual PVS-14s because its cheaper than a PVS-15 or similar unit. It also provides more redundancy in case of failure at the cost of weight.

 

[burgerjoe]

thanks for the information

 

[onion]

thanks for the information

No problem.

 

[Victor-TNVC]

Thanks for the guide vic.

Welcome Sir, we need to update some things which we will very soon.

 

[BlastersAreCool]

Looking foreward to the update

 

[Clutch_Avery]

I am looking to purchase another PVS14 to match the L3 unfilmed WP unit I have. Any advice on how close the specs need to match? SNR, EBI, Lum Gain, Center Res, Halo, etc. Are any of these more important and/or need to be closer than others?

Thank you in advance.

 

[JakeS51]

I had a chance to use some white phosphor NVGs a few months ago. I prefer those over the typical green ones from the military.

 

[JakeS51]

I had a chance to use some white phosphor NVGs a few months ago. I prefer those over the typical green ones from the military.

 

[EternalNoob]

What about older Litton PVS-14 units? I have one that's from...late 90's or early 2000's. 2 battery, manual adjustment knob on front. I bought it from 'some guy' who was selling them at a show. It was his personal demo model but at the time he sold it because his wife wanted to go on vacation He told it had something that other, cheaper units at the time did not have. I can't remember, but I'm guessing it was autogating. I can't recall if it's Gen 3 or Gen 3+
20 years later it's little used and still in great condition with only one visible dark spot. Any additional information would be welcome

Similarly I have a 'PVS7'. Don't have it handy but IIRC it was ITT rather than Litton, and the label didn't say "PVS7" but something else. But it's essentially a PVS7 and all '7 accessories fit it.

Bot cost $3k-3.5k about 20 years ago.

 

[Nik H]

Looking foreward to the update

Took the words out of my mouth

 

[ECHO-5-PAPA]

Solid info.

 

[eelman308]

Great info. Now I gotta what I need to be looking for when I look at the spec sheets on the PVS-14. Thanks!!
Any idea on when the update will be out.

 

[earthquake]

Is there a good reference, or thread for all the mounts? I'm confused as hell.
I have a used PVS14 with a J-arm and Rhino mount. It flat-out sucks.
Looking to get a dovetail style....BUT....I am unsure how they work, what parts I need etc.

The J-arm/Rhino system places the 14 in front of my eye, no problem....except if unclips and falls off if I breathe wrong!
If I get a Norotos AKA2 for example, does it, 1. come with the "dovetail" piece that attaches to the 14? and 2. It looks like it would put the 14 in the middle of my face and not off to the side over an eye....is there yet another piece that offsets the 14 towards my eye?

See my confusion?

This one comes with a dovetail type and a J-arm type. If I use the dovetail attachment, does it have another piece not shown to attach the 14 to the dovetail receptacle and then get it in front of my eye? There seems to be a piece missing here.

Or the G24

I don't know if it comes with the dovetail do-dad and if it offsets.

Thanks for helping with my dumb(?) questions!