Opticsplanet gen 3hm limited edition - OPMOD GEN3HM Limited Edition Gen 3 Night Vision Monocular by ITT

Unit Reviewed: OPMOD-Gen3HM Limited Edition ITT 1.0 Model 160 Monocular.

This unit was reviewed in conjunction with operations for U.S border security at an undisclosed location.

The device was well packaged and arrived in good order. The unit is encased in ITT's padded carrying case, but unfortunately, the case is bright yellow.... hardly tactical, and I'd hope that ITT will camo the case in the future. OpticsPlanet however, encased ITT's case in camo green unpadded bag with provisions for shoulder or belt carry.

The unit was reviewed and compared directly against high performance, military grade night vision equipment, and the opinion of 4 operators were added to mine, and here it is: This unit is not one of the Big Dogs.... you'll need another $1,000 Plus investment to get that, but the good news is that all 5 of us agreed that the OP unit can comfortably Run with the Big Dogs, and certainly a very high quality unit for the investment.

The equipment is light weight, not expensive to run, has a gentle, almost non-existent off/on click, something appreciated in a tactical situation. At first use, the operator will notice more eye-easing green than modern military equipment, and slightly more grainy sight picture, but even at that, after you look through the unit for a few minutes, the small grainy that is there, tends to simply fayed into your vision background.

The Objective lens is the one that focuses the image. Mine was fine from the factory, but I moved it a little to make sure. The focusing moves with considerable difficulty which means your focus will firmly stay in place after you set it. A much appreciated feature.

One cost-saving feature of this unit is that it does not have IR. In a tactical situation, you don't want IR anyway. If the enemy has night vision, IR would give your position away. A hunter, under extremely dark conditions, or someone such as a cave explorer would miss the additional illumination. The company does offer IR for this unit as an optional accessory. The unit does however, presents a quality picture even during heavily clouded conditions.

One other observation: Suggest purchase an optics fine lens brush, usually found at better computer stores or camera shops. The unit comes with a chemically treated lens cloth, but I would respectfully submit the a high quality soft lens brush be used first. Our test was under extreme fine dust and high wind conditions.

And a final point: The American patriot will appreciate that OpticsPlanet fully subscribes to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) that sets guidelines for the sales and shipment of certain restricted equipment. Be sure to give them your living address for shipment, and be prepared to have a person available to sign for the package.

Factory Suggestions: 1. Camo ITT's padded case. 2. Optics brush instead of, or in addition to, chemically treated cloth. 3. The furnished cover for the Objective lens fit perfectly, The Eyepiece lens cover however seemed difficult to slip over the eyepiece. a harder cover, with slightly longer walls would be helpful.

(Author's name and location withheld)
Pros: Many - See Narrative
Cons: None with regard to expectations

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.