TNVC, or the Tactical Night Vision Company, has been an industry leader in the field of night vision and related shooting gear and accessories for about the last decade, as well as offering low-light/no-light training classes. They’ve come out with some excellent products of their own, like the Mohawk helmet attachment series and the PBM-A dual PVS-14 powered bridge mount. A few months ago, in January, they also put on vSHOTT, an all-online mini stand-in for the cancelled 2021 SHOT Show. They’re no stranger to collaborative product work, either, having previously partnered with companies like Steiner on the TOR-Mini laser, Unity Tactical on the TAPS dual pressure switch, L3 on the civilian version of the PEQ-15 IR laser/illuminator, and more.

A closer look at the new cable management panels in each available color.

Now TNVC has announced a new collaboration with Forward Controls Design. FCD manufactures small parts primarily for the AR-15 platform and has gained a fanatical following over the last several years. FCD’s bolt catch/releases, mag release buttons, castle nuts, forward assists, selector switches, and more are often difficult to find in stock, as many of their parts tend to sell out almost as soon as they become available. TNVC and FCD’s freshly-announced joint offering is their new M-LOK PCM, for Panel, Cable Management. These machined aluminum panels are available for $29.99 apiece, offered in black, FDE, and OD Green. They differ from most cable management offerings currently on the market in that they keep nearly all of your light or laser’s cable totally covered, rather than clipping it in place while still mostly exposed. In this way, the panels also serve to provide some grip texture as well as cable shielding. The official product description reads as follows.

TNVC and FCD showing the many different cable routing options offered by the configuration of the panels’ underside.

TNVC/Forward Controls PCM-MLOK (Panel, Cable Management – MLOK)

The TNVC/Forward Controls Design Panel, Cable Management–MLOK (PCM-MLOK) is a simple product to address a simple problem: Remote switch cable management for mission critical accessories. While seemingly simple, the PCM-MLOK is truly a collaborate product: Designed and conceived by in-house and developed in conjunction with Forward Controls Design and machined by Arson Machine Co., the PCM-MLOK is a multi-directional cable management device that affixes to any MLOK-Compatible interface, and can be used to both route and protect remote device activation cables.

When mounting mission-critical accessories like IR aiming lasers/MFALs and illumination tools, end-users have often found themselves between a rock and a hard place. Either you have to choose between using the onboard controls, meaning that you need to place the devices somewhere you can reach them with your hands which may place them in a less-than-optimal position or interfere with or require you to adjust your firing grip–or you need to use some sort of remote switch, which then requires you to deal with exposed cable and connectors that can be easily snagged or damaged, and anyone that’s spent a significant amount of time operating at night knows that the “Night Monster” loves to grab a hold of anything that’s not properly secured, ripping it free and damaging your cables as well as possibly damaging your device as connectors get ripped out of sockets.

In the past, end-users have attempted various methods to route and manage remote device activation cables, including everything from zip-ties, electrical tape, camo-form wrap, and more to manage and protect their remote switch cables, none of which are fully satisfactory. Moreover, other commercially available cable management options often do a great job of routing the cable, however they typically feature small clips or hooks, effectively routing cables, but not protecting them.

When developing the TNVC/FCD PCM it was extremely important to us to design a product that improved upon and “did something better” than other ad hoc DIY or manufactured options on the market.The PCM features internal/protected routing of remote switch cables, providing the most secure means of keeping the cable immobile, as it doesn’t rely on friction, and can’t be pulled out without removing the panel itself.

The PCM has dual parallel channels as well as a 90 degree channel that allow for almost endless cable routing options, and are designed to be bi-directional and stackable. Because they use only a single MLOK slot, several PCMs can be arranged in series or even on multiple rail faces to fully secure and protect cables.

The internal cable channels can support cables up to 0.140″ in diameter, accepting most common Surefire, Crane/Insight, and Unity Tactical remote switch cables, and the internal cable routing features a 0.150″ radius to allowing cables to be routed at 90 degree angles without putting unnecessary stress on the cable with sharp kinks and corners.

The TNVC/FCD PCM is manufactured from machined aircraft grade aluminum billet, which not only provides the best protection for remote switch cables, but allows for an open architecture, promoting airflow and head dissipation. Moreover, the PCM features Forward Controls Design signature “All Angles” dimpled surface texture, which both provides effective gripping surface from (get this) all angles, while also increasing surface area, further encouraging heat dissipation and mitigation.

Finally, the TNVC/FCD PCM-MLOK is Type III hard coat anodized in Black, Flat Dark Earth, and Olive Drab and supplied with all the necessary MLOK hardware to mount. Sold individually/one panel per package.