As for binos, I wrestled with the mono vs. bino angle and decided I had no interest in binos -- largely based on input from a former operator who warned me about lack of depth perception with binos AND about problems transitioning to unaided vision quickly when both eyes were aided. While I don't operate, I'm willing to trust the advice of someone who used this gear as a way of life for a while ... to guide me in my decisions. (As I understand it, duals are typically reserved for drivers and pilots, and even then, some training is still very much in order to overcome the lack of depth perception unless they're outfitted with the crazy quad tube offset units that provide depth, too.)
It is all fun and games until you hold up a mono tube in front of each eye. Then you'll really want binos.
CAG or whatever they are called, sometimes uses the quad tubes. Those have just become obtainable by civilians or people that don't have serious connections.
The L3Harris Ground Panoramic Night Vision Goggle (GPNVG)
tnvc.com
There are some things that one has to be mindful of with dual tubes. One is that if you're looking through them, you might not notice you've wandered into an area that is lit up enough for someone without night vision to see you. As you can imagine, that could turn out very bad. With a monocle that is less likely.
I'm more than willing to take my changes with dual tubes.
If memory serves, I seem to recall that the Photonis tubes use an ion barrier -- meaning they are technically neither filmed nor unfilmed. (Like film, the barrier will, however, result in less light than filmless.) I also seem to recall reading that Echo spec tubes are Gen 2 tubes -- good ones that rival many Gen 3 tubes ... but Gen 2 nonetheless, as that matters to some and may entail an upper bound. Finally, I seem to recall that the Echo spec isn't so much a spec as a grade of tube ... one that didn't make a specific cut, though I can't remember the cut it failed to make as it's been a while since I did my tube homework.
Pricing is appealing compared to TNVC's, but TNVC is rarely the cheapest on the block -- but you get what you pay for with them, I've read. I take it you feel similarly about JRHE?
I would say that TNVC is the best vendor. If I could have bought from them and received the unit in less than 4 months, I would have done so and gladly paid more than I did at JRH for a lesser tube. But one in the hand beats one on order, and the price was right. It was a toe in the water for me. But I did end up getting my duals from JRH. Their customer service is pretty decent. TNVC has better quality gear for the most part. It is more expensive.
Yes, the Photonis Echo tube may technically be "gen 2". I would challenge you to look through a high spec'd L3 Harris thin filmed tube vs my Photonis and find the difference. I was able to compare mine in exactly that way and nobody was able tell. Granted, we did have a very small amount of ambient light. Where the L3 Harris thin filmed shines is in extremely low or no light conditions. But that's based upon what I've read. I did not test them side by side in complete darkness.
Everyone has to make their own decisions when it comes to budget and what they are willing to tolerate in terms of specs, spots, and bless. Echo specs, for whatever reason, didn't make the cut for the French or Belgian military (I forget which). Mine was good on all the metrics but had a really tiny spot in zone 1. Honestly it doesn't bother me at all and most people don't notice it unless I tell them.
I'm not claiming to be an expert but I've been using mine for various things like walking around in the woods, shooting my ARs in the dark, etc. I feel like I got a good value with my current monocle and have no regrets.
A lot of guys get really wrapped around the axles when it comes to having the best gear. Personally, I'd rather be competent with a monocle than a bumbling amateur with quads.
There are a lot of dudes on Facebook that like to "flex on the poors" by showing off gear that most people cannot afford or aren't allowed to own under normal circumstance even if they had the money. I'm a slow footed software salesman. My days of zip lining out of a helo aren't behind me. They NEVER happened in the first place.
However, with some practice and training (which I also intend to partake of) I'll be reasonably competent. The advantages of night vision cannot be overstated in a SHTF situation. I'm looking forward to getting my duals assuming that Elbit doesn't get shut down with COVID or the clap. In the meantime I'm grateful to have a monocle and a thermal scope.
