No, thermals are not illegal anywhere in the US.

You can own and possess a thermal with any 9hz, 30hz, 60hz video frame rate anywhere in the United States that you want.

The new FLIR RS64-60mm top end thermal scope has the new TAU 2.7 Image Enhancements built into the core, this is the latest version of TAU 2.7 firmware.


Also, there is a new FLIR RS-Series thermal scope upgrade enhancement available as of today, it has many excellent features added that owners have been asking for including.

1. Manual Flat Field Calibration Mode - you can now turn off the auto NUC and change it to manual NUC only, in addtion, since the TAU-2 core is shuttered, there is no need to cover the lens with the lens cover when performing a manual NUC. Manual FFC basically disables the auto calibration feature of the scope that normally occurs on a time/temp interval.  In manual mode, the only time a cal happens is when the user does a press-and-release of the power button.  A blue M appears on the display when in manual mode. Many people have asked for this capability and it is included in the new firmware upgrade.

2. User Presets - this is another valuable firmware upgrade that many users have asked for.  The firmware upgrade provides three new user presets that store all scope settings including zero adjustment, reticle style/color, color palette, zoom level, etc. Just set it up the way you want it and save that setup!

It is ThermoSight R-Series Software Update 01.17.08

http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/personalvision/view/?id=53129


ENJOY!

Thanks for the update. Will those who haven't received theirs yet have all these updates pre-loaded? Waiting patiently....

You can check what firmware version your TAU2 core is operating with using the FLIR GUI software that you use to upgrade the firmware with.

If you already have the latest update listed on the FLIR Personal Vision Systems RS Thermal Scope link, there is no reason to re-update to the same firmware.....

So i think I am going to forget the night vision and just jump straight to thermal. Which scope would you recommend. It will be used a few times a month at the ranch when I feel like blasting some hogs. Longest shot will be maybe 150 yards.

Will the RS32 35mm be sufficient?

Yes, it will target out 250+ yards, either that or the RS64-35mm would be great for more FOV, resolution and ability to make positive ID but costs more. Both the RS32 and RS64 have about the same target range, FOV and resolution is different through.

The RS32-19 will give a much wider FOV and target out 150 +yards as well. Might need NV for pos ID though....

Words of Wisdom above.  The results from lack of PID can vary from tragic to expensive.  More than a few cases of shooting other hunters due to non PID are out there.  A student in a recent class told a story of accidentally shooting a ranchers calf during a night hog hunt which cost him big $$, some very hard feelings, and all of his credibility.  Hunters beware.

True Dat!

Those people have no business cutting in front of my speeding bullets anyway, so... that'll learn 'em.  

fortunately for us, there are no cows on our ranch and anyone roaming around there at night that isn't with us is trespassing and will probably be shot either way.

This new firmware update has some great features that many asked for months ago.

FLIR is constantly working on upgrading and improving your equipment for you and the TAU 2.7 image improvements will be next in line, they are already incorporated into their recently released RS64-60mm long range big boy thermal, so if you get a chance to look though one of those you will know what I am talking about.

The three user presets is very handy for moving around to different rifles and saving your best "sweet" spots for instant use.

Also, that manual NUC without having to cover the germanium lens eliminates the automatic NUC so it will never interfere with your shooting. Just put it on manual with the blue square and you can hold down the power button to perform a manual NUC whenever you feel like it with zero possibility of one occurring while your are squeezing the trigger on a targeted hog or coyote.

I think it is great to have these new update developments so easy to install and use in the RS thermal scopes.

Nice kit no matter how you look at it, it is always improving and getting better!

I don't mind the auto NUC so much.  It warns you when it's going to happen, and when I've had a coyote coming close, I just manually NUC it, so it doesn't want to auto cal when I'm about to break my shot.

With this new update, you have the option to leave it in auto NUC mode, or change it over to manual if you want to, you can still use both whenever you want to.

How about the three presets, are they helpful?

Yes this is what I was waiting for since I run both subsonics and full power 308 in my AR10. It will also allow for a second gun to be zeroed.

My software update was uneventful this time.

Haha, glad to hear it did not crash and that you appreciate the update!

Have you gotten any thermal video out of your .308s yet? Would be interested in seeing same, you have to make sure the video connections are tight with a .308 as the recoil may interfere with the video signal transfer...

I am working on some video with the .308 and the FLIR T-75....

I don't have a video recorder so no videos from me. It was a real hoot shooting subs at night with a silencer, you can clearly see stuff splatter on impact using the FLIR, including a jack rabbit. Bullet impact is by far the loudest sound.

Yeah, I know, sounds like a sledgehammer hitting a tree trunk.....

Its going to be very helpful for me, as I plan to zero it on my 22LR running subsonics.  I'll keep my AR for longer range work, but having the 22 for close in stuff will be nice

I need a suppressed .22 with a FLIR thermal on it myself!

its going to be rather comical.  

$200 rifle
$500 can
$6500 FLIR

dead rabbits - with no one the wiser - priceless

This is a nothing to write home about Remington 597 I'm going to use as the host.  Its not horribly accurate, but I only need it to be minute of bunny to about 50 yards.  I wanted to use my savage bolt action (which is STUPID quiet with subsonics), but the damn bolt hits the flir when you work the action.

That probably gets more use by me than anything else. Hunting is one of those things where sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But, it never fails, I can drive around all night with a suppressed .22 with a thermal and kill countless coons, opossums, skunks, cats, dillos, etc. It's just too much fun to not do it.

Internally suppressed Ruger 10-22 with picatinny rail is the way to roll....even with high velocity you cannot hear more than the firing pin hit the case,

 

Holy crap, dude! Why hate on cats?! And Dillos?! You can walk up to them and knock on their back. That's like "here kitteh, kitteh, kitteh. Meow! Purr, rub, rub, BANG!"

Cruel bass turd.  

I'm seriously debating buying one of these in the next year or so, and using the FLIR on it for short range work.

I love thermal for what it gives you.  I'll also be the first to agree with the above, thermal is not the best for ID'ing targets.  When I'm out night hunting, I operate with a friend who is using an AR with a PVS-22 mounted, and a pretty powerful IR light.  Before I break a shot, I have him ID the target.  Avoids major problems that way.

I think anyone else using thermal should adopt a similar approach, or if suitable NV gear isn't present, spotlight the target right before taking the shot.

My suppressed .22lr, and it's RS32-35mm from TNVC

$50.00 for the rifle (out of my brother-in-laws estate)
$375.00 for the can
$200 to Uncle Sam for the Stamp
$4500 for the FLIR from Vic

</a>Nylon 66 FLIR 04" />

I've had issues PID on critters with thermal. I eradicate vermin that ply their trade at night. But sometimes one of the wife's beloved rabbits looks like a 'coon or a feral cat if they are head to tail or vise versa. Since I'm in heavily wooded area, NOD will not work without some sore of IR help. That's just out of my budget, so I keep a 3 cell flashlight with a led head and give the target a quick blip.
Does the trick, and 95% of the time they just wait for their night time sleeping pill.

It is no different than preaching safe firearms use.  Misuse of firearms can/has resulted in dire consequences.  Misuse of NVG can/has as well.  I love the thermal and I2 gear I have.  Respect comes in knowing what it is capable of and what its limitations are.  It is still capable of amazing things.

Ditto on the ranging issue at night. Sat night I shot a pig with my RS64-35 on 2x I thought was a medium sized one at 100 yards, an offhand shot, but it turned out to be a huge pig at around 200 yards. It squealed and spun in circles at the shot, but ran into thick cover full of vines, briars, and thorns where I could not see 10 feet, and I did not recover it. Wasted a lot of bratwurst. I wish there were some hashmarks on the reticle. In the meantime I am going to experiment/practice at the range using the thin portion of the duplex to use for range estimation.

I keep forgetting to turn the damn MDVR on when I get on a pig. I need to slave it to the safety so it comes on whenever I go hot. Plus I forgot my dang trigger stick tripod in the truck - again.  I keep getting "pig fever".

Hunting pigs at night with thermal is totally addicting. Can't wait for cooler weather.

 

Vic -

The anonymous poll would never really be anonymous if tied to the Internet but if you do set one of these up may I request an entry that says

"You spotted something with thermal and setup for a shot only to realize it was an inanimate object"

I am finding that the learning curve of using thermal is steeper with regards to reconciling inanimate objects that you wouldn't expect to register as hot, especially after the sun goes down many hours before the hunt.  This to me is a completely separate play on Detection/Recognition/Identification.

I have video recorded from this past weekend - range to target was 60 yards -

The initial scan and DETECT was with a 2.1x handheld thermal monocular.  "Boy oh Boy" I thought to myself - the pig is right by the corn I had strategically laid out in a clearing just by a brush line.  So I setup the 2.1x on a tripod to record from a static position, I get my rifle with a thermal weapon sight and start both recorders and some minutes later I take a position to make a shot.

Gun SAFETY is still on.

I calibrate the riflescope, I clear wires from the area, and I settle in, gun SAFETY is still on.

Adjust manual focus, control breathing and steady myself on the target.  With 5x thermal I was able to ID that it was a big ass rock in the shape of a pig near my corn.

Funny thing is, during the daytime, I never realized a rock was there so in essence what was missing from this scenario was RECOGNITION.

Oh SAFETY still on.

So point to the story is this: if you click off the gun safety with intent to squeeze a trigger you have better accounted for all three in the foreground and background of the target.  This should be the thermal hunter's motto all-day, everyday.

Your other points about selling thermal and marketing thermal and other companies business practices ... well my opinion is that you aren't going to be able to change any of that for the civilian market and more importantly control of whose hands it ultimately ends up in (son, grandson, friend, brother) isn't able to be controlled so therefore back to the hunter's motto regardless of who supplies the unit or it is bought from.

HTXH

Skypup, I have done the firmware update but cannot figure out how to switch the NUC to manual.  What is the procedure please sir? The user presets are S1, S2, S3.  in advanced settings correct?  



 

Got mine today... my first foray into Thermal, much less night vision. All I can say is WOW! If you are just using this for hunting, you are missing out. I think I'll save enough on energy bills, over time, using this to scan for hot spots in my house to pay for it. Thanks FLIR and TNVC!

I you are a registered owner of Flir's RS ThermoSight and have registered for the extended warranty on your scope, you probably received their email today about their rebate on their RS-60mm scope this month.

You do have to purchase the RS-60mm through one of their authorized dealers, who are listed here:

http://www.flir.com/thermoSightR-Series/dealers.html

This has been a great and informative thread and I have been reading/lurking on it as I decide which scope to get.

@SkyPup - is the TAU 2.7 something new for the 60mm or have all the 60mm had this?  Just want to see before ordering if there is a chance there was a hardware refresh and I should be concerned about new or old stocked items at the dealers

Thanks!

The TAU 2.7 is newest version and all of the 60mm RS scopes have it.

Thank you!

Is there any word when this firmware will trickle down to the non 60mm models?  I've been fighting some bad contrast blooming issues with my rs64-35 and am hoping the next firmware will address it.

Yes there is, everyone who owns a Flir will be real happy to be a genuine Flir owner with all their thermal gear getting the upgrade to latest 2.7 firmware drivers.

Soon all the older TAU 2.6 models released prior to the TAU 2.7 revision in June 2014 will be getting a firmware update to the new 2.7 revision, this includes all RS scopes and PS/LS handheld scanners, final changes to the update are in progress and will be posted onto Flir's Personal Vision Resources Consumer site when completed.

http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/personalvision/view/?id=53129

Aer there any details on the improvement we can expect from the update?