The AN/PVS-14A

Pictured below is a new Wilcox Engineering & Research built AN/PVS-14A with a New ITT F9815SLG  Select A, Thin Film, Autogated (Pinnacle) Image Intensifier. This is the Basic Issue that includes: A two year warranty, System Data Sheet, TM 11-5855-306-10 Operators Manual, Lens cap/ Daylight training filter, Custom rubber eyecup.   Other AN/PVS-14A accessories available upon request at additional expense.  Prices for these start at $3,468.00

Pictured below is a new Wilcox Engineering & Research built AN/PVS-14A with some of the accessories availible for sale.  These accessories include, but are not limited to:  A  Custom Pelican Model 1200 hardcase, Headmount with three sizes of Brow pads, Head - helmet mount adapter, Weapons mount for Picatinney rails, Shuttered eyeguard, Compass, Demist shield, Sacrificial window, Black neck cord, 3x Afocal lens with LIF adapter and green carrying case, and green (or black) ballistic nylon carrying case.

Below is another accessory for the AN/PVS-14A that is not available anywhere else.  This is the Wilcox Advanced Research Mount or ARM that is designed to enable you to use the AN/PVS-14A in a hands free mode using the more comfortable Litton Facemask.  Click on the picture below for more information.

The AN/PVS-14A differs from the original AN/PVS-14 as follows:

- As you can see in the picture above, it has a screw on battery cap made of metal. The AA battery rests in a machined brass tube, which has an O-ring on the outside diameter, threads. The cap also has an internal O-ring. The use of two O-rings ensures a positive seal. This means no more battery chemical leakage into the switch area or on to the printed circuit board. The new battery cap is tethered to the battery housing making it less likely to lose the cap when changing the battery.

- The lanyard lugs in the aft section have been replaced with a large boss area of thick plastic shaped in a semi circle, as depicted below. This gives greater strength to the lanyard attachment points and longer product life.

- The eyepiece retaining ring has been redesigned to accept the better AN/PVS-7A eyecup or the standard issue PVS-14 eyecup, pictured above. This is accomplished by removable eyecup rings, which screw on, or off. The PVS-7A eyecup (left side) is more comfortable, rugged, and shields more light than the original AN/PVS-14 eyecup (right side), and comes standard with our new AN/PVS-14As. Since the eyecup rings are easily removed, you can use the AN/PVS-14A without an eyecup and view the full 30mm-lens aperture! This feature is ONLY available from Wilcox Engineering & Research, the Vanguard of better ideas for the Military and Law Enforcement.

- "Gain down to ambient" feature which enables the operator to turn the gain down low enough to use the AN/PVS-14A in dawn and dusk ambient light levels so that the use of the AN/PAQ-4 series or other Infrared laser target designators can be used at higher ambient light levels.

- A newly designed manual gain control knob, which as a shroud over the mounting hardware. This helps keep salt and sand from corroding the potentiometer's mounting hardware.

- 10 hole socket diagnostic port, which provides Military and Commercial night vision maintainers with the ability to troubleshoot AN/PVS-14A electronic malfunctions.

This New ITT F9815 Select A, Thin Film, Image Intensifier has these typical specifications:

PCR: 2300 minimum
EBI: 2.00 maximum
Resolution: 64 lp/mm minimum, 72 lp/mm is usually the standard for these products
Signal to Noise ratio: 23.0 minimum
Halo: 1.25 maximum
System gain: 30 – 5500 minimum

The monocular approach to night vision is based upon the proven concept that independent use of each eye maximizes the ability of the user to operate under a wide range of low light conditions. This tactic tends to enhance the user's field of view and also allows the user to retain full peripheral vision in the unaided eye. The unaided eye now works in conjunction with the 40-degree field of view offered by the night vision device. This concept was pioneered over 15 years ago by Wilcox Engineering & Research and built for various Law Enforcement Agencies as the Tactical Night Vision Goggle (TNVG) adapter for use with the Night Vision Monocular type A or NVM-A.

The AN/PVS-14A is a self-contained system operating on one AA battery and featuring a manual gain control for various brightness conditions. A red low-battery indicator appears in the eyepiece when the batteries need replacement.

The AN/PVS-14A also features an active projected IR LED for short-range illumination allowing such activities as map reading. A red IR LED on indicator appears in the eyepiece when the active projected IR LED is turned ON to warn the operator that someone using night vision equipment can see this IR LED.

The main advantage to being able to adjust the gain on the AN/PVS-14A is to balance brightness and contrast. Under some conditions, turning the gain down will provide the AN/PVS-14A's Operator with more details of the scene being observed.

Below is a scene seen through the AN/PVS-14A with the gain control turned to maximum gain.

Below is a scene seen through the AN/PVS-14A with the gain control turned to a much lower setting.

Note the difference in what can been seen around the windows between these two pictures.

SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS

- Objective lens: OPTICAL 1X Monocular Afocal
Field of View (degrees) 40.0
Min Focus Range 25cm
Focal Length 26mm
F Number 1.17
T Number 1.3
- Eyepiece Lens: Eye relief: 25mm
Diopter Adjustment: +2 to -6 diopters

MECHANICAL
 Weight (unit): 342 grams which includes the battery, eyecup, and lens cap
 Infrared light emitting diode
 Automatic brightness protection
 Variable gain control knob
 Low battery indicator