When you use night vision it is better to have binocular NODs aka dual tubes over a single PVS-14. The pros and cons of running duals over a monotube is for another day. While getting dedicated dual tubes is the best, sometimes that is not an option for some. In some instances, a unit or department may have a bunch of PVS-14s but not enough money to upgrade to dual tube night vision. So bridging two PVS-14s is a compromise but it works. While there are other bridges out on the market, TNVC just came out with their Powered Bridge Mount.

For those of you who shoot with night vision, it is important to know that there is a potential incompatibility if you are using ANVIS lenses. I have a pair of ANVIS9 that I built and have found some interesting issues using these lenses. I cannot see tritium sights or green lasers.

Back before US Palm went out of business they made the NODs Garage. News reports that US Palm is rising back from the dead and let’s hope they’ll bring back the NODs Garage. The current one is made by Armor Express and it looks like a knock-off of the US Palm NODs Garage with a few changes. The NODs Garage allows you to store your night observation device in the garage and the garage was designed to stow in the empty cavity of your helmet.

Graphene is a form of carbon that is only 1 atom thick. Without Graphene, none of this technology would be possible. It was originally discovered in 1962 on metal surfaces but was rediscovered, isolated and characterized by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov in 2004. Their research was later awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. The thin, transparent, conductive nature of graphene make it the perfect material for this application. However, being the strongest material ever tested also plays into its role as well.

Back in 2015 a biochemistry researcher, Gabriel Licina, volunteered to take Chlorin e6 eye drops to biohack his eyeballs for natural night vision. Fellow TFB writer Richard L. wrote an article about your actual Natural Night Vision. Well, recently scientists in China and the University of Massachusetts have developed an eyeball injection that allows mice to detect infrared light without compromising regular vision.

The SiOnyx Aurora is a rather capable night vision camera. Read my review of it here. While the Aurora night vision camera was never intended to be helmet mounted I was able to cobble something together to see if it could be done. The popularity of the Aurora camera has driven individuals like Lucian of Lion’s Gear Solutions to make accessories like his Aurora bridge Hyperion Mount.

For those who play in the dark with night vision, BNVDs (Binocular Night Vision Devices) are all the rage. Unless you are swimming in expendable cash like my friend JW with his ANVIS10 quad tube pano NODs (think Zero Dark Thirty). Anyway, when looking into dual tube binocular night vision there are limited options. If you have the cash you get the best like Richard L. who has PVS-31s. They are the ultimate BNVDs but for most people they go with Sentinels or DTNVGs.

In this episode of TFBTV’s SHOT Show 2019 coverage, Brannon LeBouef talks with Shannon at FLIR about their new line of dedicated thermal rifle scopes called the Thermosight Pro PTS Series. They come in 19mm, 50mm, and 75mm lens.

TFB recently did a factory visit to Spuhr, an article which will be published in the near future.

If the Rezvani Tank isn’t extreme enough for you, there’s now the Military Edition.

What captivated many visitors to Indo Defense 2018 this year from Pindad was the defense companies Harimau Modern Medium Weight tank that was a product of a joint venture with a Turkish defense company. However when it comes to small arms, Pindad had some new offerings as well, some that we should be seeing within Indonesian military service soon enough.

Huffington Post posted an article demonizing military grade night vision in the hands of civilians. The article is full of fear and ignorance and grossly misinforms their readers. I am an ardent fan of night vision as are many others here at TFB. I know our Editors Pete and Tom both have night vision. Dick Lidell is a fellow fan of NODs (Night Observation Devices). I will explain how night vision has many more uses beyond “killing” which Huffington’s post claims.

Actual night vision is typically rather pricey. While there are cheap night vision like Gen 1 and some heavily used Gen 2, most people want Gen 3 night vision and they cost a couple thousand dollars and in some cases are upwards of five figures. Digital night vision is slowly becoming a reality. There are two digital camera systems that turn night into day.

B.E. Meyers & Company. is showcasing all of their products at the Air National Guard Weapons and Tactics show in Tuscon, AZ., between October 16-17.

Insight is well known for making weapon lasers like the PEQ-15. They also made a weapon laser sight for grenade launchers. The PSQ-18 and PSQ-18/A are the laser sights for the M203 and M320 grenade launcher. They have a laser pointer but they also have an integrated IR laser illuminator that works very well.

IEA Mil-Optics is a German company supplying premium solutions for Armies and professionals. Their booth at IWA (or any other exhibition) is always worth at least one visit, if you’re a TFB reader you should have seen already a few pictures from there.

In a recent Korean news video on MBC.com, they show some new upgrades for the Korean Special Forces however a trickle down process will occur for standard infantry. These soldiers are testing the upgraded Daewoo K1 along with what looks like PVS14 night vision monoculars.

Night vision for civilians used to be exorbitantly expensive, if not prohibited in some places. However, as technology has improved, the devices have gotten to a point where civilians can now afford very decent night vision devices at a price that you don’t have to take a second mortgage out on. In this episode, we break down some myths and talk about some of the practical lessons that are important to take into account when looking at night vision devices. But more importantly, we look at the ability to actually engage a target through while donning night vision and how to best go about it.

Shooting clay birds is one of the most fun one can have with a shotgun besides hunting and taking a tactical shotgun course. An opportunity arose to review a Lyman Trius Launchpad, their electric clay bird thrower. After discussing it with Pete, our managing editor here at TFB, he had the great idea to try shooting clay birds with night vision. Challenge accepted!

Wilcox is synonymous with night vision. They are one of the leaders of night vision accessories and have been making weapon lights and lasers for decades. Their Wilcox RAPTAR came out a few years ago as a laser pointer and laser rangefinder. However, the RAPTAR is rather expensive. So Wilcox decided to make an entry-level version without the laser range finder and replaced it with a visible white light. The RAPTAR LITE ES was born.

The 10:th Special Forces Workshop 2018 in Güstrow (Germany) was organized by the Baltic Shooters, and contained three action-packed days.

I bought a PVS31A at the beginning of the year. While I have not recorded hours of use, I have spent a decent amount of time behind them both in courses and practice. I have also taken them on numerous night hikes to simply get better accustomed to movement under nightvision in places with uneven terrain. Unfortunately PVS-31s are restricted to government and military purchase only for those purchasing directly from a distributor. However, they can be found used from various dealers. It is important to understand that purchasing used night vision in any form is an extremely risky purchase and should be done only at your own risk especially if you are purchasing sight unseen.

If you’ve purchased weaponlights, lasers, body armor, night vision or other “specialty equipment” related to the firearms industry, the term ITAR Restricted may have made an appearance on your documentation or on product websites. The International Traffic In Arms Regulations or ITAR and the categories outlined in the United States Munitions List or USML is a way to prevent certain technologies from ending up in enemy hands and used against U.S. or Allied Forces. Zero arguments there.

Good evening everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Friday Night Lights. In our recurring series we hope to bring you everything from basic illumination tips like every day carry choices and weapon lights to more advanced topics like the use of night vision and thermal imagery during hunting and in the shooting sports. This week we bring you the SureFire X400V weaponlight/illuminator/IR Laser unit – A tale told by a night vision beginner (me).

Good evening everyone and thanks for joining us here for a new Friday Night Lights at TFB. In the weeks since our last edition we’ve lined up some new gear to review for the upcoming summer months. Today we start with the latest offerings from Inforce Weaponlights and give you a basic overview of their capabilities and specifications. But I’d also like to hear from you – tell me about your weaponlight experiences. I’d like to know why you decided to change over from one manufacturer to another or why are you loyal to one brand.

TNVC Night Fighter Armed Professional is a course put on by Tactical Night Vision Company in order to provide vetted civilians and professionals with the tools to fight under varied lighting conditions. Students are expected to already have an understanding of low light and no light operations.

Night vision is an incredible tool, but to utilize it to its full potential it often must be able to be used in a handsfree manner. Everyone sees the “tacticool” helmet systems worn with NODs by all the tier 1 units. These are effective, but not all users need ballistic protection, strobes, or have the extra cash to devote to a helmet setup. Bump helmets are a good compromise, but again these are still relatively expensive and too bulky for some uses. Finally, many have seen and used a NVG head harness like the standard “skull crusher” that comes in the kit included with most PVS-14 units. While cheap, this system is so uncomfortable that it really is ineffective. During nearly any form of movement as the night vision bounces around and away from the eye.

Night vision goggles are a great tool but are not always practical. Sometimes we simply have to utilize our natural night vision. In order to get the most out of our natural night vision we should understand how our eyes see at night.

What is night vision? When we think of night vision we normally visualize images from the iconic green phosphorous image intensifier seen in countless movies and video games. However, we often do not realize that thermal is also an important component of night vision technology as well. Like firearms, night vision is yet just another tool that if used properly can be significantly beneficial to the user. The basic premises behind night vision is rather self explanatory, as a tool that allows the user to see in the dark.

Helmets today are quickly becoming the latest accessory billboards, especially when used for night vision applications. The trend for the top helmet companies is to try to provide the lightest possible helmet. However, many users continually counteract this trend and seem to be adding as much gear as they can possibly attach. Some of the gear is important and relevant. Even with strictly the essentials, if not mounted and organized well it can cause issues. Wires ran outside of the helmet can easily get snagged. Many accessories attached only to the velcro can also be lost. Snagging is extremely easy in confined spaces. When wearing a helmet the user must also accommodate for the added height. The Tactical Night Vision Company (TNVC) Mohawk series was developed by Chip Lasky to organize and secure necessary gear to the helmet.