Victor is an incredible guy. He added an extra year warranty to a pair of pvs 14's I purchased USED and then my Da torch went out 3 years later and I sent it to him and he just sent me a brand new one free of charge. He really cares about his customers. That being said if you are looking for an IR illuminator scrap the DA Torch and try out the Super Tac IR instead.. about $75 and wow does that SOB work.
Carl Williams is the guy, he is also a TNVC dealer and does great work. He is a former 75th Ranger and knows his shit quite well. has build 2 monoculars for me that are awesome.
Wolfwood, I went through that about a year ago, and there simply isn't anything available at that price. I think the cheapest you're going to find is a Gen 1 at ~ $300 - $350. The problem is that the cheapo monoculars cannot handle the recoil and rough handling.
Going gen 1 to gen 2 (and beyond) means deep pockets, and if you are simply looking for a toy (or pest/pig gun), then gen 1 is OK despite the naysayers. There are a LOT of folk out there that will mock you unless you have $4,000+ into a Gen 4 system. The heck with 'em.
My Gen 1 scope is simply a toy for me. On a clear moonless night, point it skyward at a patch of sky and watch billions of stars pop into view! It's a cool technology.
Anyone that mocks anyone for cheapo purchases in this world is either paid by daddy or just stupid... This sport of ours is incredibly expensive and no matter which route you go (pistols, rifles, long range, suppressor, full auto, skeet shooting) you are talking about thousands and thousands just to get the right guns then you need the gear, the targets, the glass, the spotting scopes, the mounts, the lasers, and so on till infinity.
But you usually get what you pay for and recoil is a big issue on any products that sell for cheap.. I knocked out many a product before I realized I had to buy once and cry once..
Save up some money or decide exactly what you want to be doing. Look at the d-200 or 300 they can be found used in the $1000+ ball park range and can be helmet mounted, weapons mounted with red dot, or just a walk around star gazer. It is hard to find all in one... I know we are still talking big money here but that is the nature of the beast.