Anyone have any idea when the TVS-5 body started being manufactured with the intergrated/molded AA batt compartment?
Is there a model desegnation for that style?
Thanks
I can take a stab at it for you. This scope basically being a PVS-4 variant, I will base my response on the PVS-4A model. This was the PVS-4 scope with the integrated AA housing. They are not all that common to find although I have owned one and still see them from time to time.
My guess is they were made from the mid to late 90's onward. I would guess they came out when the MX-11620 Gen 3 tubes were sourced. When Gen 3 was introduced to the PVS-4 they upgraded the housing. Being that the TVS-5 and PVS-4 use the same tube housing I would expect it to be about the same time frame for both scopes. The "A" housings are nice but the AA adapter is still the most widely available upgrade. Works well and solves the problem finding the old mercury batteries.
Considering the PVS-4 came out in the 70's, finding the AA integrated version at least tells you it is a very late model scope. I look for this feature when buying PVS-4 scopes and others. It is a tell for me that it may have a Gen 3 tube. Not always, but sometimes I get lucky.
Originally Posted By last_lancer:
The designations you're looking for are NVEC NVS-800 or Nivisys ACSWS.
The latter mentioned has had a standard fit with the 3in ocular lens, though.
Interesting, I thought I had read Varo came out with the NVS-800 and then perhaps licensed it's manufacture elsewhere?
Yes, there were quite a few making these back then, under the NVS-x00 designation.
Optic Electronic Corp, Night Vision Equipment Co., Ni-Tec, IEI (Iran), even some company from South Korea but I was not able to decipher anything on the label.
