#norotos lo sto

[goatsludge]

Ops-Core FAST Carbon Helmet, Urban Tan

Ops-Core Modular Bungee Shroud, Tan 499

Norotos Lo-Sto, USMC Configuration

S&S Precision V-Lite, IR

Streamlight Sidewinder Stalk, Tan

L3Harris Cold Weather Battery Pack

Nocturn Industries 4-Pin Fischer Power Cable

Ops-Core Counterweight Kit, Urban Tan

My personal bump helmet setup for casual night vision activities

[spadilles-lair]

SCP AMTF Nu-7 Cosplay - Low Visibility Environment

Depicted here is the standard night fighting equipment for the conventional Nu-7 light fighter. Low visibility conditions take up roughly half of all time on Earth, and as such the modern soldier must be equipped to function in such an environment. This is also the case for the SCP Foundation's Armed Mobile Task Forces. It is especially important for AMTF units as many Foundation site's are almost entirely underground and have the potential to lose power and artificial light. All AMTF units who are tasked with responding to site containment breaches must be trained in performing all of their duties under night vision devices. Headborne night vision and occasionally thermal devices are typically mounted on a ballistic or bump helmet, in this case the Ops-Core SF ballistic helmet, via an NVG shroud fixed to the front of the helmet. The night vision equipment can be mounted to the shroud off a dovetail mount by the use of a bridge for dual tube NVGs, or a J-Arm for single tube NVGs. The operative depicted here has an Elbit Gen 3 WP PVS-14 mounted on a Noisefighters MAX14 J-Arm which mounts to the Norotos Lo-Sto Push Button Mount. Such a setup is extremely lightweight and provides an exceptional range of articulation for stowing the unit on the helmet. This operative also has a FLIR Breach Thermal monocular, used as a handheld heat signature scanner. Using both night vision tubes and thermal devices in tandem provides the user with an extremely powerful toolset when working at night or in low light conditions.

If the AMTF unit is responding to a potential threat to Foundation security that is known to have peer or near peer technology, then responding elements must assume their targets have night vision and thermal devices as well. To this end one of the more simple methods to counter handheld thermal devices is to wear a large poncho. This masks most of the operative's body heat underneath the poncho and blends the wearer to the surrounding environmental temperature. Fighting against thermal is extremely difficult and this method is not perfect, however even a simple poncho decreases the overall heat signature of the wearer to a large degree. Countering enemy night vision devices is much easier and a large part of succeeding in this is to reduce both white light and IR light output downrange. This means the operative's must passive aim without the assistance of an IR laser mounted on the weapon. The real estate is instead taken by a white light and IR light capable flashlight which can assist in passive aiming in low light environments.

Fighting against the anomalous has the potential to become chaotic almost instantaneously, and only more so at night. Low visibility paired with the small field of view that night vision provides means that responding elements will need a quick and easy way to distinguish from friend or foe. To this end the operative here has placed infrared glint tabs on the back of his kit. These IR tabs glow when IR light is reflected on them, and this glowing effect is only visible under night vision. This example here was taken from a still during Recovery Operation ███ ████ (See Recovery Operation ███ ████ After Action Report ██-██-████ ████ hrs local).

The operative showcased here also has a helmet mounted strobe light, specifically the S&S Precision Manta Strobe with Hybrid Tail Cap. A helmet strobe light provides friendly identification to nearby units from a long distance, ranging from other elements and vehicles on the ground to supporting aircraft in the sky. Unit Standard Operating Procedures, or SOP, will determine how identifying friend or foe under low light conditions is conducted.

Full Resolution Available Here.

[goatsludge]

DIY'd some rubber stabilizing dots to stick onto my Ops-Core Modular Bungee Shroud in order to take out the immense amount of wobble it has with a Norotos Lo-Sto Mount.

Not a design flaw, I think the MBS was purposefully designed with a massive amount of tolerance so any NVG mount could theoretically work with it with the right amount of shimming (hence why they come with a cheap piece of foam tape for the same purpose as these rubber dots I made).

It's funny how often the universal response in the NVG community for tolerance tightening is just to stick a piece of whatever in between mating surfaces to take out wobble.

[goatsludge]

"Commercial" Lo-Sto (left) vs "USMC Configuration" Lo-Sto (right)

"Commercial" version lacks a breakaway, has more vertical adjustment, and has magnets in the dovetail shoe for auto-off systems.

"USMC" version has an adjustable breakaway, less vertical adjustment, and more lightening cuts/no magnets on the dovetail.

@bureau-of-mines and I have both been completely revamping our night vision helmet setups and part of that was choosing a modern dovetail-compatible mount to supplant our ancient ANVIS Ball Detent setups.

The COTS version was purchased from MOD Armory, the USMC version came from TNVC (I paid the latter using PayPal checkout and changed my password immediately after lmao).

COTS version weighs 4.75oz USMC config. weighs 4.68oz

At this stage, my casual NV bump helmet setup is effectively done, and all that's left is acquiring the dovetail modular power supply for my TNV/Artemis Goggles (as I keep mentioning).

Hopefully that'll be headed to me sometime this week.

[goatsludge]

Night Vision Mount Comparison w/ TNVC BNVG-M Artemis Goggles

Adams Industries Surface ANVIS Mount

Wilcox G24 Breakaway Mount

Norotos Lo-Sto USMC Configuration

To avoid writing another one of my usual thesis posts, I'll break it down and summarize that the Artemis housings are definitely better off as a modernized ANVIS setup. You use it with dovetail and you've effectively got a bulkier, more expensive RNVG.

In the future, I plan to get a set of articulating pod housings like the RNVG-A/MGA, mainly to have the ability to rotate the pods up against the helmet in the upright stowed position, to counteract some of forward cantilever weight.

I may also consider trying a fixed shroud like the Wilcox G30 for this purpose as well. The end result might stow even lower profile than ANVIS.

[goatsludge]

Ops-Core FAST Carbon Bump Helmet

Lately I've been overhauling how I set up my NVG's, primarily when it comes to helmet choices. I decided that the Full-Cut ECH would be my ballistic setup for the added coverage/protection, and then I would use a bump setup for 90% of the other times for just casually using night vision devices.

I'm very fond of the aesthetic of Ops-Core's legacy FAST helmets over the newer 'SF' versions, and after reselling my FAST XP Ballistic, I was lucky enough to be given a lead on someone selling a FAST Carbon of the same size and color.

This has been the most turn-key purchase out of all the helmets I've set up - literally the only thing I've done to it is swap out the Skeleton Shroud for a Modular Bungee Shroud, add a bit of velcro to hold my L3Harris Battery Pack, and adjust the pads inside a bit.

I will likely also end up replacing the G24 Mount with a Norotos Lo-Sto, but aside from that, the only things left to "complete" my Night Vision setup are a BNVD Power Cable and the Dovetail Modular Power Supply for my TNV/Artemis BINOD Goggles.

It's been a very interesting experience and I'm slowly reaching a catharsis.

[spadilles-lair]

Ops-Core SF Ballistic Helmet Setup - SPADILLE

Arguably the most successful fleet of contemporary helmet designs and the most recognizable come from Ops-Core with their FAST line of helmets. The abbreviation FAST stands for Future Assault Shell Technology and is the name that Ops-Core has given to their line of bump and ballistic helmets. Within the FAST family there are a myriad of different helmet cuts and levels of protection. This helmet line notably has Accessory Rail Connectors or ARCs placed on the sides of the helmet which allow for the user to securely mount any ARC compatible kit on these rails. The SF is the lightest ballistic model of the FAST suite, utilizing ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene rated against shrapnel, frag, and common pistol caliber threats up to 9 mm. It is a super high cut which means that the helmet sacrifices armor coverage over the ear for weight savings and convenience when wearing mounted active hearing protection. This is a very lightweight and comfortable ballistic helmet. The lux liner is excellent out of the box and provides a secure fit with no wobble and even a fully kitted out SF is very light and can be worn for multiple days without issue.

Complete setup weight here is only about 4 pounds 7 ounces with the PVS-14 adding negligible weight on top of that. For a fully equipped ballistic helmet, that is some impressive weight. I hope this showcase provides some guidance and inspiration for your own helmet setup.

Helmet Kit List:

4D Tactical Zero G DELUXE Liner

Dynamic Fuzz Cover

Norotos Lo-Sto Push Button Mount

MOHOC Action Camera with SanDisk 64GB Micro SD Card

S&S Precision Manta Strobe with Hybrid Tail Cap

Ops-Core Counterweight

3M Peltor ComTac VI on Crye Precision / 3M ARC Adapter with Gel Earcups

Noisefighters AX-14 PRO

Elbit WP PVS-14 with Nightline Powerpack & Nocorium Wrap

Cold Harbour Supply CHAD

Night Vision Incorporated Lens Protector V2

Full Resolution Available Here.