First, a big thank you to Cathleen and Megan at P&R infared. Great communication and customer service and a delight to do business with.

I'm very impressed with the 250. Unit is built like a tank and is a sharp looking unit. Unit is relatively quick to boot up. I haven't timed it but I'd say 3-4 seconds for boot up time. I LOVE the joystick control!  It is very easy to use and makes scrolling through your menu options a breeze.  It is also perfect in size for operation with both gloves or without. Scrolling through the menu options seem quick and very easy to manipulate.

The image quality is superb!  It has been raining it's ass off where I live just south of Houston, and humidity has been 95% or better with very little sunlight. The image is still incredible under these conditions!  Image is still sharp with great contrast. The contrast adjustment on the menu has to be adjusted very little to give great contrast through the viewer.  I also really like that you can manually focus the unit to get the extra sharpness in the image.

I mounted the unit onto my ops core helmet using a invg mount along with my mod armory dual Pvs mount. Works perfect!  The unit really doesn't feel to heavy when helmet mounted. I'd say it's as heavy or slightly less than my dual mums. Also what I really like about the mod dual mount is the ability to swing the patrol out of the way if I want to run a 14 on the other side.  This would give me the option to navigate with the 14 while having the patrol on mounted to my helmet. Allowing me to flip the unit down to pick up heat signatures. This is theory, and I haven't experimented with that particular set up.  But I feel like it will work.

I've inly played with the unit briefly due to a busy weekend, but I am blown away by the unit with the little time I've had behind it.

Here are a few pics. I lost my iphone adapter last weekend so these pics are me holding the phone up behind the patrol. I was experiencing some glare from conditions outside. Still not to bad trying to represent the image quality

EDIT: Ill try and crop pics down and make them a little smaller.  


These pics were taken under Overcast and light rain with thunderstorms on and off all day.

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Nice!

Do you have any other thermal units to take pic to compare?

The flir units and armasight units I have have trouble at night when things cool down.
Unable to distinguish the horizon, a jack rabbit will stand out 400yds away.
But it appears to be floating as the ground and the horizon are the same shade, ie no difference.
I would not mind spending the $$$$ if the unit would be able to work in the conditions I hunt in.
Keep in mind this is not 100% of the time, only in worse conditions. Other times both units perform great.
After temps drop below dew point units work the best, I can see a mouse 400 yds out with the 75mm armasight.
But having a unit that delivers under the worst conditions would be better for me.

I use the flir ps32 helmet mounted with an adapter I made, it snaps in to pvs14 helmet mount so I can change between pvs14 and flir.
Wide open areas I use the NV, edge of brush I use the thermal. The IR hunter 300 would allow for weapon mount or head mounted.

Nice, will be interested to hear how you like it as my friend has one too, but not helmet mounted.

How do you like the manual NUNC?

Do you use your hand or a lens cap?

An amber filter over the ocular would be nice too to cut off the white light on your face, I have them (Wilcox) on my M-24s.

The manual NUNC isn't that bad at all.  I have a pvs 14 lens cover that I've been using to recalibrate the unit.  It is very similar to the MK2 being that after a few minutes you need to recalibrate again.  

I think I'll try out a amber filter on the unit in the near future.

I'm also very eager to get it out into the field for a hunt.  Unfortunetly, the weather has been brutal down here.  Hopefully, this weekend i'll be able to get out and hunt if the weather allows.

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I have my mk2 and my flir 307.  A buddy of mine has a Ls64 that I will try and get my hands on to take pictures to compare.  The 307 is not a very fair comparison to the MK2 and patrol.  Not saying the 307 is a slouch because it has been a incredible device for a long time.  

Those pics I took with the patrol were in very bad thermal conditions.  High humidity and rain. I'll be sure to get more pics up very soon with overall conditions.

Nice to see some reviews out, nice job.

Between the MKII and the Patrol, which one would you pick if they ar both 19mm?  The crosshair comparable?  Does the adjustable focus give much advantage to the Patrol?  Thanks

Very nice review! Image quality looks excellent. Looking forward to seeing this thing in person.

Thanks!  

The comparison with the ls64 would be great as this would be similar to the the ps24 and ps32.
I just sold my ls64 as I was not impressed by it, the ps32 has been the one I like best, My ps24 a friend wants to buy it for boating at night so that will go and free up some $$$ for the 300.
If the patrol blows away the ls64, I will hold off till I can get the 300 so I can weapon mount it.

That phenomenon is called thermal crossover.

Looks awesome.  I'm eagerly awaiting the 300K now.

been out hunting once or twice a week lately with i^2, and am eagerly awaiting the 300w.

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last night my dogs even joined in the fun.  Woke up to them barking up a storm at 3am.  Guess I should recognize baying rather than barking.  Went outside to find wtf was going on - one lab ran a few ft away - grabbed the prey (chewed down about 3 times to kill it), and presented me with the rat they had hunted for me.  They were so proud of themselves.

I own a LS64 and PS32.  Your experience with those two units is very different than mine.  My PS32 is relegated to international travel and stationary spotting, as the display refresh rate is slow and impacts image quality while moving.  I get significantly longer detection ranges over open fields in similar conditions with my LS64.

While I have not used a production IR Patrol I have handled a prototype in indoor conditions.  The image quality blows away the LS64.  I have also used a 35mm IR Hunter MKII.  Again, the image quality is outstanding, but the LS64 was much better at initial target detection (again, over open farm field) using InstAlert.  

I am awaiting pictures from IR Defense of a Patrol M300W in clip on mode in front of a 4 power optic.  If those are as I expect I will be putting out some cash, but I found our best success was scanning with a FLIR handheld and shooting with the IR Defense product.  They made a great combination.

Sorry haven't been able to check in due to our work location. You take one step you loose service.

Tabasco-

The mk2 and the patrol are very similar IMO. I really like the 19mm for a handheld coming from my 307. My boss swears the image in the patrol is better than our 35 mm mk2's. However, he doesn't spend a whole lot of time behind the units. To me they are very similar, but I like the overall weight, size, and user interface compared to the mk2.  That is me using the unit as a handheld. Saying that I don't know how the patrol performs as a weapon sight due to mine being a 250, and not having that option. I do believe the 300 will be a great lightweight option as a dedicated unit, and a solid unit as a clip on if similar to the clip on function like the mk2.  The patrol would be kick ass on a sbr IMO.

I'll try and get some video this weekend of the patrol and mk2 using a iphone adapter to better represent the image I'm seeing, and also to see the comparison at different ranges.

I'll also pick up the ls 64 to put the units side by side. I'll do my best to get a good video behind the screen. If any body has a good method of capturing video behind that particular unit let me know because a iphone adapter won't work behind it.

I'll have to check but his might be the new lsx model.

Km

The LS-XR has video out and a HD viewer whereas the LS-64 does not, but not sure of any adapter to take decent pics through the viewer except trial and error.

Had a member ask me about how eye pieces line up when running a 14 and the patrol on the mod 14 mount. I didn't put a tape on it but the eye piece of the patrol protrudes about a 1/2 " more towards your eye when comparing to the 14.

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Looks like a Wilcox amber filter probably would fit okay.

They work nice on the M-24 for toning down the brightness and providing increased contrast, should be nice on the IR Patrols too.

Here's a couple more pics that I took tonight.  My little girls curls, and my big girl doing what she does best…. Laying around.. lol  




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I'm going to have to get a filter and give it a try.  Owning a 307 for so long I never had that option.  I look forward to trying it out.  Thanks


A couple of more pics.  It rained its ass off late this afternoon. So humidity is high.  No adapter just holding patrol up in front of my iPhone.

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house is 90-100 yards

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Nice photos !



I have trouble when dew point and ambient temps are approaching each other. After temp drops below dew point image quality is great.
Phenomena has to do with vapor droplet size, amount of relative humidity. The lwir gets scattered by a specific size suspended droplet. The amount of relative humidity will have a major impact if the droplet size is scattering the lwir band. I have no trouble in 100% humidity like when it is raining because droplet size is large and falling. When conditions are bad for me, is when looking thru the thermal units look like a thick thick fog. But with night vision its clear, no fog, I can see for hundreds of yards. So the atmosphereic conditions are effecting the lwir band not the visible or ir wavelength. The thermal crossover point is not the issue because after temp drops below dew point the image is clear, plenty of temperature differential to see like its daytime. Thermal crossover is when things are cooling off and temp differential is minimal, so objects are hard to distinguish, if this makes any sense. Subject is known and has been studied as this effects the military applications of lwir thermal imaging. I new it had something to do with scattering the lwir but until I did a Google search and stumbled on the research into this it was just a thought I had.

KM2006DMAX

    Thanks for the time and effort you invest to help out us who have no access to these machines so we can make an informed decision.

Is NUC as much of an annoyance with the IR Patrol as it is with the IR Hunter Mk II?   I understand that the Mark II require very frequent recalibration, and the issue is only mitigated by the use of a Butler Creek 45 cover.   Does the Patrol also have the same problem, and if it does, can any BC covers fit the Patrol's housing?  

  Thanks again for your time and help.

I've really been interested in the 250 and 300 Patrols. I've been spoiled by having some time downrange behind an Oasys UTM/StalkIR. After using a Flir RS64-35mm, I wasn't too impressed.
The IR Defense line seems to have the closest resolution, but the 19mm lens seems pretty small.  What are the detection ranges for deer/pigs? And the ranges at which you can differentiate?
Thanks

I haven't had the chance to take the patrol out on a hunt yet and look at some animals at different ranges.  Range will vary due to conditions, but the patrol should have adequate detection range and ID range. With my 35mm mk2 I've picked up hogs at 1100 yards verifying with google earth and ID'd deer 400-500 yards with no digital magnification.  If everything goes as planned this weekend I'll have a 2x lens to test out to get a better idea of detection and Id range with the patrol. I'll try and laser some distances and get a better idea of range.

I've used the 307 for 5 years or so, and under good conditions picked up hogs in a open field in the 1500 yard range.  On a hunt with horrible conditions the mk2 could easily see deer at 400-500 yards and it could also ID them. The 307 I could barely see heat signatures due to the atmospheric conditions.


Tabasco-

The patrol does take a few manual nucs similar to the mk2.  It seems after you calibrate it a couple of times it holds the image pretty well.  The image quality is not horrible by any means when it needs to be calibrated.  

Also I do like the manual focus on these units. I noticed when using the digital zoom the manual focus allows you to get a little sharper image.

Very interested in this range report.

Dmax, how did you calibrate the Patrol?  With your hand covering the front lense or did you have some kind of lense cover on it?  Or does the Patrol have an internal shutter of some kind for calibration?  Thanks for you input, you are doing many of us a favor with your reports, I am sure.

I actually used a pvs14 lens cap to nuc the unit.  I had planned to get out this weekend and hunt, and to also take some video comparing different units next to the patrol at various ranges. However, the weather has been nuts down here, and hunting wasn't a option.

I did order a butler creek 9 and 09a lens cover for the patrol to see how I like it.  It's 37.7 mm and if I remember correctly OD of a 14 lens is 36.6 mm. I haven't had a chance to check it with a caliper, but one of those should work.

If the weather holds off Friday or Saturday I'll be in el campo hunting some rice farms. Really looking forward to getting some field time with the patrol, and getting a better idea of what kind of detection range it will have.

Km

video


little video I took using a iPhone adapter to try and give a idea of the image threw the display.  

Conditions are clear for once, windy, relative humidity in the 90's temps low 70's.

Looks really good

Alright, looks like the butler creek #9 37.7 mm cover fits the patrol perfectly.  Here's a few pics.

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And a couple of more pics from the other day when I was shooting video with the iPhone adapter.  It makes it much easier to get good photos through the viewer.

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Thanks vic.  If this weather ever stops kicking our ass down here I'll get some field photos instead of the boring old neighborhood photos.  

I did watch a man walking his dog across the pond today that I've ranged at 300 yards and I could easily see him and his dog.  

I effin knew it, 300 yards is within the 19mm's range.


Thanks for the info on the BC caps.  Were you able to adjust the focus on the Patrol with the BC caps on?  I think the original pvs cap might be a better option when adjusting the focus knob on the Patrol?

The cap fits nice and snug. There's no issue with focusing the patrol with the lens cap on.  Having the cap on the unit is very similar to having a cap on the mk2. Being that it makes a world of difference when having to nuc the unit.

That is great re the BC. Thanks for posting the info.

JPK