Thermal monoculars

Darknight

Darknight

Member
I'm looking for advice from those of you with experience using several various scanner models.
I hunt midwest cropland that is intermixed with timbers where maximum detection areas would be 1000 yards. I currently use a Part Quantum hd19a and really like the wide field of view however I'm looking for a bit longer detection range. Battery life in very cold temperatures is a must.
I'm looking at the Hogster R25, the Phenom and the FLIR Scion OTM monoculars as these are in my price range. IR Patrol and Pulsar Accolade are not an option due to price but I'm open to other model suggestions I may not know about.
So here's my question. I'm looking for and would appreciate advice from those of you who have used these various units and would like to know if you think the detection range (not identification range) is in that 1000 yard neighborhood and what you like and don't like about the various units. Wide field of view is needed so I can scan larger areas quickly.
Looking forward to see what others have experienced.
Thanks!
 
Actually the detection range of the Phenom is easily in that range. I can't attest for the rest. The detection range on a R35 is around this but not sure on the 25. Battery life in the cold is not going to be great but you can use a battery pack and use it for days if you like on either the R25 or the Phenom.
 
Thanks Kirsch,
I plan on the battery pack being mandatory due to the cold. It's not North Dakota cold but it's still cold here at times when I'm out.
I'm hoping hunters that have used the FLIR Scion and Hogster R25 might see this and share their experiences as well.
 
Originally Posted By: DarknightI'm looking for advice from those of you with experience using several various scanner models.
I hunt midwest cropland that is intermixed with timbers where maximum detection areas would be 1000 yards. I currently use a Part Quantum hd19a and really like the wide field of view however I'm looking for a bit longer detection range. Battery life in very cold temperatures is a must.
I'm looking at the Hogster R25, the Phenom and the FLIR Scion OTM monoculars as these are in my price range. IR Patrol and Pulsar Accolade are not an option due to price but I'm open to other model suggestions I may not know about.
So here's my question. I'm looking for and would appreciate advice from those of you who have used these various units and would like to know if you think the detection range (not identification range) is in that 1000 yard neighborhood and what you like and don't like about the various units. Wide field of view is needed so I can scan larger areas quickly.
Looking forward to see what others have experienced.
Thanks!

Last week I would have told you to check out a FLIR Scion OTM 366 with the 25mm lens. After getting a Phenom I can tell you that you need to consider that unit. The 2 things you want are mutually exclusive......wide FOV and long detection range. On top of that your budget doesn't allow for the cost of the longer range units because of the expense of the large lens priced into the unit.

The Phenom at 2x native should reach out and give you some good range especially with the 640/12µm core and the 13°FOV is good at medium ranges. Use your HD19 for the tight stuff.

The other units you are looking at are $2500 to $2700. The Scion will require the purchase of their $180 rechargeable battery pack or you will have to refinance your house to buy CR123 batteries. Stretch your budget to $3200 and go with the Phenom.



 
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Currently running an AGM TM35-384 and it does a nice job and easily can detect to 1k. Its priced around $2100 and is IMO a great unit for the price and is a VERY effective scanner.

That said, the Phenom does have my attention and I would love to see one in person. I am shooting with a Super Hogster and it is a nice unit. If Bering would put a LRF on both the Phenom and Hogster they would really have an incredible product and an improvement that hunters actually need. I could care less about recording and Bluetooth just give us great optics, durability and a laser rangefinder.

Kirsch if you have any pull at bering, have Boris make us scopes and scanners with laser rangefinders!!
 
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Thanks guys, I also wonder about the Hogster r25 but not sure detection range would be as far as the Phenom.
Gman, what do you consider medium range in the context of scanner use for coyotes? Having to carry two scanners sounds cumbersome so that's why I ask the question.
 
Originally Posted By: DarknightThanks guys, I also wonder about the Hogster r25 but not sure detection range would be as far as the Phenom.
Gman, what do you consider medium range in the context of scanner use for coyotes? Having to carry two scanners sounds cumbersome so that's why I ask the question.

Kirsch can answer that better than me ....... he hunts coyotes in open areas. I mostly hunt hogs anywhere from 15 yards to 300 yards. If I do decide to call some yotes it's usually 150 yards of less. Aside from that I have zero experience with the Hogster line.

You are sort of comparing apples to oranges with the Hogster r25 vs the Phenom. A 320/17µm core 25mm lens vs a 640/12µm core 35mm lens.

I would say the Phenom might get a little tight below 125-150 yards if scanning for coyotes but certainly not unusable. Take it with a grain of salt......all opinion based and terrain and foliage all play a roll.

 
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Originally Posted By: DarknightThanks guys, I also wonder about the Hogster r25 but not sure detection range would be as far as the Phenom.
Gman, what do you consider medium range in the context of scanner use for coyotes? Having to carry two scanners sounds cumbersome so that's why I ask the question. The detection range will not be as far on the R25 as the Phenom. However, Bering purposely uses the worst possible detection numbers and then goes even lower. They never want someone to say they didn't deliver on their units.

For example, the Pulsar Helion XP38 has a detection range of 1350 yards, the Hogster R 35 is 600. On every stand my partner and I used these two thermals, he could detect a coyote around 100 yards before I could on every stand. Companies use different sized objects for detection ranges and it gets really confusing. Bottom line is I realistically believe you will be detecting coyotes with an R25 at 800+ yards. I have never owned an R25 so just tested it for comparison purposes. The Phenom will be further than this.
 
Originally Posted By: Kino MKirsch if you have any pull at bering, have Boris make us scopes and scanners with laser rangefinders!! I have talked to Boris about it. I believe it is Bushnell that has a patent that makes this difficult and not very financially feasible. Bering is all about making a quality scope at an affordable price and laser rangefinders don't work into that model very well. It never hurts to ask so you can always send an email request to sales@beringoptics.com. Bering listens to their customer. The Super Hogster was born from user feedback.
 
Ok guys I'm narrowing down between Hogster r25 and Phenom but hope to look through both. That may prove to be tricky. Thanks for the advice.
 
Originally Posted By: KirschOriginally Posted By: Kino MKirsch if you have any pull at bering, have Boris make us scopes and scanners with laser rangefinders!! I have talked to Boris about it. I believe it is Bushnell that has a patent that makes this difficult and not very financially feasible. Bering is all about making a quality scope at an affordable price and laser rangefinders don't work into that model very well. It never hurts to ask so you can always send an email request to sales@beringoptics.com. Bering listens to their customer. The Super Hogster was born from user feedback.

Thanks and I will definitely give bering some feedback.

So with Bushnell having the patent is companies like Pulsar paying royalties to Bushnell to use that technology?? It seems crazy that Bushnell is the only one with the ability to incorporate a LRF into a thermal!
 
Originally Posted By: Kino MThanks and I will definitely give bering some feedback.

So with Bushnell having the patent is companies like Pulsar paying royalties to Bushnell to use that technology?? It seems crazy that Bushnell is the only one with the ability to incorporate a LRF into a thermal! I don't have the specifics and like anything with the "telephone game" I may be incorrectly or inaccurately stating what I thought Bering said about LRF patents. I relayed what I remember of the phone conversation. I have no idea if Pulsar is paying Bushnell or if they found a way to get around it. In the end, I am confident Bering at this time is not planning to add a LRF to their thermal line up. However, they have at least looked into it per my conversation with them.
 
Originally Posted By: DarknightOk guys I'm narrowing down between Hogster r25 and Phenom but hope to look through both. That may prove to be tricky. Thanks for the advice.

The Hogster will be an almost duplicate of the HD19 with regard to FOV, resolution and range. Go with the Phenom and get the higher resolution core and magnification...... It will help you ID along with Detection.

I have owned 5 Trijicon units, 6 FLIR units, and 3 Pulsar units..... Trust me on this one.

 
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Great Gman, you have more experience than I with various units. I'm listening.
Have you guys made an external battery pack yet for the Phenom?
What's the wait time on these backordered units? Does anyone know?
 
Not sure how you compare the R25 to the 19A in FOV. The 19A's FOV is 26.8 x 20.8 and the R25 is 14.9 x 11.2. That's close to half as much. My XP 28 is 22 x 16.6 and the Phenome is 17 x 13.
 
Originally Posted By: DarknightGreat Gman, you have more experience than I with various units. I'm listening. Have you guys made an external battery pack yet for the Phenom? What's the wait time on these backordered units? Does anyone know? Tom Austin, Programs Director at Night Goggles at 909-312-5424 X531 is the one who would could give you an estimate on time table. The 12 µm Phenoms are so new they aren't many dealers who would have these yet.

As far as a battery pack, I was told they were working on one, but have never seen it. They take a microUSB vs USB c on the Hogsters. Here is what I did.

Phenom1.jpg


I glued an arca swiss quick release to the battery like this

Phenom3.jpg

Attach the arca swiss plate to the Phenom, and you have a totally removable battery system.

On my setup, I also glued another arca swiss plate to the bottom of my battery pack and a 2nd Arca Swiss Release that I attached to my selfie stick.

Another option is something like this. You could get a GoPro to tripod connector like this. Then get a selfie stick with an integrated battery like this. Put them together with a micro USB cable, and you are good to go. This looks just like a handle but it actually extends if you want it longer than just a handle.

selfie_battery1.jpg


Even with this simple setup, I would recommend getting an arca swiss plate and clamp because this way you are not constantly connecting and disconnecting and you can get it more snug.

selfie_battery2.jpg






 
Originally Posted By: case-nhNot sure how you compare the R25 to the 19A in FOV. The 19A's FOV is 26.8 x 20.8 and the R25 is 14.9 x 11.2. That's close to half as much. My XP 28 is 22 x 16.6 and the Phenome is 17 x 13.

I didn’t bother to look up the FOV for the R25 because it is the smallest lens available in the Hogster line and that’s the unit he’s comparing. I assumed it was wider but did not account for the 320 core resolution. Since he has the wide FOV with the Pulsar unit I think he would be wise to get a longer range unit given how close they are in price.

The Phenom specs you are referring to are for the 17µm version. The 12µm unit has a 13 degree FOV according to the guy I talked to at Bering.

Either way according to your specs for the R25 FOV is only 2 degrees different than the Phenom with the 12µm core . The Phenom has a 640 12µm core that will provide a much better image and I can tell you from looking through the unit it’s hard to beat especially given the cost.

I am just trying to help guide his purchase based on my past experience and the fact that I have looked through dozens of units. All the specs and numbers are one thing.......actually looking through the unit is another. If you read my review I got a wide range of performance difference from 3 units with the exact same specs.

 
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Originally Posted By: Gman757The Phenom specs you are referring to are for the 17µm version. The 12µm unit has a 13 degree FOV according to the guy I talked to at Bering. Gman is correct the previously available Phenom 17 µm was 17 x 13 FOV and the 12 µm is 13 x 10.

I had serious reservations about Bering making the switch as I know FOV is a very important aspect for many especially in a scanner. I felt this way until I looked through the 12 µm unit. For me, the image quality difference is enough that I also supported the change. I also believe it increased the battery life. We can debate if it was the right move by Bering but bottom line is they made the move. The image before was good, and now it is great.

As for the HD19 image and the Hogster 25, I would ask if there is someone on PM who has used them both a lot under varying conditions. I know the HD19 was a very popular model scanner. Based on what I know of older Pulsar tech and the Hogsters, I have to believe the Hogster has a better image especially in higher humidity. Is it the Phenom image, no, but still pretty darn good.
 


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