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Night Vision Entry level PVS-14 Mounts

Crews

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
  • May 11, 2017
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    Hallsville, Tx
    I have a good quality PVS-14, wanting to get it head mounted for night navigation. I am really trying to save most of my budget for thermal, which by my judgement is way more important for what I do (night time hog hunting.)

    So, I am assuming the best option for me is a Crye Nightcap. I just need to figure out the most affordable way to mount it all up, and I know absolutely ZERO about this. What’s a realistic budget and equipment list for me if I need basic functionality but don’t want to half-ass it and get junk?
     
    The Crye NightCap is a very good solution. They work well. I also have had very good luck with buying Airsoft Clone Helmets of the Maritime Helmet Style and then rigging them out correctly. Rigging them out correctly means:

    1. Lancer or Atairsoft are just as good as any of the "Big Name" Bump Helmets, but much lower in price.



    2. Installing a 3 hole Ops Core Type VAS shroud. I have had very good luck with cheap Amazon "Chinese Shrouds" that perform just as well as the "real Ops Core VAS shrouds" that I have found to be somewhat sloppy and irregular as well. I actually think they get the Chinese to make them for them. For both the "real Ops Core" and Chinese clone copies you sometimes have to shim the inside of the surfaces with a little bit/sliver of electrical tape to take up any slack/chatter with the inserted mount. No big deal.


    3. Install a H Nape 4 point Chin strap. Again, the Airsoft cheap versions are just as durable and good as the "real stuff".


    4. Now here is the most important. Buy the Deluxe 4 D Helmet Pads from TNVC. That is the best $100 bucks or so you will ever spend on a helmet.


    5. The best mount out there is the Norotos Rhino 2 with a Dovetail Socket installed on it. Go to Fleabay and you can pic up new Rhino 2's from say $55 to $80 bucks and then put a dovetail socket on it. Go to TNVC for Nortos PVS 15/18 Dovetail Socket for $54. So you usually can rig the Norotos Rhino 2 Dovetail up for around $125 vs buying it already assembled which will run you about $325.


    6. Now if you ever think you might buy another PVS 14 or Breach and want to run dual NV or NV & Thermal, you are money ahead to go on and buy the $350 Mod Armory Lite Weight Bridge mount. Point being a Wilcox G24 mount is $500 plus the Wilcox J Arm is $200 for a grand total of $700 for mount and J arm that only allows ever running one device. You are better off buying the Mod Armory Light Weight at $350 and just take one of the arms off while you are running single and if at a later date you buy another 14 just put the arm back on and you now have Bino's.

    7. To finish out the helmet scenario above you would also add a TNVC Mohawk and appropriate counter weights depending if running a single or duals.

    Now if you just go with the Night Cap, I still recommend the above 3 hole VAS Shroud and the Norotos Rhino 2 with Dovetail and Mod Armory Light Weight Bridge Mount. They all polish out the Night Cap very well. When you go down the NV & Thermal rabbit hole it really helps to learn how to stretch dollars while still maintaining excellent performance. Some places you can cut corners and be ok, others not so. Buy good solid NV & Thermal devices, then you can usually save some money by prudently putting together the accessories. There is a lot of "Mr. Cool Guy Operator Advice" out there that is more designed to take your money than really make you effective.

    Hope this helps you in some of your choices & options. IMHO it pays to really study, learn and think about assembling your setups so that you become knowledgeable and spend your money once and wisely.

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    I’ve had good success with nightcap, Wilcox shroud, rhino 2 and j-arm. It was a cheaper way to get started and has worked so well I haven’t wanted to change.

    Yes, there are slicker and lighter options but the benefit never seemed to outweigh the cost to upgrade.
     
    IMHO I would do everything possible to get away from the standard Horn type mount interface and go strictly with all Dovetail mounts if you can. I have seen all the "Bungee Cord Type Fix's" for all the slack and sloppiness of the Horn interface. I have ZERO slack and sloppiness in all of my Dovetail various configurations I run. Having NODS that are not flopping all over the place is an absolute must IMHO for having a pleasurable and reliable NV experience.
     
    ^^^ this is a big one.

    I will say that I was warned the j-arm would flop around a lot but I got lucky with mine. It has virtually no play so it doesn’t bounce around. I would look for something different if it did.
     
    I also have a Crye Nightcap. I have a large size head, so its not ideal for me but it does still work and the PVS-14 is stable enough to move and shoot. I also have a bump helmet, which is a better solution, but I still carry the nightcap in a small bag with the PVS-14 to throw in the car for night time hiking or star gazing.

    For the Nightcap, you really just need a Wilcox Shroud (its pre-drilled to fit it) and some kind of mount along with the J-arm that probably came with your tube. The Rhino II mount from ebay (or others) is the cheapest practical mount (< $50 used), and it does work. Next up from that would be something like a Wilcox G11 which is a bit lighter and more adjustable - you can sometimes find these used for a bit over $200. Honestly you don't need anything more expensive than that with the nightcap.

    I would also recommend you fashion some kind of lanyard - even if its just thin paracord - to connect your tube directly to the nightcap. You don't want to drop your expensive tube just because your J-arm or mount was not fully engaged.
     
    6. Now if you ever think you might buy another PVS 14 or Breach and want to run dual NV or NV & Thermal, you are money ahead to go on and buy the $350 Mod Armory Lite Weight Bridge mount. Point being a Wilcox G24 mount is $500 plus the Wilcox J Arm is $200 for a grand total of $700 for mount and J arm that only allows ever running one device. You are better off buying the Mod Armory Light Weight at $350 and just take one of the arms off while you are running single and if at a later date you buy another 14 just put the arm back on and you now have Bino's.

    +1 on the D-14. Even if you only stay with a monocular, it's a slick way to "upgrade" it, making it a articulating monocular. Instead of stowing your -14 sticking up over your head ready to smack into something, you just swing it up to the side so it's eyebrow level. When you do stow it, you can fold it down so it lays flat against your helmet/head.

    4D pads are a must have IMO. They make it much more comfortable to wear for long periods.
     
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    +1 on the D-14. Even if you only stay with a monocular, it's a slick way to "upgrade" it, making it a articulating monocular. Instead of stowing your -14 sticking up over your head ready to smack into something, you just swing it up to the side so it's eyebrow level. When you do stow it, you can fold it down so it lays flat against your helmet/head.

    4D pads are a must have IMO. They make it much more comfortable to wear for long periods.
    Will, you brought out an excellent point about the stowing of the 14 with the Mod Armory mounts. It is slick as Owl shit. Also, your recommendation on 4D pads is the best $100 bucks anyone will ever spend on any helmet setup. I can not imagine ever wearing a helmet without 4D pads now. Life would suck !
     
    I can not imagine ever wearing a helmet without 4D pads now. Life would suck !

    Agreed! I've seen this come up a few times so better mention - if your helmet is bordering too tight then the 4D pads might not be so great you might have to go up a size. Only way to find out is to try it unfortunately.
     
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