Yukon - NV 1x24 Goggles

I purchased these NV goggles back a couple years ago for security around the homestead. I go on maneuvers pretty regularly, sometimes with no moon and sometimes with a partial or even a full moon. If you have a half to full moon then you're not going to need to use the infrared on these. The infrared does allow for extremely bright illumination while wearing the goggles up to about 50 yards and the configuration is good in other words , saturation is adequate and everything is pretty clear.Just make sure that when you set these up you have them close enough to your eyes to be able to focus properly, there are individual focus diopters on each eye piece, and getting it just right can be a little confusing initially. But with some practice and also following the instructions you can tune out in. I used lens covers in the down position, inside the house w lights on, , they have a pin hole so you can use them inside. Just helps quite a bit in getting it setup properly. Then double check the focus outside in the dark.I will mention that the headgear is extremely uncomfortable, I think it was designed for much smaller head, probably Asian, that kind of thing. The problem here is that the webbing that goes around your ears is not big enough, if you've got a good size head and your ears are low on your head then this simply is not going to work , it's extremely uncomfortable as it crosses your ears and it can't do that and be comfortable. Eventually I utilized a couple of changes in it to get it to be more comfortable but essentially it's not right if you've got a big head.Gen 1 NV is very good at this point, esp for the money.Good value.Otherwise the battery life on this is incredible, it really doesn't take up much energy at all, it takes some getting used to with regard to turning it on and off while its on your head, the buttons on mine, there are two of them one for the IR and one for power, they are a little problematic and hard to push down properly to stay on but with a little practice it's not that big a deal.Overall it's a great value, it's incredible to see in total darkness with the IR on , and if you've got any light at all you can walk around in what would appear to be total darkness to the casual observer.UPDATE JUNE 2015I finally got a Kevlar helmet and took the mounting hardware from the NV goggles and did a small rivet job (4 small holes to drill) to put it on the front of the helmet, simply got tired of dealing with the small headgear, plus this way if the SHTF, I'll be ready...Works great, very operational and much more comfortable (at least as comfortable as a frigging helmet can be...)PS When adjusting the eyepiece "diopters" do them one at a time, close the other eye during the process , and focus on an intermediate range item, much better overall focus and visual acuity this way.

I've read others reviews on this item and have to say these are very nice nvg. With twenty five years experience in owning night vision equipment this is a nice item and it is not a novelty toy. To speak about the nod itself it has rubberized coating to aid in grip handling, and to absorb impact maybe a little weather resistance. The folding lens caps seem to work well I can see if you were rushing through the brush they could get damaged possibly. The visual side has a nice face fitting rubber like shroud that allows viewing through the nod when in use. The on/off switch and ir illuminator switch are covered in a thick rubber cover that requires a little more pressure to manipulate but that should be expected to ensure adequate weather resistance. Battery compartment is easy to access with no chance of accidental opening since it screws into place. Focus knob is easy to control while using with headset and stays in focus through rough use. Individual diopter focus are simple to adjust just close one eye adjust the open eye into focus then do the same for the other eye then use the main focus to bring both sight pictures into focus simple easy. Now to speak about the Gen one nv technology. In summary the newer gen one devices perform as well or better than gen two say twenty years ago do in part to nicer phosphorus screens the sight picture is displayed on. Any gen two device will cost twice as much at least to own. Performance on a cloudy dark night with the IR illuminator on range is in the 50-75 yards. On a semi clear night with about a quarter moon you can expect the same performance without the illuminator on. Semi cloudy night with a near full moon shining the rang increases to 150-175 yards with enough clarity to see rabbits in a field. Full shining moon and clear starry night I've seen deer at 250 yards enough to see antlers or whether they we're does. Using this nod around the home for security or surveillance is perfect the viewing picture is adequate if you have any experience with nods they dont have the sight picture as binoculars used in the day. Routinely I've walked around my home using these and I can see in even the darkest places behind the barn with ease,places you absolutely can not see without artificial light. Now to speak of the head set well once it is properly adjusted it is a very secure system, not the most comfortable at first but with repeated wearing it will conform more to your size and does get more comfortable the more it's used. I really like the push button swing up latch it is very secure and repetitive to returning to zero lets say once it's sighted in. For size I'm 6'2" and 285 so I have as one might call a full face...lol. This head gear has more adjustment to fit some even larger than me, which makes it nice for me because now that it's cold I wear mine with an under armour balaclava.IMHO these will not make it in any military spec ops gear supply but they are darn nice nvg for civilian home protection , night hunting, or just plain fun cool to have. Properly focused, properly used, properly adjusted these are the best bang for your buck in my twenty five years of using night vision devices. Your getting a great image for what used to cost more than double.

the rubber around the eyes is quite stiff. Other than that, good stuff

Very pleased with this, works well and exceeds expectations for the price. I was just a little disappointed I was unable to use them immediately as the description states “Batteries 2 AA batteries required. (included)”. They actually use one CR123A (which is not included).

This is what you want and expect. For you and I, the regular guy, interested in taking this up to the cottage, this is more than we need. Perfect.

Good product for the price

Not so straight forward to know that it is powered up - and it has to be very very dark for you to really feel the benefit. Saying all that, they do what they say they are going to do!