More Thermal spotter upgrade advice pls

[Adyb]

Hi all, need some specific advice please.

Currently using a hikmicro lynx pro lh19.
Main use is pre-dawn spotting of single/groups of boar, deer, chamois both before setting up drives (driven hunting) or spotting individuals on higher mountain lone stalks. A lot of the time I'm looking accross valleys/ravines or down from ridges.
I would like to be reliably identifying game up to 500m. Further a bonus but not essential.

As it stands the lh19 does the job well on cold dry mornings but is pretty useless as soon as the sun comes up regardless of shade (don't need to use all day but some decent range in the hour after dawn would be v nice).
lh19 does not work well on humid days, drastic reduction in effect range in rain/fog (sub 100m). It is very rocky where I hunt and the limestone holds heat. In warmer weather rocks look like game and vice versa (i dont mean hot weather, only hunt from sept-jan).
I dont have unlimited budget, was considered pulsar axion xg35 or hik falcon (2-2.5k range). Would prefer to go new as will get some serious use and second hand options are limited in france.
Any advice much appreciated

 

[mealiejimmy]

For the ranges you are talking about I'd be looking for a thermal with a 12 micron sensor and 50mm lens rather than a 35mm lens since the bigger lens will significantly increase your detection range
The HIK Falcon FQ50 would be my choice in your circumstances, but it is significantly larger than the Pulsar XG35.

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Tazz]

As an XG35 owner the biggest advantage IMHO is the size and lightness for the level of performance. Yes there are units that will outperform it and if you are happy to carry the weight and bulk it may not be the way to over over very long ranges but as a “pocket” spotter it’s excellent

 

[Foxyboy43]

As an XG35 owner the biggest advantage IMHO is the size and lightness for the level of performance. Yes there are units that will outperform it and if you are happy to carry the weight and bulk it may not be the way to over over very long ranges but as a “pocket” spotter it’s excellent

Agree entirely. I have the Axion2 XQ35 - you will easily detect heat sources at 1k with the Axion 35 but obviously not identify them at that distance. Perhaps at half that you can tell by how they move rather than their shape; 300m you will know. It was also very useful in High Perthshire in December fog/cloud - I could spot deer long before my very experienced deerstalker pal could with his binos. without it I would not have shot any hinds. The photo below is a screenshot (from the jeep) using the Axion video - low cloud - we could see nothing - these hinds were probably 200m away.
Great kit - I never leave the house without it. Always worth emphasising that video/pics are a lot less quality than what you see live!

 

[Adyb]

Agree entirely. I have the Axion2 XQ35 - you will easily detect heat sources at 1k with the Axion 35 but obviously not identify them at that distance. Perhaps at half that you can tell by how they move rather than their shape; 300m you will know. It was also very useful in High Perthshire in December fog/cloud - I could spot deer long before my very experienced deerstalker pal could with his binos. without it I would not have shot any hinds. The photo below is a screenshot (from the jeep) using the Axion video - low cloud - we could see nothing - these hinds were probably 200m away.
Great kit - I never leave the house without it. Always worth emphasising that video/pics are a lot less quality than what you see live!

View attachment 289192

Already big improvement over what I have - no way can I see 200m through cloud with the Lynx 19. On a v good day I can see if there is something there at 500m but wet/cloudy will be well below 100m.

 

[Adyb]

Anyone tried the Axion XG35 and XQ35 side by side? - reviews say XG is much better (and costs lot more) but is this apparent in real world hunting...?

 

[mealiejimmy]

Anyone tried the Axion XG35 and XQ35 side by side? - reviews say XG is much better (and costs lot more) but is this apparent in real world hunting...?

Optics Warehouse have side by side video comparison of those 2 thermals on YouTube

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Dillon]

I also have the Axion 2 XG35 as a upgrade from a quantum XQ38, a significant improvement as you would expect. It works well in bad conditions and really well in good conditions. Size wasn't a priority for me but I do like how small it is.

 

[Dari]

Anyone tried the Axion XG35 and XQ35 side by side? - reviews say XG is much better (and costs lot more) but is this apparent in real world hunting...?

Hi!


I had a chance in October and November to test Axions XQ35LRF and XG35LRF side by side.
I was out in all kind of weather conditions. Fog, mist, drizzle, as well as clear dry cold nights.
Yes, XG35 is slightly better in good thermal conditions, but not 800€ better.
It has much better screen and wider field of view, but that is pretty much it.
A little bit unexpected, but XQ35 was noticeably better in bad thermal conditions. I have side by side videos and pictures that can prove that.

Battery life in XQ35 is also at least twice as long as in XG35.

So, if you can live with really small screen and slightly smaller field of view, just go for XQ35 and save some money.


Both models feature the same LRF module and I was rather disappointed with it. It worked well on clear nights, but with just a little fog, it was constantly showing 11m distance.



This is a video of a fox I recorded with XQ35 a few nights ago. Very good thermal conditions and I believe that picture quality is superb for 1690€ (non LRF) device.



Cheers

 

[jb7x57]

Bought a axion 2 XG 35 in December new was faulty out of the box with what looked like water blobs also looked like a 1960 tv screen with bad reception
Was returned to supplier and onto Thomas jacks
My brand new one was replaced 2 weeks later by what looks like a refurbished one first day out the screen went gray then vertical lines appeared and was unusable returned again just before new year I am still waiting for a response from Thomas jacks
I previously had a XQ38 axion never had any problems with that

 

[Adyb]

Hi!


I had a chance in October and November to test Axions XQ35LRF and XG35LRF side by side.
I was out in all kind of weather conditions. Fog, mist, drizzle, as well as clear dry cold nights.
Yes, XG35 is slightly better in good thermal conditions, but not 800€ better.
It has much better screen and wider field of view, but that is pretty much it.
A little bit unexpected, but XQ35 was noticeably better in bad thermal conditions. I have side by side videos and pictures that can prove that.

Battery life in XQ35 is also at least twice as long as in XG35.

So, if you can live with really small screen and slightly smaller field of view, just go for XQ35 and save some money.


Both models feature the same LRF module and I was rather disappointed with it. It worked well on clear nights, but with just a little fog, it was constantly showing 11m distance.



This is a video of a fox I recorded with XQ35 a few nights ago. Very good thermal conditions and I believe that picture quality is superb for 1690€ (non LRF) device.



Cheers

Superb feedback thanks, did you feel that detection range is much better with the xg35 in good conditions? I think it's listed as 1750m vs 1300m max in the specs...

 

[Dari]

Superb feedback thanks, did you feel that detection range is much better with the xg35 in good conditions? I think it's listed as 1750m vs 1300m max in the specs...

Honestly, I never had a chance to scan an area with open space further than maybe 800m and there was no difference between both models.

The distance numbers that companies are claiming are not really something that I would rely my decision on.

 

[Foxyboy43]

As per my post #4 above - with my XQ35 I can see heat signatures (sheep/lambs) from my back door which according to Google Earth are 1.4k away. It is worth noting that this is on the “Normal” detection setting - never really had the need to use the other two higher settings.
Another point re thermal - on a warm wet night wet foxes and presumably deer give off much reduced signatures but are still detected.

 

[Moray Outfitting]

I have been trying out the Hik Owl 35 . I thought it was good but now have upgraded to the Falcon 50. Maybe a bit more than I need but I reckon the Falcon 35 will be the best of both worlds....J

 

[Pellet Pinger]

@Adyb theres 3 horses at circa 800yds as the LRF shows, this is with the previous non recording Axion XQ38LRF and just the phone stuffed in the eye piece, im sure you wont go wrong with the new XG.

 

[barbel]

Bit the bullet, etc, bought the xq 35 checked it against other thermals of my friends and can say it does it well for me, and the size of it is brilliant, glad it no bigger than it is, just getting used to pressing the buttons, never been a piano player.