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[#1]
Anyone have much time behind the MK (not MKII) in cold weather @freezing? Hunted with two friends both running MK 320 35mm units last night and it was 32 degrees and misting rain. All night both units would typically take 10+ seconds to turn on, and then slowly come on from dim to full brightness. On several occasions I ended up being the only shooter because their units did not come on fast enough to make a shot. Changed batteries no different. We were also riding in a heated truck until getting out to stalk a group. I am really interested in the new monocular but these buggy units are turning me off.
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[#2]
Quoted: In some of the videos for the MKII units, the reticles appear to change as you zoom in or out such that horizontal lines disappear. Is this the recorder not picking up the reticle, or do some of the horizontal lines disappear from view through the scope as you soon in? View Quote |
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[#3]
Quoted:
Anyone have much time behind the MK (not MKII) in cold weather @freezing? Hunted with two friends both running MK 320 35mm units last night and it was 32 degrees and misting rain. All night both units would typically take 10+ seconds to turn on, and then slowly come on from dim to full brightness. On several occasions I ended up being the only shooter because their units did not come on fast enough to make a shot. Changed batteries no different. We were also riding in a heated truck until getting out to stalk a group. I am really interested in the new monocular but these buggy units are turning me off. View Quote That sounds very odd. The only thermal device I've owned that did something like what you are describing was the old (mid 90's) AN/PAS-19 which took 20-30 seconds to present an optimal image. That was pretty outdated technology though. I've used the various other thermals I've owned in temps ranging from -10 F in Indiana to 100+ degree Florida heat and never had anything like that happen. Since both units were doing it, one has to wonder if others have experienced this as well. |
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[#4]
Quoted: Anyone have much time behind the MK (not MKII) in cold weather @freezing? Hunted with two friends both running MK 320 35mm units last night and it was 32 degrees and misting rain. All night both units would typically take 10+ seconds to turn on, and then slowly come on from dim to full brightness. On several occasions I ended up being the only shooter because their units did not come on fast enough to make a shot. Changed batteries no different. We were also riding in a heated truck until getting out to stalk a group. I am really interested in the new monocular but these buggy units are turning me off. View Quote What kind of 123s were you using?
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[#5]
Anyone have much time behind the MK (not MKII) in cold weather @freezing? Hunted with two friends both running MK 320 35mm units last night and it was 32 degrees and misting rain. All night both units would typically take 10+ seconds to turn on, and then slowly come on from dim to full brightness. On several occasions I ended up being the only shooter because their units did not come on fast enough to make a shot. Changed batteries no different. We were also riding in a heated truck until getting out to stalk a group. I am really interested in the new monocular but these buggy units are turning me off. View Quote That sounds really odd. My 307 takes awhile on initial start up ( 90) seconds or so, but then in stand by mode it's maybe a couple of seconds. I've also hunted with several other makes of thermal devices with no issues in cold weather 20-30 degree temps. I'll have a mk 2 in my hands Monday to run it through its paces. It should be in the 30's down here, so I'll check it out in those temps to see if there are any issues. Km |
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[#6]
Quoted: That sounds very odd. The only thermal device I've owned that did something like what you are describing was the old (mid 90's) AN/PAS-19 which took 20-30 seconds to present an optimal image. That was pretty outdated technology though. I've used the various other thermals I've owned in temps ranging from -10 F in Indiana to 100+ degree Florida heat and never had anything like that happen. Since both units were doing it, one has to wonder if others have experienced this as well. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Anyone have much time behind the MK (not MKII) in cold weather @freezing? Hunted with two friends both running MK 320 35mm units last night and it was 32 degrees and misting rain. All night both units would typically take 10+ seconds to turn on, and then slowly come on from dim to full brightness. On several occasions I ended up being the only shooter because their units did not come on fast enough to make a shot. Changed batteries no different. We were also riding in a heated truck until getting out to stalk a group. I am really interested in the new monocular but these buggy units are turning me off. That sounds very odd. The only thermal device I've owned that did something like what you are describing was the old (mid 90's) AN/PAS-19 which took 20-30 seconds to present an optimal image. That was pretty outdated technology though. I've used the various other thermals I've owned in temps ranging from -10 F in Indiana to 100+ degree Florida heat and never had anything like that happen. Since both units were doing it, one has to wonder if others have experienced this as well. |
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[#7]
Quoted: That sounds like a battery issue. I noticed this weekend that my MKII voltage would go back up when we got in a warm truck and the FLIR RS battery meter was off as well. I think changing from 75 to 32 degrees in seconds really messes with the power supply. What kind of 123s were you using? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Anyone have much time behind the MK (not MKII) in cold weather @freezing? Hunted with two friends both running MK 320 35mm units last night and it was 32 degrees and misting rain. All night both units would typically take 10+ seconds to turn on, and then slowly come on from dim to full brightness. On several occasions I ended up being the only shooter because their units did not come on fast enough to make a shot. Changed batteries no different. We were also riding in a heated truck until getting out to stalk a group. I am really interested in the new monocular but these buggy units are turning me off. What kind of 123s were you using? |
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[#8]
I sighted these units in several weeks ago and both had other software glitches also. I posted that here and some said these glitches were fixed with the MKII but I spoke to someone earlier today about this and they stated they had rented the new 640 unit and it had software issues also. I am excited about the Patroll unit but this raises an eyebrow. View Quote What were the glitches? Holding zero or adjustment issues? |
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[#9]
Quoted: What were the glitches? Holding zero or adjustment issues? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: I sighted these units in several weeks ago and both had other software glitches also. I posted that here and some said these glitches were fixed with the MKII but I spoke to someone earlier today about this and they stated they had rented the new 640 unit and it had software issues also. I am excited about the Patroll unit but this raises an eyebrow. What were the glitches? Holding zero or adjustment issues? |
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[#10]
Quoted:
This happens across all brands of thermal scopes. The image looks perfectly normal through the eye piece of the scope, but the video output will sometimes have missing reticle bars depending on the reticle location and digital zoom level. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
In some of the videos for the MKII units, the reticles appear to change as you zoom in or out such that horizontal lines disappear. Is this the recorder not picking up the reticle, or do some of the horizontal lines disappear from view through the scope as you soon in? What I was hoping to hear! |
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[#11]
Screens freezing up, having to turn units off and back on multiple times after sight in adjustment screens freezing up. Reticles not appearing on the reticle change menu. View Quote Curious if others that have been using this mk2 have also been experiencing these issues. Thanks for the info |
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[#12]
Quoted:
Curious if others that have been using this mk2 have also been experiencing these issues. Thanks for the info View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Screens freezing up, having to turn units off and back on multiple times after sight in adjustment screens freezing up. Reticles not appearing on the reticle change menu. Curious if others that have been using this mk2 have also been experiencing these issues. Thanks for the info Not me. |
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[#13]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Screens freezing up, having to turn units off and back on multiple times after sight in adjustment screens freezing up. Reticles not appearing on the reticle change menu. Curious if others that have been using this mk2 have also been experiencing these issues. Thanks for the info Not me. I have...except for the screen freezing. I received my scope in mid-Dec and it's been in use just about every day since then. I work for a corporate ranch and one of my jobs is pest control, which at the moment primarily means hogs. This scope has taken more than 60 hogs since it was put into service and I have to say, despite the glitches, I'm very impressed with it. Prior to receiving the MK II (640 35mm from UNV) we relied on D-740's (Gen III) for our pest control. Since receiving the Mk II the 740's have been primarily safe queens. Of course there are things I find the 740's do better, such as target recognition at distance. Our typical loadout is 6.8 SPC or 308 with the Mk II and a helmet mounted Gen III monocular. Issues I have spotted with the scope are: 1. Occasionally the screen will lose characters. But only on a few occasions have I had to cycle power to get them back, simply turning the knob often brings them back. 2. Easy to over-run and confuse the screen by turning the knob fast. Going slow will reduce this problem, but does not set it to zero. 3. While turning the scope off, it will sometimes get confused and enter the start cycle. Most of the time it will get about 25% through the start-up and then shut down. But 3 times I've had it get stuck in the on cycle and once I had to remove the batteries to get it unstuck. When it's stuck in this mode, it goes through batteries like a kid through candy, which means something inside is burning a lot of power...not a good thing! 4. Mine can be hard to switch between 30 & 60 Hz frame rates. Sometimes it just wont let me checkmark the box. Cycling power may clear the problem, but not every time. Several times I've had to cycle power multiple times to clear the problem. 5. I've had the sighting in issues others have mentioned. 6. Sometimes the designated magnification doesn't match the actual magnification. In other words the scope may say it's in 2x when it's actually in 1x or 4x. I've noted the scope seems to be more stable on the 60 Hz frame rate setting. Of course it goes through the batteries faster, but the additional stability is worth it to me. Having noted the issues above, it should be stated that a majority of the time the scope functions fine. It's important to note At no time has any of these issues cost me a shot. Overall I don't find these issues to be a show stopper, I would recommend this scope to anyone for hunting. Sure, its not to the level of reliability I was expecting, and the manufacturer should correct these issues, but the quality of the image, ease of operation, and the small size and light weight definitely offset the issues in my opinion. |
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[#14]
Quoted:
I have...except for the screen freezing. I received my scope in mid-Dec and it's been in use just about every day since then. I work for a corporate ranch and one of my jobs is pest control, which at the moment primarily means hogs. This scope has taken more than 60 hogs since it was put into service and I have to say, despite the glitches, I'm very impressed with it. Prior to receiving the MK II (640 35mm from UNV) we relied on D-740's (Gen III) for our pest control. Since receiving the Mk II the 740's have been primarily safe queens. Of course there are things I find the 740's do better, such as target recognition at distance. Our typical loadout is 6.8 SPC or 308 with the Mk II and a helmet mounted Gen III monocular. Issues I have spotted with the scope are: 1. Occasionally the screen will lose characters. But only on a few occasions have I had to cycle power to get them back, simply turning the knob often brings them back. 2. Easy to over-run and confuse the screen by turning the knob fast. Going slow will reduce this problem, but does not set it to zero. 3. While turning the scope off, it will sometimes get confused and enter the start cycle. Most of the time it will get about 25% through the start-up and then shut down. But 3 times I've had it get stuck in the on cycle and once I had to remove the batteries to get it unstuck. When it's stuck in this mode, it goes through batteries like a kid through candy, which means something inside is burning a lot of power...not a good thing! 4. Mine can be hard to switch between 30 & 60 Hz frame rates. Sometimes it just wont let me checkmark the box. Cycling power may clear the problem, but not every time. Several times I've had to cycle power multiple times to clear the problem. 5. I've had the sighting in issues others have mentioned. 6. Sometimes the designated magnification doesn't match the actual magnification. In other words the scope may say it's in 2x when it's actually in 1x or 4x. I've noted the scope seems to be more stable on the 60 Hz frame rate setting. Of course it goes through the batteries faster, but the additional stability is worth it to me. Having noted the issues above, it should be stated that a majority of the time the scope functions fine. It's important to note At no time has any of these issues cost me a shot. Overall I don't find these issues to be a show stopper, I would recommend this scope to anyone for hunting. Sure, its not to the level of reliability I was expecting, and the manufacturer should correct these issues, but the quality of the image, ease of operation, and the small size and light weight definitely offset the issues in my opinion. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Screens freezing up, having to turn units off and back on multiple times after sight in adjustment screens freezing up. Reticles not appearing on the reticle change menu. Curious if others that have been using this mk2 have also been experiencing these issues. Thanks for the info Not me. I have...except for the screen freezing. I received my scope in mid-Dec and it's been in use just about every day since then. I work for a corporate ranch and one of my jobs is pest control, which at the moment primarily means hogs. This scope has taken more than 60 hogs since it was put into service and I have to say, despite the glitches, I'm very impressed with it. Prior to receiving the MK II (640 35mm from UNV) we relied on D-740's (Gen III) for our pest control. Since receiving the Mk II the 740's have been primarily safe queens. Of course there are things I find the 740's do better, such as target recognition at distance. Our typical loadout is 6.8 SPC or 308 with the Mk II and a helmet mounted Gen III monocular. Issues I have spotted with the scope are: 1. Occasionally the screen will lose characters. But only on a few occasions have I had to cycle power to get them back, simply turning the knob often brings them back. 2. Easy to over-run and confuse the screen by turning the knob fast. Going slow will reduce this problem, but does not set it to zero. 3. While turning the scope off, it will sometimes get confused and enter the start cycle. Most of the time it will get about 25% through the start-up and then shut down. But 3 times I've had it get stuck in the on cycle and once I had to remove the batteries to get it unstuck. When it's stuck in this mode, it goes through batteries like a kid through candy, which means something inside is burning a lot of power...not a good thing! 4. Mine can be hard to switch between 30 & 60 Hz frame rates. Sometimes it just wont let me checkmark the box. Cycling power may clear the problem, but not every time. Several times I've had to cycle power multiple times to clear the problem. 5. I've had the sighting in issues others have mentioned. 6. Sometimes the designated magnification doesn't match the actual magnification. In other words the scope may say it's in 2x when it's actually in 1x or 4x. I've noted the scope seems to be more stable on the 60 Hz frame rate setting. Of course it goes through the batteries faster, but the additional stability is worth it to me. Having noted the issues above, it should be stated that a majority of the time the scope functions fine. It's important to note At no time has any of these issues cost me a shot. Overall I don't find these issues to be a show stopper, I would recommend this scope to anyone for hunting. Sure, its not to the level of reliability I was expecting, and the manufacturer should correct these issues, but the quality of the image, ease of operation, and the small size and light weight definitely offset the issues in my opinion. thanks for this. Mine is on order and I haven't seen much of a description of what people think of it. My primary concern is...... two years from now, will I feel the money was worth the purchase. I know better things come out, but it's like a Canon L type lens. They are expensive but one will last you the life of the camera and more. Sure, they make better lenses and better quality comes a long but 2-5 years from now, I'll still be impressed with the excellent quality pictures you get from that lens. Would you say the same about the MK II? Do you think you will be happy with the functionality for the next few years? I follow computers CPUs pretty closely and I know that the manufacturing process of the CPUs have gotten smaller in time and this renders more effective and more powerful CPUs. 12 micron process....I just think that maybe that's probably the extent at which these processors can go and will probably affect overall longevity.....meaning they aren't going to get smaller than this. Because it's very expensive to do so on something not mass produced. Maybe I'm wrong. |
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[#15]
I have had the MKII 35 mm for about 1 month now. I have had very few issues, most as stated by TX-Rancher. None of these have cost me a kill shot. Saturday night I killed two coyotes and more than 10 jackrabbits in a wheat field. There we over 50 deer around and I never had trouble distinguishing targets inside 150 yards. Several rabbits were hit well past 150 yards. I also have a M845 Gen III and we never took it out of the truck, the MKII is just better for hunting. I would not hesitate to buy this scope again.
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[#16]
Quoted:
Issues I have spotted with the scope are: 1. Occasionally the screen will lose characters. But only on a few occasions have I had to cycle power to get them back, simply turning the knob often brings them back. 2. Easy to over-run and confuse the screen by turning the knob fast. Going slow will reduce this problem, but does not set it to zero. 3. While turning the scope off, it will sometimes get confused and enter the start cycle. Most of the time it will get about 25% through the start-up and then shut down. But 3 times I've had it get stuck in the on cycle and once I had to remove the batteries to get it unstuck. When it's stuck in this mode, it goes through batteries like a kid through candy, which means something inside is burning a lot of power...not a good thing! 4. Mine can be hard to switch between 30 & 60 Hz frame rates. Sometimes it just wont let me checkmark the box. Cycling power may clear the problem, but not every time. Several times I've had to cycle power multiple times to clear the problem. 5. I've had the sighting in issues others have mentioned. 6. Sometimes the designated magnification doesn't match the actual magnification. In other words the scope may say it's in 2x when it's actually in 1x or 4x. View Quote Wow The only one I have seen is 2, and I stopped spinning it like a top and have not had a problem since. |
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[#17]
I will clarify issues I have had. If you turn the knobs fast it will seem get skip over a step. This does not happen at a slow steady turn. During sighting in I had to unlock reticle several times because I turned off scope when walking to check target, not a big deal. I had two shut offs while shooting but tightening battery cap seemed to fix this issue. It was acting up slightly during the end of a hunt with low batteries, everything worked perfectly after switching batteries. The unit is not perfect but very very good. All so called "gliches" are minor and have not affected my ability to hit targets. The image quality is exceptional, better than my Pulsar HD38 and a Flir scout monocular my friend has that we used for a weekend. Again the Gen III night vision scope stays in the gun rack when hunting now that I have the MKII.
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[#18]
Tyler, I was thinking of renting the MKII for a coyote hunting competition from the 23rd through the 25th but I look on your site and it seems like it skips right around those dates...is it possible to rent it for the dates I just mentioned? I was also thinking of renting an eotech thermal handheld unit for spotting, let me know, thanks.
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[#19]
I've had mine since early Dec.(MK2 640 X 35). Have used it alot on pigs, coons and yotes. No serious issues at all. As some have said, it will get behind if you spin the knobs too fast. The biggest issue I've had is the soft rubber eyepiece coming off, nearly lost it. A simple fix was a ring of electrical tape at the junction where it meets the scope and have had no further issues. Overall, it has far exceeded my expectations so far. It was to blame for the execution of an entire family of coons just last night! I have a Flir LS64 and have some time behind the RS 64 X 35. I strongly prefer the MK2 to the RS line. Had mine out last week in the very cold weather (Low 20s) and it did just fine. It was acclamated and not taken in and out of the cold however.
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[#20]
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[#21]
Good vid and great weekend of hunting! Any reason your favoring white hot over black hot? I always think the black hot looks better on my 307 when I'm out hunting. White hot jumps out at you when your scanning for detection, but image quality always seems better in black hot.
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[#22]
Quoted: Tyler, I was thinking of renting the MKII for a coyote hunting competition from the 23rd through the 25th but I look on your site and it seems like it skips right around those dates...is it possible to rent it for the dates I just mentioned? I was also thinking of renting an eotech thermal handheld unit for spotting, let me know, thanks. View Quote |
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[#23]
Quoted: Good vid and great weekend of hunting! Any reason your favoring white hot over black hot? I always think the black hot looks better on my 307 when I'm out hunting. White hot jumps out at you when your scanning for detection, but image quality always seems better in black hot. View Quote Here are some .223 bullets recovered from the hogs in the video above. Left side is a 62 grain soft point and right side is a 62 grain TSX. |
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[#24]
Quoted:
thanks for this. Mine is on order and I haven't seen much of a description of what people think of it. My primary concern is...... two years from now, will I feel the money was worth the purchase. I know better things come out, but it's like a Canon L type lens. They are expensive but one will last you the life of the camera and more. Sure, they make better lenses and better quality comes a long but 2-5 years from now, I'll still be impressed with the excellent quality pictures you get from that lens. Would you say the same about the MK II? Do you think you will be happy with the functionality for the next few years? I follow computers CPUs pretty closely and I know that the manufacturing process of the CPUs have gotten smaller in time and this renders more effective and more powerful CPUs. 12 micron process....I just think that maybe that's probably the extent at which these processors can go and will probably affect overall longevity.....meaning they aren't going to get smaller than this. Because it's very expensive to do so on something not mass produced. Maybe I'm wrong. View Quote Obviously this is just one persons opinion, but I don't think you will regret buying this scope. If you hunt at night, and you are using Gen III equipment, this is a step up. Will the scope be surpassed in two years, definitely! With the pace of digital technology today I believe it's a given much better will exist in the future and probably at a lower cost. But if you wait for technology to "top out" you wont buy a thermal scope for quite some time...probably decades. Having an "older" technology scope in two years is better than going those two years with nothing. For the corporation I work for, this was a no brainer. A sounder of hogs can destroy a couple of acres of pasture in very short order. Each acre cost ~$250, not counting labor, to put back in production and while it's recovering it's not producing any profits. Hogs and coyotes can be very hard on the cattle operation during calving time. Last year we lost over 20 calf's to pests and that hurts since each bull calf is worth as much as $1,000 at market weight and the heifers are worth probably 10 times that over their life time. Waiting 2 years to buy a better scope would be a bad business decision. For the corporation the better choice would be to depreciate this scope and buy a new one when the technology moves on...that's what it did with the Gen II & III night vision equipment. |
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[#25]
Quoted:
Obviously this is just one persons opinion, but I don't think you will regret buying this scope. If you hunt at night, and you are using Gen III equipment, this is a step up. Will the scope be surpassed in two years, definitely! With the pace of digital technology today I believe it's a given much better will exist in the future and probably at a lower cost. But if you wait for technology to "top out" you wont buy a thermal scope for quite some time...probably decades. Having an "older" technology scope in two years is better than going those two years with nothing. For the corporation I work for, this was a no brainer. A sounder of hogs can destroy a couple of acres of pasture in very short order. Each acre cost ~$250, not counting labor, to put back in production and while it's recovering it's not producing any profits. Hogs and coyotes can be very hard on the cattle operation during calving time. Last year we lost over 20 calf's to pests and that hurts since each bull calf is worth as much as $1,000 at market weight and the heifers are worth probably 10 times that over their life time. Waiting 2 years to buy a better scope would be a bad business decision. For the corporation the better choice would be to depreciate this scope and buy a new one when the technology moves on...that's what it did with the Gen II & III night vision equipment. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
thanks for this. Mine is on order and I haven't seen much of a description of what people think of it. My primary concern is...... two years from now, will I feel the money was worth the purchase. I know better things come out, but it's like a Canon L type lens. They are expensive but one will last you the life of the camera and more. Sure, they make better lenses and better quality comes a long but 2-5 years from now, I'll still be impressed with the excellent quality pictures you get from that lens. Would you say the same about the MK II? Do you think you will be happy with the functionality for the next few years? I follow computers CPUs pretty closely and I know that the manufacturing process of the CPUs have gotten smaller in time and this renders more effective and more powerful CPUs. 12 micron process....I just think that maybe that's probably the extent at which these processors can go and will probably affect overall longevity.....meaning they aren't going to get smaller than this. Because it's very expensive to do so on something not mass produced. Maybe I'm wrong. Obviously this is just one persons opinion, but I don't think you will regret buying this scope. If you hunt at night, and you are using Gen III equipment, this is a step up. Will the scope be surpassed in two years, definitely! With the pace of digital technology today I believe it's a given much better will exist in the future and probably at a lower cost. But if you wait for technology to "top out" you wont buy a thermal scope for quite some time...probably decades. Having an "older" technology scope in two years is better than going those two years with nothing. For the corporation I work for, this was a no brainer. A sounder of hogs can destroy a couple of acres of pasture in very short order. Each acre cost ~$250, not counting labor, to put back in production and while it's recovering it's not producing any profits. Hogs and coyotes can be very hard on the cattle operation during calving time. Last year we lost over 20 calf's to pests and that hurts since each bull calf is worth as much as $1,000 at market weight and the heifers are worth probably 10 times that over their life time. Waiting 2 years to buy a better scope would be a bad business decision. For the corporation the better choice would be to depreciate this scope and buy a new one when the technology moves on...that's what it did with the Gen II & III night vision equipment. I hear what you are saying. They are jacking up the costal fields and robbing my deer feeders of corn. I've got at least three sows with a dozen piglets each. Buddy of mine caught one female still nursing being pursued by a boar...man they multiply. I think it's revenge because I've already taken four or five of their buddies this year. |
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[#26]
Quoted:
Obviously this is just one persons opinion, but I don't think you will regret buying this scope. If you hunt at night, and you are using Gen III equipment, this is a step up. Will the scope be surpassed in two years, definitely! With the pace of digital technology today I believe it's a given much better will exist in the future and probably at a lower cost. But if you wait for technology to "top out" you wont buy a thermal scope for quite some time...probably decades. Having an "older" technology scope in two years is better than going those two years with nothing. For the corporation I work for, this was a no brainer. A sounder of hogs can destroy a couple of acres of pasture in very short order. Each acre cost ~$250, not counting labor, to put back in production and while it's recovering it's not producing any profits. Hogs and coyotes can be very hard on the cattle operation during calving time. Last year we lost over 20 calf's to pests and that hurts since each bull calf is worth as much as $1,000 at market weight and the heifers are worth probably 10 times that over their life time. Waiting 2 years to buy a better scope would be a bad business decision. For the corporation the better choice would be to depreciate this scope and buy a new one when the technology moves on...that's what it did with the Gen II & III night vision equipment. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
thanks for this. Mine is on order and I haven't seen much of a description of what people think of it. My primary concern is...... two years from now, will I feel the money was worth the purchase. I know better things come out, but it's like a Canon L type lens. They are expensive but one will last you the life of the camera and more. Sure, they make better lenses and better quality comes a long but 2-5 years from now, I'll still be impressed with the excellent quality pictures you get from that lens. Would you say the same about the MK II? Do you think you will be happy with the functionality for the next few years? I follow computers CPUs pretty closely and I know that the manufacturing process of the CPUs have gotten smaller in time and this renders more effective and more powerful CPUs. 12 micron process....I just think that maybe that's probably the extent at which these processors can go and will probably affect overall longevity.....meaning they aren't going to get smaller than this. Because it's very expensive to do so on something not mass produced. Maybe I'm wrong. Obviously this is just one persons opinion, but I don't think you will regret buying this scope. If you hunt at night, and you are using Gen III equipment, this is a step up. Will the scope be surpassed in two years, definitely! With the pace of digital technology today I believe it's a given much better will exist in the future and probably at a lower cost. But if you wait for technology to "top out" you wont buy a thermal scope for quite some time...probably decades. Having an "older" technology scope in two years is better than going those two years with nothing. For the corporation I work for, this was a no brainer. A sounder of hogs can destroy a couple of acres of pasture in very short order. Each acre cost ~$250, not counting labor, to put back in production and while it's recovering it's not producing any profits. Hogs and coyotes can be very hard on the cattle operation during calving time. Last year we lost over 20 calf's to pests and that hurts since each bull calf is worth as much as $1,000 at market weight and the heifers are worth probably 10 times that over their life time. Waiting 2 years to buy a better scope would be a bad business decision. For the corporation the better choice would be to depreciate this scope and buy a new one when the technology moves on...that's what it did with the Gen II & III night vision equipment. Nicely said |
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[#27]
I picked my mk2 up last night, and I have to say i'm really impressed with this unit. The first time I picked it up I had no issues at all scrolling threw all the menu's and using all the functions. The knobs made the operation of the scope much easier IMO compared to button type menu's. The scope is very pleasing to the eye and the image quality if VERY good! Even though conditions In Houston suck right now for thermal being ( overcast, light rain, wind and temps not warming up much over 40 deg) the image is still dam good.
I've hunted with gen 3 and thermal for 8 years or so never wanting a thermal weapon sight until now. I have to agree with the above poster in saying it is a step up from a NV weapon sight, and I've owned several 740's/760's and pvs 24's. |
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[#28]
Dang.....won't have mine til February. I'll go play with something else to take my mind off of the wait
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[#31]
Quoted:
Anyone have much time behind the MK (not MKII) in cold weather @freezing? Hunted with two friends both running MK 320 35mm units last night and it was 32 degrees and misting rain. All night both units would typically take 10+ seconds to turn on, and then slowly come on from dim to full brightness. On several occasions I ended up being the only shooter because their units did not come on fast enough to make a shot. Changed batteries no different. We were also riding in a heated truck until getting out to stalk a group. I am really interested in the new monocular but these buggy units are turning me off. View Quote Your dead on my Mk1 320x240 does the samething around 40 degrees and under. It's not batteries I also installed brand new ones several times and tried different brand 123A's also. It's cost me a couple shots also taking 10+ seconds to power up very annoying. At first I didn't know what was wrong now I know it's just really really slow to power up in cooler weather. |
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[#32]
Anybody had any issues with a white line running across the display? My buddy picked his up yesterday and he said it had a line running across the screen under the crosshairs. He also said the image jumps sometime. Thought it could be a issue with battery cap ?
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[#33]
Quoted: Anybody had any issues with a white line running across the display? My buddy picked his up yesterday and he said it had a line running across the screen under the crosshairs. He also said the image jumps sometime. Thought it could be a issue with battery cap ? View Quote |
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[#34]
We are now offering right angle cables for the MK I and MK II units.
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[#35]
I took a close look at these at SHOT.....wow....
boy you guys sure cost me a lot of money |
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[#36]
I asked these two questions on another thread but am not getting any answers, so maybe UNV can answer them for me.
1.) I understand the IR Hunter does NOT have some kind of number read out in the screen to show the zero as the scope is being zeroed? If not, can an elevation/windage readout be added as an update to the software? I am not speaking about a "pre-canned" setting where the zero has already been memorized by the cpu on board, but just a set of number showing what the windage/elevation are, so I can write down those numbers and manually adjust the scope to them as I move the IR Hunter from platform to platform. 2.) IR Defender only shows these scopes to take CR123 batteries, would a pair of RECHARGEABLE LiFePO4 RCR123As like these work? http://www.batteryjunction.com/rc375reliba.html Specifications: Rechargeable LiFePO4 RCR123A 3.0V 750mAhBattery Life cycle: 2000 times (Traditional Li-ion: 500 times) Working Voltage: 3.2V Peak Voltage: 3.6V Charging cut-off voltage: 3.6V Discharge cut-off voltage: 2.2V Please never overdischarge battery below 2.2V/Cell Charge the this battery with LiFePO4 RCR123A smart charger Capacity: 750 mAh Maximum discharging rate: < 550 mA Maximum charge current: < 550 mA Cell's dimension: 17mm Dia. x 34.5mm H. Weight: 0.6 oz (18 grams). Manufacturer's Part Number: 30200 We do not recommend this setup for any SureFire flashlights, or other brands of incandescent (halogen, kyrton, xenon, etc) flashlights which have a bulb rated 7.2V and under. I am looking at these rechargeables because primary CR123As get expensive really fast, especially at 3.5 hours a pair for the IRH. Also, if I switch the display to 30 hertz a second, would that double the battery life to ~7 hours instead of 3.5? Thanks for your time, I hope I did not exceed your technical knowledge on this product with these questions. Thanks very much. |
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[#37]
I asked these two questions on another thread but am not getting any answers, so maybe UNV can answer them for me.
1.) I understand the IR Hunter does NOT have some kind of number read out in the screen to show the zero as the scope is being zeroed? If not, can an elevation/windage readout be added as an update to the software? I am not speaking about a "pre-canned" setting where the zero has already been memorized by the cpu on board, but just a set of number showing what the windage/elevation are, so I can write down those numbers and manually adjust the scope to them as I move the IR Hunter from platform to platform. 2.) IR Defender only shows these scopes to take CR123 batteries, would a pair of RECHARGEABLE LiFePO4 RCR123As like these work? http://www.batteryjunction.com/rc375reliba.html Specifications: Rechargeable LiFePO4 RCR123A 3.0V 750mAhBattery Life cycle: 2000 times (Traditional Li-ion: 500 times) Working Voltage: 3.2V Peak Voltage: 3.6V Charging cut-off voltage: 3.6V Discharge cut-off voltage: 2.2V Please never overdischarge battery below 2.2V/Cell Charge the this battery with LiFePO4 RCR123A smart charger Capacity: 750 mAh Maximum discharging rate: < 550 mA Maximum charge current: < 550 mA Cell's dimension: 17mm Dia. x 34.5mm H. Weight: 0.6 oz (18 grams). Manufacturer's Part Number: 30200 We do not recommend this setup for any SureFire flashlights, or other brands of incandescent (halogen, kyrton, xenon, etc) flashlights which have a bulb rated 7.2V and under. I am looking at these rechargeables because primary CR123As get expensive really fast, especially at 3.5 hours a pair for the IRH. Also, if I switch the display to 30 hertz a second, would that double the battery life to ~7 hours instead of 3.5? Thanks for your time, I hope I did not exceed your technical knowledge on this product with these questions. Thanks very much. View Quote To be honest, I don't know if I would run something different than what the manufacturer recommends. Will it work, more than likely, however if there happens to be a issue that comes about due to running them is it worth messing up a 6,500 scope? Then voiding the warranty if for some how they do fuck the scope up. 123 batteries are cheap online at $1.00 a battery at websites like battery junction. |
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[#38]
We used rechargeable batteries in our thermal hand held units at work and the batteries popped ruining a set. If i get lucky enough to own a IR hunter i am only using energizer or the gold top. If youre spending $5500 or more battery cost shouldnt matter.
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[#39]
Quoted: I asked these two questions on another thread but am not getting any answers, so maybe UNV can answer them for me. 1.) I understand the IR Hunter does NOT have some kind of number read out in the screen to show the zero as the scope is being zeroed? If not, can an elevation/windage readout be added as an update to the software? I am not speaking about a "pre-canned" setting where the zero has already been memorized by the cpu on board, but just a set of number showing what the windage/elevation are, so I can write down those numbers and manually adjust the scope to them as I move the IR Hunter from platform to platform. 2.) IR Defender only shows these scopes to take CR123 batteries, would a pair of RECHARGEABLE LiFePO4 RCR123As like these work? http://www.batteryjunction.com/rc375reliba.html Specifications: Rechargeable LiFePO4 RCR123A 3.0V 750mAhBattery Life cycle: 2000 times (Traditional Li-ion: 500 times) Working Voltage: 3.2V Peak Voltage: 3.6V Charging cut-off voltage: 3.6V Discharge cut-off voltage: 2.2V Please never overdischarge battery below 2.2V/Cell Charge the this battery with LiFePO4 RCR123A smart charger Capacity: 750 mAh Maximum discharging rate: < 550 mA Maximum charge current: < 550 mA Cell's dimension: 17mm Dia. x 34.5mm H. Weight: 0.6 oz (18 grams). Manufacturer's Part Number: 30200 We do not recommend this setup for any SureFire flashlights, or other brands of incandescent (halogen, kyrton, xenon, etc) flashlights which have a bulb rated 7.2V and under. I am looking at these rechargeables because primary CR123As get expensive really fast, especially at 3.5 hours a pair for the IRH. Also, if I switch the display to 30 hertz a second, would that double the battery life to ~7 hours instead of 3.5? Thanks for your time, I hope I did not exceed your technical knowledge on this product with these questions. Thanks very much. View Quote Do not run rechargeable batteries in your MK II. It is a bad idea to run rechargables or really low quality batteries in your scope because they will leak or explode. We are working on an external power solution for this unit and will keep everyone posted. 30hz will give you around 5 hours of run time. Thanks for posting your questions and hope that helps.
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[#40]
Ok. After having my 35mm mk2 for about a month I finally got to go hunt! I've spent plenty of time behind it playing with the unit, so I was excited about getting some rounds down range on some live targets.
Scope was mounted on a .308 with dpms lower, 16" criterion ultralight barrel with yhm titanium can. Scope was very easy to sight in using a old feed bag with duck tape. To my surprising you could see the duck tape just fine without using any type of heat source for POA. Menu function and working the adjustments were very easy remembering that you need to move towards impact similar to sighting in a bow. I had another 35mm mk2 mounted on a 9" 300 blk out for a game warden to hunt with. He was overly impressed with the image quality, and overall ease of use of the scope. For hand held devices we had a 640x480 m18 and a flir 307 along with our dual I2 units. We were both shocked when comparing the mk2 to the m18. I've used the 18 quite a bit on hunts, and have always been impressed with overall image quality. However, the mk2 made the 18 image look bad. I re-calibrated several times making sure it was not on linear mode. The mk2 is in a different league all together in image quality. Contrast, sharpness, and overall image is night and day better than the 18. On the hunt we shot 6 hogs and one dog. We were both very impressed with the scopes throughout the hunt. Conditions ranged to a steady 10-15 mph wind with clear skies to heavy fog and no wind. Later in the night you could see maybe 70-80 yards with I2 with a full moon out. Image quality was still superb with the mk2. On one instance we came out of a bottom to a big pasture. We were scanning with the 307 and 18 and had faint thermal images on the far side of the pasture 5-700 yards. Images were blobs on both the 18 and 307. We laughed when we looked through the scopes. Both of us instantly said. Shit look at all the deer spread out. That was at 1x through the heavy fog. Even though the scope performance is incredible at that price point there are some glitches with the unit: - when turning scope on sometimes you have to instantly re-calibrate due to lines running across screen(both units had butler caps) - the on and off switch is way to easy to accidentally turn on. It happened on both units throughout the night - under recoil from .308 it will get white pixels throughout display. Re-calibrate unit and they go away - rubber eye piece comes off way to easy. Better off taking it off. Other than that I was very pleased with the scope. A few pics " /> " /> " /> |
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[#41]
when turning scope on sometimes you have to instantly re-calibrate due to lines running across screen(both units had butler caps)
- the on and off switch is way to easy to accidentally turn on. It happened on both units throughout the night - under recoil from .308 it will get white pixels throughout display. Re-calibrate unit and they go away - rubber eye piece comes off way to easy. Better off taking it off. " View Quote Thanks for the user feedback I'm considering ordering a MKII myself very soon.I have a MK I 336 scope I bought this last summer and have used it a ton I really like that with one flip of the switch it's really to shoot. * On your rubber eyecup I assume you have the shuttered PVS-14 style just wrap a few times around the eye cup base with black electrical tape attaching it to the plastic eye piece. Works great, looks fine and no lost eye cup. I always perfer to have the shuttered eyecup in place myself so I don't get any stray light bouncing around plus it keeps my breath from fogging the lens on colder nights when raising the scope to my shoulder. * I don't have a cure for knocking the the power lever on, it also happens to me sometimes I just try to watch it . |
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[#42]
Any change of getting a few pictures of the MkII as a clip on?
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[#44]
Eye relief was terrible and I feel that it's too far away if you leave on your flip up sites. So off they will go, because I do often hunt when it mists out and I'll want that protection on the optics. I'm also guessing it helps keep dust off and helps with fogging. The larue mount should be adjustable on the bottom so that you can keep your rubber eye piece and have your iron sites mounted. Here's a picture of what I mean. I used mine today as is and took off the rubber piece. I had no problem using it this way but I think the larue mount should be forward adjustable on the unit. View Quote I had to mount mine all the way back almost touching my charging handle. I don't use flip up sights so its not a issue on my rig. Very comfortable to shoot sitting in that position. I have a tactical latch so its really not that big of a deal to stick a finger in between to throw a round in. Good looking stick! |
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[#46]
these things look real nice. Part of me wants to jump on a mkII and a part wants to hold out for a patrol so I can run it on a helmet mount,
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[#47]
Quoted:
5. ability to save the crosshairs for different rifles. Pre-sets would be nice. View Quote This is the reason I won't be buying a Mk II Hunter, right now, maybe ever. I believe all that is required is a software update to show the x/y coordinates of the cross hair as it is being adjusted. THE ON BOARD CPU MUST BE DOING THAT ALREADY INTERNALLY, IT JUST NEEDS TO SHOW IT ON SCREEN. I will wait until IR Defender take the time to update the software to show the x/y coordinates. I would like to mount on different platforms without going to the range every time. |
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[#48]
Quoted:
This is the reason I won't be buying a Mk II Hunter, right now, maybe ever. I believe all that is required is a software update to show the x/y coordinates of the cross hair as it is being adjusted. THE ON BOARD CPU MUST BE DOING THAT ALREADY INTERNALLY, IT JUST NEEDS TO SHOW IT ON SCREEN. I will wait until IR Defender take the time to update the software to show the x/y coordinates. I would like to mount on different platforms without going to the range every time. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
5. ability to save the crosshairs for different rifles. Pre-sets would be nice. This is the reason I won't be buying a Mk II Hunter, right now, maybe ever. I believe all that is required is a software update to show the x/y coordinates of the cross hair as it is being adjusted. THE ON BOARD CPU MUST BE DOING THAT ALREADY INTERNALLY, IT JUST NEEDS TO SHOW IT ON SCREEN. I will wait until IR Defender take the time to update the software to show the x/y coordinates. I would like to mount on different platforms without going to the range every time. I think showing X,Y would allow you to write those down and make changes for every rifle. I agree. I went back to the range yesterday. Got the LaRue tightened down and had a consistent 3/4 inch grouping. I switched to aluminum tape and made a couple of cross hairs on card board. Cutting the strips at one inch. That worked really well to align cross hairs at 50 yards. However, at 100 it couldn't be seen well enough to make a shot. I did get some hand warmers and taped them to the back of a paper target and this worked the best. Was able to get bullseye at 100 yards. I'm ready to go kill some piggies. I did find that several times when I first booted it up with lens cap on, I got no screen once I opened the cap. a calibration fixed this but no screen on startup...Just a blank screen - no image. Glitch? Might be important if you need to make a quick shot. Calibration takes less than 5 seconds, so no biggie for me. All in all, it's a very nice unit. I'm still at 100% battery after two range trips. I probably used it a total of 40 minutes on time though at 60 Hz. I turn it off between cease fires. |
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