Night Vision Full power lasers

As the dealer was not permitted to sell you that unit, it's a 'grey market' item and not covered by warranty. If the unit comes in for repair from a non-authorized end user, the company will not repair it. Technically they cannot keep it, unless it's a mil contract unit and therefore stolen property. All the FP units out there are either grey market orphans, stolen military property or dealer demo units that should have remained with the dealer. If the dealer sends it back for repair, that might work for their demo units, or units they originally sold to a department. Otherwise you are SOL, as a general rule.

What Cory said. Regulated by... is it the fda? epa?

You're basically hosed if it goes down. Corys the guys to ask but I'm honestly not sure you need a FP unit, depending what you're doing.

If you're going to mark Taliban positions on a mountainside 2000+ yds away at night with IR yeah, you need a FP unit.

If you need to see a vis laser past 25-35yds in daylight then yeah.

If you're buying one so you can kill critters at night or to shoot paper and practice with a pvs14 or set of dual tubes inside 200yds a civilian legal unit is plenty.

Be honest about what you really expect and plan to do with it before you pay double for something with no warranty or service. It does come in handy.

My DBAL went back to Steiner cause their pad port pulled right out of the back with a unity switch. Took care of it no questions asked.

I have a better way to remove the plug now if I need to. Just sayin' shit breaks...

Yep, don't buy a grey market FP unit unless you can afford it being a total loss if it breaks. I have never felt the need to have a FP laser since I really don't need to mark anything past a few hundred yards and even civvy lasers go a long way under NODs, plus then I don't have to worry about a laser ND wrecking my vision which would end my career. In the past the real reason to get a FP unit was really the illuminator, not the laser, but nowadays there are eye-safe illuminators which exceed FP PEQs easily in terms of quality light throw.

Just throwing this out there, the laser on my civi dbal d2 is visible wayyyyy past any range you would ever use it to take a shot with helmet mounted NV. Laser is still visibile on objects 800 yards out.

Unless you are trying needing to signal for CAS and designate target past a Mile I would just buy a civi unit


Edit on the illuminator-

Same as the laser, the LED illuminator on my d2 is plenty bright for anything within helmet mount range. On a dark night I’ve lit up trees 800 yards out. Not that I could see shit that far with my bare eyes anyway... I don’t have a clip on to see that far

Cory T's answer was 150% spot on and accurate. That is how it be's. Nuff said .

TxWelder35 said:

Just throwing this out there, the laser on my civi dbal d2 is visible wayyyyy past any range you would ever use it to take a shot with helmet mounted NV. Laser is still visibile on objects 800 yards out.

Unless you are trying needing to signal for CAS and designate target past a Mile I would just buy a civi unit


Edit on the illuminator-

Same as the laser, the LED illuminator on my d2 is plenty bright for anything within helmet mount range. On a dark night I’ve lit up trees 800 yards out. Not that I could see shit that far with my bare eyes anyway... I don’t have a clip on to see that far

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Agreed, it goes a long damn ways…a long damn ways.

OP, there are also full power IR lasers sold to civilian market. Check out Luna ELIR and (I can’t remember the name right now but they come from some European country). I realize this doesn’t help you if you already bought a grey market unit that bit the dust, but if you’re just asking theoretically because you might buy one, then maybe this will help you (and others).

The Luna ELIR is made in the Dipol factory which is located in Belarus. Its bad to the bone on output.

Cory is correct. Either stolen or grey market.

If you're looking for some PEQs, PM me as we have a few we're not using.

You can build one more powerful than you could possibly want or safely use with NV for about $350. The biggest IR diode you can buy from Taiwan is 2,000Mw @ 845Nm for $56. I don't know what "Full power" means, but my guess is that it's nowhere near 500Mw. By contrast the Holosun iluminator is .7Mw. The most powerful laser you can legally sell in the US (as a complete laser) is 5Mw. There are no limits (yet) on what you can possess.
There are hardly any Lasers worth buying since it's so easy to build them from a kit or ala carte. I've built a half dozen, but never an IR one. Just a different diode.

Cory is correct!

Luna ELIR has a filter to neuter it's output. Be careful if you run it de-neutered if you like your eyesight, or your buddy's eyesight (I don't recommend running a de-neutered Luna on a helmet, I am only saying that because I have seen it).

Lasers are regulated by the FDA according to the Code of Federal Regulations (21CFR1040.10).

FP units are great for their FP illuminator. FP illuminators suck in mist, fog as you get a white out effect.

TheGerman said:

Cory is correct. Either stolen or grey market.

If you're looking for some PEQs, PM me as we have a few we're not using.

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Really you give Bayerische rabatt??

stefan73 said:

(I don't recommend running a de-neutered Luna on a helmet, I am only saying that because I have seen it).

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150% Very true words of wisdom there.

I own Luna's and there is no way I would ever put a de-neutered Luna on a helmet under any circumstances.

WhereNow&How said:

150% Very true words of wisdom there.

I own Luna's and there is no way I would ever put a de-neutered Luna on a helmet under any circumstances.

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Somethings you would think are common sense! But then again I know of a few kids running LA-5's and NGALs playing airsoft against other kids and ruining other peoples tubes and potential vision. If I ever caught them doing that crap I would be in trouble.

Poor youth. Years of legal pharmaceutical pills that the Doctors said would cure their issues done fried a lot of meat.

Once you fry meat, you can't unfry it.

Link to where your getting your diodes? I want to put a green diode into a La5 lol

Fig said:

You can build one more powerful than you could possibly want or safely use with NV for about $350. The biggest IR diode you can buy from Taiwan is 2,000Mw @ 845Nm for $56. I don't know what "Full power" means, but my guess is that it's nowhere near 500Mw. By contrast the Holosun iluminator is .7Mw. The most powerful laser you can legally sell in the US (as a complete laser) is 5Mw. There are no limits (yet) on what you can possess.
There are hardly any Lasers worth buying since it's so easy to build them from a kit or ala carte. I've built a half dozen, but never an IR one. Just a different diode.

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Arima, or every single supplier is on Alibaba.

CrazyDoc said:

Link to where your getting your diodes? I want to put a green diode into a La5 lol

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Are you planning on running laser protective glasses every time you use that? Also, aren't the LA5's epoxy filled?

LawnMM said:

I have a better way to remove the plug now if I need to. Just sayin' shit breaks...

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Curious, what is your method of removal. Mine is really tight so I leave it attached!

bill_van said:

Curious, what is your method of removal. Mine is really tight so I leave it attached!

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That's the first part for sure, I don't dick with it if I don't have to.

IF I have to remove it, I open a set of needle nose and press them sideways against the port. So I'll open the jaws then use the sides of the jaws behind the plug to support the port housing while I pull the plug out.

Holds the port housing inside the unit so it doesn't pull free again. At least till they redesign the port.

Thanks! I did something similar first time I removed it. Port stayed put but made me pretty nervous. Appreciate your input.

You can take a thin dull knife and slide between the Dbal port housing and the plug. Then twist it such that you are not actually pulling on the female guts of the Dbal where it will pull out. Prying the plug out instead of pulling it out, so to speak.

That is how I remove the plugs. Also you can take a pair of needle nose pliers and squeeze down real hard on the two metal prongs of the male plug and this also helps for a better fit. Kinda like breaking the pressure switch plug in before inserting into a Dbal.

Does a little dielectric grease help with it not sticking so bad?

stefan73 said:

Does a little dielectric grease help with it not sticking so bad?

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I would think so. Never have put any on mine yet, but it makes very good sense. I put it on everything else. Need to start doing it on the Dbals.

stefan73 said:

Are you planning on running laser protective glasses every time you use that? Also, aren't the LA5's epoxy filled?

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No and No. Just a lot of epoxy lol

They're are some vendors that sell older units and will handle sending them in for repair if you need service down the road...

I'm not saying it's right, but I'm sure thankful...

stefan73 said:

Does a little dielectric grease help with it not sticking so bad?

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It's not a question of it sticking, it's just aftermarket plugs like Unity and the like fit super tight. The port itself is just glued in, so it tends to want to just pull free from the body of the unit.

They need to redesign the port body with a flared end that's put in and glued from the back before the unit is screwed together so it can't pull out.

LawnMM said:

It's not a question of it sticking, it's just aftermarket plugs like Unity and the like fit super tight. The port itself is just glued in, so it tends to want to just pull free from the body of the unit.

They need to redesign the port body with a flared end that's put in and glued from the back before the unit is screwed together so it can't pull out.

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Ok, never messed with DBals. Good to know!