Bering Optics Super Yoter R Review

I am in East Texas with high humidity a significant part of the year. Hogs and Dogs in a pasture filled with deer/fawns and cows with calves is my normal hunting ground. Target discrimination and Identification is very important to me as coarse body movement is unreliable at best with the older FLIR unit I use.

My normal shots are around 200 yards with closer than 100 yards being rare and longer shots, while possible, aren't likely either. However, if I had better discrimination at 400 years with a bit of zoom, shots to 400 yards would be more likely as I am probably limiting myself most due to the FLIR's lack of goot target identification with base magnification and absolutely terrible under magnification in most cases.

I would consider using the older FLIR as a very poor thermal scanner with a PVS-14 and red dot for the rifle but, I question that viability for my use case. A Super Hogster/Yoter and PVS-14 handheld would be really good but, the budget for that just isn't there so it is really an either "or" thing at the moment.

I don't know if there is any discount on the Super Yoter like there used to be on Super Hogster but, right now with inflation and pent up consumer demand, I expect prices to be very firm so, Night Vision and a Thermal this year doesn't seem to be an option for me. The FLIR doesn't have enough value to pay for a Night Vision solution and it certainly won't make a descent thermal scanner so, I'm sort of stuck "waffling" between my two main options.

I am thinking a Super Yoter may be the best option for me right now as target identification appears to be very good and a little zoom for a longer range shot would still prove usable for me to stretch the ranges I'm comfortable shooting.

Thankfully, I haven't knowingly ever shot the wrong target (or at least killed a cow or calf) but, one night I had 12 fawns bedded down without momma nearby that very easily could have been a bad shoot as those glowing blobs around 175 yards out in the normal "hog" area were very tempting with the feral hog damage done to that area of the pasture. The financial impacts of decisions "in the field" put a lot of pressure on making the RIGHT choice.

TIA,
Sid
 
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FLIR ThermoSight, I believe it's called an RS32 with a 19mm objective. I debated a FLIR PTS for a while but, really felt screwed and abandoned by FLIR with the Thermosight unit which seemed intentionally hobbled some via firmware and updates stopped within a relatively short period of ownership.

I can work with the slow refresh rate but, shooting moving targets at a 200 yard treeline is problematic at best. With high double digit feral hog numbers, shooting faster "split times" is important to me as long as I have sufficient target identification after the initial sighting survey.

Having ~4lb "brick" on my Picatinny rail isn't a good thing either.
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A quick update: The 320 x 240 VOx and magnification range seems right but, not the advertised 60Hz refresh rate. The NUCs are really slow too.
 
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I was asking to see if you could use the Flir to scan, and then get a Super Yoter or Super Hogster for your weapon’s sight. Shooting and scanning with the same thermal is not very effective or comfortable.

I would start there and as funds become available sell the Flir and upgrade your scanner.
 
Originally Posted By: ToroIf you sold the flir and bought another thermal are you gonna scan with it in the rifle?

Scanning with a heavy and loaded rifle is not something I will do unless I am preparing to fire it. The old FLIR also doesn't have enough value to buy a new thermal that I would want to use today so, its "value" isn't really enough in a monetary sense to influence a new purchase.
 
Originally Posted By: KirschI was asking to see if you could use the Flir to scan, and then get a Super Yoter or Super Hogster for your weapon’s sight. Shooting and scanning with the same thermal is not very effective or comfortable.

I would start there and as funds become available sell the Flir and upgrade your scanner.

Scanning with a loaded rifle is not something I will do generally. Especially with that heavy option sitting on an already heavy and awkward rifle with a can on the end of the muzzle even if I ate more "Wheaties".
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I have been considering a PVS-14 solution for a scanner with the current FLIR but, I really think I need a better primary sighting option for the rifle first and generally think thermal is best though modern NVG tubes in the civilian market are getting really good.

The Super Yoter really seems to be the rifle solution that will work best for me. A handheld scanner like a FLIR Breach-like system or PVS-14 are likely my best handheld scanner option. However,the FLIR is on a QD mount and I have been known to take it with me at night looking for a missing cow during calving season.

A lightweight carbine with an NVG red dot and a PVS-14 are probably the best compliment to a thermal 'heavy' rifle with the PVS-14 on a practical QD mount.

If the 'base' Hogster wasn't $2200 (plus tax), putting one of those in the safe would be more viable with its huge FOV and mounting it to a lightweight carbine would likely be more practical than what I am used to with my HEAVY rifle. A dual thermal firing solution would also be nice if I had a friend to help me whack hogs as I'm not convinced a PVS-14 on a rifle is really a good idea.

PVS-14 fans typically are thinking multi-use which is not where I am at. Driving at night with the headlights off has no personal interest, various photography thoughts are also not relevant. A 'bump' helmet and a laser are a possibility but, not really viable for my use case which leaves it sitting on a rifle as a 'psuedo-clip on' which is at best a compromise for a scope based solution.
 
The breach is really only a good option if you plan for it to be helmet mounted. Otherwise, the image is really not worth the money in my opinion. Shooting with something like the Super Yoter is phenomenal. You will not regret it. However, if I had to choose thermal for shooting and night vision for scanning or night vision for shooting and thermal for scanning, I would choose thermal for scanning. I prefer thermal for both, but just putting that out there if you’re trying to choose. Nothing hides from thermal, and the reason why it makes such a good scanning solution.

As I stated earlier, my recommendation would be to go with Super Hogster or Super Yoter on your gun, and stick with your Flir for now as a scanner until more money is available.

If you go Super Hogster instead, the $1400 you will save could go towards a thermal scanner. You could get a Hogster stimulus, for about that price difference and not even have to sell your Flir. If you sell your Flir, and add that to the money saved, you are pretty much there for a Hogster 25. Add A little bit more, and you could move to a Phenom. You have lots of options.
 
Korey are you going to post anymore videos?? I guess you and one other guy is posting videos on YouTube showcasing the new Super Yoter. His IMO suck as he is usually out of focus, talks through the entire thing and its mostly about him and hog hunting, really doesn't do justice for the new unit.
 
Our night hunting season isn’t open so I’m kind of limited on what I can record. Is there something specific you would like to see?
 
Actually it would be great to see animals at different yardages while having the exact yardage on the video constantly and SLOWLY going through the zoom range.

That would give a great example of what the scopes performance is at an exact known distance and what that image looks like at the different zoom range.

Also it would be great to have a split screen comparison done the same way against other 640 scopes.

I totally realize the compression rate difference but it still gives examples that will be better in person!!
 
I will not be able to compare the Yoter to other 640s. I am just a hunter like most of you on PM. Bering does provide prototypes to test but I send them back after my initial reviews. The videos I produce through the year are recorded with my personal thermals.

In the past, I have done a few comparison videos of thermals from different companies and was threatened with litigation claiming I purposely made a thermal look bad. I don’t do video comparisons across brands any longer and don’t plan to in the future. As Kino mentioned, comparing via recorded video isn’t always a fair comparison either. Many Flir and ATN videos seem to look better recorded than they looked originally. Every other brand seems to look worse. Unless viewed through the eyepiece at the same time, and both thermals set to a good setting, there are just too many variables. Even then, one may look much better one night and then conditions change and the other looks better the next etc.

I will try to get some video of animals at longer distances and slowly zoom the video. I’ve done ones like this in the past and typically hear they are boring with not enough action. Everybody seems to want something different. Typically long range videos don’t look very good. There have been lots of times I knew 100% an animal was a coyote through the eyepiece , but when watching it back would not have been able to tell on a video. Also this is just a prototype, so people need to realize there will be improvements to the image in the final release. Sounds like I’m making lots of excuses but I do worry about making a video that drives people away from a thermal because of things like I am talking about when in reality the person would love it.

Due to family responsibilities, it will be awhile until I can do this.
 
I totally understand Kirsch what your saying, you can't please everyone!!

I REALLY appreciate what you do post and contribute to the forum as it is very useful and informative information. Guys need to understand that a review is NOT a typical hunting video. I feel YouTube has plenty of those along with plenty of different personalities. Reviews IMO are for informational purposes so I don't care about some guy shooting herds of hogs, I care about the meat and potatoes!! Warranty, price, mount, resolution, things like that pertaining to specs than let's see animals at different known yardage that's notated on the video constantly and what that animal looks like at different magnification. That is the information that helps people decide on a purchase. A lot of guys know that the real image is much better in person but its still nice to see a video showing a yardage with an animal and the ability to PID. If you can PID in a video, you can dang sure PID in real time!

Thanks again Korey for your input.
 
And if possible do more split screen with the Super Hogster so us Super Hogster owners know how much improvement we are getting!!
 
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Originally Posted By: Kino MAnd if possible do more split screen with the Super Hogster so us Super Hogster owners know how much improvement we are getting!! Sorry Kino, I’m going to be a disappointment to you as I sold the SH soon after receiving the prototype and seeing the difference. I wanted to get funds ready for the move to the SY. For videos, I should have waited to sell the SH. However, I had a PM member who needed a SH so I moved it.

Per your comment on image difference, the answer is a lot. It may not lead to lots more coyotes but clarity especially of background detail is a major difference. I’ve always said I don’t shoot at backgrounds, I shoot at coyotes but the difference is real.
 
I might have missed it, but will the Super Yoter have both video and audio recording?

There is a time and a place for using audio when making videos, but not having the option to add audio would be a little bit of a bummer.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyoteI might have missed it, but will the Super Yoter have both video and audio recording?

There is a time and a place for using audio when making videos, but not having the option to add audio would be a little bit of a bummer. Bering polled their customers in the past and only found about 10% would have been willing to pay more for their device if it could record audio with the video. They also received some complaints from earlier devices that had audio on the quality of the audio, so I don't see them adding audio soon, but you never now. For those that want audio with their Bering thermals, the following is a way to do this:

The Phenom, Super Hogster, and Super Yoter do not record audio natively. Most audio recorded by thermal and night vision isn't very good. However, the Infiray Outdoors App (iOS and Android) works with all 3 Bering devices. It isn't supported by Bering as it isn't written by Bering. You can connect the app to either of the 3 Bering thermals via wifi, and when choosing to record the screen, there is a microphone icon. You activate your icon and it will record video and audio.

I haven't used this app a lot but there are lots of people on the Bering Optics Users Group on Facebook using it and it seems to work fine. The only thing I have seen personally is the audio and video sync can be off by about .5 seconds. If using this app, there is an Update Firmware option. DO NOT DO THIS. I was worried about Bering users using this software but when I asked Bering about it, they weren't too concerned about it.

I also tested the video quality recorded. I didn't see any major differences to the internal video quality and the file size of the videos was also very close between the app and the internal recorded videos. This is what I would do if you want audio with your recordings on the Phenom, Super Hogster, or Super Yoter.
 
I'm shocked only 10% would pay additional for audio.

I'll preface.....I don't know what the price would be for audio as I've never seen a thermal that separated the cost of video and audio individually.

For people that love to record and want to do a quick narration, audio is really nice to have, and really enjoyable for the viewer.

Kirsch, you go the extra mile and give a pretty detailed description of all your hunts along with each video you post.

But....if you did a poll from those that view your videos, I bet less than 10% would prefer your hunts without audio. Total speculation on my part though.

You might prefer video only....to protect some of your calling tactics and if so, I respect that.

It seems like most 'lay' hunters (for a lack of better words) would prefer to add a quick audio narrative accompanied with each notable hunt. Maybe even a little play by play.....verbalizing their thoughts as things are going down
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Nonetheless, the Super Yoter is very intriguing and look forward to more reviews.
 
Originally Posted By: Indyote For people that love to record and want to do a quick narration, audio is really nice to have, and really enjoyable for the viewer.

You might prefer video only....to protect some of your calling tactics and if so, I respect that.

It seems like most 'lay' hunters (for a lack of better words) would prefer to add a quick audio narrative

Nonetheless, the Super Yoter is very intriguing and look forward to more reviews. What I have told the group is what Bering has told me. There is only one way this could/will ever change and that is if they hear from their current and/or potential customers. If you would like audio added to future models, send a message to sales@beringoptics.com. They told me at one time they had no interest in producing a 640 thermal scope, and now I am testing a Super Yoter, so they do listen.

I also agree for the typical hunter, they will not go to the extent that I do with adding the rifle shot in post-production and the other editing that I do. This takes time and some computer skills. For those who want audio, they have two options. They can use the InfiRayOutdoors app, or they can buy a different thermal that records audio. The app works quite well, and alleviates the need to download from the scope to the phone, so it makes it even easier removing one step in the process. There is a third option using either an external DVR or using a phone to record audio, but if doing that then they might as well use the App.

As for my own videos, I am representing Night Goggles and attempt to produce as professional of a video as possible. For my videos, I don't want wind noise or muffled gun-shots, etc. This is my preference and Night Goggles at this time. Even if the Bering recorded audio, I would probably mute it most of the time on my videos. And yes, I don't need every person who watches my videos to know every sound I use. It still surprises me how many people contact me, demanding that I tell them what sounds I use. I am not exaggerating when I say "demanding". They act like it is their right that I tell them exactly what sounds I use, at what volume, and in what sequence. I tell them as politely as possible that I will help them with thermal questions, and general coyote hunting questions, but I draw the line when discussing my specific calling processes.
 
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