ESS Tactical Turbo CAM review

ESS Tactical Turbo CAM
by Arnie

	Stock Specifications
RRP:	129.50USD

As I came to write this review I actually had two sets of goggles to directly compare against each other. Now if you remember some time ago I had a pair of 'unmistable' Bolle X800s. If your memory stretches back further you'll remember that they died a hideous death and exploded into two pieces cracking down the bridge of the nose. Since then I've been using my trusty Guarder glasses, or a standard mesh mash.

The first pair of goggles that I got a couple of weeks ago was a set of Oakley Assault A-Frames that I've had my eye on, kindly supplied by Extreme Procurement.

I've also been after a pair of ESS TurboCAMs for some time, so when I spotted someone selling a pair in the UK I jumped at the chance and grabbed them, as ESS don't (as far as I know) have any stockists in the UK.

Please note: do read the entirity of this review before making a final decision about them. There's a lot to be said about these goggles, and there are contrasting viewpoints. Arnie

So why these goggles? Well the ESS Tactical goggles have these standard feature sets:

"Fully ventilated frame with maximum airflow - for extreme fog resistance and filtration of airborne particles. 2.4 mm thick, high impact polycarbonate lenses with high quality anti-scratch and anti-fog coatings. Dual thermal lenses on some models. High memory straps systems designed for use with PASGT helmets. Anatomical, padded face fit that accommodates most eyeglasses. Rx Insert available. Tear-off lens cover compatibility. Tinted lenses available. 100% UVA/UVB protection. " ESS

Okay so that's what most goggles have (well kinda), but these are not only comfy to wear, but they feature an ingenious fan ventilation system:

"...The patented Turbo CAM fan technology exhausts humid air to prevent condensation on the lens that could impair vision during high intensity operations.

Airflow is drawn in along the lower edge of the goggle frame, and exhausted out of the top at fan speeds up to 15,000 rpm.

The 2-speed fan can be set to hi for maximum exhaust, or low for silent operation.

The fan can run for up to 50 hours of continuous operation on two AAA batteries-for max battery life, operate the fan only as needed to prevent fogging. A battery charge status light illuminates on the hi setting.

The power pack switch has a lockout feature to prevent activation during storage..." ESS

Now how's that for cunning? It's a nice simple invention, and just the kind of innovation that I like. Of course if you ask any ageing paintballer turned Airsofter (there's more than a few out there ^_^) you'll find out that really this isn't a hugely new idea, and to be fair it isn't; but to my knowledge these are the only production goggles out there that are Airsoft ballistic safe, and feature this fan ventilation system.

How does it work? Well it's quite simple really. A battery pack attached to the strap provides power for a hidden fan at the top of the goggles that pulls air up from the bottom and pumps it out the top. The moving air keeps the humidity low, so that mist does not form on the inside of the lense. It's much like demisting your car in the morning really.

Features:The cunning idea is that these two little AAA batteries provide power for around 50 hours of use on low speed, the switch has two settings, one for constant on (which is quiet) and one for instant de-mist (high speed, but noisy). The high setting isn't recommended for use in CQB as although it's not a dead giveaway ~~but you can hear it running within a few feet~~ - actually no scrub that as that's a bit much, what I meant is that the noise will be a slight distraction to the wearer.

The two batteries are hidden behind a sliding cover on the pack. getting them in is somewhat difficult to work out at first, but just read the instructions and you'll get it.

The switch features a switch, that can be pulled towards the goggles for 'hi' and pushed backwards for simply on (constant low speed). I really like the idea that the entire cover is the switch, so you don't have to hunt for the switch with gloves behind your ear where you can't see it yourself. Good thought out idea that - one simple notch with your hand and you can switch it on.

On 'hi' a green LED comes on to indicate you are using the higher powered and faster setting. This is something that is a useful idea but ultimately a bit silly really. The green LED indicates to you that the goggles are on hi, but for one thing you'll be wearing the goggles so not able to see the light, and for another the green light is very bright, and in a night game will easily give your position away.

The white logos on the side are again something that I'm not to keen on as they increase your visibility, this isn't a huge problem though as you can easily pen them in with a black magi-marker.

Underneath the battery box is a rocker switch, working much like a shotgun safety. When the latch shows red you can't switch the power switch, when it's green you can operate the battery slide switch. To operate it push the green in to reveal the red end of the rocker to lock the switch, and push the red end in to reveal the green end to unlock the switch mechanism.

First impressions: The first thing I noticed about these goggles was how comfy they were to wear, and putting the fan on was a rather weird sensation, as it's rather odd feeling air passing past your eyes (you get used to it). For such a small fan it really does rip along on the higher of the two settings.

The Arnie'sAirsoft patented "Dimwit tests" passed with flying colours (see Guarder glasses review), as the lenses were more than up to the challenge of stopping an upgraded AEG at point plank and a sustained burst of fire.

In the box you get some instructions, a tear-off cover, and a bag to keep the goggles safe in (which doubles as the recommended cleaning cloth). As with most goggles these come with a mysterious coating on them that inhibits fogging, so do use the bag to clean them inside and out, and nothing else.

The tear-off strip is a great little addon, but not something that I can see myself using, as I don't skirmish in conditions that would warrant such an accessory. If you happen to need such an item, I'll sure you'll be pleased with it. One use that the tear off cover does give, is that it doubles as a protective shield, and will protect your expensive lenses from flying debris, so anyone that skirmishes in harsh environments such as desert etc. will be happy with this idea.

The sad truth: I'm afraid that a lot of people are going to hate me for saying this but: It simply doesn't work! .. well not like ESS say.

There's two big problems, firstly I steamed up the last time I went out in these, and secondly the fan is far too fragile.

Firstly it must be understood that I get quite hot and sweaty when I'm active, it's not that I'm unfit, far from it, I just have a high body temperature. Someone with a degree in biology can explain it - I can't, something to do with metabolisms or something.. anyway.
Secondly for this review I was wearing (for some of the time) a balaclava and Guarder SWAT vest, both of which keep you rather warm.
Thirdly, although I was wearing a fair bit of warm kit, this was in the British winter, so outside temperatures were in the 10-15degree Celsius area.

These are not that I would consider to be unreasonable conditions for me to expect these goggles to function in.

As you'll see in the attached image from their brochure, ESS plainly call these goggles "fog-proof", and suitable for "the most extreme circumstances". I'm sorry to say it, but as I've said I've found them to mist up for me under normal use, so the electrical fan system really has failed as a product - at least in my eyes.

If you consider the goggles themselves as a separate item (without the TurboCAM), I feel that they are actually quite good, if not some of the best goggles I have used.

The first problem: In an effort to increase fan cycle performance per battery set and to decrease fan noise the fan has been made in my opinion far to light and fragile (please note the image to the left is looking at the underside of the fan from the inside out - hope that makes sense ^_^). One problem is that if the goggles are pressed towards the face (such as if you're touching the back of a scope with them) the area that the fan is in deflects and presses against the side of the fan blades, causing an uncomfortable chewing noise and at worst stopping the fan turning.

At one point I found that the fan wouldn't start, and had to be encouraged by the poking of a finger to get it turning again. My guess is that the fan had stopped at the engine equivalent of top dead centre when it stalled brushing against the side of the mounting when the goggle frame flexed (above).

The second problem: well sadly this is a bit of a design flaw. The goggles are really comfy to wear, but that's not the problem. The problem is that all the foam that makes up this comfy surround soaks up and stores water.

The result is that if your face is sweating the goggles soak it up. This oval of foam around the lense increases the humidity inside the goggles to such a point that the fan just can't pump air through at the rate needed to demist the goggles, even if permanently left on the high setting.

Design issues: A minor issue is that the fan is mounted in the center of the visual area, so the primary area that it demists is the bridge of your nose. This would be fine if I happened to be a certain character from Futurama with one eye in the center of my face, but I'm not. A better design would be to have two fans, one over each eye. That way, even in cases of near 100% humidity the fans would at least afford some 'defogging' double the fans would halve the lifetime of the batteries, but at 50 hours I think I could survive with 25 hours of use if they drove two fans. ^_^

The battery compartment is not what I would call robust - I'm afraid that a decent aimed volley from an AEG would smash the battery cover. A rubberized cover for the pack would be a better idea - it would also mean that it would be water resistant - something that it isn't in it's present form.

I'm somewhat reluctant to test this as I rather like the goggles - despite their flaws.

Another problem is that if you slide the battery cover across to the "hi" setting you could easily slide the battery cover off. This is a bit silly as the compartment switch is quite obviously designed to be easy to use when gloved, but the fact that you can slide the battery cover off so easily is.. well a little silly. There's also nothing to stop the tiny piece of plastic from getting knocked off by a light brush against something.

The retaining strap has a quick detactable buckle on it which is somewhat of a blessing and a curse in one. Quick attach means quick detach, and I'm not keen on my goggles coming off in the middle of a skirmish. The fact that the buckle is made of plastic simply adds another insecurity to the strap system, it also doesn't help that the buckle clip isn't exactly over engineered. Remember that this clip is behind your head, so I'd recommend a buddy system to ensure that it's coupled properly before leaving the safe area.

Conclusion It's not often I get critical with reviews, but I feel justified with this one. I read all the reviews and all the promotional blurb for this product and saw it as the solution to my problem. Up until this point I've been unable to find a pair of goggles that will not steam up for me, and I thought I had when I sourced these, sadly this turned out not to be the case.

In light usage these goggles will be great do not get me wrong here, the fan will help keep the lense clear and they are very comfortable to wear.

Final conclusion? Gosh darn it I'm rambling so much here, but the simple truth is that there are two contrasting thoughts in my head concerning these goggles. I'll leave these two opinions listed here for you to read so you can see where I'm coming from and so you can draw your own conclusion.

Opinion #1: The big problems I have are that for around 120USD I expect a lot more from a pair of goggles. Sure the goggles look and wear really well, but they are not fog proof. I would consider them to be more fog resistant than a single lense system, but the fan system is a gadget, and I'm sorry to say it's really not that effective.

What you have to consider is that a basic ESS Tactical goggle set with a dual lense system from ESS costs 49USD. This means you are paying over 80USD for the fan and electrical system in the TurboCAM.

The idea is truly sound, but the electrical additions to the goggles are not robust in design and the battery pack specifically could well (IMHO) be destroyed with any heavy use.

ESS design these goggles for 'Tactical' use. I actually contacted ESS themselves about these goggles to see if they were suitable for Airsoft use, but they wouldn't even entertain the idea (I was only interested in the ballistic side of things). You have to respect that in the manufacturer, as to be fair, ESS never intended this product for Airsoft use, so please do remember I am looking at these from an Airsofter's viewpoint.

I'm afraid that as goggles they are very nice, but the added expense of the fan system (80USD) is simply put - wasted. The fan is inefficient, placed in the wrong place and simply can't cope with really sweaty conditions. In short.. don't waste your time and get the ESS Tacticals without the fan.

The idea is sound and the thought is there, but there are too many minor flaws in this product for me to warrant recommending it to anyone. You'd be better off getting one of ESS's Tactical Goggle sets without the fan feature (e.g. model # ESS 02BK-T). I really rather do hope that someone like Guarder or Oakley come up with a design similar to this that works better, or even for ESS to revise the design.

For the record these goggles could really be the very best out there as there's a lot going for them, but a few additions/alterations are needed in my opinion:

The lense should be double layered
Replace the single fan with one over each eye rather
The battery compartment needs a rubberised one piece cover
The LED to be dropped from the design
The foam replaced with a similar material that didn't soak up water so much

Just on a personal note I'd quite like them to drop the clip on the strap, but that's just my personal taste. ^_^

On a more curious note, I wonder whether the goggles would serve better if the fan pumped air from the top downwards, rather than hot air from around the hose/mouth area upwards?

Opinion #2: I really do like these goggles, and in the world of goggles these are the best I have come across, sure they steam up, but they do fair better than anything else I've tried (apart from mesh masks, that have their own limitations).

Would I buy them again if I knew what I knew now at the time of purchase? The simple answer is yes. These goggles are incredibly "gucci" and a gadget, so in my eyes loveable.

If you accept the fact that they are not unfoggable, the minor flaws and that you're paying a premium for them, then they really are about the best goggles you can get for your money.

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Oh well, my quest continues in the search for the 'unsteamable goggles'. I'm going to attempt to 'upgrade' the goggles with some divers/motorcycle anti-mist wax, as I'm sure that'll help matters and bring this product back into a more favourable view.

p.s Oh if the kind fellow that sold these to me reads this (I bought them in a private sale) - please don't think I'm in any way annoyed with the sale or yourself. I had to buy these goggles to try them out for myself. ^_^ I don't consider the purchase a waste of money, and I do actually look upon the ESS goggles as a valuable addition to the toy cupboard.

External Links: ESS

Site links: Oakley Assault A Frame review

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