In October 2012, my first OpsCore Fast Base helmet broke while using a single PVS14 with a standard legacy USGI Rhino mount. I contacted Ops Core and they had me send it in to take a look at it, and about a month and half after first contacting them, they sent me a replacement. Here are pictures of the first helmet and the break:
As was well and good for about 18 months, during which the helmet saw maybe 30 nights' worth of hog hunting, always using a single PVS14 and either a Rhino legacy mount or a Rhino II Ti mount. I usually left the Rhino attached and unhooked the 14 at the J-Arm. The Rhino was mounted and re-mounted maybe a total of 15 times, and that's overstated.
On August 4th, I was rearranging some stuff on the helmet and removed the Rhino II mount (using the release lever, not a hammer), and when the mount released, a piece of the shroud came with it. The EXACT same piece as on the first one.
So, I sent an e-mail to OpsCore using their website's contact us form on August 5th. I got a quick reply asking to send some pictures, which I did the same day. Again, got a quick response and was told that the pictures would be sent to engineering to see what could be done. I followed back up with e-mails on August 7th and August 12th and left a voice mail on August 12th. I received a call back on 8/13 requesting that I supply them with the Return Authorization # I received from them in 2012 when the first one broke. All I could come up with was a copy of the e-mail I received from OpsCore in October 2012 stating that I didn't need a RA # to send my first one back, which I forwarded to OpsCore's customer service rep on 8/13. I sent a follow up e-mail on 8/18, and finally got the following as a response on 8/26:
I'd already sent them one that broke in the exact same place and manner, and the helmet didn't pass the military's drop test since the shroud kept breaking (from 3 or 4 feet, IIRC), but "Engineering has not heard of the shroud breaking in the manner ". I replied the same day stating that I would like to get a RA, but that I didn't get a "sales number" when they replaced the first one. No response, so 3 days later, I asked again for an RA # to send the broken helmet in for review.
On 9/2, I got a response asking for me to send a picture of the break so that "our team to look at the helmet". So, I sent the same pictures I sent on August 5th along with two more. The next day, I received the following response:
Trying hard to keep this post to the facts and keep opinion (and my default mode of smart ass) out of it. In short, I started this process on 8/5, and 4 weeks later, was asked to send the same pictures I initially sent on 8/5 to finally be told that a review of those pictures "determined that [span style='font-weight: bold;'][span style='font-style: italic;']use of the helmet [/span][/span]caused the damage which would not be covered." Use of the helmet caused it to break, as opposed to what, rust?
I'm thinking about trying some metal JB Weld and/ or screwing a Rhino into the shroud might get it to work. Or maybe something involving a mannequin head and some tannerite.....
BTW, my new Team Wendy ExFIl is better all the way around.
As was well and good for about 18 months, during which the helmet saw maybe 30 nights' worth of hog hunting, always using a single PVS14 and either a Rhino legacy mount or a Rhino II Ti mount. I usually left the Rhino attached and unhooked the 14 at the J-Arm. The Rhino was mounted and re-mounted maybe a total of 15 times, and that's overstated.
On August 4th, I was rearranging some stuff on the helmet and removed the Rhino II mount (using the release lever, not a hammer), and when the mount released, a piece of the shroud came with it. The EXACT same piece as on the first one.
So, I sent an e-mail to OpsCore using their website's contact us form on August 5th. I got a quick reply asking to send some pictures, which I did the same day. Again, got a quick response and was told that the pictures would be sent to engineering to see what could be done. I followed back up with e-mails on August 7th and August 12th and left a voice mail on August 12th. I received a call back on 8/13 requesting that I supply them with the Return Authorization # I received from them in 2012 when the first one broke. All I could come up with was a copy of the e-mail I received from OpsCore in October 2012 stating that I didn't need a RA # to send my first one back, which I forwarded to OpsCore's customer service rep on 8/13. I sent a follow up e-mail on 8/18, and finally got the following as a response on 8/26:
I'd already sent them one that broke in the exact same place and manner, and the helmet didn't pass the military's drop test since the shroud kept breaking (from 3 or 4 feet, IIRC), but "Engineering has not heard of the shroud breaking in the manner ". I replied the same day stating that I would like to get a RA, but that I didn't get a "sales number" when they replaced the first one. No response, so 3 days later, I asked again for an RA # to send the broken helmet in for review.
On 9/2, I got a response asking for me to send a picture of the break so that "our team to look at the helmet". So, I sent the same pictures I sent on August 5th along with two more. The next day, I received the following response:
Trying hard to keep this post to the facts and keep opinion (and my default mode of smart ass) out of it. In short, I started this process on 8/5, and 4 weeks later, was asked to send the same pictures I initially sent on 8/5 to finally be told that a review of those pictures "determined that [span style='font-weight: bold;'][span style='font-style: italic;']use of the helmet [/span][/span]caused the damage which would not be covered." Use of the helmet caused it to break, as opposed to what, rust?
I'm thinking about trying some metal JB Weld and/ or screwing a Rhino into the shroud might get it to work. Or maybe something involving a mannequin head and some tannerite.....
BTW, my new Team Wendy ExFIl is better all the way around.
