I recently was fortunate to be able to use the GPNVG for about a week while I had it for a customer demo. While I had them I posted a video overview (link below). This post is to share info for some common questions I've received since posting the video.
The first thing to get out of the way is the #1 question "Are they worth it?". My answer to that is YES but only if you can genuinely afford them. The GPNVG is the most iconic night vision device ever made, battle tested by the most elite warfighters of the USA, and is arguably the most highly desired night vision goggle in existence. If the average night vision user won the lotto they'd be buying these the same day. So most definitely, if you can legitimately afford them, why would you not buy them now that they are available for purchase by US Citizens? However, they ARE NOT worth it if you have to put yourself into financial hardship. They are an expensive niche product best suited to the higher end civilian user who enjoys very expensive toys.
The first time using them it was surprising how much brighter the scene appears because of the 4 unfilmed white phosphor tubes. With a good Moon and without any Moon you have the sensation that there is more ambient light compared to dual tubes. The additional FOV took a little getting used to at first because you're not used to seeing things outside the typical 40 degree FOV. For example when I turned on the X300V on my helmet, when the outer tube on that side lit up, it took me by surprise. Same thing with meteors and such that you don't normally notice outside the traditional 40 degree FOV. In very low light conditions the extra FOV and brightness calms your senses down because everything seems brighter and you're not scanning as much as with the traditional 40 degree FOV. Driving blacked out is absolutely phenomenal as would be expected.
I wondered if the fixed diopters might yield a less than ideal image but that wasn't the case at all. It was actually refreshing to not worry about messing with the diopters and only having the objectives to deal with which are easy to focus. A very functional feature was the ability to focus the outside objectives to near distances. The optics perform exceptionally well. You lose peripheral vision with your unaided eyes however the extra FOV makes it up for it for the most part.
The on/off button is as simple as it gets and is easy to find. Using a battery pack as the only power source is a huge plus with the added reassurance to simply unplug the cable from the side of the goggle with zero worry of accidentally turning them on or leaving them on. The BNVS version (dovetail) does not turn off automatically when you stow them. The ANVS (ball detent) version does however. I'm a huge ball-detent fan as it is because of the dead reliable on/off so I'd personally go with the ANVS configuration, however, BNVS is the most secure.
The weight is definitely noticeable as would be expected. They feel similar to dual PVS-14s although the distribution is obviously different. The weight isn't a major issue with proper counterbalancing and helmet adjustments. 4D pads are a must with any helmet IMO but more so with heavier rigs such as the GPNVG.
Binoculars such as the L3Harris BNVD (aka PVS-31A), BNVD1531s, and DTNVS are lighter with articulation, more comfortable to wear for longer periods, and are more practical, but one thing is for sure, if all of them are laying on a table for you to pick from, odds are 99.9% that you'll grab the GPNVG. After my time was up with them, it was a bummer going back to traditional dual tubes.
The first thing to get out of the way is the #1 question "Are they worth it?". My answer to that is YES but only if you can genuinely afford them. The GPNVG is the most iconic night vision device ever made, battle tested by the most elite warfighters of the USA, and is arguably the most highly desired night vision goggle in existence. If the average night vision user won the lotto they'd be buying these the same day. So most definitely, if you can legitimately afford them, why would you not buy them now that they are available for purchase by US Citizens? However, they ARE NOT worth it if you have to put yourself into financial hardship. They are an expensive niche product best suited to the higher end civilian user who enjoys very expensive toys.
The first time using them it was surprising how much brighter the scene appears because of the 4 unfilmed white phosphor tubes. With a good Moon and without any Moon you have the sensation that there is more ambient light compared to dual tubes. The additional FOV took a little getting used to at first because you're not used to seeing things outside the typical 40 degree FOV. For example when I turned on the X300V on my helmet, when the outer tube on that side lit up, it took me by surprise. Same thing with meteors and such that you don't normally notice outside the traditional 40 degree FOV. In very low light conditions the extra FOV and brightness calms your senses down because everything seems brighter and you're not scanning as much as with the traditional 40 degree FOV. Driving blacked out is absolutely phenomenal as would be expected.
I wondered if the fixed diopters might yield a less than ideal image but that wasn't the case at all. It was actually refreshing to not worry about messing with the diopters and only having the objectives to deal with which are easy to focus. A very functional feature was the ability to focus the outside objectives to near distances. The optics perform exceptionally well. You lose peripheral vision with your unaided eyes however the extra FOV makes it up for it for the most part.
The on/off button is as simple as it gets and is easy to find. Using a battery pack as the only power source is a huge plus with the added reassurance to simply unplug the cable from the side of the goggle with zero worry of accidentally turning them on or leaving them on. The BNVS version (dovetail) does not turn off automatically when you stow them. The ANVS (ball detent) version does however. I'm a huge ball-detent fan as it is because of the dead reliable on/off so I'd personally go with the ANVS configuration, however, BNVS is the most secure.
The weight is definitely noticeable as would be expected. They feel similar to dual PVS-14s although the distribution is obviously different. The weight isn't a major issue with proper counterbalancing and helmet adjustments. 4D pads are a must with any helmet IMO but more so with heavier rigs such as the GPNVG.
Binoculars such as the L3Harris BNVD (aka PVS-31A), BNVD1531s, and DTNVS are lighter with articulation, more comfortable to wear for longer periods, and are more practical, but one thing is for sure, if all of them are laying on a table for you to pick from, odds are 99.9% that you'll grab the GPNVG. After my time was up with them, it was a bummer going back to traditional dual tubes.
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