Just received my NV monocular!

[eradicator]

 After receiving and mounting my X-sight 2 3x14 scope....all my dreams of using it to scan the field or woods evaporated. The reality of a 12 pound weapon system hit home with the realization that trying to hold, control and scan a field of vision was just not going to work for me.

So, after doing another couple of evenings and lunch hours worth of research, I elected to find and purchase a Firefield Nighfall 2 5x50 monocular. I bought it Friday and it arrived yesterday evening.

I had a rough nights sleep on Sunday night so I went to bed immediately after dinner last night. I woke at 11PM and remembered my new toy. I loaded it with batteries (Kentli's) and stepped out on my deck. This a Gen 1 device with a light magnifier tube so certain rules apply so I don't frag the tube. It's a completely different technology then the X-sight ll scope so it took me a few minutes to get used to the differences. It comes with a built-in IR light but I left it off for the majority of my testing.

First....it's good, very good without using any IR lighting. Not nearly as bright as our scope with the IR on but I was able to see deep into the woods behind my home quite well and much better than with my scope without using the IR.

Comparing it to our scopes really isn't an apples to apples comparison because of the totally different technologies employed.

With NO IR lighting used,  this device actually amplifies the existing light to allow me to see into corners of my yard that appear to the naked eye to be completely dark. It also let me see the individual trees as well as anything that might happen to be moving on the forest floor. I was also able to focus very clearly from 20 feet out to 150 yds which is all I looked at last night but I'll check the range as I get more time with it.


Interestingly, when I looked at a 10 ft Holly tree at a distance of 20 yds, I was able to see through the trees lower branches the same way that you would if looking with your eyes at the tree during the day. When I did turn on the built-in IR light, it lit the tree up but I could no longer see through the branches, because it made them appear so bright.

Another neat thing is that even when I removed the batteries, it continued to magnify the existing light for several minutes as the light amplification tube dissipated it's energy....kind of neat.

This device weighs less than a single pound, is 8" x 4"x2.5" so if easily fits in a jacket pocket or your field bag supplied with your ATN scope.

All in all, I like this handy dandy piece of tech and I only paid 90 bucks for it since it had been a new display model according to the seller. It works well for the money and it didn't cost a lot of money.

Here's a link to the item:

www.fire-field.com/product-details.php?item=57



erad


EDIT- since I bought this as a "display model", it did not come with the lens cover and five minutes after originally posting this "review", I emailed Firefield asking if they could send or sell me a lens cover so my monocular didn't get damaged by an inadvertent light. In a brilliant bit of Customer Service, they have already responded telling me that they will send me one for free and it will go out today! THAT is Customer Service at it's finest!! Three whoops for Firefield! WOW!

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[eradicator]

 Now that I've had a chance to use this for several nights, I still love this device! The benefit of seeing so well in the dark without theft of a scoped weapon is just joyful comparing to shifting a 12 lb package around the field or woods to see what out there.

I also ordered a 10W IR (940) light for 12 bucks from fleabay. It runs on my 18650 batteries OR 3-AAA's.  Where the Nightfall-2's built-in IR light illuminated an area like a flashlight, the secondary IR light illuminates the whole area around the field of vision so EVERYTHING is lit up for you! I'll look tonight at mounting the separate IR light to the bottom of the monocular, probably with velcro.....they work well together!



erad

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(removed pic...it was the wrong pic)

[eradicator]

I went out last night, using my mono to scan for critters....at 3AM...once I found a opossum creeping through the woods, I grabbing and turned on my scope.....my airgun is a 25 cal Benjamin.....noted for being very quiet...but at 3 in the morning, in a dead quiet neighborhood, it was LOUD <LOL>!!!


erad

[texasken]

Yep, I fully understand the "tonnage". I have a sling on order that should help these old tired bones get to my 12-3am napping spot. After that, I'll most likely just sit in a chair, wait and use a tripod or something. It didn't take me long to figure out I need something lighter for reconnaissance. IR is great once you know the target is there but I think I'll go with a hand held FLIR scope. It will detect changes in temperature so checking to see if any targets are in range will be a snap. Counting the X-Sight 5x20 and a few accessories, I'm already into my new AR Sport II for over $1200. And that's with some pretty darn good discount pricing. What's another $500? I quit smoking in February so there's some money pilling up that would otherwise get wasted. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Imagine the crack of a 223 at 3am! I wish congress would get busy on the Hearing Protection Bill. I'm all set to get a suppressor.

[eradicator]

Ohhhh, you've gone Hi-Tech for recon....good for you! At 6 bucks a pack...(isn't that what cigs cost now?) you will be even on the FLIR in around 3 months? <LOL>

I looked at some of the really nice stuff but I'm too cheap to actually buy it when most of my night work is in the woods behind my house....may be more apt to go all-in if my sweetheart and I buy a house in the country in the future.

erad

[texasken]

I was smoking the ones with real tobacco in them so they were $7.50-$8.00 a pack if you bought them individually. A carton at Sam's Club was something like $65, if you bought two or more. It doesn't take long to tally-up a considerable amount of change.

Glad I quite but the toughest time for me is during my first morning coffee. I still lust for that first lung burning drag and a fresh cup of coffee while my eyes get used to the sun rise.

Well, I pulled the trigger on the FLIR Scout TK. It should be here Monday. It's the low-end budget model good for about 100yds or so. That should work for me as my property has some pretty thick brushy areas and high grass out back. Can't see more than a 100yds unless you're out in one of the fields. It's an area I usually stay out of after dark. There's things out there that will eat you!

[eradicator]

You CAN do it Tex...toughest thing I ever had to do though....17 yrs ago....still use the damned patch though. As they say in the movie---You wouldn't like me when I'm ANGRY (w/o my nicotine")......

Y'all don't have many bears or big cats down there but you have plenty of hogs that will go after you, right?


erad

[texasken]

We have BIG cats. Always finding prints between the barn and house. The barn is next to a large field on the North side, brush/trees on the West and South side. The house and garden are on the East side. I don't go out to barn at night unless I'm packing heat. I've had coyotes within 20' of the back door. Rattle snakes within 12' of the front door. But I wouldn't trade this place for a penthouse suite. It's country living at it's best. The picture below is what most of my front yard looks like for about 200yds (South). Beyond that to the road is about 400yds. of grassy field to the state road. The first picture was taken when I was putting in Co-OP "city" water after being on well-only for about 12 years. The West side of the lot is pretty much untouched and wild. The hogs pretty much run wild all over the place. The next picture is looking North from near the road. The little white shed is the well house.

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[eradicator]

I've been away for a bit but the second I read your response, I remember that yes, you've got Cougars/mtn lions migrating East AND Jaguars migrating North from Central America/Mexico....

That sure is some pretty country! How far did you have to run your line to get to a point of connection? What was your well like...iron or sulphur? I've got a lot of the hydrogen sulfide gas smell but as they say....if you can get past the smell.....

erad

[Mcmoto]

TexasKen, I've got a similar situation with all the critters that I 'Coexist' with, including some of the 2 legged species. More activity out my front, back, side and barn doors at night than you can imagine. The X sight is key in my defensive tactics. We are kinda hobby ranchers with enough of our own critters that everything else out there wants to make turds out of them. I do my N.V. scanning with an old pair of Tasco NV Binoculars, built in IR lighting that is useless, thus I Velcro a better IR light to it and scan away out to 300 yds easy. My predator rig is an AR based .300 blk out w/ suppressor, it can get heavy as we all agree on. I sit on my butt with a Bog Pod and feast on the eye shine as they come a running. I would love to do a hog hunt or two, they just don't like our Rocky Mts. much. Bears are waking up this time of year and love to munch on my chickens, I'll hopefully film one in action some night. Good talking to guys, and Eradicator, did I remember you saying once you from NY? I was born in the Bronx, spent my whole life so far getting as far away from there as I could, LOL.kinda

[eradicator]

Wow, BEARS? That's one animal that I've always dreaded meeting in person.....

No, I'm not from NY Mc but my sweetheart is. Her whole family still lives up there on the Island in and around Baldwin. I used to visit my sister in Broomfield just outside of Boulder around 30some years ago before it got so crowded. I would go out for the entire month of November and stay with her while we went skiing....sure is beautiful country out there. I remember seeing the mountains 50 miles into Co from the Nebraska border! First thing I did out there was to go to the Continental Divide and **** on both sides....her girlfriend thought that I was nuts but when your 20, you do some nutty things....took me a while to get used to running out of breath so quickly too when we went climbing....LOL

erad