I struggled with the same choice. In the end, I decided to go DTNVGs with L3 filmless WP. It's a financial hit to take but if you want to "buy once, cry once" I think it's your best bet. I'm still waiting on my stuff to arrive so be prepared to wait for a while. Everywhere is backed up waiting for tubes and trying to fill orders.
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Night Vision PVS14 vs RNVG
- Thread starter JWG
- Start date
I decided to jump now. Should have my tube this week.
I decided to purchase a PVS14. After reviewing the fact that I will pay taxes on my stock profits, as well as the fact that a 14 "definitely gets me in the game", and I moved just fine with one last time I used one, I decided to save the coin on binos and go with a PVS14.
I got a good deal, it was in stock, and so I did a thing.
L3 filmless WP tube w/datasheet, dated July 2020
64,200 biolume gain
34.1 SNR
0.1 EBI
0.7 Halo
64 lp/mm (I will not magnify)
Spec sheet shows one blem .003-.006” in the outside of zone 3.
Here is a photo through the device. I think I saw the blem, dunno.
in a Vyper body with Carson glass, 2 year tube warranty, and 5 year housing warranty, through the manufacturer (UNV). I confirmed with the stocking dealer that Carson glass was used throughout.
My next question:
I need a helmet, and I need a mount, and I need a tether, and I want to know if I should use a counterweight of some type or not, if so, what? I THINK I want a Norotos INVG mount with the dual dove-tail. Do I? I understand that if I stow the device, it will instantly shut it off? Will it ALSO turn back on, unlike the Wilcox G24, or no, when re-deployed?
I want a bump helmet, not ballistic. I want to integrate my Peltor Tac 6's on it, as I don't need comms, and they are cheap and when they die I get new ones. My nugget measures roughly 21.5" circ.
I decided to purchase a PVS14. After reviewing the fact that I will pay taxes on my stock profits, as well as the fact that a 14 "definitely gets me in the game", and I moved just fine with one last time I used one, I decided to save the coin on binos and go with a PVS14.
I got a good deal, it was in stock, and so I did a thing.
L3 filmless WP tube w/datasheet, dated July 2020
64,200 biolume gain
34.1 SNR
0.1 EBI
0.7 Halo
64 lp/mm (I will not magnify)
Spec sheet shows one blem .003-.006” in the outside of zone 3.
Here is a photo through the device. I think I saw the blem, dunno.
in a Vyper body with Carson glass, 2 year tube warranty, and 5 year housing warranty, through the manufacturer (UNV). I confirmed with the stocking dealer that Carson glass was used throughout.
My next question:
I need a helmet, and I need a mount, and I need a tether, and I want to know if I should use a counterweight of some type or not, if so, what? I THINK I want a Norotos INVG mount with the dual dove-tail. Do I? I understand that if I stow the device, it will instantly shut it off? Will it ALSO turn back on, unlike the Wilcox G24, or no, when re-deployed?
I want a bump helmet, not ballistic. I want to integrate my Peltor Tac 6's on it, as I don't need comms, and they are cheap and when they die I get new ones. My nugget measures roughly 21.5" circ.
I've used the PVS14s for around 4 years and have spent over 1000 hours behind one (many night operation exercises). Are there better NVGs out there? For sure. Is still a phenomenal devise? Yes. Great on battery life (5-6 nights no problem). No clue how the RNVG stacks up against it though.
OP
We use PVS-14's and PVS-7s at work pretty much every night. I prefer the 14's by far. Pretty sure ours are mil surplus, but the Tubes in them are no where close to the filmless WP quality, however they get the job done. You'll be happy with your purchase.
As far as helmets, I use a ops core with a lo-sto mount but I like the factory padding in the Team Wendy one more. But you could always replace it with 4D pads or something else.
There's another thread down the page where a guy mentions Gunnook helmets. He says they are good. No experience here. They are a lot cheaper.
I was in the market as well. I had planned on purchasing a pvs-14 and then night goggles came out with their July 4th sale. I was getting ready to buy the RNVG when they stopped taking orders. Glad I did. Came across a way to purchase directly from L3 through my work and get filmless WP binos for not much more than the DTNVGs that Night Goggles was offering. Plus it'll come with accessories and a battery pack. Just have to wait a while - 150 days roughly
We use PVS-14's and PVS-7s at work pretty much every night. I prefer the 14's by far. Pretty sure ours are mil surplus, but the Tubes in them are no where close to the filmless WP quality, however they get the job done. You'll be happy with your purchase.
As far as helmets, I use a ops core with a lo-sto mount but I like the factory padding in the Team Wendy one more. But you could always replace it with 4D pads or something else.
There's another thread down the page where a guy mentions Gunnook helmets. He says they are good. No experience here. They are a lot cheaper.
I was in the market as well. I had planned on purchasing a pvs-14 and then night goggles came out with their July 4th sale. I was getting ready to buy the RNVG when they stopped taking orders. Glad I did. Came across a way to purchase directly from L3 through my work and get filmless WP binos for not much more than the DTNVGs that Night Goggles was offering. Plus it'll come with accessories and a battery pack. Just have to wait a while - 150 days roughly
I ordered a TW exfil,norotos hyper invg, and norotos dual dovetail. I saw no point paying the same thing for an opscore just to pay another $100 in pads and whatnot. I went norotos for the wireless auto off, and the super low profile articulation when stowed.
I picked up a pre-order MTEK Flux Carbon-V back in mid-2016 that I love. Went with them because I was issued Ops-Core at work and hated it and didn't want a TW like everyone else raves about. What can I say, mom said I was special. Lots of guys I worked with replaced their Ops-Core pads with assorted TW pads. As far as the rhino I went with what I knew and got a Wilcox G24.
Well she arrived! Carson lenses, Vyper-C body, L3 UF WP 1701 tube. Thoughts/ideas/how is this?
photocathode 2856k: 2203
EBI: 0.1
Luminescence gain: 64,204
SNR: 34.1
Center Res: 64
Center Res (high light): 36
Halo: 0.7
Zone 1: Clean, Zone 2, Clean, Zone 3 (One) blem, 0.003-0.006
(X) Dark Spots </=0.003 are acceptable
oddly, there was only 1 blem on the L3 sheet, but I've found a couple, lol! Overall I'm very pleased as the only one I really notice is the one at around 8:30, and I'm assured it's okay and won't enlarge or anything bad/isn't a sign of air at the tube or anything funky.
Tonight was a very dark night. Cloud cover, no stars, and I live in the middle of nowhere (taken sometime after midnight with full cloud cover).
This thing soaks up light! It was EXTREMELY dark with no moon, no stars, no artificial light sources.
This was taken a bit earlier, around 10pm, when the clouds still had a bit more glow to them:
photocathode 2856k: 2203
EBI: 0.1
Luminescence gain: 64,204
SNR: 34.1
Center Res: 64
Center Res (high light): 36
Halo: 0.7
Zone 1: Clean, Zone 2, Clean, Zone 3 (One) blem, 0.003-0.006
(X) Dark Spots </=0.003 are acceptable
oddly, there was only 1 blem on the L3 sheet, but I've found a couple, lol! Overall I'm very pleased as the only one I really notice is the one at around 8:30, and I'm assured it's okay and won't enlarge or anything bad/isn't a sign of air at the tube or anything funky.
Tonight was a very dark night. Cloud cover, no stars, and I live in the middle of nowhere (taken sometime after midnight with full cloud cover).
This thing soaks up light! It was EXTREMELY dark with no moon, no stars, no artificial light sources.
This was taken a bit earlier, around 10pm, when the clouds still had a bit more glow to them:
Well, because I am a lucky person (this always happens to me), inevitably stuff didn't go right. I bought a Vyper bodied PVS14, and although I loved the tube, the Vyper body only fits KVE shoes. I wanted Norotos INVG Hyper + DDA mounting solution and got back with my dealer, who addressed the issue rapidly with UNV, but before they got back with me, someone else on another forum saw my issue. They run a RQE bridge with thermal, and preferred a Vyper body to the PVS14. I ended up trading my Vyper PVS14 1701 tube with above listed specs for a complete 2020 manufacture L3 Warrior Systems PVS14 22um/2376 minimum FOM unit. It fits my Norotos DDA perfectly, and I really like it. The tube didn't come with a spec sheet because those don't, but it looks pretty clean to me, and with 2376 minimum FOM, it should be indistinguishable in performance from my other tube, which so far seems to be the case.
Just an update...
I ended up selling my L3 mnvd, and getting a tnvc pvs14. Both were good units for sure! Now, Ive sold my tnvc pvs14, and ordered tnvc RNVG with L3 filmless tubes. I specced good tubes and thing Ill be very pleased. The rnvgs will allow me to aim passovely better with more space between goggle and gun. Imagins this, but withiut the battery compartment down there nearly in the way...
I decided to undertake this because Ive slashed my monthly budget by about $200-300/mo by trading into a plug in hybrid SUV, as well as work becoming more rewarding.
I ended up selling my L3 mnvd, and getting a tnvc pvs14. Both were good units for sure! Now, Ive sold my tnvc pvs14, and ordered tnvc RNVG with L3 filmless tubes. I specced good tubes and thing Ill be very pleased. The rnvgs will allow me to aim passovely better with more space between goggle and gun. Imagins this, but withiut the battery compartment down there nearly in the way...
I decided to undertake this because Ive slashed my monthly budget by about $200-300/mo by trading into a plug in hybrid SUV, as well as work becoming more rewarding.
