Just bought a Bering Hogster-R 35

P

Pursuer

Member
Just got a new to me hogster 35, couldn’t pass up the deal. I’ve been wanting one for awhile now that my cousin is using thermals. So far I’m pretty dang impressed with the unit scanning the fields behind my house. Have a few questions though as this is my first thermal unit. Also anybody have a recommendation on a tripod/ball head? Looking for something that attaches directly to my rifle rather than a clamp style. Gonna try and sight it in tomorrow evening as long as this wind lets up.

The deal came with an upgraded locking qd mount, a predator precision dvr, a focus throw ring, and some rechargeable 123’s. Although I tested the rechargeable 123’s, and they came in at 4.12-4.14…I’m assuming these are no bueno after reading the manual.

My questions are; in no particular order…

-I’ve got a couple battery packs that are 5V 1000mA, one is a 4400 mAH, the other is a 3000. Will these work ok? It came with a type c usb cord, but do they make a type c magnetic style for these or are the recommended? Also does it matter what battery setting you are on when using external power?

-Should I keep the unit on auto shutter or just hit the calibration button every so often?

-Ultra clear mode; is this only to be used in high humidity or fog?

-What is the blind pixel correction? Wasn’t really following it.

-How tight should my qd mount be? Is it like any other optic?

-Is it capable of running off external power and video out while the dvr and thermal are plugged into the same battery pack?

-I bought the unit under the impression that Bering had a 4 year transferable warranty, wasn’t really getting that transferable impression when I was reading the manual. Is Bering optics pretty easy to get ahold off?

Any other advice and tips would be appreciative. Sorry for the long winded post, especially since I haven’t been active for awhile. Hoping I can get some videos posted as soon as I figure that out.
 
Originally Posted By: PursuerThe deal came with an upgraded locking qd mount, a predator precision dvr, a focus throw ring, and some rechargeable 123’s. Although I tested the rechargeable 123’s, and they came in at 4.12-4.14…I’m assuming these are no bueno after reading the manual. Most rechargeable CR123s show a rating around 4.2 when fully charged. You would use the 3.7V setting. The use of rechargeable batteries is kind of a debated topic. It states in the manual, Bering will not warranty damages caused by rechargeable batteries. It is worded a bit different depending on the model. The scope is designed to handle it, many people use them, but Bering says they are use at your own risk. I am not aware of any warranty claims by people using them, but I am just relaying information.

Originally Posted By: Pursuer-I’ve got a couple battery packs that are 5V 1000mA, one is a 4400 mAH, the other is a 3000. Will these work ok? It came with a type c usb cord, but do they make a type c magnetic style for these or are the recommended? Also does it matter what battery setting you are on when using external power? They should be 5V 2A packs and then yes they should work. I like using a 90° angled USB C connection and some like to use a magnetic connection.

Originally Posted By: Pursuer-Should I keep the unit on auto shutter or just hit the calibration button every so often? Again personal preference. My belief is the majority of people run it on auto. One of the main arguments against is it calibrating at the wrong time. You can always NUC the scope when you see a coyote to lessen the likelihood, but again this is 100% personal preference.

Originally Posted By: Pursuer-Ultra clear mode; is this only to be used in high humidity or fog?Yes, this is when it is most useful. If you turn it on in really good thermal conditions, the image can be over-saturated. There are some that keep it on, and then adjust other image controls. My personal rule of thumb is to turn it on when the Humidity is over 85%.

Originally Posted By: Pursuer-What is the blind pixel correction? Wasn’t really following it. Any thermal can get a bad pixel. On a Hogster, it kind of looks like a little bullet hole. You will know if you have one. This correction helps to fix that bad pixel or pixels.

Originally Posted By: Pursuer-How tight should my qd mount be? Is it like any other optic?Don't make it so tight that you feel like you need a tool to get it open. You should feel tension as you start to cam over the handle. If there is any play in the optic/mount, it is too loose.

Originally Posted By: Pursuer-Is it capable of running off external power and video out while the dvr and thermal are plugged into the same battery pack?In order to do video out and have external power, most users would have to use the dual cord provided by Bering Optics. If I used one battery source for the scope and one for the DVR, it worked great. When I used the same battery pack, I had interference in my video. This was with my DVR.

The one from Predator Precision I believe replaces the entire Bering Optics dual cord system. I believe you plug the DVR into the battery pack, and then the DVR into the scope and it works. This DVR is quite expensive but if it works, I believe it minimizes the cords needed. Again, this is simply by looking at that DVR on their website.

Originally Posted By: Pursuer-I bought the unit under the impression that Bering had a 4 year transferable warranty, wasn’t really getting that transferable impression when I was reading the manual. Is Bering optics pretty easy to get ahold off?I work with a dealer called Night Goggles. It is a 4-year transferrable warranty, but make sure you get the paperwork of the original invoice.
 
10-4, thanks for the info Kirsch. I’m not taking a chance on those rechargeable 123’s. I’ve read that one ought to NUC often…so that is the same as auto shutter/pressing the calibration button? What does NUC stand for? I do have the original invoice so all is good there. My battery pack that is a 4400 mAH is 5V and has a usb for 1000 mA and a usb for 2100 mA, I’m assuming the 2100 port will work. Thanks alf for the tripod thread. Hoping to get it sighted in after work today.
 
Originally Posted By: Pursuer10-4, thanks for the info Kirsch. I’m not taking a chance on those rechargeable 123’s. I’ve read that one ought to NUC often…so that is the same as auto shutter/pressing the calibration button? What does NUC stand for? Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC). Bering calls it calibration as they are the same thing. You can set the scope to auto-calibrate or manual. Even if you set it for auto-calibration, you can still manually calibrate the scope if you wish to clean up the image and make sure it doesn't happen at an inopportune time.
 
Man lots of Indiana guys here! Congrats on your scope, guys that have them say they are a really solid unit.
 
Appreciate it Kirsch, had zero issues getting it dialed in. Seemed to track well for the 8 shots I took. Started at 50 and stretched it out to 100. Will probably check cold bore zero tomorrow when the wind settles down some more. Then off to hunting for the night! Excited to put it through the paces. Yeah Kino, my cousin is shooting the super hogster and he’s had pretty good luck with it so far. The warranty is what sold me on the brand. Im a little north of you though…about an hour south of the Michigan state line.
 
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