Soldiers of today’s military are very proficient with a several types of NVG‘s (Night Vision Goggles). The NVS – 7.2 Night Vision Goggles are the most commonly used night vision goggle being used today by the U.S. Army. I used this particular model during some of my tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The military special orders these high-speed night vision goggles with an adapter so they can be used on a Kevlar helmet. The adapter in mounted to the soldiers Kevlar. This makes it possible to simply snap these NVG‘s right onto your Kevlar. This way when you need your NVG‘s, you simply turn the NVG‘s on and lower them to your eyes. The consumer can purchase these brackets or the strap set up. The strap set up is more practical for outdoor use. These NVG‘s would be ideal for rescue teams of any kind. On the other hand if you are military or a part of tactical law enforcement agency, go with the brackets. The brackets are held into place by two small bolts and a clip. It must be used in conjunction with some kind of helmet or Kevlar.

Features & Specs

• Generation 2+
• Weight: 3 Pounds
• Magnification: X - 1
• Field of View 40°
• Power Supply: Two AA batteries
• Battery life (hours): 20 using Infa / red, 50 without Infa / red
• Dimensions: (Length) 5 9/10 x (Width) 4 7/10 x (Height) 2 1/5
• Water Resistant with a durable rubber coating
• Waterproof up to 2 Meters
• Battle tested endurance
• Built-in Infa / red Illuminator
• independently adjustable eye pieces


The NVS – 7.2 Night Vision Goggles are pretty durable. I know my set went through hell while I was serving in Iraq. I had my NVG‘s either on my Kevlar or attached to my assault pack which bounced around in the back of my gunship (a vehicle that has two S.A.W.‘s and a 50 Caliber machine gun). The gunship is called out when there is any trouble. The only problem that I had with my NVG‘s was the rubber eye pieces would fall off. I would imagine that if a person was using these goggles in the civilian world, they’d last a very long time. Soldiers live with these NVG‘s 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and they only needed new batteries about once a week. If you are using these NVG‘s on a nightly basis, you’ll need a set of AA batteries about every five days.

To use the NVS – 7.2 Night Vision Goggles you simply turn a small knob (Right side - center) and they come on in a matter of seconds. Remove the lens cover and look into the goggles. After a few seconds you can adjust the lenses to the desired focus. The right and left lens can be focused independently. The closer the object is, the sharper the image will be. I found the NVS – 7.2 Night Vision Goggles to be pretty sharp from about 10 feet to 150 feet. Beyond 150 feet, the sharpness and focus drops rapidly. You can still see things like vehicles and gun fire. You can also use the infa / red. The infa red gives you a different look into the darkness. TheNVS – 7.2 Night Vision Goggles also offer several different lens powers. The more powerful the optic, the more expensive they are. This NVG comes with an X1 lens. You can purchase X4 and even an X8 lens if you desire. My set of NVS – 7.2 Night Vision Goggles came in handy more times than I care to mention. The NVG‘s are life savers in a combat zone. It has been said that the U.S. military owns the dark and that is a fact. For example one night while our camp came under fire my QRF team headed outside the wire to locate and engage the enemy mortar crew. We drove out in our gunship with our head lights off in pitch black conditions. About ¼ a mile outside of the wire we spotted a four man mortar team firing mortars and rockets into our camp. We were about 400 feet away and they had no clue that we were there. On the other hand we could see the enemy, as plain as day…

On that note, when someone pops a flare or any other bright light goes off, it’ll render your goggles useless. The NVG‘s work very well until light hits the lens. If a light hits the lens it will not work for several minutes. The light from the muzzle flash of a weapon will even have an undesirable effect. The more light the lens gets hit with, the less it works. Cover the lens and your shooting eye, if you have the time.


Final Thoughts

Overall I am impressed with the NVS – 7.2 Night Vision Goggles. With all of the sand and hard conditions, the NVG‘s held fast. These NVG‘s are very reliable and rugged. The only problems that I had with them was the soft rubber eye pieces. They are easy to replace though. The other problem that I experienced with these NVG‘s on a mission in a colder climate was the condensation. Soldiers in Kosovo and Bosnia will run into this problem. If you take your NVG‘s from the warm barracks into the cold, they will fog up. On the other hand if you take them from the cold into the warm, they will shut off for a few hours do to the condensation. I would keep the NVG‘s in my assault pack outside, locked up in a gunship. However you do it, try to keep your NVG‘s at the same temperature. Every brand of NVG that I have ever used all share this problem. The same goes with rifle scopes and binoculars.

Always check each set before you buy it. Some sets focus better than others. I would recommend the NVS – 7.2 Night Vision Goggles to any soldier, outdoorsmen, police officer, or rescue worker. I would imagine that you could use this device in a dark room for photography as well. I give this set of NVG‘s five of five stars. It is very durable and always works when you need it. You can find them at a decent price if you shop around.


Warranty

This product comes with an 18 month warranty from the manufacturer.

Some Uses

~ Military
~ Law Enforcement
~ Security
~ Search & Rescue
~ Hunting
~ Photography
~ Wildlife Observation

Footnotes

~ Always take the batteries out if you are storing the device for a long period of time.
~ Always cover the lens when you are not using it.
~ Do NOT expose the lens to day light or other intense lights.
~ Store in a cool dry place

© 2005 Joe McMaster


Recommended: Yes