All Things PARD Night Vision & Thermal Optics Thread

I own a couple of these units (NV 007a and NV008S LRF) and I have encountered issues with them., I have also found solutions to some of the issues. In researching these units I have noticed that they are used widely amongst British air gunners, but the American market seems to be a niche one. That's fine, it just makes locating information a little more difficult in U.S. based forums. I figured we at AGN could use a thread compiling information on these units to make researching and trouble shooting them less time consuming and more productive. These are Chinese-made units that come with vague and underwhelmingly translated instructions, hence the need for user support among PARD users. I do like the build quality considering the price and features that are offered in various models.

With my NV007a my main issue has been keeping the reticle centered. I have never used the scope mounting rings provided by the manufacturer. Instead, I opted for the Eagle Vision (EGV is faster to type) mount. This is essentially a large collet collar that fits around the ocular end of the riflescope tube. As with the factory mounts it's good to use some sort of tape to protect marring of the scope tube. I use electrical tape. I like that the EGV mount can be affixed without the use of tools and the NV007a can be moved around as needed to center. The downside is that with the EGV mount, your scope’s reticle can be bumped out of center if your Pard hits your hip, shoulder, or an object while carrying your gun. As with any Pard unit, the integrated IR (infrared) light provides adequate light out to about 85-90 yards (that’s as far as I've used one). The downside to running the integrated IR is that it drains the battery noticeably fast (within a maybe 2-3 hours). I'm not sure of the exact continuous use time because I don't run my units continuously. The fix is to order and external IR torch and to purchase extra batteries. Both can be found relatively cheap. My Pards use rechargeable flattop 18650 lithium ion batteries. My NV008s can operate off of a button top 18650, but I’m not sure if you’re supposed to use them. I don’t see why not since I haven’t been able to find a protected flattop 18650 battery.

On AGN, the Pard representative account is @PARD_Tech. I don't see them too active, but they log on once in a while. I'm not sure how helpful they are. If anyone has reached out and has any experience with their customer service (or warranty service) please let us know in this this thread.

11/27/23 Edited to included Pard thermal optics as well.

AGN Pard Threads:

Nate's Recent Review of the Pard NV008s LRF (written)
https://www.airgunnation.com/thread...-affordable-night-vision-full-review.1284199/
(video) https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/lets-talk-pard.1282648/

Pard DS35 (newest Day/Night) Digital Scope thread with video reviews:
https://www.airgunnation.com/thread...-recording-and-optional-lrf-1200-yds.1280241/

Pard DS35 LRF Discussion

Pard DS35 Image Shift Zero and When and How to Use Adjustable Mounts (video)

Thread Discussing the Difference Between the NV007V and NV007S units
https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/pard-nv007-confusion.1277649/

Issues Sighting in and Shimming the Factory Mount on Pard 008s LRF
https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/sighting-in-a-pard-nv008s-lrf-on-an-evol-30.1287933/

Thread detailing a mounting bolt alteration to help protect your picatinny rails

Pard Battery Discussion
https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/pard-extended-battery-cap.1248296/#post-1479082

Thread With Discussion & Photos of the Pard NV008 Mounted on Airguns Using Various Mounts
https://www.airgunnation.com/threads/pard-008.993053/#post-1272874

Pard Website Resources

Pard Warranty Information

Pard RMA (return merchandise authorization) Form

Pard Download Center (manuals, firmware, app, upgrades, etc)

Informative Videos on Various Pard Models

Places to purchase PARD night vision units:

Pard site
https://pard.com/ (after viewing an item click the "shop" button towards the upper right corner).

Optics Planet:
https://www.opticsplanet.com/s/pard

Amazonia:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Pard&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

B&H Photo:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=Pard&sts=ma

Northeast Airguns:

I have purchased items from the above vendors and they are legitimate vendors that I trust. If anyone has sources for EU member states, please add vendors to the thread.

Places to Purchase Pard Accessories:

Krale Shop (EU): Eagle Vision Pard NV mounting adapter
https://www.krale.shop/en/night-vision-adapter-eagle-vision-pard-nv007/

Eagle Vision (UK): NV007V Scope Holder Tube Replacement Night Vision Kit
https://eaglevisioncam.com/shop/diy...7-scope-holder-tube-replacement-night-vision/

Eagle Vision Pard Mounts, Rails, and Accessories (UK):
https://eaglevisioncam.com/?s=Pard&post_type=product

Air Archery Fun (Canada): ZB Lite Rail for Pard NV008
https://airgunarcheryfun.ca/zb-lite-rail-click-adjustable-mount-zeroing-block/

External Infrared (IR) Torch: I use this one and it cost me about $18 @ Amazonia. I use a pressure switch from another torch and it works fine. I pair mine with a figure 8 clamp. I think the factory switch has issues turning the torch off. The light cast is more than enough to easily reach out to 70 yards. The beam can be focused as well.

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries:
I like this vendor. It was suggested by other AGN members in another thread.
www.orbtronic.com

I'll be updating and editing this thread periodically. It's currently a work in progress. Please be patient and feel free to add pertinent information to it.
 
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I recently had an issue with my PARD NV008S LRF after downloading an update. My laser rangefinder function stopped working. Basically when you pressed the rangefinder button it simply bracketed the center of the reticle and showed [0] YDS as the range next to it. I contacted PARD Support and finally got the issue resolved. Apparently during the update process it set the laser rangefinder mode to "Manual" instead of "Auto". In reading through my documentation there was no mention of this setting or how to get to it. Here are the instructions sent to me from PARD Support:

"Please check whether your device has the automatic ranging function turned on.

1. Start the menu function and then enter the version option.

2. Double the menu button,there is the ranging option both

on and off at the screen.

3. Switch different modes by single press “+”、“-”.

4. You can exit this page by single pressing the menu button."

Once I followed these instructions my laser rangefinder was working again. I hope this helps you if you find yourself with the same problem.
 
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I followed @Ezana4CE post on "howto" create shims for the NV008S LRF that was very helpful. The mount is great for "extension" but height adjustment is non-existent save for the 2 shims that give you when you buy the scope. We differed in our approach - @Ezana4CE used a soda can and I bought a piece of .025" steel for mine. I only needed one of my shims!

My biggest complaint with the NV008s LRF is the alignment of the laser with the reticle - they don't match and furthermore can give a wrong ranging. The older model had a mode so you could align it, but not the 008s.

I have an NV007s like @Ezana4CE with the Eaglevision mount that I really like. I went and bought the new NV007SP with LRF and am waiting on the Eaglevision mount for it. Will update when I get it working. It's very nice to be able to move this from one scope to another.
 
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@B_y_r_o_n What are the benefits of the latest firmware update?

@Pfddi The placement of the laser range finder (LRF) is a little strange. In order to obtain an accurate range, especially on a smaller target, moving the gun is necessary in order to be sure that you’re hitting the target with the laser. It is a lot easier to see where the laser is and what it is hitting while using night vision. I found this to be particularly challenging while beaver hunting. When they’re swimming there isn’t much of their head exposed to hit with the laser in order to range the distance. It was easy to hit the surface of the water with the laser which didn’t yield a reading. Other times I might hit the bank behind the animal and got a longer range reading, so that when I took a shot I sometimes missed.
 
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I have 2 007a I believe and also had a 008 without the LRF. Both are nice, but I opted out of the 008. It was a separate unit needing the EGV top rail to minimize reticle adjustment. In the end I preferred the ease of the 007 in keeping my regular scopes, I also fully advocate for the EGV collar , which is left on the scope all the time. When night duty calls, I just click on the pard. Convenient.
 
One thing I left out, the pats camera can not accommodate focus if your vision is not near perfect. If you wear glasses, you must wear them in adjusting the scopes eyepiece focus, then the pard can focus clearly and you can use without reading glasses. If your vision is really compromised, you’d be wearing your glasses anyways, so no problem.
 
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Got my EagleVision NV007SP tube holder kit and went and installed it on my Wolverine R in 177. It literally took me 10 minutes between unboxing to shooting to get it working. I have been using the NV007S and it has worked fine, but the LRF that is on the NV008 is what I have been missing. It doesn't have the ballistic measurements in it, but just providing the range especially at night is really what I need. I have the Wolverine sighted in at 25 yards with FX 10.34gr pellets, so everything I normally shoot at is a hold over. Guessing the distance at night is very tuff for me. Now I can take 2 guns with regular scopes out for the evening and call out distances with the SP!

I differ in my use from @rangur1 in that I take the whole unit off and remount on the next scope. Getting the reticle centered is the hardest thing, but still only takes a minute or two. I guess if I had enough collars for the guns, I would leave them on too!
 
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anyone know the size of the screw that mounts the pard. My zb lite universal ate it up. I thought it screwed directly into it ….

IMG_9887.jpeg


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@B_y_r_o_n What are the benefits of the latest firmware update?

@Pfddi The placement of the laser range finder (LRF) is a little strange. In order to obtain an accurate range, especially on a smaller target, moving the gun is necessary in order to be sure that you’re hitting the target with the laser. It is a lot easier to see where the laser is and what it is hitting while using night vision. I found this to be particularly challenging while beaver hunting. When they’re swimming there isn’t much of their head exposed to hit with the laser in order to range the distance. It was easy to hit the surface of the water with the laser which didn’t yield a reading. Other times I might hit the bank behind the animal and got a longer range reading, so that when I took a shot I sometimes missed.

I can't tell you with any certainty but additional reticles I believe was one of the items. My thought process is that if a company releases an update that it usually corrects or enhances previous versions, so I upgrade.

PARD is not one of the best lines with regard to documentation so I can't even find a reference to what was corrected or enhanced.
 
@orangeokie
I'll mount my NV008S-LRF on my Vulcan 3 700 .30 and drive down the highway and join you some night!

Just started using the new NV007SP-LRF - nice addition to the herd!
@Pfddi This is the first time I’ve actually noticed that they’d finally integrated the LRF feature into the NV007 lineup. Wow! This looks really impressive. Im sure you’ve mentioned to me before, but it just registered. Nice write-up comparing the old NV007a to the NV007SP-LRF. https://www.optics-trade.eu/blog/pard-nv007sp-and-pard-nv007sp-lrf/
 
@Ezana4CE - I hate to say it, but with the LRF, I don't really use the NV007S now, especially with the EagleVision mount! The ranging at night - as you know - makes all the difference in the world for a a good, clean shot.
Yessir! BUT, the NV007 can still record in daylight. So it can still be useful to some. But the LRF feature sold me on the NV008s LRF. Even on thermal scopes, when shooting airguns from unknown distances at night, an integrated laser rangefinder is extremely helpful.
 
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True on the recording. And I like using the "native" reticle on my scopes. The LRF is not the same on the 007 as it is on the 008. There is no ballistic calculation, just the distance - which to an old timer is no big deal for the hold over/under! The ballistic calculation and the 2nd cross hair to the computed distance almost makes it "foolproof" on the 008. I posted my latest night action in the "Hunting" discipline section using the NV008S-LRF.

 
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anyone know the size of the screw that mounts the pard. My zb lite universal ate it up. I thought it screwed directly into it ….

View attachment 395906

View attachment 395907

@PARD_Tech AGN member @Florida_Man needs a couple of mounting screws for his Pard NV008 unit. How can he obtain these screws? Where can he look to obtain the size of these screws? Does Pard have a parts list available for Pard owners or a place where we can buy spare screws, shims, battery compartment covers, mounts, throw levers, lens covers, eye cups, etc.?
 
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Hi Folks,
I have the Pard DS 35 (70), which I absolutely love. I do professional rabbit culling, and use a .177 because I often work around horses, so I don’t have 1000fps flat trajectories 🤔.
The DS 35 has a built in LRF, which links with its built in balistic calculator to give you hold over points, which as some folks have mentioned, are worth their weight in gold when u shooting in absolute darkness and need to make accurate shots with a low power air rifle.

I don’t have any issues with the LRF, it is in the right place and ranges accurately.
It also has a built in IR light, I got the 940 option. It has 3 brightness levels and I have never needed to go past level 1 for the shooting I do, which is out to 90yards.
It records good quality video during the day and night. The sharpness during the day is quite excellent.
It uses 18650 flat top battery’s. I use a 3500mah battery, and I always have a spare in my pocket. I can easily do a 4 hour night cull, using the IR and recording video and I don’t run out of battery’s.

The only issue I have had with it so far is that twice now the buttons have frozen. To fix it I have just switched it off and switched back on again. I suppose it is a digital/electronic appliance so software issues can be expected. How often does your cell phone or computer need a software upgrade??? I contacted the PARD agent here in New Zealand and they emailed me a file to use to upgrade the software, which I still have to do.
The NZ agents are called Owl Optics and they have manuals on their website for all/most ??? Pard products and are really helpful and knowledgeable. If you are having trouble finding info on pard models maybe try asking them, I’m sure they will help you if they can. Www.pard.co.nz

I also have a Pard TA 32 thermal handheld monocular with a LRF, which is also a great little piece of equipment.
I would highly recommend both to anyone.

I previously used a pulsar thermion thermal scope, which was good, but not being able to judge distance was a big problem, especially when culling at night.
Now with the TA 32 thermal handheld, with LRF, and with the DS 35 infer red scope, also with LRF, I can make head shots on rabbits comfortable out at 70 yards (and further) all night long.

If you are interested in seeing the videos I have made using the Pard DS35 here is a link to my latest one…

Pete.