Re: NV Newbie
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: One-Eyed Jack</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm pretty new to NV as well and still climbing a steep learning curve. I recently bought a PVS-14 NV monocular because it can be used in several different ways and has a Gen 3 image intensifier tube. I recommend you get an "autogated, Gen 3" night vision device with "manual gain control" for better NV performance.
A PVS-14 can be used on a rifle behind a red dot, such as the Aimpoint T1, or a low-power scope, such as the SpecterDR. In addition, there are screw-on 3x and 5x magnifiers for the PVS-14, and I found a used 3x magnifier on eBay. The PVS-14 doesn't have a reticle, so any optic in front of it would need to have NV-compatible reticle illumination - I don't think your Leupolds are NV compatible. Some NF scopes are NV compatible, for example.
If you want to use the PVS-14 with one of the Leupold scopes you mentioned, you might have to raise the scope so that it aligns with the PVS optical centerline, and the useful magnification would likely be 6x or less. The LaRue PVS-14 mount puts the optical centerline at 1.7", for example, so the choice of a PVS mount should consider the height of the scope.
If you want higher magnification, you might have to go with a D-760 NV 6x scope, or a PVS-24 in front of your Leupolds - good to 6x or 8x I think. Stick with Gen 3 NV equipment if possible as it will have better resolution ("line pairs per millimeter"), contrast, and signal to noise. No matter how much you pay for your NV sight, it's wasted if it provides a poor image. Some dealers offer a hand-selected image intensifier tube (IIT) for maximum NV performance.
Then there is the additional question of illumination. If you hunt in bright moonlight you will probably be OKay hog hunting with a good PVS-14 and a NV-compatible red dot optic; if not, then you might need some IR illumination. The illuminator brightness you need depends on how far you want to throw IR photons. Many IR flashlights are good to 50-100 yards or so, and beyond this distance you will probably need a laser IR source like a PEQ-2A. In addition, there are IR and visible light aiming lasers that put a bright spot on the POI, so you will avoid the need for a NV-compatible scope reticle for sighting.
Every aspect of NV seems to a deep pit of technology, additional cost, and many choices. Moreover, government regulations prohibit initial sales of some useful equipment to civilians (LE and mil only).
As you've probably imagined while reading this post, NV can be a money pit, and it is. You can check out prices of new and used gear on various auction websites and online dealers like TNVC. Be prepared to pay out at least a few thousand dollars for a good working system. A PVS-14 monocular will usually run $2500-3500, depending mainly on the IIT (new or used, "Omni classification", hand selecion,...). Since you don't want to spend hours reading technical websites, I won't post any links, but there are NV-related websites that dive deeply into the subject. If you're deciding between different PVS-14s, the figure of merit is "lines per millimeter" x "signal to noise ratio" -- the higher the better (and often the higher the price).
I welcome any corrections to what I've written so I can learn a little more about NV.
PS I noticed that you said NV was "above you", so I suggest that you get together with someone in your area who uses NV equipment. I think hands-on experience will get you some answers to what will work for you without having to read a lot and guess the solution. </div></div>
a day optic with non illuminated reticle works fine with a pvs-14. you do not need an illuminated reticle. actually if you have a good scope with good glass i prefer not to have an illum reticle due to the fact they generally bloom a little too much for me.
i would take the advice of getting the universal adapter from someone like tnvc and this will give you the ability to couple your pvs-14 with almost any scope, binos or spotter etc. it actually works quite well and the versatility of the system is very hard to beat if you are looking for a do it all system.
hope this helps. feel free to ask questions as i have had a 14 behind alot of shit and tried various things.
dg
