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Night Vision Pen

Renegade One said:
Now...are you all kidding me? SIX pages about a frakin' PEN?!? This pen had better have "powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men!" [Pop culture Reference: Opening narration of old "Superman" TV show...]
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I think the 6 pages are more about supporting a fellow aviator's entrepreneurial endeavor. His pen is pretty well designed, and I highly recommend it to anyone on here.
 
You just had three orders come through from my UH60M class. Hoping to covert the other nine as well as the IPs.
 
NightVisionPen said:
Night Vision Pen is gearing up to start work on the next version of the pen. The first step will be to generate the funds necessary for the design and prototype of the version 2.0. That is going to be done via a Kickstarter campaign with an as yet to be determined date. In the meantime, feel free to post in this thread what you would like to see in a second version of the Night Vision Pen. Obviously not everything will be able to be incorporated, but I want to address as much as possible.
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Thoughts after flying with it for awhile on a 9G kneeboard:

Please make NVP v2.0 lighter or the clip stronger. The clip holds it in the kneeboard fine . . . except when you trap on the boat. Then it goes flying out of my kneeboard to the full extension of the lanyard. This probably leads into problem #2.
My lanyard QD just failed today, leading me to ball it and the pen up and throw it in my navbag to avoid cockpit FOD. Thankfully, this happened before takeoff on shore. It didn't physically break (leading to FOD). It just gave up the ghost. If it had happened during a a trap on USS Boat, my AMEs and AMs would be pulling seats and/or floorboards, and calling their DivO an asshole. Probably going to replace the lanyard with a snapring and some 550 cord. I don't know if I'd trust the pen for signalling purposes, anyway. I'd rather use a finger light or flashlight, as they are brighter.

Biases: I'm a FO. It's easier for me to go for my flashlight to signal the other jet versus going for the pen, which is an easier movement. But if the lanyard breaks, as an ex-pilot, I'd hate to be trying to fly the jet and retrieve the damn thing at the same time.
 
Further evidence that specialization matters in Naval Aviation. Use your pen to write, use your flashlight to see. Combining them is stupid. This is why there won't be a version 2.0 of this product.
 
Brett327 said:
Further evidence that specialization matters in Naval Aviation. Use your pen to write, use your flashlight to see. Combining them is stupid. This is why there won't be a version 2.0 of this product.
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Back to your hole you DAP! (SMILES SIMULATED)

As a former pilot, this has use. I use this in my civilian job.

When you may need hands on a moments notice, pen is much mo bettah than cyclone light.

Sent from my PH44100 using Tapatalk 2
 
Brett327 said:
Further evidence that specialization matters in Naval Aviation. Use your pen to write, use your flashlight to see. Combining them is stupid. This is why there won't be a version 2.0 of this product.
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I find it very useful. At night, I don't have enough hands to fly and write and still hold a flashlight. Until our cockpit lighting gets a lot better (it won't) I will be using this product. I will buy version 2.0 as well, especially if it is thinner.
 
Some may find it useful, others may not. Don't hate because you don't agree with my assessment. As for the future of this product... time will tell. I would suggest that capturing a very, very small percentage of an already small niche market, this thing won't survive long.
 
You just said that specialization matters. "Use your pen to write, use your flashlight to see. Combining them is stupid" Obviously if you don't have your hands busy with flight controls, then that could make sense. It's even funnier that you went on to tell me not to hate. I'm not the one on the night vision pen thread telling people it's stupid and won't last long.
 
That's not hating. That's my analysis. Don't forget, one of my hands is holding a sandwich 95% of the time. This isn't a designator issue. :)
 
NVP: Been using your product for a few months now (I probably use it more than anyone else on this forum), and the more I use it, the more I like it. It continues to function well in a helo with the 9G. Well worth the small investment.

(I'll admit - it's getting to the point where I know I'll be kicking myself the first time I find myself flying without it.)
 
I used up the ink in the cartridge and replaced it with a fine point one (Office Max was out of medium). I like the fine point pen much easier to write with. Perhaps that could be an option when you buy one to have a different point (Med, Fine, etc...)?
 
nittany03 said:
words
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Turn your kneeboard around where the spring clip is on the bottom. That way you can fold the paper down vice up and the pen pocket will be to the rear. I do that with mine, I prefer how it keeps the paper better organized.


Something that hasn't been mentioned here is what can be seen from outside of the cockpit, i.e., a dude on the ground. For you jet guys way up high it's not that big of a deal, but for helo guys it can be. We did some unscientific testing the other day on the range at night. There was a helo airborne and a few of us were on the ground and the standard finger light and lip lights can be seen literally miles away. You can't see this pen light at all. Just something to consider.
 
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