The Difference Between A Good Thermal Imager & A Great Thermal Imager

R. Macleod & Son - The Best Hunting Companion
We are told they start from £25,000 and upwards. But you have to remember you are talking about mil spec technology here that is top of it's game. TiCam 750 really is awesome in our view.
 
Aside from giving us another reason to regret we're not all as rich as Croesus, the comparison might prompt the question: "what do we really need a thermal spotter to show us, and at what range: Presence? Species? Gender/Age?, or a nice picture for Facebook?". The more of the foregoing we tick, the steeper the price, of course.

It's a different matter when it comes to riflescopes, it's true, but it's worth bearing in mind that even a basic thermal spotting device backed up by good daylight optics or conventional NV on the gun boosts the probability of spotting quarry sooner, and indeed of spotting it at all, by an impressive margin.

A TiCam 750 is now on my lottery list all the same.
 
Can someone please tell me if there is a thermal system or indeed a NV system that is as versatile as a good old lightforce lamp??

I can leave it on the back seat without worrying about half my kids inheritance getting nicked
I can plug it into the cigarette lighter socket with no need to worry about battery life, chargers, spares etc.
i can use it single-handedly whilst driving along at 30mph
I can survey hundred of acres in a sort space of time
I can clip it into the top of my scope
I can transfer it quickly into the Polaris or onto the quad bike or even on foot
It's relatively cheap!

It seems that whilst all of this new technology is wowing us with bigger, bolder and brighter claims- with correspondingly bigger price tags- none of it provides the shooter with what he or she actually needs.

I have a pulsar n750 for what it's worth, and whilst I enjoy the novelty of it, I can honestly say, in the year I have had it, there is only one fox I have shot with it that I perhaps wouldn't have got with the lamp. I've also not-shot at five different foxes at around 180-250y due to clarity issues/fiddling around that would have been worm-food with a traditional set-up.

Hats off to the Scott Country guys for such a great marketing job but I would urge those of you with £3k burning a hole in your pocket to think carefully about how best to spend it.
I certainly wish I could get my money back on my Pulsar!
 
Uncle Buck said:
At a only 27 K (perhaps a little lower if you shop around I
think I should be within the grasp of most of us,don't you
think Johno !
Think of it as an opinel knife...Buy two in case you loose one ! :rofl:

Costly foxes | Sporting Rifle magazine

Rgds, Buck.

PS, To rich for me I'm afraid. :cry:
Click to expand...


Maybe and just maybe if you are managing a large estate and have a serious poaching problem it may be viable for poacher detection , I thought the cheapo one at £1500 was a reasonable bit of kit , less money than a top end scope and could be very useful to any professional outdoors man.
 
To be perfectly honest all you really need is something like the Pulsar Quantum HD38S. That is one very very good thermal imager which for under £3000 is a good buy. Lots of people are using those now and we think it's one of the best thermals around.
 
Crosshair243 said:
Can someone please tell me if there is a thermal system or indeed a NV system that is as versatile as a good old Lightforce lamp?
Click to expand...

A very sensible reminder. I agree. Lamps are great, and as long as you have foxes that don't mind them, and neighbours to your ground who won't call 999 when they see them, I don't think there's a better solution.

But, if your neighbours are awkward or your foxes are lamp-shy (you may never miss them, but the chaps who shoot next door obviously do!), going covert keeps you in the game.

The price for that is the limited range/field-of-view and cost of night vision. The former limitations are partly compensated for by thermal (which is also rather useful in the daytime on all sorts of quarry), though of course this also ramps up the cost.

Then there's the fact that we all love new toys... and that those who can afford them naturally like to let everyone else know how essential they are. Fair dos.
 
I see a change in the FoV but not a great deal else: pity that the comparison isn't the same question being answered.
The narrower FoV will give longer detection range yet the wide FoV will give a swifter search: I use a thermal for the latter not the former.

Military? Not really is it? Deer looking blank on a hill isn't quite the same think as a concealed Infantryman is it?
 
I use a guide 518c and never seem to have any problems and would say i am as happy as a pig in sxxx with mine
 
I was just out with an HD38S and it helped pick up 2 of the three foxes we shot in the twilight, the first was easily spotted in the last of the daylight.

As in the past, with other thermal devices, the HD38s made it effortless to spot the animals in the undergrowth they were working through, and to get set up for the moment they emerged into the field.

I've only been using the Pulsar for a week or two, but I think it is an exceptional piece of kit.
 
I use a set of NV bins and a Photon on a quad with barrel change facilities from LR TO WMR little bit of tweaking before going out - perfect

it is perfect for bunny bashing and short range foxing (out to a 100)

HD38S looks a decent bit of kit, no one near me has one to allow a look see at it ?

NV binos + photon +6 hr battery pack and a decent IR all in cost just under a thousand Good value for money

I want and still looking for a thermal scope but the cost, it seems the more I save for it the more upgraded and expensive it gets :banghead:
 
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