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Night Vision Diaries: Night Master Scotland

  • Review
Night Vision Diaries: Night Master Scotland

As Product Advisor & Tester for Night Master, I have been working with the MD (Tony Jones) over the last 6 months on a new project… Night Master Scotland! As part of this, I will be taking on a new role to advise on, supply and set-up lamping/Infrared equipment, night vision and thermal imaging devices bought from Night Master Scotland.

Over the last few months I have been advising customers and supplying lamps and night vision equipment to various people. In doing so I have found that many of them are struggling with the set-up of their new gear, which meant they were not getting the best performance. Even people with older Pulsar Digisights bought elsewhere have been approaching me for help too, which is a shame, but very common. Some users are still not getting the full experience from their equipment, which may only be running at half the performance. But now, anyone in Scotland purchasing any equipment (night vision or thermal) from Night Master Scotland can buy safe in the knowledge that they will not be left in the dark.

Hands On Experience

Some companies selling this kind of equipment only know the basics, which are often taken from the user manual. Many of these sellers are not out using it five nights a week like I am, which is where the valuable user knowledge comes from. I am a professional foxer that uses the equipment, so I can tell you how each model performs in various weather conditions and how far you can expect to clearly see and shoot. I can also setup your device, show you how to use it and provide tips for getting the best performance.

To guarantee customers receive the best possible start with using their equipment, we have created an aftercare package, which is already a success with many new users in Scotland. Those who have purchased the package have arranged to meet me with their rifle, so that I can personally sort it for them. This involves fitting the correct rail for mounting the new device to setting it up, ensuring they leave me with the confidence that their rifle is zeroed for them and they know exactly how to work the chosen device.

The idea for the aftercare package came to light after people contacted Night Master regarding the set-up of their new devices. They were genuinely struggling and didn’t know what to do. Obviously, the team at Night Master do their best to help customers over the phone, but it can be difficult when you are not in front of them with their night vision device and rifle! This is why I prefer a hands-on, one-to-one approach. But sometimes if a customer cannot get to me, I’m more than happy to answer my phone to help a fellow shooter. For me, it’s about getting people back on track and on target!

Demo Nights

As well as the aftercare service, Night Master Scotland is also holding demonstration nights so that people can see all our lamps, night vision and thermal imaging equipment before committing to buy. They can also ask questions and get a feel for the products and the type of service that they will receive. The very first demo evening was organised in conjunction with a gamekeeper from Perth, Ben Kass, who runs BWK Field Sports. He called so that he, his friends and neighbouring keepers could see and handle all the equipment.

This was the first that I had organised by myself, so it’s fair to say that I was a bit apprehensive. My friend Mark arrived at Earl Park Estate an hour-and-a-half before the guests were due which gave us time to get all the equipment set-up and sign posted.

First Night Jitters

Whilst doing all the prep work, deep down I was thinking; I hope everyone turns up? We headed back into the estate and mounted the optics and torches on the dummy rifle stocks and laid-out all the various Night Master products and accessories. Before long, people started filtering in, slowly but surely.

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The room was the perfect venue, as it had a long table right up the middle for all the gear and also a bar, which was serving everything from tea to Ben’s own-branded whisky! In fact, the location was a hunter’s paradise, with taxidermy from all over the world and photos of past shoot days on the walls.

Happily my worries of a poor turn-out proved groundless, as the room was packed with information-hungry customers, all waiting to be educated on the latest high-tech shooting equipment from Night Master. Then it was time to talk everyone through it and answer any questions, talk prices and then take everyone outside to let them see the gear working in both daylight and at night.

Prove Their Price Tags

In all, the evening was a success and the guests were a great bunch of people – shooters and keepers normally are. After the event, as we were packing away, Ben invited me out foxing on the estate, so he could see the Pulsar Apex XD75 thermal weapon scope and Quantum XD38S thermal spotter in action. There was no stopping me!

Ben explained that there was a particularly old fox that had been around for years and he had tried every trick in the lamping handbook to get it, without success! So it was down to the thermal devices to prove their price tags. He said he might be interested in purchasing both the weapon sight and spotter. The pressure was on to bag ourselves a fox. We got kitted-up and into Ben’s Land Rover for what was to be a cracking night’s shooting and a perfect introduction to a very nice guy.

As we headed into the 4,300-acre estate, I gave Ben the thermal spotter, so that he could see just how effective it was and, for the first time, see exactly what was going on around his estate at night. He was blown away by its performance and with the amount of wildlife that he saw, which he had never seen with his lamp. At that moment, I think the spotter was sold on him. He quickly took me to the area where the old wily fox worked the land and always managed to stay one step ahead of him. He told me that whenever he saw it, it was between 1am and 2am - we arrived just after 1am, so it was time to switch the motor off and give it an hour or so.

Off The Bonnet

Ben signalled to me with his hands, indicating the path the fox had previously been taking. I decided that to get a height advantage, the shot would be better taken off the bonnet. So we got out of the Landy and Ben started spotting with the XD38S while I scanned through the Apex XD75 thermal scope. We seemed to have be spotting for a while when Ben saw his first ever fox through the thermal. He thought it might be the one he had been chasing for a while, as it was taking the exact path that he had indicated to me earlier. The wind was right for us and with there being no visible light, the fox had no idea we were there, so it just kept cutting its way through the track and rushes. As soon as it presented itself broadside on through my Apex XD75 thermal weapon sight, I squeezed the Tikka’s trigger and it was all over for the old resident fox, and time for Ben to retire his roof lamp.

That was the moment his mind was made-up on the purchase of the thermal scope. We walked over to collect the fox, using the Pulsar XD38S thermal spotter to see through the banking and rushes, making it easier to find. When we did, I was amazed, as it was probably the biggest fox I had ever shot. But that was only the beginning of the night… Find out what happened in next month’s issue.

Contacts:

Thomas Jacks Pulsar (trade distributor); www.thomasjacks.co.uk (for nearest dealer)
Night Master www.nightmaster.co.uk (retail supplier)

 

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