Pulsar Challenger GS Super 1+ 1x20 Night Vision Goggles

Not worth the money

First time using nightvision. I went with pulsar because I have some thermals by pulsar and they are a good quality product. This monocular is very well built, and very clear. I was not expecting it to be so clear. My main use was for walking through the woods at night, to see in front of me in complete dark without a flashlight. This thing does just that. With an additional infrared flash light, you can see up to 200yds, at least(farthest I've tested. Equivalent to using a green spot light with the naked eye). This can also turn your regular day scope into a night vision scope if you get the adapter that attaches to your existing rifle scope. I have not tried this yet, but was another draw to this purchase.Only complaint I have is the head mount. It took me a while to get it adjusted to fit perfect, and the nylon material that rests against your forehead can rub your forehead raw if the straps are too loose. If it fits just right, the head mount does not budge and fits comfortably. Would not recommend using the chin strap.If you are looking for a night vision monocular, I would recommend this.

This Monocular was just OK. Everyones eyes are different though so this is my experience. My fisrt impression was good as Im fairly new to night vision. The problem for me was tha I already have pretty good vision in the dark. Once my eyes adjusted I could see just as much with the scoped eye as I could with the unaided eye while in a passive viewing mode. The only thing to do from there is use the built in IR illuminator which didnt make things much better. The IR does brighten your immediate surroundings 5-25 foot range...but doesn't reach much beyond that. This really just washed things out and caused blooming which ultimately made distance viewing worse. The main problem I had was the objective lens focus. From the very moment I got this device I noticed turning the objective focus didnt feel smooth and sounded gritty. After just approximately 5 hours of normal use the whole objective lens housing worked loose and now the objective focus is not working at all and the gritty sound is 10 times worse. I didnt want to take things apart to investigate but it feels like turning a bolt with stripped theads. I think overall the unit is well weighted and well built, but I may have just got a bad egg. Pulsar in general is a good company and makes quality items, which is why I went with them, I cant base the quality of this device on anything more than my own experience and based on other reviews I think my unit just had issues. I am returning this item and I think I am going to spend the extra money and get a gen2+ challenger as I will be more happy with the performance jump. I am going to give Pulsar and the Edge another go but want the step up to Gen2 light amplification and resolution. Bottom line here (aside from the defect anyway)....Its a good product if on a budget and a great entry level device for most recreational users....Just know what you are getting into and know this is JUST gen 1. You get what you pay for though, and gen1 to gen2 is like a bicycle to a superbike. If you can save a few extra pennies and go straight to a generation two device. Trust me!

Easy to use. Adequate for intended use in near areas. Good value.

Pulsar Challenger is light and very clear.But the field of view is small. Also thegreen ambient light is so bright it hurtsmy eyes to stare through it, and no wayto adjust it.It would be nice if it had video out.Joe

I've used, purchased and returned Gen 1 night vision devices in the past and have never been very impressed by them. They just don't have enough light gathering capability. Add to that the low resolution and fish eye view and I just don't see the reason to spend money on them. Let your eyes adjust and you will see just as well at night. I have purchased a digital night vision device from Pulsar and I'm very pleased with it. I've also used Gen 3 devices extensively and have a lot of experience with them. The thing is I can't bring myself to spend several thousand dollars on one. I came across a very good sale on a Challenger 1x20 with head mount and decided to give it a go because my digital device is not 1x magnification. My expectations were low. In an effort to be as fair as possible I will say that the Challenger 1x20 is by far the best Gen 1 unit I've used. The unit is very well built. The thing about Gen 1+ which I can say is true about the Challenger 1x20 is that they have very good resolution and the Challenger 1x20 has very little to no fish eye. As far as light gathering, the Challenger 1x20 is only slightly better than other Gen 1 devices I used. I will say that it is able to pick up a usable amount of IR light near 900nm range indoors which is almost invisible. A good IR light in the lower 800nm range is very useful outdoors. The built in IR illuminator gives off a very bright red glow. Extra IR is a must. The head mount is not very good. It's very hard to adjust and not very comfortable. Once adjusted it is usable. One other thing I would change about this device is the eye cup. It would be nice if it had one that was a bit more of a cup and a bit more comfortable. All things considered, the Challenger 1x20 is by far the best Gen 1 unit I've used. I have no plans of returning it. Not Gen 3 but still a ton of fun and about $3000 less. I wouldn't pay the $400 or $500 most places are selling the Challenger 1x20 for with a head mount but if you can get one on sale for a good price it is worth it.