Cyclop Night Vision Monocular and AP-1 IR Light

[Veers57]

Recently purchased the monocular and AP-1 IR light for $50 shipped. Nice little scope, but it is missing the lens.

Does anyone know what type of lens I need to buy to get the monocular to focus and be useable? Not looking for the Helios lens, but something useful. Not sure if it is M42 lens compatible.

Tried out the AP-1 light and it is ok. Not as bright as I was hoping for. My Princeton Tec MPLS Point IR lights do a better job. Unfortunately, I'm sure the MPLS lights are hard to find for my European friends due to ITAR. Couldn't tell if the AP-1 is a laser or LED. If it is a laser, then it is not focused, which I had hoped for use as a laser pointer.

[net_split]

Hi!

Yes, basically any M42 lens will work! However you want a very bright lens (f-number very close to 1).

There are different AP-1 version. I got one with a laser diode and another one with a regular LED. The one with the LED is not very powerful and the you can not really focus it. The laser diode version is much brighter and can be focused like a laser pointer as you hoped for.

[Veers57]

Not sure how to get the images to show up in this post. My post reply area says

Here is my Cyclop and AP-1 IR Light. If anyone can determine whether or not this AP-1 is a LED or laser, I'd appreciate that.

[Logisticz]

Not sure how to get the images to show up in this post. My post reply area says [img] is OFF. Regardless, I'll post the links to my pictures and hope they'll work for others to see.

I fixed it, sorry for the inconveniece

[Veers57]

Kein problem. Thanks for fixing it.

[net_split]

You AP-1 is definitely LED! The laser diodes differ quite a bit. I got the laser version laying around here somewhere. I'll make some photos on the occasion.
I am pretty sure that the older AP-1 got the laser diode, but they switched to LED at some point to reduce costs.

[Veers57]

You AP-1 is definitely LED! The laser diodes differ quite a bit. I got the laser version laying around here somewhere. I'll make some photos on the occasion.
I am pretty sure that the older AP-1 got the laser diode, but they switched to LED at some point to reduce costs.

That's good to know. I can feel safe about letting family borrow the AP-1 IR light with the Cyclops.

Need to get a lens setup to get the Cyclops up to full work.

Plan is to let my wife or other family use the Cyclops for basic night vision use, ie scan perimeter, stargazing, night photography. I'll keep the my PNVs for patrol and tactical use.

[net_split]

Now that you mention it, eye safety could have also be the reason why they switched to LEDs.