Thermal Scope and scanner

Whenever a person uses a heat source for a target, you risk the hot object will bloom. This is why using HVAC foil tape or Tin Foil tends to work well as you get a true representation of size. You don't heat it. The key as I mentioned in an earlier post is to tilt the object back 10 degrees or a little bit so it reflects the image. If it is perfectly straight, it often doesn't work well. There is no heat or cooling required. At night, sometimes you may want to shine your headlights on it to help reflection. Here is a sample at 100 yards at base magnification of my scope during the day. I cut the strips to 1/2 to 1 inch and make a cross. I leave a 1/2 to 1" gap in the middle to give an exact aiming point. This is from a recorded video and focus wasn't great, so it looks much better in real time.
Target.jpg


Here's one where I didn't have scissors along so had to leave the strips larger. This is at night at 50 yards with lights reflecting. This was for a different gun.

Target2.jpg
 
I received my theramal monocular today and read the manual. However, being new to thermal I have some questions.

I understand the caliberation (nuc) modes - manual I leave lens cap closed press button, semi I tap button and it will calibrate with an auto shutter and auto it does it automatically for image quality, etc.

I left it in auto and it seems to be consistentantly calibrating so do you leave yours in auto or ?

I know this is probably a personal preference and it will take some use in the field to figure out what I perfer, but which color palette do you find most useful.......red hot, black hot, white hot, etc in tall grass, tree lines and open terrain?

Thanks


 
I leave monocular on auto. I also leave my scope on auto but feel I am in the minority. Most thermals have a count down to NUC option as it draws near. What I don't want to happen is forget to NUC and switch from monocular to gun and the screen is all messed up because it needs to NUC. Trying to NUC the scope with a coyote coming in hot to me is a bigger concern than the scope auto-NUCing as I shoot. As the thermal stays on, it will NUC less often as well. Find what you like, but I like Auto.

I personally, like black hot for finding a calling location as it is easier to see terrain features. I like white hot while scanning. Before having a thermal scope with colored reticles, I preferred shooting with black hot because the white reticle showed up better on black hot than black did on white hot. I have colored backgrounds and reticles now, and still shoot with black hot with a red reticle probably because that is what I am used to.
 
I just got back from the reservoir which has tree lines and field surrounding it (no hunting allowed).

Black and white hot are my favorites at the moment.

Kirsch,

I tried the SA calibrating mode and understand what you are saying as the image was degraded until I nuc’d it.



Is it best to leave the unit on until time to go home (5-7 hours) or should I shut it off between stands ?





 


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