I know this is an arfcom rule: buy once, cry once, and honestly I can buy a PVS 14 if I wish, but I just haven't decided if the money would be well spent. So I'm thinking about trying some entry level stuff. My theory is that if I really dig it, I can sell the cheaper stuff for a slight (maybe $100) loss on ebay and buy a PVS-14. Whereas if I buy a PVS 14 and decide it doesn't get used very much, I'm going to lose substantially more on a resale.
So if you guys could pick between a $500 spark and a entry level thermal such as the $600 FLIR TK, what gets the vote?
As far as usage- I'm not a hunter, so it would be used as monocular. I plan on looking for things making noises in the woods at night, and the occasional perp who absconds on foot from a domestic or a drug deal. if I located anything with NV or thermal I'm sure we'd light him up with multiple flashlights. I'm in Alabama so the woods are pretty dense. Most of the time you can't see past 100 yards because of foliage. I doubt that anyone is looking back at me with NV, so I think IR illumination is OK to use with the spark.
Any input is appreciated. Thanks Guys.