#PVS31

For this week’s Friday Night Lights we resume our Dual Tube Spotlight and look at a new bino NVG from ATN. The ATN PS31 is an articulating housing that resembles an L3 PVS-31 but it has features that set it apart from the pinnacle of dual tube night vision goggles.

Well, things have escalated quickly since my last Friday Night Lights. I wrote about modifying dummy PVS-31 into functional night vision devices. I also mentioned a new night vision housing dubbed the BNVD-1431. In a very short amount of time, I was able to get my hands on a BNVD-1431 housing. It is a PVS-31 clone but more importantly uses PVS-14 optics. There is a bit of drama and mystery surrounding this newly desirable night vision housing so let’s take a closer look.

The PVS-31s are the ultimate in binocular night vision goggles. They are made by L3 Technologies and the price tag is not for the faint of heart. Just ask fellow writer Richard L. he has a set. PVS-31 cost around $10k. Well in the world of night vision users, specifically airsoft night vision users there have been some really clever individuals using a dummy set of night vision and converting them into functional dummy PVS-31. Typical binocular night vision like ANVIS6/9, Sentinels, and RNVGs are not articulated. The PVS-15 is but has a limited range for the monocular pods. The DTNVG and PVS-31 have a full range of motion and the monocular pods have magnetic switches that shut power to the tubes when they are folded open or the unit is folded up against the helmet. With the dummy PVS-31 as a starting point, you have the articulation due to the bridge design.

Graphene is a form of carbon that is only 1 atom thick. Without Graphene, none of this technology would be possible. It was originally discovered in 1962 on metal surfaces but was rediscovered, isolated and characterized by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov in 2004. Their research was later awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. The thin, transparent, conductive nature of graphene make it the perfect material for this application. However, being the strongest material ever tested also plays into its role as well.

TNVC Night Fighter Armed Professional is a course put on by Tactical Night Vision Company in order to provide vetted civilians and professionals with the tools to fight under varied lighting conditions. Students are expected to already have an understanding of low light and no light operations.

I will be attending TNVC’s Night Fighter: Armed Professional at the Alliance Police Training Facility. This course is designed to increase the student’s night vision skillsets during real world operations. The course will be a combination of some live fire and some simunition engagements with evolutions covering team movement, communication, movement to target, stealth search and contact, target discrimination, vehicles, and CBRN integration. The course is for armed professionals who already possess a basic understanding of low-light/ no-light operation and is a restricted course for active duty Military, Law Enforcement, Security Personnel, and highly vetted civilians.