I'll keep this post active as the GunnerView/IR Apple is completed and tested.
To answer your question, YES - it's definitely requires a neck strap. Although I used 1/4" lexen for the frame, the added weight of the secondary battery and box balanced it, but added too much to the weight. The next prototype, I'll replace the 9X TX battery with a LiPoly (and alarmed regulator) and run the 9X/TX, FPV RX and Monitor with a master plugin and see how that works and how long a 5000 mah will operate.
The OSD will be the most interesting part. Trying to learn the coding and how the sensors operate is a burden.
tsull