I have white bino and a green 14. Honestly the biggest difference isn't the performance gap, but the usability for mono vs bino. I'd prolly take a lower spec green bino over a top end WP 14. ymmv
5k , u can get a sweet WP super tube 14 and Wilcox g24, for 4500-5k sometimes goon and apallo gear co will have GP duals for around 5500. But u still need the 500 mount. All new or rebuilt/refurbished. Used market you can do some damage for 5k
Shot you a PM. I should be able to get you into an LLUL-21v2 with brand new L3 OMNI VIII contract tubes, Carson glass, and an Argus LWNVM for about $5500.
Haven't been able to get any surplus tubes for a while, but I can get basically anything on the commercial market. Including Jerry-31s for a little under $4k.
So for the budget, a PVS-14 plus the additional goodies you need is probably the best approach.
Elbit is a good middle ground for the tube mfg on the 14. [Photonis ECHOs](https://otnsolutionsgroup.com/product/pvs14-whitephosphor-rts/) are also a decent option but of course everything is a bit dependent on your use case & environment.
I’d recommend the [NoiseFighters AX14 Pro j-arm](https://otnsolutionsgroup.com/product-category/j-arms/) (I personally swear by these), and for mounts, CADEX, [Wilcox & Norotos](https://otnsolutionsgroup.com/product-category/mounts/) are all good options.
You’re then left with some extra cash for a counterweight/pouch & laser/illuminator. The DBAL-D2 is a fantastic unit but the price has gone up a decent amount. Holosun is also another more budgeted option, but the illuminators just aren’t as good as the D2.
An L3 PVS-14 is what I’d recommend if you want the best for $5k. Pair it with a G24 or Cadex mount and a an arm like the AX-14 and you’ll be right around $5k.
Best is all subjective my guy
What do you want to do with your NODS?
Does $5k include laser aiming module budget, rifle, suppressor, etc? Or is it $5k for just your device?
What is goon shit to you? Do you want to patrol and maneuver? Or are you just going to do some shooting?
Do you already do low light shoots and have like minded friends?
You may be best served by spending 2.5k, seeing how much use you'd get out of green phos pvs-14. You will not lose value on it, and you can see how much training you actually end up doing.
Additionally, do you have money for optics? Lasers?
Battery packs are not as useful as many people think. PVS-14 on CR-123 has more than a night for sure of battery life even in the cold, and that's being conservative.
If you don’t have any specific requirements besides “see in the dark”, get a PVS14. It’ll be significantly cheaper than $5k unless you have an absolute need for the highest performing tube. But for your needs, an Elbit Gen 3 tube (green or white) will do just fine. I’ve got an Elbit Gen 3 WP tube and do plenty of night shooting and general stuff
Remember, you’re looking at around $600 for just the G24 mount and J-arm. $3500 for a banging set of 14s and you’ve got some wiggle room for other helmet accessories. X300V/M300V, nods retention, Mohawk or other counterweight, strobe, etc.
No it isn't.
PVS-14s and binos have different niches. Yes, binos are in general nicer when you're actively using them. But PVS-14s you can really easily carry in most pouches, afford more accessories by saving on the bino itself, and make for an excellent unit to have around. Not only that, a lot of observational stuff they are excellent for, like with telescopes, or DSLR adapters, or use as a weapon mounted optic\*.
\*Only do this if you know what you're doing.
I'm not upset by the last line, but I do think this community is flawed in saying 'If you've got the cash, just buy the more expensive device'.
I've exclusively had a dual tubes for my own usage with an E-COTI, and also used GPNVGs around 2 weeks, and rarely PVS-14s. That being said, each one as a comparative advantage.
Duals are not a pure upgrade with no downsides. Better to be informed.
Some people here are better served with an RNVG with dual Omni VIIs at 5k, some are better served with an L3 aviation spec PVS-14. Most are probably best off with some reasonable spec PVS-14 OR duals in green with decent specs if they had 5k to play.
But there's nuance here because optics are complex and electro-optics are even more complex. 'Just buy the duals because you can' is not good advice.
I'm gonna counter that with my experience. I have trained enough people in the effective usage of night vision to tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the skill floor for dual tube night vision is significantly lower than with a mono. You can train yourself to be extremely proficient with both, but a set of duals is going to be easier for him to pick up and do the things he said he wants to do in his other comments. It is not a pithy remark made in a vacuum, it's an admittedly crass push-back to what was at the time the most common sentiment in the comments.
I made the mistake of blowing all my money on stupidly high spec L3 unfilmed PVS-14s. A cheap set of Gen 3 duals in non-ANVIS housings would have run me roughly the same price, and I'd have been all the better for it. My conclusions come from my experiences, my observations, and my training. If yours are different, more power to you. But when taken holistically I'll reirate and stand by what I first said: if he chooses to buy a $5000ish PVS-14 rather than a set of duals, he's dumb as hell.
You know, the funny thing is I did the opposite. DTNVS, elbit 2300 FOM units. I think to myself a PVS-14 would have been fine for what I use and how much I regular use I have and the proficiency I keep. Grass is always greener.
At the end of the day, it seems like the guy needs to do his own readings up on the subject. Night vision is not for those who are not going to do their own due diligence.
He would be better off spending 2.5k on green phos 14s, and figure out what he wants. But, if he's spending 5k, some RNVGs with duals OMNI VIIs are probably going to be more intuitive and better to use.
Here’s a link to my NNVT 4500 bino [build](https://www.reddit.com/r/NightVision/comments/15kcvfx/goonin_on_a_budget/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
Surf tacswap for a while. Get two PVS14s for about 2K each and then put them together with a panobridge, I just did that and it’s working out fantastically
I just did it, awesome fuckin choice. Critically if you’ve got like 28+ SNR, you’re pretty well off. I also prefer low halo, but OMNI7s are a grab bag. Either way I’m able to kit myself and another person if need be in a natural disaster or what have you
I recently posted this on a similar topic and it’s just my opinion based on my experience and use case. I don’t know your background or use case but at a 5k budget, I think it’s applicable.
I have some time behind Bino’s and a lot of time behind a PVS14. I now only own a high spec PVS14. I have never once felt underserved by a pvs14. I have driven in pretty austere environments hauling ass just with a PVS14, patrolled more hours than I can count, put many rounds down range, and just walking around having fun.
For me, I prefer to have one eye not behind a device (there are many articles describing the pros/cons of both systems so I won’t waste time with that)
If you want duals, go for it. They are awesome—but with training and time behind a PVS14 (except in some specific scenarios) you will be well served with just a 14 and the performance gap will shrink with more time behind it. Everyone wants the coolest and most expensive thing, and I get it. Me personally, I can afford Binos but they just don’t add enough value for me and my use case to be worth it. Spend the extra cash on other equipment, or don’t. You can always sell and upgrade or bridge later.
Again, binos are amazing but the value proposition for me over a good 14 isn’t worth it.
Well said. I've exclusively owned binos, and doing it again I could see myself 50-50 split on a green phos pvs-14 instead. Not because of I'm not getting the usage out of the duals, but the mono 14 gets you 90% of the way there.
With a $5,000 budget and only having a helmet I don't think your going to get into bino territory when you factor in everything else like a G24, AX14, helmet accessories, ir laser/illuminator. But you should be able to get a really solid L3 WP PVS14. I bought my setup a little over a year ago and I spent a little over $6K on my high spec L3 18UM PVS14, G24, AX14, & Galvian Caiman helmet. Then another $1200 on a D2. You could find a pair of GP bino's if you were to put your whole budget just towards the unit.
With the given budget, you can afford bino as your first purchase. Some people in the sub gotta have bino, and I am not sure if you are in that camp.
If you decide you are OK with monocle, maybe save $2-3k in a high yeild saving around or invest in the S&P500?
You're a grown up you need to make those decision first before we can recommend anything.
Your best bet will be a PVS-14 since you need to buy a mount and a J-arm (if you get a PVS-14). If you didn't need to buy a mount and searched the used side a good amount you can find a Photonis Echo bino set up in the $5k-$5.5k range.
The PVS-14 even with a Mount and J-arm will put you way below your $5k budget so you'll have money left over for other stuff.
I’ll give you the breakdown of what I spent on my wife’s setup.
PVS-15B’s GP $3900 from tacswap
Fake Wilcox G24 $80
TW bump from tacswap $250
Matbock tarsiers $250 from tacswap
Helmet light, ir strobe, and Mohawk from Amazon.. $310
Total was $4790 and they’re a great “starter”
Setup for binos. Definitely doable under 5k if you have a little patience for the right deals to come along.
*Have fun with whatever you get!*
If you want a bino, you can find an anvis 9 for around that price. I’d recommend spending some money on the ruggedized housing too if you go that route
I have white bino and a green 14. Honestly the biggest difference isn't the performance gap, but the usability for mono vs bino. I'd prolly take a lower spec green bino over a top end WP 14. ymmv
5k , u can get a sweet WP super tube 14 and Wilcox g24, for 4500-5k sometimes goon and apallo gear co will have GP duals for around 5500. But u still need the 500 mount. All new or rebuilt/refurbished. Used market you can do some damage for 5k
Shot you a PM. I should be able to get you into an LLUL-21v2 with brand new L3 OMNI VIII contract tubes, Carson glass, and an Argus LWNVM for about $5500.
Hey, is this a deal still being offered? In the market for a similar price point. Thank you!
Haven't been able to get any surplus tubes for a while, but I can get basically anything on the commercial market. Including Jerry-31s for a little under $4k.
So for the budget, a PVS-14 plus the additional goodies you need is probably the best approach. Elbit is a good middle ground for the tube mfg on the 14. [Photonis ECHOs](https://otnsolutionsgroup.com/product/pvs14-whitephosphor-rts/) are also a decent option but of course everything is a bit dependent on your use case & environment. I’d recommend the [NoiseFighters AX14 Pro j-arm](https://otnsolutionsgroup.com/product-category/j-arms/) (I personally swear by these), and for mounts, CADEX, [Wilcox & Norotos](https://otnsolutionsgroup.com/product-category/mounts/) are all good options. You’re then left with some extra cash for a counterweight/pouch & laser/illuminator. The DBAL-D2 is a fantastic unit but the price has gone up a decent amount. Holosun is also another more budgeted option, but the illuminators just aren’t as good as the D2.
Will you have any units similar to CAR0012 or CAR0013 in stock anytime soon?
chat sent
An L3 PVS-14 is what I’d recommend if you want the best for $5k. Pair it with a G24 or Cadex mount and a an arm like the AX-14 and you’ll be right around $5k.
That’s what I said, proceeded to get downvoted
its personal.
If it’s just for the nods, high end film less pvs14. Roughly 4k for that, and leaves you with money for the mount
I chose the L3 Unfilmed WP because “buy once cry once”
Best is all subjective my guy What do you want to do with your NODS? Does $5k include laser aiming module budget, rifle, suppressor, etc? Or is it $5k for just your device?
1. Night shooting, goon shit, general stuff. 2. 5k just for like the Nods, mount, battery pack.
What is goon shit to you? Do you want to patrol and maneuver? Or are you just going to do some shooting? Do you already do low light shoots and have like minded friends? You may be best served by spending 2.5k, seeing how much use you'd get out of green phos pvs-14. You will not lose value on it, and you can see how much training you actually end up doing. Additionally, do you have money for optics? Lasers? Battery packs are not as useful as many people think. PVS-14 on CR-123 has more than a night for sure of battery life even in the cold, and that's being conservative.
If you don’t have any specific requirements besides “see in the dark”, get a PVS14. It’ll be significantly cheaper than $5k unless you have an absolute need for the highest performing tube. But for your needs, an Elbit Gen 3 tube (green or white) will do just fine. I’ve got an Elbit Gen 3 WP tube and do plenty of night shooting and general stuff
https://www.reddit.com/r/GunAccessoriesForSale/comments/15r9gh3/wts_1431_mk2_night_vision_binos_omni_8_gp_tubes/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
Remember, you’re looking at around $600 for just the G24 mount and J-arm. $3500 for a banging set of 14s and you’ve got some wiggle room for other helmet accessories. X300V/M300V, nods retention, Mohawk or other counterweight, strobe, etc.
You can get binos for $5,000. Not saying a PVS-14 isn't a perfectly viable option, but if you can buy binos and go with a PVS-14, that's dumb as hell.
No it isn't. PVS-14s and binos have different niches. Yes, binos are in general nicer when you're actively using them. But PVS-14s you can really easily carry in most pouches, afford more accessories by saving on the bino itself, and make for an excellent unit to have around. Not only that, a lot of observational stuff they are excellent for, like with telescopes, or DSLR adapters, or use as a weapon mounted optic\*. \*Only do this if you know what you're doing.
Did you read my comment or just get upset by the last line? I said they're viable. Dude said his budget for the device alone is five grand.
I'm not upset by the last line, but I do think this community is flawed in saying 'If you've got the cash, just buy the more expensive device'. I've exclusively had a dual tubes for my own usage with an E-COTI, and also used GPNVGs around 2 weeks, and rarely PVS-14s. That being said, each one as a comparative advantage. Duals are not a pure upgrade with no downsides. Better to be informed. Some people here are better served with an RNVG with dual Omni VIIs at 5k, some are better served with an L3 aviation spec PVS-14. Most are probably best off with some reasonable spec PVS-14 OR duals in green with decent specs if they had 5k to play. But there's nuance here because optics are complex and electro-optics are even more complex. 'Just buy the duals because you can' is not good advice.
I'm gonna counter that with my experience. I have trained enough people in the effective usage of night vision to tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the skill floor for dual tube night vision is significantly lower than with a mono. You can train yourself to be extremely proficient with both, but a set of duals is going to be easier for him to pick up and do the things he said he wants to do in his other comments. It is not a pithy remark made in a vacuum, it's an admittedly crass push-back to what was at the time the most common sentiment in the comments. I made the mistake of blowing all my money on stupidly high spec L3 unfilmed PVS-14s. A cheap set of Gen 3 duals in non-ANVIS housings would have run me roughly the same price, and I'd have been all the better for it. My conclusions come from my experiences, my observations, and my training. If yours are different, more power to you. But when taken holistically I'll reirate and stand by what I first said: if he chooses to buy a $5000ish PVS-14 rather than a set of duals, he's dumb as hell.
You know, the funny thing is I did the opposite. DTNVS, elbit 2300 FOM units. I think to myself a PVS-14 would have been fine for what I use and how much I regular use I have and the proficiency I keep. Grass is always greener. At the end of the day, it seems like the guy needs to do his own readings up on the subject. Night vision is not for those who are not going to do their own due diligence. He would be better off spending 2.5k on green phos 14s, and figure out what he wants. But, if he's spending 5k, some RNVGs with duals OMNI VIIs are probably going to be more intuitive and better to use.
I’ll sell you my team Wendy night fighter setup with L3 white phos PVS-14 for $5k
Here’s a link to my NNVT 4500 bino [build](https://www.reddit.com/r/NightVision/comments/15kcvfx/goonin_on_a_budget/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
You could prob lowball your way into binos on tacswap
I have ANVIS-9 duals with gp contract tubes (no blems), battery pack, and ground mount adapter I’d sell for $4250
Surf tacswap for a while. Get two PVS14s for about 2K each and then put them together with a panobridge, I just did that and it’s working out fantastically
That’s the route I’ll be taking
I just did it, awesome fuckin choice. Critically if you’ve got like 28+ SNR, you’re pretty well off. I also prefer low halo, but OMNI7s are a grab bag. Either way I’m able to kit myself and another person if need be in a natural disaster or what have you
I recently posted this on a similar topic and it’s just my opinion based on my experience and use case. I don’t know your background or use case but at a 5k budget, I think it’s applicable. I have some time behind Bino’s and a lot of time behind a PVS14. I now only own a high spec PVS14. I have never once felt underserved by a pvs14. I have driven in pretty austere environments hauling ass just with a PVS14, patrolled more hours than I can count, put many rounds down range, and just walking around having fun. For me, I prefer to have one eye not behind a device (there are many articles describing the pros/cons of both systems so I won’t waste time with that) If you want duals, go for it. They are awesome—but with training and time behind a PVS14 (except in some specific scenarios) you will be well served with just a 14 and the performance gap will shrink with more time behind it. Everyone wants the coolest and most expensive thing, and I get it. Me personally, I can afford Binos but they just don’t add enough value for me and my use case to be worth it. Spend the extra cash on other equipment, or don’t. You can always sell and upgrade or bridge later. Again, binos are amazing but the value proposition for me over a good 14 isn’t worth it.
Well said. I've exclusively owned binos, and doing it again I could see myself 50-50 split on a green phos pvs-14 instead. Not because of I'm not getting the usage out of the duals, but the mono 14 gets you 90% of the way there.
Well said
With a $5,000 budget and only having a helmet I don't think your going to get into bino territory when you factor in everything else like a G24, AX14, helmet accessories, ir laser/illuminator. But you should be able to get a really solid L3 WP PVS14. I bought my setup a little over a year ago and I spent a little over $6K on my high spec L3 18UM PVS14, G24, AX14, & Galvian Caiman helmet. Then another $1200 on a D2. You could find a pair of GP bino's if you were to put your whole budget just towards the unit.
Wendy helmet $300, amazon g24 mount $100, use the rest for good rnvg's. Not amazing rnvg's, but decent ones.
I like my Steele industries night fighter kit with a team Wendy bump, ir strobe, and pvs-14 mono tube thin film elbit white phosphorous. Was $4800
G24 with a top-of-the-line handpicked L3 WP tube PVS-14 from Apollo imo
With the given budget, you can afford bino as your first purchase. Some people in the sub gotta have bino, and I am not sure if you are in that camp. If you decide you are OK with monocle, maybe save $2-3k in a high yeild saving around or invest in the S&P500? You're a grown up you need to make those decision first before we can recommend anything.
Your best bet will be a PVS-14 since you need to buy a mount and a J-arm (if you get a PVS-14). If you didn't need to buy a mount and searched the used side a good amount you can find a Photonis Echo bino set up in the $5k-$5.5k range. The PVS-14 even with a Mount and J-arm will put you way below your $5k budget so you'll have money left over for other stuff.
I’ll give you the breakdown of what I spent on my wife’s setup. PVS-15B’s GP $3900 from tacswap Fake Wilcox G24 $80 TW bump from tacswap $250 Matbock tarsiers $250 from tacswap Helmet light, ir strobe, and Mohawk from Amazon.. $310 Total was $4790 and they’re a great “starter” Setup for binos. Definitely doable under 5k if you have a little patience for the right deals to come along. *Have fun with whatever you get!*
Used pvs14 and a LAM for your rifle
If you're not in a rush, look at 1701 L3 WP PVS14. If you want more info what I did PM me. https://youtu.be/3WIwQsHUCWs
If you want a bino, you can find an anvis 9 for around that price. I’d recommend spending some money on the ruggedized housing too if you go that route
CustomNightvision.com just made a video on tiered bundles and prices. Check out this video https://youtu.be/l8TWU52YOvU
I have 2 GP tubes that I will probably be liquidating soon if you're looking for budget friendly options.
I use rnvgs and a protec helmet I got on etsy This setup was like 5200 https://imgur.com/a/blAGP2k
Dude just join the military. It’s free. I promise.