Icon Logo Gun Mart

blog

Night Vision Spotters

Being able to spot quarry before they spot you has always been vital but if you’re a landowner or gamekeeper with a poaching problem, you also need to be able to spot two-legged varmints! Shining a torch can be effective in a lot of situations but animals can become wary of lights and any human up to no good will instantly realise that they’re being observed. Some form of hand-held spotter is obviously the answer and thermal units, that detect heat from bodies etc. are just the job; here’s a selection to whet your appetite.

  • PULSAR ACCOLADE THERMAL BINOCULARS

    The Pulsar Accolade XP50 binoculars are made from a high-density polymer that is formed as a monocoque construction and are waterproof and compact at 164x130x64mm and weigh 600grams. You can mount them on a tripod or fit a strap; the Lithium ISP5 battery housed on the right of the unit and these batteries last for ages! The Germanium front lens is F50, with F1.2 aperture for a field of view (FOV) of 12.4-degrees and magnification range of 2.5 to 20x, which is controlled digitally. Behind the lens is the sensor and you have a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels for a high-quality image and combined with the AMOLED, frost-free screen you have a superb image. It is B&W screen with a black or white hot options.

    The twin eyepieces make it a true binocular and each eye piece has a soft rubber eye cup and the focus rings allow you to adjust for your own individual eyesight. The range on the XP50 is very impressive at 1800-metres and a lozengeshaped central button and four circular ones around it control the unit’s functions and you can take a picture or record videos, which are stored on the 8GB hard drive or set up to live steam to an android device. You can easily alter the colour palette selection with the front button.

    I like the feel and tough nature of this XP50, it has enough features that you need for a better viewing and high detection range, sharp, well-defined viewing, even if you scan left to right a lot, and the AMOLED screen gives a really good, crisp image.

    I could detect heat sources ¾ mile away and I could see horses and deer easily. The Accolade gives a very comfortable view, day or night, and provides a very fine, detailed image. This is a very well built and highperformance thermal device, further aiding in game spotting or doubling as a great security device also.

    Name: Pulsar Accolade XP50 thermal binoculars

    Price: £4,699.95

    Contact: Thomas Jacks www.thomasjacks.co.uk. Scott Country, www.scottcountry.co.uk

    Reviewer: Bruce Potts

  • FLIR BREACH PTQ36 THERMAL IMAGING MONOCULAR

    FLIR BREACH PTQ36 THERMAL IMAGING MONOCULAR

    The compact FLIR Breach tactical thermal imaging monocular has a new HD resolution display, with the new FLIR Boson core; it has a 12μm high performance thermal sensor matched to a 1280x960 high resolution display with upscaling to provide 640 core resolution with an HD display from a 320 Boson core. It has 1-4x Continuous digital e-zoom and features integrated video recording and the internal memory can store 2½-hours of recording or up to 1000 still images, which is more than enough!

    The Breach has seven colour palettes for fast detection of targets, day or night, and a USB C connection also allows for external power supply options. It can be used hand-held or attached to a helmet by more ‘tactical’ users, such as military and police units and also for airsoft skirmishing and as it weighs only 210grams, it won’t weigh you down. It also offers Enhanced situational awareness with a digital compass and inclinometer. An impressive thermal monocular then, with the added bonus of being able to be helmet mounted.

    Name: FLIR Breach tactical thermal imaging monocular

    Price: £2189

    Contact: Scott Country www.scottcountry.co.uk

    Reviewer: Graham Allen

  • SEEK REVEAL PRO HANDHELD THERMAL IMAGER

    SEEK REVEAL PRO HANDHELD THERMAL IMAGER

    The SEEK Reveal Pro is the latest update of the smartphone-sized thermal imager that offers a 550m thermal detection range on human sized objects. Scanning at closer ranges is helped by a 32-degree field of view and will pick up rabbits, dependant on the ground conditions at 75+ metres.

    Three rubberised buttons control all functions, with a clear on-screen display layout and there are 9 colour palettes and image capture/photo gallery are likely to be the most regularly used functions after initial setup. The Lithium-Ion battery life was far more than my needs at 4-hours. The 2GB photographic memory capacity is now inbuilt, rather than on external micro SD card, and a Mini USB lead is supplied for both charging and image transfer. A Hi/ Lo intensity 300-Lumen LED flashlight gives regular visible light backup.

    I was able to detect and watch two foxes 80 metres away, made possible without any intrusive extra visible light or IR and this makes the SEEK a useful tool to add a huge impact to vermin control on a budget.

    Name: SEEK Reveal Pro

    Price: £609.99

    Contact: Scott Country www.scottcountry.co.uk. Thomas Jacks www.thomasjacks.co.uk

    Reviewer: Chris Parkin

  • LEUPOLD LTO TRACKER HD

    LEUPOLD LTO TRACKER HD

    Leupold’s LTO Tracker HD Thermal Viewer is a compact thermal imaging monocular that is only 5½ inches/140mm long and weighs in at 75/8-ounces/215grams and looks rather like the eyebell of a telescopic sight; it even has what looks like a rubberised ‘zoom ring’ but it’s just for added grip. The 100% waterproof alloy body is anodised black and it’s a very ‘handy’ item and is compact enough to slip into a jacket pocket and be instantly available, although a neck lanyard would be nice. The 2nd generation thermal sensor detects heat out to 750-yards and there’s a 6-power digital zoom, controlled by the middle button on top of the body. The ON/OFF switch is on the right and the image colour can be altered to one of eight options using the left button. Power comes from a single CR123 battery and continuous run time is three hours. The rear lens is ‘Gorilla Glass’, so should be well up to the job. The LTO Tracker HD lets you spot foxes etc. with ease and it’s a great bit of kit.

    Name: LTO Tracker HD Thermal Viewer

    Price: £1255

    Contact: www.vikingarms.com

    Reviewer: Graham Allen

ad
ad
Arrow