Housing Build Kits
Showing all 17 results
Night Vision Housing Build Kits Buyer’s Guide
A housing build kit is the chassis and assembled components of a night vision device — minus the image intensifier tube. Build kits are for buyers who already have a tube (or are sourcing one separately) and need a quality housing to put it in. The most common reasons: replacing a damaged housing while keeping a working tube, building a second unit with a tube already on hand, or maintaining tube and housing inventory separately for fleet work.
If you don’t already have a tube and you want a complete, working night vision unit, a build kit isn’t the right product for you — see the section below.
If You Don’t Already Have a Tube
If you’re shopping for a working night vision unit and don’t have a tube on hand, you want a complete unit, not a build kit. Our complete PVS-14 monoculars and dual-tube goggles ship with tubes installed, tested, and aligned at the spec you select at order. That’s the simpler, more direct path. Build kits exist specifically for buyers handling the tube side of the equation themselves.
What’s a Build Kit?
A complete NV monocular or binocular consists of a housing (the body, optics, electronics, and battery system), the image intensifier tube (the “tube” — the part that actually converts low-light photons into a visible image), and various small parts (battery cap, lens covers, etc.). A build kit gives you everything except the tube — the housing is fully assembled and tested with a dummy tube or simulator, the optics are aligned, and the unit just needs a tube installed to be complete.
Build kits are common for the most popular NV platforms: PVS-14 housings (single-tube monocular), RNVG / DTNVG-style housings (dual-tube binocular), and ANVB-style housings (dual-tube articulating). Empty housings without other components are also available for users replacing damaged shells or building from scratch.
Who Build Kits Are For
Replacement Builds
Users with a damaged housing but a working tube. The tube comes out of the broken unit and goes into a fresh housing. Significantly cheaper than buying a complete new unit when only the housing is compromised, and the most common reason buyers come to build kits.
Buyers with a Tube on Hand
Buyers who already own a tube — from a prior purchase, a separate transaction, or pulled from another unit — and need a housing for it. Common for users building a second unit, swapping platforms (e.g., moving a PVS-14 tube into an RNVG housing), or upgrading an old housing without replacing the tube.
Agency and Professional Builders
LE units, agencies, and professional users who maintain inventories of tubes and housings separately for fleet management, fast turnaround replacements, and tube cycling between housings as units come due for service.
Experienced Builders
Long-time NV users with the tools, work environment, and experience to do tube installs themselves. If you’re in this group, you already know whether you are.
What’s Included in a Build Kit
A typical build kit includes the housing, all internal optics and electronics, battery housing and cap, lens covers, and any standard accessories that ship with the complete unit. The image intensifier tube is not included — that’s the entire point. Some kits also exclude the front objective lens (sold separately or with the kit depending on the configuration).
Read the specific kit listing carefully — different manufacturers package their build kits differently. Some are essentially “complete minus tube,” others are “housing only” and require additional components. We’re happy to clarify what’s included on any specific build kit before you order.
Tube Install — DIY or Service
Most build-kit buyers either install the tube themselves or ship the kit to us with their tube for install. Tube install requires:
- Anti-static handling and a properly grounded work area
- Clean environment — dust on the photocathode is permanent
- Correct alignment of the tube within the housing
- Proper mating with internal connectors and seals
- Post-install QC and testing
Experienced builders with proper work environments handle their own installs. If you don’t have an anti-static setup or aren’t comfortable handling a tube worth several thousand dollars, send us the kit and the tube as part of our service work and we’ll install, align, QC, and ship the complete unit back to you. For tube spec questions on a tube you already own, see our Image Intensifier guide.
ITAR and Export
Night vision housings, components, and tubes are ITAR-controlled, the same as complete NV units. Build kits and tubes can only be sold to verified U.S. persons. We sell only to U.S. customers and do not ship build kits, housings, tubes, or any related components internationally.
Price Tiers
- PVS-14 / monocular housings and parts kits: $400-$1,100. Covers PVS-14 housings (RVM-14, OP14, PVS14R), complete accessory kits, and rebuild parts kits.
- RNVG / DTNVG / dual-tube binocular housing kits: $1,200-$3,500. Range covers entry-level dual-tube housings through premium kits (DTNVS-MG, Nocturn Manticore-R, SI Nighthawk-MG, BNVD-1431, LLI MH-1).
- ANVB-style articulating binocular housings: $1,000-$2,000. Fold-down articulating bridge platform.
- Panoramic specialty kits (APNVG): ~$7,500. Niche four-tube panoramic platforms for extended field-of-view applications.
Warranty and Support
Housing manufacturers warranty their housings; tube manufacturers warranty their tubes. The two warranties are independent. If you have us install your tube into a build kit, the housing carries the manufacturer’s housing warranty, and the tube carries its own data sheet and manufacturer’s tube warranty. We’re a full service facility and can handle warranty claims, install, alignment, and troubleshooting on any build-kit product. All units ship within 1-2 business days.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t have a tube — should I buy a build kit?
Probably not. If you want a complete, working unit, our PVS-14 monoculars and other complete units ship with tubes installed at the spec you choose — that’s the simpler path. Build kits are for buyers who already have or are sourcing the tube separately.
Is a build kit cheaper than a complete unit?
Generally no — build kit + tube + install typically lands at similar or slightly higher cost than buying a comparable complete unit. The reason to build is when you already have the tube (replacement housing, second unit, agency tube inventory) or when you want absolute control over which specific tube data sheet ends up in the housing.
Can I install the tube myself?
If you have an anti-static work area, clean environment, and experience with tube handling — yes, and many build-kit buyers do. Tubes are unforgiving: dust on the photocathode is permanent, and incorrect handling can damage the tube before it ever produces an image. If you don’t have the right setup, we’ll install your tube into the kit as a service.
Can I use any tube with any housing?
Most modern Gen 3 tubes are physically compatible with most modern Gen 3 housings, but specific kits may have specific requirements (filmless tubes, particular pin configurations, etc.). Check the kit specifications or contact us before assuming compatibility.
Do build kits include the front lens?
Varies by kit. Some include the objective lens; some sell it separately. Read the listing or ask us to confirm before ordering.
Are build kits ITAR-controlled?
Yes. NV housings, components, and tubes are all ITAR-controlled. We sell build kits only to verified U.S. persons and do not ship any related components internationally.
Can you install a tube I supply?
Yes. We install customer-supplied tubes into build kits or housings as part of our service work. Ship us the tube and the kit, we’ll install, align, QC, and ship the complete unit back. See our repairs and services page.
What if my housing breaks but my tube is fine?
This is one of the main use cases for build kits. We can pull your working tube out of the damaged housing, install it into a new build kit, and return a complete unit. Significantly cheaper than buying a whole new device.
How long does shipping take?
Build kits ship within 1-2 business days. If you’re sending the kit to us with your tube for install, install and QC typically adds 3-7 business days depending on current workload.
Replacing a damaged housing or building with a tube you already have? Contact us or call (888) 330-7057 with the platform you’re building, the tube you have, and your timeline — we’ll spec the right kit and handle install if needed.
Night Vision Housing Build Kits Buyer’s Guide
A housing build kit is the chassis and assembled components of a night vision device — minus the image intensifier tube. Build kits are for buyers who already have a tube (or are sourcing one separately) and need a quality housing to put it in. The most common reasons: replacing a damaged housing while keeping a working tube, building a second unit with a tube already on hand, or maintaining tube and housing inventory separately for fleet work.
If you don’t already have a tube and you want a complete, working night vision unit, a build kit isn’t the right product for you — see the section below.
If You Don’t Already Have a Tube
If you’re shopping for a working night vision unit and don’t have a tube on hand, you want a complete unit, not a build kit. Our complete PVS-14 monoculars and dual-tube goggles ship with tubes installed, tested, and aligned at the spec you select at order. That’s the simpler, more direct path. Build kits exist specifically for buyers handling the tube side of the equation themselves.
What’s a Build Kit?
A complete NV monocular or binocular consists of a housing (the body, optics, electronics, and battery system), the image intensifier tube (the “tube” — the part that actually converts low-light photons into a visible image), and various small parts (battery cap, lens covers, etc.). A build kit gives you everything except the tube — the housing is fully assembled and tested with a dummy tube or simulator, the optics are aligned, and the unit just needs a tube installed to be complete.
Build kits are common for the most popular NV platforms: PVS-14 housings (single-tube monocular), RNVG / DTNVG-style housings (dual-tube binocular), and ANVB-style housings (dual-tube articulating). Empty housings without other components are also available for users replacing damaged shells or building from scratch.
Who Build Kits Are For
Replacement Builds
Users with a damaged housing but a working tube. The tube comes out of the broken unit and goes into a fresh housing. Significantly cheaper than buying a complete new unit when only the housing is compromised, and the most common reason buyers come to build kits.
Buyers with a Tube on Hand
Buyers who already own a tube — from a prior purchase, a separate transaction, or pulled from another unit — and need a housing for it. Common for users building a second unit, swapping platforms (e.g., moving a PVS-14 tube into an RNVG housing), or upgrading an old housing without replacing the tube.
Agency and Professional Builders
LE units, agencies, and professional users who maintain inventories of tubes and housings separately for fleet management, fast turnaround replacements, and tube cycling between housings as units come due for service.
Experienced Builders
Long-time NV users with the tools, work environment, and experience to do tube installs themselves. If you’re in this group, you already know whether you are.
What’s Included in a Build Kit
A typical build kit includes the housing, all internal optics and electronics, battery housing and cap, lens covers, and any standard accessories that ship with the complete unit. The image intensifier tube is not included — that’s the entire point. Some kits also exclude the front objective lens (sold separately or with the kit depending on the configuration).
Read the specific kit listing carefully — different manufacturers package their build kits differently. Some are essentially “complete minus tube,” others are “housing only” and require additional components. We’re happy to clarify what’s included on any specific build kit before you order.
Tube Install — DIY or Service
Most build-kit buyers either install the tube themselves or ship the kit to us with their tube for install. Tube install requires:
- Anti-static handling and a properly grounded work area
- Clean environment — dust on the photocathode is permanent
- Correct alignment of the tube within the housing
- Proper mating with internal connectors and seals
- Post-install QC and testing
Experienced builders with proper work environments handle their own installs. If you don’t have an anti-static setup or aren’t comfortable handling a tube worth several thousand dollars, send us the kit and the tube as part of our service work and we’ll install, align, QC, and ship the complete unit back to you. For tube spec questions on a tube you already own, see our Image Intensifier guide.
ITAR and Export
Night vision housings, components, and tubes are ITAR-controlled, the same as complete NV units. Build kits and tubes can only be sold to verified U.S. persons. We sell only to U.S. customers and do not ship build kits, housings, tubes, or any related components internationally.
Price Tiers
- PVS-14 / monocular housings and parts kits: $400-$1,100. Covers PVS-14 housings (RVM-14, OP14, PVS14R), complete accessory kits, and rebuild parts kits.
- RNVG / DTNVG / dual-tube binocular housing kits: $1,200-$3,500. Range covers entry-level dual-tube housings through premium kits (DTNVS-MG, Nocturn Manticore-R, SI Nighthawk-MG, BNVD-1431, LLI MH-1).
- ANVB-style articulating binocular housings: $1,000-$2,000. Fold-down articulating bridge platform.
- Panoramic specialty kits (APNVG): ~$7,500. Niche four-tube panoramic platforms for extended field-of-view applications.
Warranty and Support
Housing manufacturers warranty their housings; tube manufacturers warranty their tubes. The two warranties are independent. If you have us install your tube into a build kit, the housing carries the manufacturer’s housing warranty, and the tube carries its own data sheet and manufacturer’s tube warranty. We’re a full service facility and can handle warranty claims, install, alignment, and troubleshooting on any build-kit product. All units ship within 1-2 business days.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t have a tube — should I buy a build kit?
Probably not. If you want a complete, working unit, our PVS-14 monoculars and other complete units ship with tubes installed at the spec you choose — that’s the simpler path. Build kits are for buyers who already have or are sourcing the tube separately.
Is a build kit cheaper than a complete unit?
Generally no — build kit + tube + install typically lands at similar or slightly higher cost than buying a comparable complete unit. The reason to build is when you already have the tube (replacement housing, second unit, agency tube inventory) or when you want absolute control over which specific tube data sheet ends up in the housing.
Can I install the tube myself?
If you have an anti-static work area, clean environment, and experience with tube handling — yes, and many build-kit buyers do. Tubes are unforgiving: dust on the photocathode is permanent, and incorrect handling can damage the tube before it ever produces an image. If you don’t have the right setup, we’ll install your tube into the kit as a service.
Can I use any tube with any housing?
Most modern Gen 3 tubes are physically compatible with most modern Gen 3 housings, but specific kits may have specific requirements (filmless tubes, particular pin configurations, etc.). Check the kit specifications or contact us before assuming compatibility.
Do build kits include the front lens?
Varies by kit. Some include the objective lens; some sell it separately. Read the listing or ask us to confirm before ordering.
Are build kits ITAR-controlled?
Yes. NV housings, components, and tubes are all ITAR-controlled. We sell build kits only to verified U.S. persons and do not ship any related components internationally.
Can you install a tube I supply?
Yes. We install customer-supplied tubes into build kits or housings as part of our service work. Ship us the tube and the kit, we’ll install, align, QC, and ship the complete unit back. See our repairs and services page.
What if my housing breaks but my tube is fine?
This is one of the main use cases for build kits. We can pull your working tube out of the damaged housing, install it into a new build kit, and return a complete unit. Significantly cheaper than buying a whole new device.
How long does shipping take?
Build kits ship within 1-2 business days. If you’re sending the kit to us with your tube for install, install and QC typically adds 3-7 business days depending on current workload.
Replacing a damaged housing or building with a tube you already have? Contact us or call (888) 330-7057 with the platform you’re building, the tube you have, and your timeline — we’ll spec the right kit and handle install if needed.