Description

The Nocturn Talon: A Full-Capability Monocular with Half the Housing Weight

The Talon is Nocturn Industries’ ultralight night vision monocular — a complete rethink of the PVS-14 format built around weight, simplicity, and control. It runs the same MX-11769 image intensifier tubes and PVS-14 optics as a standard PVS-14, in a carbon-fiber reinforced housing that Nocturn rates at roughly half the weight of a standard AA PVS-14 housing (53 grams vs. 115 grams).

At Superior Tactical, we’ve been selling and servicing night vision for over a decade. We know these tubes, we stand behind them, and we’re here when you have questions.

This build pairs the Nocturn Talon housing with your choice of Noctis/Carson or Brightpath optics and the image intensifier tube of your choice — Gen 3 Elbit, Gen 3 L3Harris 28LAH SuperGain, or Gen 2+ NNVT.

What’s in the Box

• Nocturn Talon monocular with your selected tube and optics installed
• CR123A battery cap
• Tube datasheet — showing your specific tube’s actual performance specs

The Build: Nocturn Talon Housing

Ultralight, U.S.-Made Housing

The Talon housing is molded from a high-strength, carbon-fiber reinforced polymer and is designed, machined, molded, and assembled in the United States. Nocturn designed it to meet IP68 and MIL-STD-810H. It accepts standard MX-11769 tubes with an EGAC pigtail as well as 3-pad European-style MX-11769 tubes, and it mounts on the standard PVS-14 J-arms you may already own.

One Knob Runs Everything

All functions run through a single tactile control knob. Gain is set by detented rotation, so you can feel your setting in the dark without looking. Double-tap the knob to turn on the built-in adjustable IR illuminator, with an in-view indicator so you always know when IR is active. The Talon also has an in-view low battery indicator and shuts itself off automatically when stowed.

Power

The Talon runs on a CR123A battery as standard, with AA and CR2 caps available. Nocturn rates battery life at up to 50 hours on CR123A or AA.

Optics: Noctis/Carson or Brightpath

The Talon takes PVS-14 spec optics, and we build it with your choice of two. Noctis/Carson optics are the proven standard on our PVS-14 builds. Brightpath objective and eyepiece assemblies are built by the engineering team behind the original Qioptiq optics, manufactured to MIL-L-49426 and MIL-L-49427 in lightweight ULTEM housings, and multi-coated on every air-to-glass surface.

Choosing Your Tube — Plain English Guide

This is where most buyers get stuck. Here’s what you actually need to know:

Elbit Systems of America

Elbit Systems of America is one of the two primary manufacturers of U.S. Gen 3 image intensifier tubes. Their filmed tubes are known for excellent contrast and a clean, low-noise viewing experience, and they represent the strongest value in Gen 3 white phosphor today. Every tube is hand-inspected and comes with its own datasheet.

L3Harris 28LAH SuperGain

The 28LAH is L3Harris’ unfilmed white phosphor SuperGain tube and sits at the top of our tube lineup. Ask us for the datasheet on the specific tube going into your Talon.

NNVT Gen 2+

The NNVT 1600+ FOM autogated white phosphor tube is the entry point into a Talon build — strong performance at a significantly lower cost than Gen 3.

What is FOM?

FOM stands for Figure of Merit — a single number calculated by multiplying a tube’s resolution (line pairs per mm) by its signal-to-noise ratio. It’s a useful shorthand but not the whole story. A higher FOM generally indicates better overall performance, but two tubes with the same FOM can look different in the field.

What is a Z1 Spot?

The Z1 zone is the center area of the tube image — the most critical viewing area. A tube listed as “with Z1 spot” contains a small cosmetic blemish in this zone, but it will not exceed .003 inches in size. Many experienced users find Z1 spots are barely noticeable in real-world use. Tubes listed “without Z1 spot” or “No Spots on Datasheet” have no cosmetic blemishes in the critical viewing area.

2376+ FOM — What Does That Mean?

This designates tubes that have tested at 2376 FOM or higher on their datasheet. For buyers who want documented high performance, this is a strong option.

Hand Select — See Your Tube Before You Buy

Not sure which tube is right for you? We offer hand-select service on many of our tubes.

Email us to request datasheets on available tubes before you commit to a purchase. You’ll see the actual measured specs — FOM, signal-to-noise ratio, resolution, EBI, and halo — for the specific tube going into your unit.

Call (888) 330-7057 to speak with someone who actually knows night vision. We have more tubes available than what’s listed in the dropdown — if you have specific requirements, let us know.

Specs at a Glance

Warranty

Warranty coverage depends on the tube you select. Gen 3 Elbit and L3Harris builds are backed by our 10-year warranty covering the full unit — housing, optics, electronics, and tube. The Gen 2+ NNVT build is backed by a 2-year warranty on the same components. The warranty does not cover accidental damage or damage resulting from misuse.

We also offer in-house repairs with free diagnostic. If something goes wrong, you’re not shipping your unit to a manufacturer overseas — you’re calling us.

Common Questions

Will my PVS-14 J-arm and mount work with the Talon? Yes. The Talon accepts standard PVS-14 mounting J-arms.

Do you have tube options not listed in the dropdown? Yes. Call (888) 330-7057 or email sales@superiortac.com for our current inventory. Tube availability changes frequently and we carry more options than the website reflects.

Can I see the datasheet before I buy? Yes — email us to request datasheets on specific tubes before purchasing.

What if I’m new to night vision and don’t know where to start? Call us. We’ve been doing this for over a decade and we’ll point you in the right direction without pushing you toward something you don’t need.

Night vision devices are controlled technology subject to U.S. export control laws. By purchasing, you acknowledge compliance with applicable ITAR and EAR regulations. For sale to U.S. persons only.