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thermal negatives?


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What are they? There has to be some!

I have been content with good quality NV for my work for a good few years now, but unfortunately I am now experiencing problems with it. So, I'm about to start a very important New rabbit control contract, I've decided that thermal is the new way forward. But! Before I shell out a decent wedge on something I know little about I thought it prudent to ask the above question.

So gentlemen with true life experience of using thermal, what are the downsides please?

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Positive

  • You see anything alive with a heat source within the units detection range.
  • You can scan quickly , rabbits, foxes, deer, with there back to you, doesn't matter, you see it, unlike NV were you sometimes need eyeshade.
  • I can detect rabbit sized heat sources with for example a Helion XQ50F at 600yds
  • They are totally covert, no IR source is needed.
  • Compact units with great battery life.
  • Rapid Target acquisition when trying to get on target, LOTS quicker than NV , also very fast multiple shots
  • You can shoot into woodland no issue if you can see it, also hedges, etc when they slip just out of view and NV/Lamp won't cut it.
  • No damage from light can be used day/night.
  • You can cover a field shoot your game and backtrack picking things up on the way.
  • No need to trudge all over looking for game when picking up, your straight at it.

Downsides

  • Depending on posture, position and distance of subject sometimes difficult to 100% ID , with movement no problem at all.
  • In high moisture conditions, background detail can be poor, although heat signatures are still picked up.

I would definitely recommend a spotter if anything.

If you want a rifle scope model to shoot rats/rabbits they are totally deadly, for foxes I wouldn't shoot anything past 250yds and I would like to see them moving side on to ensure a positive ID before taking a shot, with a HMR I shoot using a Trail XQ50 out to 150yds on rabbits, I can obviously pick up there heat source at a much, much greater distance , but I don't like shooting beyond this although its well capable.
 

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I think it affects people differently , It doesn't bother me that much, but it does some people, saying that most of the time mines fitted to the roof of the vehicle and I'm looking at a screen inside the cab, much better for scanning around quick, but on foot I just use it as normal.

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I have found with monochrome scopes, ie, pulsar n550 or photon foe example I suffer eye burn out far quicker than when using say my starlight with its green light.

I never shoot further than 100 yds, so range not a problem, I like the sound of being able to set it up for three different rifles. I still do a lot of rat and rabbit work, but I am also taking the business back to its routes, so will be taking on fox work again. 

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I don't think you will find anything as eye friendly as tubed night vision, its not bad though, well I've been using them for 5 year with no issue, but some people do prefer using the red or green palette option, I always use the white or black option, on the right night black hot is amazing it's like night vision in a sense...

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Everyone I know who has either used mine or has one of their own say the same thing, one guy was real bad and it made him pretty, ill, dizzy and sick, I don't get that bad, but I do loose all normal vision for a good few minutes, bear in mind it's pretty much constantly glued to my eye when scanning though.

I suffer no effect from my nv units (pulsar n870lrf)

i think its just the same as using a bright torch at night, then switch it off, you will have lost all your natural night vision. It doesn't bother me that much, but makes me wonder what the long term effects will be if any.

i only use white or black hot functions. Agreed with Ian, I switch between the two colours and it really is outstanding.

 

if your only looking for 100 yards, they are no problem at all, I can work most things out very quick at those ranges.

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4 minutes ago, mole trapper said:

Well they sound like the sort of kit I need.

Is there any idea on life expectancy of these units?

You won't regret it, opens up a whole new world and perspective, I often sit watching barn owls hunting rats around my pens with mine, great as a general spotter as well as hunting tool.

Ianb is your man if your looking for something he stocks.

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7 minutes ago, mole trapper said:

Well they sound like the sort of kit I need.

Is there any idea on life expectancy of these units?

Life expectancy should be as long as any other piece of electrical equipment, these being digital units.. They come new with 3 year warranty..

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4 hours ago, IanB said:

Life expectancy should be as long as any other piece of electrical equipment, these being digital units.. They come new with 3 year warranty..

Cool, three years it will be fine.

I think the trail X whatsit will fulfill my needs. 

Just get a few prices now.

Thanks for all the input.

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I have the xq50f spotter and love it , but as a scope i am waiting for them to be crisper on the Id front .

Also if theres brambles bushes in front of quarry you cant seen them with the thermal , as soon as you look with nv you see the brambles etc but no quarry . 

 

Just my take on it 

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I've been torn between NV and thermal a few times, both have different benefits...

For rabbits, yes I can shoot on high mag with good ID with my NV .... BUT

Thermal fitted to my HMR allows me to

  • Have a compact unit, lightweight scope, no bulky IR torches.
  • Huge field of view with anything alive instantly detected, my Trail XQ50 will pickup rabbit sized heat sources 400-500yds, I only use it to shoot out to 150yds on rabbits anything past that on rabbit sized heat sources can be difficult to 100% ID although knowing the land, numbers together, size, etc when scanning further helps.
  • I can very quickly get the cross hairs on jumpy rabbits and drop multiple in less than half the time it takes to get on them with NV.
  • I can shoot into woodland, hedges and get at the difficult ones.
  • I can track one on the move, through brush, hedges, cover until a line of sight is lost.
  • For rats, its a lot better than NV, you can shoot a lot you just cannot find with NV and waste too much time trying to locate and get the crosshairs on..

Obviously NV has its benefits

  • The ability to 100% ID something at long ranges
  • Ability to take shots out to whatever the distance is depending what your unit and gun is capable of..
  • Better clarity of small twigs and minor obstructions past a give distance

 

HMR/Thermal combination is absolutely lethal on rabbits, best I have used upto now.

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21 hours ago, IanB said:

I've been torn between NV and thermal a few times, both have different benefits...

For rabbits, yes I can shoot on high mag with good ID with my NV .... BUT

Thermal fitted to my HMR allows me to

  • Have a compact unit, lightweight scope, no bulky IR torches.
  • Huge field of view with anything alive instantly detected, my Trail XQ50 will pickup rabbit sized heat sources 400-500yds, I only use it to shoot out to 150yds on rabbits anything past that on rabbit sized heat sources can be difficult to 100% ID although knowing the land, numbers together, size, etc when scanning further helps.
  • I can very quickly get the cross hairs on jumpy rabbits and drop multiple in less than half the time it takes to get on them with NV.
  • I can shoot into woodland, hedges and get at the difficult ones.
  • I can track one on the move, through brush, hedges, cover until a line of sight is lost.
  • For rats, its a lot better than NV, you can shoot a lot you just cannot find with NV and waste too much time trying to locate and get the crosshairs on..

Obviously NV has its benefits

  • The ability to 100% ID something at long ranges
  • Ability to take shots out to whatever the distance is depending what your unit and gun is capable of..
  • Better clarity of small twigs and minor obstructions past a give distance

 

HMR/Thermal combination is absolutely lethal on rabbits, best I have used upto now.

I agree 100% with all the above, but would like to add, thermal isn't the dogs dangles all the time, certain weather puts pay to it very quickly, if there is a lot of fog/ wet in the air it's totally blind

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