Naive thermal question

V

verg

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So I'm starting to research thermals a bit. I'd like to own one but admit I'm over my head. I'm not techy. I just know I'd like it to range and record. I'd like a more entry budget friendly one yet, well made blah blah. Dumb question is....hunting with them in daylight. I google it but not sure I fully understand. Apparently still pick up heat? Do they shut off and you use it like a regular scope? Who uses these in the daylight? If feel overwhelmed by these.

edit Cabelas has these on sale...Ok???

ATN ThOR 5 LRF 320 Smart HD Thermal Rifle Scope. $2000​

 
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Go look up Outdoor Legacy's "night vision show" on YouTube and watch them. They have hours upon hours of honest reviews on thermals. Personally, I wouldn't mess with ATN thermals. I like their NV, but their thermals just don't do it when compared to others like Iray, Rix, NocPix, etc.

No, it doesn't not shut off during the day. The sight during the day is same as night, a heat signature.
 
Yes they work OK during the day also. Pic is from an Iray of neighbor's drive across street. I have an ATN low res scanner, not impressive. 320 res is not very good, 640 with LRF might do lots better. Probably NOT get an LRF included for your desired $.
 

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You do need to be careful, direct sunlight not good for the sensors. And when air/targets are the same temp, poor image. 384 would be minimum you should look at and the base magnification (match it to you expected shooting distance). Over 100 yards average distance, 3.0+ base for me. A lot of thermals will work inside 100 yards. Warranty should also be part also, 3 years minimum. A lot of sales/clearance lately, fur prices, inflation. The China tariffs, who knows what will happen.
 
verg said:
So I'm starting to research thermals a bit. I'd like to own one but admit I'm over my head. I'm not techy. I just know I'd like it to range and record. I'd like a more entry budget friendly one yet, well made blah blah. Dumb question is....hunting with them in daylight. I google it but not sure I fully understand. Apparently still pick up heat? Do they shut off and you use it like a regular scope? Who uses these in the daylight? If feel overwhelmed by these.

edit Cabelas has these on sale...Ok???

ATN ThOR 5 LRF 320 Smart HD Thermal Rifle Scope. $2000​

Click to expand...
there are better options out there for under 3 grand. look at thermal optics plus, they can answer a lot of your questions. i use the bering optics super yoter and i love it.

other, extremely knowledgeable members will be along soon, i'm sure.
 
The best place to start is deciding how far you want to shoot, I'm assuming coyotes. Consider terrain; for the open country I'm in most would say 3x base mag is the minimum, while guys hunting small fields surrounded by woods might want 2x which gains more fov. Like mentioned, the Outdoor Legacy podcast is a great place to start and good people to call for advice.

Daytime use is tough, and like mentioned the one thing I've been told never to do is point a thermal at the sun. Makes sense when you think about it. But I've used mine in the day, in fact I shot prairie dogs with it a couple days ago to test my bdc drops. You can see how difficult a target that small is to see when everything else around it is warm also.





I didn't realize how well the radio station picked up in the scope until now lol. This is the Nocpix Ace h50r. I think I have it fairly well dialed in finally.
 
verg said:
So I'm starting to research thermals a bit. I'd like to own one but admit I'm over my head. I'm not techy. I just know I'd like it to range and record. I'd like a more entry budget friendly one yet, well made blah blah......
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What do you want to do with it? Budget friendly and thermal should not be used in the same sentence :). (of course it depends on what you consider budget friendly) You will be extremely disappointed with the clarity of the image from a 256 or even 384 resolution thermal. Again, depending on what you would expect of it, how far are you expecting to shoot etc? Resolution drops significantly with each zoom level.

I couldn't agree more with DoubleLungRag, watch some of the videos from Outdoor Legacy, or better yet call and speak to Hans or Jason. They are VERY EASY to talk to and will guide you in the right direction when you tell them what you want to do with your scope. Outdoor Legacy | Night Vision & Thermal Optics - A Texas Company

Oh yeah, keep your distance with ATN. My first scope went back twice. Not learning a thing after buying the first, my second ATN "new and improved" scope is due to be returned tomorrow, for the second time. I think ATN uses their buyers as beta testers. They will accept the return and "fix" any issues but it's like ground hog day, same scenario the next week and the next, and the...... I'm an AGM, Outdoor Legacy customer from here on out.
 
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some 384 give a real nice image. i know my pulsar axion xq38 scanner does. but my scope is a 640, save some money and add to your budget. get a 640 scope.
 
spotstalkshoot said:
Here is a entry level thermal, life time warranty. Airgun depot.View attachment 16761
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nice product but only has a 5 year warranty on thermals. its still a good long warranty as some companies only have 3 year warranties.

"The Athlon Lifetime Warranty covers binoculars, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, red dots, prism scopes, magnifiers, tripods, and laser rangefinders. Other Athlon products have a standard one year warranty. Athlon Thermal Optics have a 5 year warranty upon registration (Click Link to Register) Optional scope accessories, including sunshade, lens cap, and throw lever, are not covered by this Lifetime Warranty.
 
Please...Save a few more thousand dollars and get something of better quality.
Don't buy something cheap just to get into the game. If that means waiting a couple more years to save- so be it.

Predators aren't going anywhere.
 
there's ALOT going on when you get into thermals, I'll keep this short and suggest this video along with the advice from the fellows here!
 
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