Home Reviews Ics Anpeq2 ICS AN/PEQ-2 review

ICS AN/PEQ-2 review

by Arnie

ICS
AN/PEQ-2 review
by Arnie


ICS


ICS
asked if I’d be interested in reviewing some of their products
for the website. The first item we’ll review is this the AN-PEQ2
battery box.

Technically
this review isn’t just one review, it’s a review of several
parts:

  • MA-15
    AN/PEQ-2 battery box
  • MC-74B
    laser unit
  • MC-80
    AN/PEQ-2 9.6V 1500mAh battery pack

So what is
it?
Well the ANPEQ is a dummy box that allows you to hide a larger
battery fto drive an AEG. The ICS unit also allows space to fit a
real laser unit, which is a real bonus.

The battery pack
can work as a stand alone unit on it’s own, but you’ll normally need
to buy the ICS
laser and battery separately.

Thanks
go out to ZeroOneAirsoft
for supplying the battery pack (I understand from ICS themselves
that ZeroOneAirsoft
are one of their larger stockists in the UK).

The
laser unit is available in various models, so be careful what
you get:

  • MC-74
    is a laserunit with a 21mm mounting kit
  • MC-74A
    is the 21mm laser mounting kit on it’s own
  • MC-74B
    is the laser unit on it’s own

MC-74
or MC-74B will work, although the mounting kit becomes a spare
part if you intend to build the AN-PEQ setup using the laser
unit.

Out
the boxes: What you need to do is get each part out of it’s
box and prepare it for assembly – it’s quite easy really.

First
up is the laser unit:
Inside the MC-74 box you’ll find the
laser unit itself, mounted inside the rail mounting kit, with
two allen keys and a small piece of sticky velcro. One allen
key (the smaller one) is for adjusting the laser, the other
is for removing the laser from the mounting kit. You’ll also
find some handy instructions. These instructions relate to fitting
the laser to the ICS MP5 cocking tube.

Out
the box you’ll find nothing works at all. This is for the simple
reason that although the unit comes with batteries supplied
in it, but with little bits of paper between them to prevent
draining/use whilst in storage (the bits of paper are actually
leftovers from holepunching paper ^_^).

Well
first things first – time to get that laser unit out of the
mounting. Don’t worry here about unscrewing the mounting kit,
the laser can just be unthreaded from its mounting.


Now
you can unthread the end of the laser unit. Be careful when
you thread anything on or off here. Each threading has an o-ring
on it, you don’t want to pinch or tear those, as they help keep
the unit sealed form the elements.

With
the endcap unscrewed you can remove the batteries. Make a note
of which way you took them out – they have to go back in the
same way (flat side pointing towards the unthreaded end cap).

Looking
inside the ICS laser you can see the inner workings of the part,
and the teeny tiny laser module at the end of the can.

The
end of the laser also unthreads. There’s no need to do this
– I’ve just taken it off to show you inside, and the supporting
struts that provide the aim adjustment.

The
laser beam pint on this version that I have here is somewhat
angular in shape giving a rectangular dot.

This
isn’t a huge problem, remember we are dealing with Airsoft here..
not real steel; a red dot is a red dot. ^_^

“Pulse
laser in the 5mw range…”:
Whilst I’m on the subject
of dots, I thought I’d compare the ICS laser beam to that of
the mil-spec M72 laser. The larger dot in the shots is that
of the SureFire, the smaller more angular dot is that of the
ICS laser.

Obviously
larger dots mean that they can be seen over further distances,
but remember that again we are dealing with Airsoft here, and
engagement ranges will normally be in the 30-60 foot range.
There’s no need to have a laser that can cut mild steel mounted
on the side of your AEG, unless you want the best laser money
can buy that is.

Now
remember guys, I have to say this every time, you must take
precautions with lasers. You can get laser resistant goggle
sets, and you shouldn’t flash lasers at people’s eyes, but then
again you won’t flash someone in the eye unless you’re aiming
for their head, and well that’s not sporting is it?

The
ICS laser unit is in the 5mW range, with a wavelength of 630-670nm.
This makes it a class IIIA model.

“…A
Class 3 laser or laser system can emit any wavelength, but it
cannot produce a diffuse (not mirror-like) reflection hazard
unless focused or viewed for extended periods at close range.
It is also not considered a fire hazard or serious skin hazard.
Any continuous wave (CW) laser that is not Class 1 or Class
2 is a Class 3 device if its output power is 0.5 W or less.
Since the output beam of such a laser is definitely hazardous
for intrabeam viewing, control measures center on eliminating
this possibility…”
See the Laser
Safety FAQ
for more information.


Laser
adjustment:
Inside the packing for the laser unit you’ll
find two allen keys. The larger of the two is fro undoing the
21mm mount, the smaller is for adjusting the laser.

With
the laser pointing towards you, and the cable as 3 o’clock you
will find adjustment screws at 12, 4 and 8 o’clock. All three
screws need to be adjusted to move the laser. They hold it in
a pincer formation (seen in the inset shot). TO adjust up down,
simply adjust the two nut, and wind in one side nut. You will
need to wind the opposing side side nut the same amount, thus
pushing the laser either up or down.

To
adjust left and right the same needs to be done, just in a different
direction. To be honest the easiest thing for me to do is explain
how the system works and show you a photo, as to be honest you
won’t want to adjust your laser that often as it’s rather tricky
to do.

When
you have the laser sight zeroed you’ll want to tighten up each
allen bolt the same amount. This stops anything coming undone
in the field.

There
are three batteries that drive the unit, sporting the label
G3-A, CNB. I’d recommend getting some new ones as the ones that
I have here ran out during this review (most probably been on
the shelf a bit).

The
activation pad that turns ont he laser is the wire with the
red dotted pad at the end. In the box you’ll find a small adhesive
velco strip. This is for fixing the pad to a convenient place.
Be sure to stick the red pad outwards (i.e. you press down on
the red side) as the pad doesn’t work that well the other way
around.

Battery:
The battery is a 9.6v 1700mAh pack made from Sanyo KR-1700AU
cells. They can be fast charged at up to 2600mA, and charged
at a slow rate of 170mA. Slow charge will take 14-16 hours,
fast charge is about an hour. Full specs can be found on
site here
, with the full Sanyo spec sheets (in PDF format).

AN/PEQ
2:
The AN/PEQ 2 is a replica of a versatile mil spec LAM
unit:

“…
AN/PEQ-2 is a dual laser system developed to allow a combination
of both pin point aiming and broad beam target illumination.
It can be handheld or mounted to a weapon for operation. AN/PEQ-2
is available in three models allowing a selection of laser power,
infrared only, or infrared/visible light source.

AN/PEQ-2
when weapon mounted allows both lasers to be bore sighted individually.
Each laser has its on azimuth and elevation adjustment knobs.
Mounting is with a rail grabber, optional brackets are available.
Cable switches are supplied that attach to the weapon for firing
the lasers. When used in a handheld mode AN/PEQ-2 is activated
by depressing the fire button located on the top of the system…”

NightLine
Inc.

The
ICS version is hollow inside and allows the fitting of a 1700mAh
9.6V battery and the ICS laser unit. At the back of the box
is a simple 21mm rail adapter, allowing you to blot it onto
any available rail interface.

Now
with the laser ready for fitting, lets move on to the AN/PEQ
itself. To fit the laser and the battery you’ll need to unthread
the end caps, and importantly you’ll need to remove the sticker
across the side of the unit.

If
you don’t do this you’ll most probably rip it in two as it bridges
the seal between the two halves of the clamshell box.

To
remove the label carefully peel back one corner until half of
the sticker is removed. Now unthread the two ribbed caps on
one end, and the recessed cap on the front. To unthread the
caps twist them anticlockwise 90 degrees.

You’ll
need to gently lift the two halves away from each other, as
the false laser is fitted in such a way that the halves will
not slide apart unless they remain parallel.

With
the two halves apart you’ll be able to fit the laser unit. Remove
the false laser unit and taking the real laser unit carefully
move the large rubber o-ring down the threads and undo the large
nut behind the laser’s face. When you have undone it enough
you’ll be able to slide the laser into the fittings for it.

You
should note here that I have mounted the laser correctly aligned
to be mounted on a top rail, not for a side rail. The cord for
the laser should come from the side, thus allowing correct alignment
with the adjustment available on the laser. Sorry – I didn’t
think about this until I fitted it to the RAS.

Refitting
the sides back on simply requires a bit of care. Be careful
not to crimp the wires, and not to get the label caught up.
The top corner (where the laser is) will require a bit of encouragement
to slide on particularly if the large laser locking nut is tightly
wound on.

With
the sides together, simply attach the old end cap covers for
unit, and you’re ready to mount the sucker!

On
the MP5 RAS I’ve chosen a simple fitting, with the RAS unit
on the RHS away from my body (I’m right handed). This allows
for minimal snagging on any equipment ported on the body, and
keeps the ANPEQ out of the way of the sling mounts.

As
you can see the battery flex is somewhat visible with the fitting
style I have chosen, so a little black PVC tape won’t go amiss.
^_^

As
you can see in the end result the LAM unit doesn’t look out
of place at the end of the RAS, and provides a hefty power upgrade
to the otherwise stock (internally) AEG.

Conclusion:
Well it looks the part, and it is a much nicer way to hide a
battery than a battery bag of gaffer tape. The 9.6v battery
is a real boom, and will be a welcome addition to anyone with
an ungraded folding stock AEG with a limited mAh 8.4v driving
it. The extra voltage helps return the rate of fire back to
it’s former glory.

The
box does add a significant nose weight to the rifle, but certianly
doesn’t look wrong on an M4 RIS or similar. Just be sure that
when you mount it the laser is adjusted and installed correctly.

Not
just a battery box, well built and cheap to boot. Sure the laser
may not be milspec quality, but it’s versatile and adds a depth
of realism to the fake LAM unit.

Comment
on this review in the forums


Last
modified:Wednesday, December 11, 2002 10:02 PM Copyright 2001 ArniesAirsoft




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