I’m very interested in a NVD with the new ultralight PVS-14 housings. Night Vision Devices (solid reputation) has their UL-14 available in pretty much any IIT you want, and both PRG Defense & AGM Global Vision (same or sister companies by my research, and I have no info on their reputations in the industry) have their PVS-14 OMEGA devices with Harris tubes. They look identical, so not sure who actually makes the housing & lenses.
Outside of the weak web descriptions and sales people who simply repeat those ssme weak web description, I can’t find any first-hand reviews or assessments, comparisons, tabletops, etc. on these units. Has anyone actually used one?
This may be my first device, and I really like the weight coming in at 66% of a legacy 14, and the digital switches appear to be similar to the type used on the FLIR Breach, which I have and like. Looks like a real improvement, unless it’s total junk. I gotta know!
I was tempted to get a pair of dual UL-14’s when they came out for the weight savings but went a different way. The closest answer you can get are from guys who have the BNVD-UL because it uses the buttons so same electronics and same optics. There are at least 3 guys that have them who are on the AR-15 NV forum. They look the same or at least the same button housing. I went on their site and they have pics of the “Omega” with the push button housing but with standard -14 optics. They’re probably just buying them from Night Vision Devices and added “Omega” for marketing or whatever. I don’t think anyones making the housings for NVD because they’re the only place I’ve seen them. If they’re not NVD’s then they could be getting them that way. NVD is great (or was last I contacted) about answering questions so you could call them for the skinny. I don’t know anything about PRG/AGM. The thing to look out for are what tubes they’re selecting for “Omega”. NVD does a bunch of different classifications that you can read on their website. Some dealers are picking the XLS tubes from NVD. They can have good “main” specs like resolution and signal to noise while the other important specs (like photocathode response, EBI, halo) are lousy so “should” be priced accordingly. I wouldn’t buy anything new that doesn’t come with a spec sheet from the mfg. Ask specifically what the tubes are per how NVD classifies them if that’s who they’re getting them from. If you can pick your tubes by the spec sheets than even better. I’m not schilling for him but Robert Henry (JRH Enterprises) has been selling NVD’s stuff for a long time. He knows how they classify them, will shoot you straight, and he’s good people. If I were to buy a NVD device, I’d personally either buy it from him or direct from NVD if they gave good price. They usually push people to their dealers.
Forgot to add, if they won’t tell you who they’re getting the tubes from or the particulars on the tubes, I’d hard pass.