Thread by @SwiftyTac

Doing an NVG thread for the oomfies. I'd like to go over NVG accessories: what's necessary to actually move and shoot under night vision, what's a very lovely luxury, and what's going to protect your multi-thousand dollar investment. If you're researching nods, most likely...

... you'll be on a budget as well and will necessitate what to buy first in order to make use of nods. If you haven't seen my previous threads on nods, here's one of them for understanding specs. RTs would be appreciated and I'll enjoy answering questions.

The very first thing you need in order to simply view through nods & move effectively is a helmet w/ mount. It can be ballistic or bump, but I emphasize that your helmet has:
- customizable padding for YOU
- a really GOOD suspension system
- mount w/ break away
- light weight
H1

Take some time to research helmets & their ergos before getting into nods, you will absolutely fuck up your neck if your helmet isn't fitted properly or just sucks. My Caiman & duals absolutely BTFO an ACH & PVS-14 thanks to a better weight distribution. H2

... In regards to mounts, get a breakaway for dovetail. Wilcox G24 & Norotos AK2 are the most desirable, but I lean to the G24 since it stows tightly for a better center of gravity. A repro can work, but I advise you have access to a real one to compare. H3

Helmet mounted earpros are a nice luxury. Combined with a good suspension & padding, you can jump and run with nods without putting your chin strap on (don't actually do this lol). But ultimately, they're not explicitly needed, get this at your leisure. H4

You don't need any sort of counterweights so long as your helmet suspension is good. I'd only recommend it for cable management once you reach that bridge. An IFF light marker while not strictly necessary, should used for safety purposes at night. Don't get shot by a homie. H

For shooting under nods, there's passive and active. Passive is immediately accessible since it's just using your optics to aim but while using nods. Yes, explicitly having settings for NVGs is a must since the illumination can overwhelm and even your nods given enough time. P1 twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

EOTech remains king of passive aiming, but there's much more budget friendly options like obviously Holosun. You can passive aim using prism optic such as an ACOG or typical scope, but understand their limited eyeboxes are hard to align with nods and you need a LOT of light. P2

I do recommend sticking to a red dot or EOTech for passive shooting since their eyeboxes are significantly more forgiving than a magnified optic. NVG height mounts also help since you'll have your head up straight, but it's up to you to determine if it's comfortable or not. P3

The other way to shoot under nods are with LAMs (laser aiming module). I'd classify these as almost essential but luxuries at the end of the day due to passive aiming being much more accessible. LAMs do have the advantage of being easier to use & providing illumination though. A1

L3 PEQ-15, Steiner DBAL series, BE Meyers MAWL, Wilcox RAID X/E, etc. The most important feature they have besides aiming is to provide IR illumination when there's not enough ambient light for your nods. Unfortunately, they're cost prohibitive and full power are restricted. A2

That said, full power LAMs are a meme perpetuated by midwits that can only desire things restricted to them instead of their realistic needs. You'll be hard pressed to identify anything meaningful past 200m with headborne nods, so a laser/illum going past 2km is moot. A3

Nods are pretty tough for essentially amounts to a magical super power tube, but they can be permanently damaged if you're dumb enough. Tough boxes with pluckable padding is a must for transporting. Shock cord to help secure your nod to yourself if it's nocked off your head. M1

Sac lenses & adjustable irises or scope caps are a must as well. You'll want to shut light from your nods as much as possible when not in use or there's too much light, or else you'll end up w/ ruined image intensifiers. Practicing light discipline with homies also helps. M2.