I have noticed venders like Custom or Arkayne now offering a PVS bridged with a thermal. This seems like an interesting concept if you don't have the funds for a COTI. Anyone doing this, what your take?
NV and Thermal bridged
- Thread starter Sako man
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As someone who is planning out my first NV device, I am also interested in doing something similar. The benefit is the thermal gives you good detection when you need it, and depending on mount type you can swing it up when you don't (or the battery dies). It's certainly quicker than having to pull out a hand held monocular.
From what I understand the biggest issue is getting the two images to co exist without getting a headache. A manual gain control on the NV/pvs is important. No one seems to be able to fully merge the images mentally. We need the Predator to chime in.
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Whichever route you go, make sure you get an articulating bridge. That way if you can't merge the images, you can at least swap between them quickly and easily.
I thought the DOD was testing out a google that basically gave you a smart thermal overlay on top of NODs? It was similar to a COTI but more advanced.
That's already a thing, available on the commercial market. But....you have to pay to play. I don't know if it's any good as I'm just learning about this stuff now. Really cool though.
Jerry FB Fusion Binocular System - Night Vision + 12um 640 Thermal - Custom Night Vision
The Jerry FB (Fusion Binocular) is a binocular night vision device combining the best features of both worlds in one device using analog residual light amplifiers and a digital thermal imaging sensor. It is equipped with a new generation of night vision fusion technology, in which...
www.customnightvision.com
The one I saw the DoD testing was like a COTI but more advanced. Cleaner image blending and the thermal made more of an outline on living targets vs showing you heat on any object.That's already a thing, available on the commercial market. But....you have to pay to play. I don't know if it's any good as I'm just learning about this stuff now. Really cool though.
Jerry FB Fusion Binocular System - Night Vision + 12um 640 Thermal - Custom Night Vision
The Jerry FB (Fusion Binocular) is a binocular night vision device combining the best features of both worlds in one device using analog residual light amplifiers and a digital thermal imaging sensor. It is equipped with a new generation of night vision fusion technology, in which...
The COTI and E-COTI already do that. They display in Patrol (only contrast warm objects), Outline mode, or Full Thermal mode (actually not very useful). The E-COTI also adds support for ATAK waypoints and targeting as a HUD overlay, which is very cool. The latest version being fielded is a SWIR version called the ECOSI.
I'm on the fence buying a Rayvn rail. I'm not really interested in trying to merge the images so the choice is whether I want to keep the thermal articulated out of the way until I need it or just use the PVS-14 on the J-arm and keep the thermal on a lanyard in a breast pocket.
I'm getting away with the -14 on a Nightcap but can't with the Rayvn. I really don't want a bro-dome.
I'm getting away with the -14 on a Nightcap but can't with the Rayvn. I really don't want a bro-dome.
I'm running a 14 on the right side and a IRay MH25 on the left. Then have dedicated thermal on rifle. I run both at the same time, both eyes open. Some can do it, some can't. There are nights where my brain will only see the dominate eye (NV) until I close it and then the non-dominate eye (Thermal) will then overlay on top of the NV. This bridge will let me move both independently and I've done that from time to time depending on the situation.
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The best way I have found to describe this in a meaningful way is thusly: grab 2 iphones with earbuds. Put in one earbud per phone and start a song on one - then start the same song on the other, such that they play a fraction of a second off time. If you can do that for a few hours and be cool with it, rock on.
My circumstances usually do not dictate I run thermal and NODs simultaneously. I tried, the processed image of the thermal takes a fraction of a second to appear, while the NODs pass through in real time, so there is a disconnect in image timing. Another way to think about it is VR sickness: eyes tell you one thing while body tells you another.
Some people do indeed make it work, I found it more helpful to go helmet-mounted NODs and weapon-mounted thermal, then a thermal scanner if I wanna be boujee as fuck.
There are places that rent NODs and thermals and apply any rental fee to purchase, I'd recommend that if you can. It will come down to what your brain will be happy with, and is entirely dependant on the brain in question.
My circumstances usually do not dictate I run thermal and NODs simultaneously. I tried, the processed image of the thermal takes a fraction of a second to appear, while the NODs pass through in real time, so there is a disconnect in image timing. Another way to think about it is VR sickness: eyes tell you one thing while body tells you another.
Some people do indeed make it work, I found it more helpful to go helmet-mounted NODs and weapon-mounted thermal, then a thermal scanner if I wanna be boujee as fuck.
There are places that rent NODs and thermals and apply any rental fee to purchase, I'd recommend that if you can. It will come down to what your brain will be happy with, and is entirely dependant on the brain in question.
Interesting analogy. I guess the PVS being analogue and the Thermal being digital there would be sync-frequency, and latency issues between the two devices.
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