Due to a fortuitous alignment of the planets, the following products assembled together will make a serviceable infra-red laser (intended for use with a head-mounted NVD, such as a PVS-14) for a total cost of less than $150.
First, get yourself a Beamshot 1000S laser, along with the mount of your choice (the "M1" is shown) from E-Bay, Optics Planet, or from On Target Sports Cost: about $75 shipped.
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You will then remove the existing red laser diode from the unit and replace it with an infra-red laser diode from
Alltronics Cost: about $72 shipped.
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This thing was a total bear to focus (the laser, that is). Must have taken twenty attempts, as the sweet spot is very small. As it came, it projected a straight line, several MOA long. Now it throws a quite satisfactory round dot. To focus, simply screw the lens thingy in or out while viewing the results through your NVD.
Removing the old diode took a bit of fiddling. There was not a suitably skinny pair of needle nose pliers laying about, but I ended up using the pair that I had- shoved one of the jaws down the breach end, engaged one of the spring-loaded detent flats, then rotated it about an eighth of a turn clockwise (this was for the purpose of disengaging the detent pins from the flats). It then came out quite easily. Along with it came the detents, however.
After some rather comical attempts, I finally figured out how to get the detents back in and get the IR diode installed- The detents are easy to install by simply skewering each of them in one of their coils with a suitable size punch or scribe. Then, it is a simple matter to stick them in their respective holes. Getting the new diode in afterwards was another matter, however....
One method to get the diode back in (focus it first!):
-remove both of the adjustment set screws.
-put both of the detent pins/springs in their proper place, and holding the tube in a manner to keep them from falling out
-push the new diode in with your pinky (if you have short and stubby proctologist fingers, then use some other method) until it touches the protruding detent pins
-while keeping a small amount of pressure on the back of the diode, insert a tool of some kind (I used an allen wrench) into one of the adjustment screw holes and carefully push the detent on the opposing side into its recepticle. Repeat for the other detent. While it takes a bit of finesse to get it accomplished, you should be able after a bit of wiggling and jiggling to fully seat your new IR diode.
-check for good electrical contact (do an op check).
Good news about this combination is that the diode is physically isolated from the battery, so that you do not have to worry about the battery beating the hell out of the diode. Bad news about this combo is the cumulative effects of not-quite-perfectly-matched parts. On mine at least, the spring terminal on the diode does not have a single spring coil to spare. It just barely touches the bottom of the battery. The battery installation itself is unsatisfactory without the utilization of a rubber o-ring to keep it closer to the tail cap, or else there is no contact.
ETA>
View of the red diode to be removed. Note the two spring-loaded detent pins that are engaging flats on the body of the diode.
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Installling the new diode requires that the spring detents be reinstalled. This requires that you depress them back into their recepticles while simultaneously pushing the new diode in. Note the arrangement of the silver detent recepticles; I am compressing each detent one at a time by shoving an allen wrench through empty screw hole on the opposing side. Note that I am pushing the diode in with my pinky as soon as it can clear the detent:
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Close-up view of the spring-loaded detents:
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Project complete:
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**Pardon if this post sounds a bit disjointed- I've cut & pasted it from another board. The idea is not mine, so I can't take credit. The pics and (most of the) procedures are, however. Have fun. Next project: assemble one for my Sig. Am thinking of installing that one on the receiver rail, using a YHM offset mount (in order to clear the front sight, as well as to get it out of the way of the Aimpoint sitting behind it)
This will let me remove the NVD from the rifle, which isn't the most optimal way to utilize it
**
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ETA> Done!
![]()
A bit high above the bore axis, but oh well...
First, get yourself a Beamshot 1000S laser, along with the mount of your choice (the "M1" is shown) from E-Bay, Optics Planet, or from On Target Sports Cost: about $75 shipped.
You will then remove the existing red laser diode from the unit and replace it with an infra-red laser diode from
Alltronics Cost: about $72 shipped.
This thing was a total bear to focus (the laser, that is). Must have taken twenty attempts, as the sweet spot is very small. As it came, it projected a straight line, several MOA long. Now it throws a quite satisfactory round dot. To focus, simply screw the lens thingy in or out while viewing the results through your NVD.
Removing the old diode took a bit of fiddling. There was not a suitably skinny pair of needle nose pliers laying about, but I ended up using the pair that I had- shoved one of the jaws down the breach end, engaged one of the spring-loaded detent flats, then rotated it about an eighth of a turn clockwise (this was for the purpose of disengaging the detent pins from the flats). It then came out quite easily. Along with it came the detents, however.
After some rather comical attempts, I finally figured out how to get the detents back in and get the IR diode installed- The detents are easy to install by simply skewering each of them in one of their coils with a suitable size punch or scribe. Then, it is a simple matter to stick them in their respective holes. Getting the new diode in afterwards was another matter, however....
One method to get the diode back in (focus it first!):
-remove both of the adjustment set screws.
-put both of the detent pins/springs in their proper place, and holding the tube in a manner to keep them from falling out
-push the new diode in with your pinky (if you have short and stubby proctologist fingers, then use some other method) until it touches the protruding detent pins
-while keeping a small amount of pressure on the back of the diode, insert a tool of some kind (I used an allen wrench) into one of the adjustment screw holes and carefully push the detent on the opposing side into its recepticle. Repeat for the other detent. While it takes a bit of finesse to get it accomplished, you should be able after a bit of wiggling and jiggling to fully seat your new IR diode.
-check for good electrical contact (do an op check).
Good news about this combination is that the diode is physically isolated from the battery, so that you do not have to worry about the battery beating the hell out of the diode. Bad news about this combo is the cumulative effects of not-quite-perfectly-matched parts. On mine at least, the spring terminal on the diode does not have a single spring coil to spare. It just barely touches the bottom of the battery. The battery installation itself is unsatisfactory without the utilization of a rubber o-ring to keep it closer to the tail cap, or else there is no contact.
ETA>
View of the red diode to be removed. Note the two spring-loaded detent pins that are engaging flats on the body of the diode.
Installling the new diode requires that the spring detents be reinstalled. This requires that you depress them back into their recepticles while simultaneously pushing the new diode in. Note the arrangement of the silver detent recepticles; I am compressing each detent one at a time by shoving an allen wrench through empty screw hole on the opposing side. Note that I am pushing the diode in with my pinky as soon as it can clear the detent:
Close-up view of the spring-loaded detents:
Project complete:
**Pardon if this post sounds a bit disjointed- I've cut & pasted it from another board. The idea is not mine, so I can't take credit. The pics and (most of the) procedures are, however. Have fun. Next project: assemble one for my Sig. Am thinking of installing that one on the receiver rail, using a YHM offset mount (in order to clear the front sight, as well as to get it out of the way of the Aimpoint sitting behind it)
This will let me remove the NVD from the rifle, which isn't the most optimal way to utilize it
**
ETA> Done!
A bit high above the bore axis, but oh well...
