Unknown night vision device

[kphfun]

I got this NVD today that I won on Ebay for 3.25.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT

It seems that the data plate has been removed as you can see in the picture so I am trying to find out if anyone here can I.D. this unit for me. The really cool thing is the guy who sold it stated it does not work but I just took it outside with 2 fresh D-cells in it and it works fine.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Kev

[kphfun]

...

[kphfun]

..

[kphfun]

what looks like a mounting bracket of some type...

[kphfun]

you can see in the center where the data plate was.

[The Meatcan]

did you say 3.25 as in three dollars and twenty five cents US? :w00t: and like that's not a good enough deal but then it works too? holy moley that is downright unbelievable! Other than Scarlett Johansen's boyfriend, you, sir, are the luckiest man alive.

Terry

[Misanthropic_Gods]

Good lord man.....thats just......wow......thats unbelievable!

[hawkdriver]

I don't recognize it as anything US, not saying it's not some odd ball item. I thought it was a Metascope for a minute, but it's not. It looks more european or Com bloc than anything else. Does it have any kind of writing anywhere on it? Look in the end of the scope and see if there is anything inside the outter lens. It is old, and I will say that with that, these old units did not fare well in the open daylight, even when off, so store it in a light tight container when being used. I don't suppose there is any kind of reticle inside when you look through?

[kphfun]

Thanks guys as I took a chance on it just because I thought it would be neat if nothing else.

Steve, the only writing I have seen on it so far is just the "On" and "Off" on the knob in the last picture so I am pretty sure that removes any thought of Com Bloc surplus. :think: No reticule either.

[kphfun]

"Other than Scarlett Johansen's boyfriend, you, sir, are the luckiest man alive."

[hawkdriver]

Thanks guys as I took a chance on it just because I thought it would be neat if nothing else.

Steve, the only writing I have seen on it so far is just the "On" and "Off" on the knob in the last picture so I am pretty sure that removes any thought of Com Bloc surplus. :think: No reticule either.

 

Now that you say that, I can see it now. The next question, all the holes around the objective side of it, are they holes, or are those screws? If they are holes, I would lay odds that this is some kind of NV for a spotting scope, maybe a Navy observation scope. That end is to specific in it's design not to be attached to something.

There doesn't seem to be a distance focusing ring, so this isn't made to be utilized on it's own, it is a set focus I'm guessing. You can see the on/off know the battery cap, and the other knob should adjust intensity.

With all that, I am betting that it is a NV for a naval spotting scope.

[kphfun]

The knob on the front center is for distance focusing. It does seem that it would attach to something but the holes in the front are the reverse side of the screws that hold the front glass on. :think:

[hawkdriver]

Well, I've exhausted my knowledge on it, so hopefully, someone else will chime in.

[flyer333555]

Kev:

 

Check this web posting.

 

Les Flory TV and Electronics Page

 

If it is the right item, the position is different, it is in the page that says "WW 2 Infrared." So you may have a WW 2 item!

 

It is identified as the US Navy US/C-3 Infrared Signaling Telescope, RCA MI-2558A.

 

Anyway, you now have a model number to confirm or discredit the Les Flory page.

 

I did a google search on Naval Night Vision Devices, then looked at about 18 pages of images! So if not for Hawk I think suggestion it being navy, it would have been harder.

 

If it is that item, and it works, an excellent find for $3.50!!! :thumbsup:

 

Take care,

 

Luis Ramos

[kphfun]

Outstanding Luis as that is the one! :thumbsup: Wow, how cool is that now..

 

Thank you again Luis and thank you Steve for the assist.

 

Cheers,

Kev

[Bob Hudson]

It is identified as the US Navy US/C-3 Infrared Signaling Telescope, RCA MI-2558A.

 

It is also ID'ed as a C-3 at http://www.snyderstreasures.com/pages/optics.htm where one is for sale for $1,499.99!

 

They say,

 

"This is a very rare US Navy US/C-3 RCA MI-2558 clandestine submarine commando operations signaling device.

 

The US/C-3 Infrared Signaling Telescope was designed for secure night-time signaling with shipboard infrared-filtered yardarm blinkers US/X-12 or signal searchlights and various beacons. The most common use was as an infrared beacon placed on a landing (or pick-up) site by an Underwater Demolition Team frogman (UDT) team to guide pick-up vessels to the site"

[flyer333555]

Kev-

 

I searched on the model number, the photo appeared again. It seems the poster of the following website is the author or related to the same poster of my previous message where I quote Les Flory.

 

There are references to articles of an RCA magazine.

 

On this site, he mentions how these devices were used in 1944.

 

A ship would receive via TBS "Nancy Hanks." Code to stand by for an infrared signal light message. The message would follow via a 12-inch signal light with an infrared filter.

 

World War II Navy Radio

 

On this, another link goes back to one of Les Flory's page on repairing the telescope. I think the warning to store it in a light-tight container when not in use would be well-heeded. Flory said he had to replace the tube on one because probably someone ignored the warning "never to point it to the sun" as there were flaws in the image.

 

There appeared to be at least 4 models, A through D as the last character of the model number.

 

Take care,

 

Luis R. Ramos

[kphfun]

It is also ID'ed as a C-3 at http://www.snyderstreasures.com/pages/optics.htm where one is for sale for $1,499.99!

 

They say,

 

"This is a very rare US Navy US/C-3 RCA MI-2558 clandestine submarine commando operations signaling device.

 

The US/C-3 Infrared Signaling Telescope was designed for secure night-time signaling with shipboard infrared-filtered yardarm blinkers US/X-12 or signal searchlights and various beacons. The most common use was as an infrared beacon placed on a landing (or pick-up) site by an Underwater Demolition Team frogman (UDT) team to guide pick-up vessels to the site"

:w00t: I guess I did pretty good for 3.25....

Thanks Bob.

[kphfun]

Kev-

 

I searched on the model number, the photo appeared again. It seems the poster of the following website is the author or related to the same poster of my previous message where I quote Les Flory.

 

There are references to articles of an RCA magazine.

 

On this site, he mentions how these devices were used in 1944.

 

A ship would receive via TBS "Nancy Hanks." Code to stand by for an infrared signal light message. The message would follow via a 12-inch signal light with an infrared filter.

 

World War II Navy Radio

 

On this, another link goes back to one of Les Flory's page on repairing the telescope. I think the warning to store it in a light-tight container when not in use would be well-heeded. Flory said he had to replace the tube on one because probably someone ignored the warning "never to point it to the sun" as there were flaws in the image.

 

There appeared to be at least 4 models, A through D as the last character of the model number.

 

Take care,

 

Luis R. Ramos

Thank you again Luis.. :thumbsup:

[Survival]

It sounds like everyone might have this IDed already but it looks like an insturment I have seen before called a Metascope. For some reason I thought they were used somehow to inspect metal to confirm its quality.....

[flyer333555]

If you do a Google search for "metascope" you come up with all sorts of different models of IR devices, including one called the Varo Metascope. Line called AN/PAS 6. This apparently was made by a company in Varo, Texas. But none of these images look like this item. My guess is it was a particular model named so I don't know why.

 

Maybe the company just adopted the name of Metascope because of its ability to see at night. Others called all IF devices metascopes by that association. As in "xerox" for copiers, when not all copiers are xerox.

 

Maybe the company that made the scope subject of this thread was bought by this company.

 

Maybe an engineer can talk about using infrared equipment to analyze metals. Maybe this is the connection with infrared equipment. But look what I found doing a Google search on Metascope:

 

RDECOM Magazine,

 

RDECOM is a US Army engineer research command... An article about an old infrared scope called Metascope.

 

Luis Ramos

[hawkdriver]

I think we already identified this as a US Navy US/C-3 Infrared Signaling Telescope, RCA MI-2558A

[AustinO]

At first I thought this was another one of your BiN snipes...then I checked the bid history. What the hell am I doing wrong!!! Also, dont go off that Snyder's retail as value, which I'm sure you already know. He's probably had that thing for 10 years already...

[kphfun]

At first I thought this was another one of your BiN snipes...then I checked the bid history. What the hell am I doing wrong!!! Also, dont go off that Snyder's retail as value, which I'm sure you already know. He's probably had that thing for 10 years already...

Yes, as far a REAL prices go that is not the place to go, that much I know. :thumbsup: I was telling Doyler the same thing, why would someone who pretty much knows it's military and thinks it's WW2 vintage put it in sporting goods section. Worked for me though. The only reason I found it was that I was looking for a vintage scope for a new rifle I got and my search pulled this up, didn't know what it was but thought it was interesting enough to place a low bid and sure enough, I won it. I think if I list it correctly I should double my money spent.