Night vision add-on review: Sub-£160 night vision add-on!

Dave Barham reviews the Precision Night Vision In-Line add-on - a clever bolt-on night vision unit for less than £160!

When it comes to shooting at night, there are loads of options out there. In particular, the massive array of thermal imaging and dedicated day/night scopes that seem to be flooding the market, but unless you’ve got a grand in the bank, you’re not going to get very far – unless you opt for a bolt-on unit like this one.

Precision Night Vision has been making and selling quality bolt-on night-vision kits for almost a decade, and yet we rarely hear anything about them. That’s all about to change, because over the next couple of months I’m going to delve into the depths of what this budget NV set-up can actually do, and when I tell you that their flagship model costs just £155, I’m sure you’re going to want to know what it’s all about.

WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
This digital night vision add-on transforms any scope into a high-tech night-vision system. The kit can be put on and taken off in a matter of minutes and with the option of an integrated SD card you can record down-the-scope footage, too – both pictures and video!

The device is principally made from aluminium and high-density plastic, giving superb build quality whilst keeping the price down. There is a single wire connecting the camera unit to the screen which minimises loose wires, and the camera unit can attach to almost any scope from 38mm to 50mm diameter.

The system is powered by two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (supplied) giving up to 6 hours of usage, and unlike other night-vision devices, the PNV system uses standard 18650 batteries and can easily be replaced when you are out in the field, allowing you to stay out shooting.

There is a single on-off switch that operates the unit, as well as a sophisticated menu, which allows the brightness, contrast, aspect ratio and other settings to be altered. 

The option of having a day-night switch on the camera unit allows you to use the night-vision add-on during the day without getting a saturated picture. This enables you to get to grips with the unit at the range during the day before heading out under cover of darkness.

Finally, there is a choice of two infrared (IR) illuminators - LED (up to 150 yards) or laser (200+ yards).
 
IR ILLUMINATOR
The illuminator will increase the amount of IR light projected downrange, enhancing the clarity and effective range of your night-vision unit. The IR torch works independently to the rest of the unit and has a zoomable lens, which slides from narrow beam to flood, and you can expect up to four hours of usage from the battery.

PNV sell two types of extremely powerful 5W IR illuminator and you can choose between 100+ yard LED or 200+ yard laser versions. The 200+ yard laser will definitely provide an extra kick to your night vision device.

SETTING IT UP
I’m an impatient kinda guy when it comes to putting on scopes and other twiddly things, and I’ll be 100% honest with you here – it took me longer to take the scope off the rifle and add the mount that houses the LCD display, than it did to get the rest of the thing set up! Honestly, it’s really easy to do and if you give yourself 20 minutes, you’ll have the whole thing up and running.

Hats off to George at PNV, he’s produced a really affordable and functional piece of kit, and I really can’t see how he’s making much money out of each unit – you get everything, including the laser IR torch plus the three rechargeable batteries for £155! Quite an amazing price if you ask me.

I did have a little play with the unit once I’d set it all up and managed to get a pretty clear picture on screen down my back garden range, but with time constraints looming I haven’t had a chance to fine tune it all yet. Next month, I’ll be spending a bit more time getting everything just right, and then I’m going to take it out in the field and see just what this unit can do in the dark – so stay tuned for that! 

INFO AND PRICES
Standard Unit with LED IR torch costs £125. The top of the range Day/Night unit with recording function and Laser IR torch costs just £155.

For more details, visit: www.precisionnightvision.com 

Specs
Lens: 16mm
Sleeve size: 45mm
Display: 5 inches
Display resolution: 800x480 (HD)
Video output: PAL
IR power: 5W LED torch
IR wavelength: 850nm
Battery life: Up to 4 hours
Operating temperature: 40 to 85 degrees
Dimensions: 11.3 cm x 4.9 cm x 4.9 cm
Weight: 230 grams

What’s Included?

• Screen unit
• Camera unit
• IR Torch
• Scope Clamp (for torch)
• Scope Mount (for Screen) + Allen key
• 3 x Batteries
• Micro SD-card
• 1 year warranty