Helmet Mounted Thermal : FLIR Breach PTQ136 & PVS-14 on KVC Universal Bridge

[@martialbushcraft]

i've been diving into night vision for the past month and lookin at trying to get a pvs14 in the coming months, your vids help a lot, thank you

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Thanks. Happy to hear they helped you out 🤙

[@m118lr]

2nd NITEWALKER vid I’ve watched and very impressed with how comprehensive and not too wrapped up in “overdoing” everything with TOO MUCH depth and ‘loose’ talk. Great job, I, like many, can definately appreciate the work you’ve put into it! Thanks..

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

[@stephanarizona9094]

I have been running a PVS-14 GEN3 WP and FLIR Breach PTQ136 on a NoiseFighters Panobridge and love it. Didn't take long to train my eyes to fuse the image because they are both white and I maneuver just fine running both and the clear advantage is having both capabilities at once. Like stated nigh vision is great but people/animal can still hide from you, the thermal never fails and catches everything. Having both is amazing! I just wish some technology company would create an affordable fusion system to overlap both images.

[@travelingspartan2035]

Yeah there's at least two fusion systems out there but they both cost five digits. Way outside the budget of almost everyone.

[@ilovefreeski]

When watching this video I dont understand where the PVS 14 would excel vs thermal. In all these comparison videos thermal seems to brighten the dark areas just as well as the pvs-14 units.

[@Somecommentsfromme]

do you thing It could work with a GP pvs 14?

[@Somecommentsfromme]

@@ilovefreeski thermal dosent work through glass, plus thermal also wont pull details like NV will, there are positives and negatives to both.

[@icecorebaby]

I love my flir breach! I don’t do the goggle thing like you do. I work security and just use the breach by hand. I also have a agm Pvs 14 hen 3 green film I use at work. Love my night vision devices!

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

I agree, I love mine. FLIR got a bad rap when they ditched their PTS scope line but the Breach is a fantastic little thermal. Helmet mounted it works great for long term scanning.

[@mossybanks2719]

Excellent video thanks. I have a Flir Scout 640 that I carry on a lanyard that slips into my top pocket to bring up to my non-NV eye occasionally for a look around. It works really well as the range is excellent on the 640 - out to 1000yds to ID a man-sized object. As you show on your side by sides, adding a thermal option shows things you just wouldn't pick up otherwise. Hand-held like this is not as useful in keeping your hands free but does keep the helmet weight down and is a good long-range compromise.

[@lexousa]

Awesome video. several months back I ordered L3 WP PVS 14 from NVision (after watching your videos and your help of replying to my comments) and while I was waiting on that I started reading up on the same exact setup as in this video and I thought this was the most superior way to do an NV setup. pulled a trigger on breach from JRH for a very good price and both arrived relatively same time so I have been running both for a little less than 2 months now with MOD Armory britge and TATM mount and I am very happy way it came out, it took some time to get used to but with WP and breach set to outdoor alert mode I found very easy to move around with PVS14 and as soon as something crossed it lights up with red/orange on breach and gets my attention immediately, other color pallets did not work well because the image would blend in with PVS14 and I would completely miss or loose time in detection of warmer objects. Have you tried running breach on WP PVS14? if yes what's your take on differences? Again, thank you for your work, and know that your videos help a lot of us who are just getting into NV world.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Thanks for the kind words. I’ll be swapping the unfilmed back into the -14s soon to try it out. I agree with outdoor alert mode making things pop better while they are both deployed. Now that the moon is returning, it does work a bit better together for me vs dark nights. The main issue I have is I feel like I’m not getting a good image of either when they’re both deployed. Are you able to get any type of fused overlay? With either bridge KVC or D-14 I see double vision.

[@lexousa]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION Yes there is still a double vision but moving got lot easier for me after some time time of use. I also found it comfortable to run pvs-14 on my dominant eye and breach on the non dominant eye, i move with both down and my brain 90% focuses on pvs-14, some times it feels like breach is not even there, as soon something pop's on breach, i stop immediately and focus for as long as i need and then i resume to move with pvs-14, transitions used to be very slow and my head would start hurting but it's gotten much easier and faster now. Please update us when you try it with unfilmed pvs-14.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

@@lexousa Thanks for the info and will do!

[@DaveSmith-cp5kj]

I 3d printed a mount to put an old SCOUT TK on a mount about a year ago and it worked pretty well with a homemade bridge I milled out for a rihno II, but I'm not really a fan of helmet mounted thermals for fighting purposes. If you need to see where everyone is, a thermal monocular on a lanyard can be brought up as fast as binoculars to look around, and it is pretty much second nature and as quick as manipulating a bridge. If you aren't in a leadership oriented role, a weapon mounted thermal is better because you can actually aim with it. I think helmet mounted systems are excellent for rescue purposes though, day and night capabilities unlike IR night vision and you don't need PID. Thermals also tend to be more durable than IR night vision.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

That’s awesome you did a DIY mount 👍

[@DaveSmith-cp5kj]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION I was going to buy one, then I was like, I'm not paying $300 for something I can make in an hour for $5 of metal. lol. If the syonix becomes more popular I actually plan to market it, as right now only Wilcox setups exist even though IMO the Rihno II is a superior setup and are fairly cheap even new (not sure if the used rihino's on the market are stolen though)

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

@@DaveSmith-cp5kj I’m sure some of the salty Rhinos are suspect but there are plenty of new Rhino II’s that are good to go

[@Joshua82PDX]

Waiting for funds for the KAC, then I'll be running the same system. I found a 13k mah Anker battery bank that's pretty square, it fits nicely in the rear pouch of the Agilite bridge (dual functions, power and counterweight). Thanks for the great videos 👍

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Awesome and thanks! Keep a sharp eye on the OSS shoes and K clips. Everybody seems to be out of stock. Snag them if you see em!

[@deltaalphalima4759]

OSS being out of stock is why I cancelled my order on the universal bridge and went D14

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

@@deltaalphalima4759 Yeah it sucks right now with the mad rush on NV everything seems to be OOS

[@Trooper1276]

If you hold down the power button for, I think 8 sec it will turn on/off. You don't have to go into the menu.

[@chuckvan1568]

I have a breach ordered, your video was very informative and I thank you for that since I've been considering the different bridges to accommodate the breach and my PVS-14.

[@benjaminN-ws6sq]

do you like the breach?

[@jimmyofthesea1883]

Thats a lot nicer than my po man setup. LOL I don't focus on one or the other so much as when I do a SLLS; I turn around with the IR then as I turn back I scan with the thermal. That gives me a pass with IR and a pass with thermal.

[@jstriker623]

The real star at the end of the video was born with NV...and his sense of smell is better than thermal.

[@georgejoseph4164]

Great video, many thanks. Now, who has the winning lotto numbers...

[@MadComputerScientist]

Human eyes converge at a focal point. If they're not allowed to, the image doesn't resolve naturally, and can cause double-vision, headaches, etc. (VR headsets have struggled with this) It sounds like the bridge you're using holds both devices in parallel. Apparently that works with the analog tubes, but not with a digital sensor and screen in the mix. Wonder if there would be a way to tilt the devices inwards towards a focal point while still holding them firmly in the bridge. Or maybe just the Breach. Can the dovetail adapter on the Breach be adjusted minutely like that? Cool vid, thanks for sharing. I've personally been mulling whether it'd be better to run a stand-alone thermal monocular or a COTI.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Thanks for the reply. I took them off the bridge and tried that with the same result. It seems guys can get the MH25 with the PVS-14 eyepiece to overlay by collimating with the PVS-14. As far as I know there’s no way to do it with the Breach. I did try collimating the PVS-14 by rotating the eyepiece while on the bridge to see if that did anything. Same result of double vision.

[@АндрейКузнецов-й7б]

Try the amber filter on PVS-14 and Sepia mode on the thermal imager, I tried to walk quite comfortably, but the filter should not be Wilcox( too dark), but the company ACT or Orion

[@rahlap2449]

Really nice video and even better jacket that the women wears! Damn good thermal insulation

[@apisdude]

I bought an Anker battery to run my Breach. amazing battery life. the CR123 lasts about an hour.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Oh yeah, the Anker is awesome. The Mod Armory battery extender is awesome for using it handheld so you don't have to mess with the pack or cable. It's fairly cheap too at $80

[@BobBob-il2ku]

What wire did you use?

[@apisdude]

@@BobBob-il2ku ordered a cable off amazon with 90 degree offset plugs. should be at least 18" long

[@dandetande288]

Just a tip, be careful with the lithium ion batteries, in temperatures lower than 30° they lose charge fast, that's why I run a estebded battery with a long cable , and keep the battery inside of my jacket, and it's connected with one of those coiled secret service wire in the back, I run it through the back and clipped to my jacket, works good

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

@@dandetande288 Most definitely. It's getting into the mid-to-low twenties and I'm experienced the same issue. What makes it worse with the 16650 is that the battery indicator doesn't work, lol

[@ilovefreeski]

When watching this video I dont understand where the PVS 14 would excel vs thermal. In all these comparison videos thermal seems to brighten the dark areas just as well as the pvs-14 units.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

The best way to think about it is that night vision is for moving/movement and thermal is for stationary use. When using thermal you are staring at a small screen and there is latency in the image which does not work well for when using it for walking etc. as well it’s not a “natural” view. With analog night vision although you are still staring at a screen through the lens, you truly feel like you are seeing through the tube. There is zero latency and the image is very natural. It is FAR easier to move with. Some other advantages are that night vision can see through glass whereas thermal cannot, you can see/use IR tools such as lasers & illuminator, and longer run time (less battery drain). Which one is better for you honestly depends on what you are wanting it to do for you. Most users end up with both because they compliment each other extremely well.

[@ilovefreeski]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION awesome thanks for the detailed answer. From what i understand night vision is also better at picking up terrain detail and texture as its actually amplifying the light and can reveal shadows whereas thermal is simply picking up the infrared signature. I was planning on running a dual nv/thermal setup. Would you consider the infiniray mh25 one of the best helmet mounted options?

[@justaregularguy3827]

Hey nite walker I've got the same bridge and a OSS shoe for the ocular lens and even if I bring the items completely rear ward or as close to my eye as possible the pvs 14 I feel is still to far from my eyes I'm also using a g24 mount is it just me or no I have no rear rubber piece just a lli purple filter as well

[@turgunusanga5808]

Do you know if the battery extender from MOD armory keeps the Breach's waterproofness rating? At 15:19, what intensifier tube do you use? I played with an amber filter for a while, but found it to be too dark in low light conditions for my Mum-14. It does however work great if it is not extremely dark. Thank you for making this video!

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

There is an o-ring on the cap side of the extender so that should maintain it however I don't if that's 100% accurate. The green phosphor tube I used in this video is an L3 M890AV. It's a 10160 autogated tube. Agreed on the amber filter. They work great on bright nights but when it's really dark out I prefer to remove it. The amber filter I used is a glass filter with a lighter color than the Wilcox. The Wilcox is WAY too dark. Thanks!

[@dustinshaw2419]

Why not just running 2 thermals? What advantage does night vision have besides the ability to use an IR Lazer?

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Navigating, seeing light sources, and positive identification to name just a few. Same reason the military still uses night vision primarily even with thermal fused systems

[@wafll8777]

I was going to order one of these, but the battery info just turned me off. My handheld thermal i get to 30 hrs of battery, and a second battery in with the price. “Handheld vs helmet” for the hassle ill get with swapping batteries all the time and cost........handheld all the way! I like your vids a great source of info...FLIR sort the battery situation out like your competitors, and my wallet will open !!!!

[@stephpan08]

"I'm just finger bangin' this thing..." Love it man!! hahaha.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Lol 🤙

[@stepanov174]

I see that on the video you have PVS 14D do you know what are the major differences between PVS 14 and PVS 14D Only weight and buttons on the side ?

[@intensifier2182]

If you had to choose between this setup and a night vision google setup what would you choose for SHTF

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

It’d be this set up. You want thermal in addition to NV. Thermal is superior for detection

[@GASmith]

Does the KVC bridge setup have wiring to the G24 mount hinge to turn off the pvs14s when flipped up?

[@Popsm0ke]

I got me a breach and all of the Wilcox mounts that's necessary to mount on a night cap for 2k.... I need a pvs 14 to complete my set up

[@madbomer72]

I just hope that noisefighters add the capability to mount thermals on their pano bridge

[@aermotors]

Maybe a dumb question but probably not, will an IR aiming device show up in FLIR, or not because it's really just picking up heat? Great video, can't wait to do a setup like this.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

No, thermal can’t see the IR laser, which is why some run this setup. You use the breach to find it and the -14 to shoot it

[@aermotors]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION Yep as I expected. Nice.

[@Jazz3006]

If you were going to run a mono PVS-14, would you pair it with the Breach or a COTI? The COTI seems like a great option, but appears to be discontinued now.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

You can pair it with a breach using a bridge like the noise fighters panobridge. I’d expect COTI’s to pop up on the used market considering how many guys bought them. I’d keep an eye out on the forums and eBay

[@Jazz3006]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION sorry, I meant more from the standpoint of how useful each type of thermal is. It looks like the COTI is lighter and has longer battery life. I actually found a source that has both options for roughly the same price right now. I'm just not familiar enough with the tech to understand what kind of thermal is better between an overlay on a mono tube 14 or the twin setup like you've shown here.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

@@Jazz3006 this should help kzbin.info/www/bejne/oX6VhKKPjaqoi6c

[@deekay270]

I have a pvs14 and I want to get a thermal scanner as well. With that said, would u still recommend the breach over something else if I have no plans of helmet mounting it?

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

I'd only recommend it if that's your price range. I'd spend a little more get something like the Bering Optics Phenom 640.

[@spectre06x]

Wondering how close someone can get before you have framing issues. Can you move down a hallway and maintain a good field of view with the Breach?

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

I’d say closer than 5-7 yards you could lose important stuff due to the FOV. Depends on the hallway size. Honestly that’s too close to be trying to use thermal in the dark the display is pretty bright they’d see ya

[@spectre06x]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION excellent information, thank you!!

[@nastyone9556]

Thank you sir i ride my bike with my breach at night. And when I use the pvs-14 with the breah i get a round night version Image with a thermal square over lay. My eyes goes back and fourth. The human eye is attracted to movement so which ever device picks up movement 1st my eye is drawn to it. Then I can select a particular device just by closing the other eye.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Which bridge are you using and orientation of the Breach. I tried all of the rails and left & right side clips and can’t get a good overlay. I get a double vision effect.

[@nastyone9556]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION The same one you have sir forgive me for my spelling. I am talking going down the road

[@nastyone9556]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION try turning your breach canteen it towards your PVS 14 sir

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

@@nastyone9556 Can you explain that in more detail? I’ve tried all the positions I can get it into and with both eyes.

[@nastyone9556]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION I just got up i will find a way to contact you

[@bfowler1021]

I just loosen the battery cover to turn the breach off. Much quicker than holding the hard to press button for 8 seconds.

[@bumpinthenight16]

do you think it would fuze better with white phosphor?

[@randallchuck6376]

Good information. Thank you for sharing.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Thanks 🤙

[@randallchuck6376]

I have enjoyed your videos for some time. Between TNVC technical videos and your everyday application videos I felt sufficiently informed to upgrade from my Gen2+ to TNVC white phosphor monocular. I upgraded for SHTF self defense scenario but use night vision and thermal for enjoyable night walks and critter watching. Keep up the great work. Best regards always.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

@@randallchuck6376 Thanks Randall! I sincerely appreciate that.

[@Bull_10RR]

mind sharing your "Enhancements" settings for the breach? trying to get to grips with it

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Outdoor preset contrast 220 sharpness 100-110 smart scene 30 gain 90-100 agc 90 My night time temps are in the low-to-mid 20's and humidity 40-50%

[@RAM-ez8ml]

Could you use two flir breach ptq136s instead of a pvs-14?

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

I wouldn't recommend it. The main benefit of using a -14 + Breach is for better movement and targeting using the -14 and a laser.

[@spectre06x]

I'm sitting on the fence right now. Either buying this or a PVS18 next week. The only thing that troubles me about the Breach is that the FOV seems so narrow, even at distance. I do fugitive recovery in Hawaii and we spend a lot of time in the jungle which is very dense. Such a narrow FOV is kinda killing my boner for this system. Any thoughts?

[@MP40Bullet]

How do I rotate the screen from portrait to landscape. Is there a way to be able to rotate the info on the screen when you move the FLIR? If that make sense? I want to have my FLIR mounted where the battery is pointed inside but when I do that the info on the screen stays in one position

[@illuminated2494]

Can you use thermal like night vision with a laser or no?

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

That’s a good question and the answer is no. However, with the COTI because it’s used with night vision, you would see the IR laser. I should’ve have mentioned that in the video. Dammit lol

[@illuminated2494]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION not a problem and thanks for such a quick reply!

[@AnAmazingTruthseeker]

Do you ever experience double vision when paring the breach and pvs14? Or any other issues? I ask because I plan to have this exact setup in the future. Thanks

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Yes I have with most of the bridge mounts. The KVC bridge and accessories allowed to go get the best alignment without excessive double vision.

[@mattreninger1678]

Can the flir be mounted on an ar15?

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

No, there’s no reticle, and it’s not collimated to be a clip on thermal.

[@quarterpounderwithcheese3178]

I'm planning to mount a Sionyx Aurora pro bridged with a Leupold LTO 2 Std on a Lions Hiperion adapter bridge and wanted to see if there's noticeable lag or disorientation. Does it trip you up when you larp and you constantly have to flip up your arms or mount or have you gotten used to it for long period of use?

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

I’ve never used the Aurora or the LTO. The info that I’ve read/heard is that the Aurora is pretty decent but it will absolutely need an illuminator on darker nights. The LTO will be laggy, may be ok for stationary scanning, but probably will not work well when moving. Lol, well, I don’t larp so if you mean airsoft I don’t do airsoft. I don’t mean that in a negative way. It looks fun as hell! I live extremely rural with a lot of animal life so I use NV/thermal to watch for them and also instead of using headlamps at night when going around the property.

[@heyarno]

When you rotate the flir up, won't it work like a beacon to your rear?

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

With the brightness turned all the way down it's similar to light output from a PVS-14. I wish it had a real standby mode so there was no light and I'm not wasting battery power when I'm not using it.

[@heyarno]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION Awhile ago I did read that the pulsar helion devices have a button to turn off the display only. If i remember correctly, they all have magnification greater than 1 though.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

@@heyarno The Helion is nice but too big to head mount.

[@heyarno]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION That too. I just wanted to point out that single button feature. there may be other devices that have one. Or maybe smart people figured out how to customise buttons on the flir via usb.

[@mcpaintball]

That's hot!

[@alexanderchung6402]

Thanks

[@Marlow224]

Mark Marlow Mead here(old LinkedIn profile) Best,..BEST description of all this equipment with which I am quite familiar and use daily...more later, thanks to find a like mind.

[@RLKINN]

Thanks man!

[@luciankristov6436]

I personally prefer thermal

[@Mil0Fedaikin]

Hello. I didnt it find in manual of Flir Breach. It`s ok to use 3.7 volt rechargble battery (4.2 volt full charge) instead of 3.0 Volt CR123 battery? My frend try to use rechargble in Pulsar termal sight , and damage the sensor by overvoltage.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Page 7 of Breach Manual. It’s okay for 3.0v - 3.7v battery. I would use the Orbtronic protected batteries. Those are what most of the longtime users are using and also what I’m using.

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Orbtronic 16650 with the Mod Armory battery extender

[@Mil0Fedaikin]

​@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION Thanks a lot! I`m thinking about buy Breach and this was one of my concern. "Orbtronic 16650" - this type of battery turn in to 3V after uplaing some load? Or regular 3.7 rechargeble?

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

@@Mil0Fedaikin I haven’t measured it myself. It’s a rechargeable so probably 3.7

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

@@Mil0Fedaikin Or use an Anker external battery for the USB-C port on the Breach. Those work well with it too

[@DocVodka]

Silly question, but is it dumb to get two PTQs instead of the shown PVS+PTQ setup? Is thermal superior to NV that would justify the purchase of two PTQs? Thanks for the very informative video!

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

I wouldn’t recommend it. The two images wouldn’t combine very well

[@DocVodka]

@@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION Oh ok, I thought having the thermal in a binocular configuration would be more efficient. Thanks for the fast reply!

[@intensifier2182]

What about shooting with the setup?

[@NITEWALKER-NIGHTVISION]

Spot with the thermal use IR laser with the NV

[@Popsm0ke]

I got me a breach and all of the Wilcox mounts that's necessary to mount on a night cap for 2k.... I need a pvs 14 to complete my set up

[@toddparsons2980]

Thanks