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Posted: 7/17/2014 5:34:47 PM EDT
OK ARFCOMers, I have some much anticipated updates for you on the IR Hunter Thermal Scope!
EDIT: IR HUNTER MK I UNITS NO LONGER AVAILABLE SKIP TO IR HUNTER MK II HERE. SKIP TO IR HUNTER MK III HERE. SKIP TO IR HUNTER UPGRADE PROGRAM HERE <=====================BEGIN MK I INFO==================> The following are MK I know issues that have been fixed with firmware updates. - Some early MK 1 units had a POI shift on zoom. This was fixed with an early firmware update. Sighting In/POI We took the IR Hunters out for a test using them in a clip-on role with Elcan SpecterDR 1-4xs. Zeroing was not an issue. As long as I had a nice solid rest to keep the rifle steady when I put the IRH on it, I was typically able to collimate the IRH CO screen with one set of adjustments, and confirm or fine tune with a second shot. I then removed the Elcan day sights, moved the IRH back, and zeroed the reticles in case I needed to use them as a standalone sight (plan B). Everything there went well also. There should be no POI concerns as the firmware has been updated, with the previous flaw now fixed. The previous flaw was that the digital zoom was calculating on a 640x480 scale instead of a 800x600 scale. Both units held zero perfectly as clip-ons and as weapon sights with multiple times taken on and off the weapon. We then drove to Louisiana to do some hunting, and checked everything at the range there in darkness. We did find however that the sights mounted to the upper and in a soft rifle case had both turned on during transport, and the batteries were dead. Future will require batteries to be removed before putting into a case, as apparently they can be turned on too easily. Hits on steel out to 200 yds. confirmed all was still good. I found that the 1.5X 640 35mm in front of the Elcan was not as nice as having the extra magnification of the 320 35mm. Using the Elcan's 4x mode was not much help as the image was just too blurry (even when focused perfectly using the IRH diopter). As a result we were limited to the magnification of the IRH, and I think the 3x worked best for us. A variable 1-4x optic instead of the 1x OR 4x Elcan would work better for zooming in on the display with the day optic. Being able to use zoom on the CO mode would definitely be better, but I think I personally would prefer the 640 50mm as an all around unit. Battery Cap The concern raised about the battery cap being hard to take on and off has been addressed and there is a solution. I was able to remove the battery cap and replace the battery cap easily in both weapon sight and clip-on configuration. The battery cap comes on and off much easier in the clip-on setup that we were running where there is more room near the battery compartment as opposed to when it's mounted on the receiver. There's a battery cap extender that will resolve the concern others have had, and it will be sent out free to any IRH owner that wants one. Menu Icons and User Interface The menu and interface are sweet. The turrets allow you to move through the menu structure much faster than any button configuration. The menu icons and reticle do not export on the video output. IRD says they are looking in to changing that but no firm details right now. The reticles in particular are better than any other reticle out there. They are fine, crisp, and the BDC is dynamic to the digital zoom. The subtention reticle is useful for telling a rabbit at 25 yards from a pig at 100 since there is poor depth perception with thermal scopes. Each unit has a different MOA ajdustment listed on the bottom right of the screen. Below is an image taken through the eye piece from an IRH 320 2x , but you get the idea. Sometimes the selected icon is outlined, and sometimes it is filled in; not consistent. For instance, in the polarity adjustment, the white hot square icons get filled in red, while the black ones are outlined in red. Under the reticle color, filling in the green icon gives you two red icons side by side which looks odd, and of course when you get to the B/W it goes to black and red. I think simple outline works well enough to show a selected item when you’re dealing with colored icons. ETR I did get this feature to work during the day, and it worked well. At night it was not needed. I would advise to only consider using the ETR when nothing else works. If the image already looks good, the ETR can't do anything for you. In fact, using the ETR when it's unnecessary will make the image look worse. The ETR is designed to be used on 1X digital zoom. Otherwise you are essentially calculating on a zoomed image and the area being used on the sensor to calculate the image becomes so small it makes not sense to use it. ETR is for only a small amount of circumstances. The ETR outline box is not centered on the reticle, but rather on the center of the screen (it seems). If my reticle is adjusted for zero, so it is off center, it winds up near the outside of the ETR boundary outline as I go from ETR1 to ETR3. I ran the windage all the way to the left, and the reticle would never go outside the ETR box. The reticle stopped just before the POA crossed the ETR box. I would imagine you’d want to set the center of this bounding box to the reticle position vs, the screen center (in standalone mode) as that will be your center of interest when viewing a scene. Calibration/NUC The calibration on the IRH is so good that I sometimes forget to NUC the units. I'm not exactly sure how the calibration is being calculated but it does not need a NUC very often. Much less frequent than other units. In the video you will notice that the 640 1.5X unit looks a little grainy. That was because it looked good through the eye piece and it wasn't obvious that it needed a NUC. Only when I blew up the image up from the video output did noticed the graininess. As many of you know, some thermal scopes(ex ThOR) have a manual NUC, and some thermal scopes(ex FLIR RS)have an auto cal. The complaint with the manual cal is having to cover the lens, and the complaint with the auto cal is the image can freeze at any moment causing a missed shot. The IR Hunter calibration is the best of both worlds. the IRH calibrates on start-up, but will never NUC again unless you go to level 5 and NUC it manually. Technically it's a manual NUC, but it has a shutter so you don't have to cover the objective lens. I like that. Versatility We were running the IR Hunter as a clip-on WITHOUT any collimating lens. This is a huge advantage over other systems because the IRH image still looks great as a monocular or a weapon sight unlike other clip-ons which look awful as monoculars or weapon sights. For those who don't know, a typical clip-on is set up where the image/display is so small it's hard to use without magnification from a scope. It has to be this way otherwise you would only see a small portion of the image through your day optic. The IR Hunter works seamlessly with an Elcan SpecterDR 1-4x and it looks basically the same through the IR Hunter as a weapon sight as is does through the Elcan with the IR Hunter in front as a clip-on. The only big difference is the ballistic reticle on the Elcan that you see when using the IR Hunter as a clip-on. The only draw back on the Elcan is the 2k price tag. I am looking into a couple other quality 1-4x and 1-6x day scope options to pair with the IR Hunter that are around the $400-1,200 range. If they don't work and you want to use a day scope you already have, then the collimating lens that IRD will be supplying will make the scope work similar to other clip-on systems. While this is a good option, it will diminish the quality of the image for use as a monocular or weapon sight. If at all possible I would recommend running a compatible 1x variable day optic with the IR Hunter without the collimation lens. It is such an easy to use seamless setup, and there is no other thermal weapon sight out there as versatile as the IRH with an Elcan Specter DR 1-4x . Focus The digital focus threw me off at first. The image from the IRH's fixed focus lens with a digital focus adjustment does not have the same crisp lines like a manual focus unit. But, the IRH's display is digitally driven unlike any other commercial thermal weapon sight that I know of. This means that the controls are adjusting each individual pixel on the IRH's display versus other units that modify the standard video signal coming of the FLIR core. IMO the focus on the IRH looks a little more fuzzy than comparable manual focus units, but better than comparable fixed focus units with no digital focus. I noticed that the digital focus on the IRH brings out edges that you wouldn't see with a manual focus unit. Things like the numbers on license plates are showing up with the IRH but I cant see them with other comparable units. I assume this is due to the digitally driven display and the ability to tweak each pixel in addition to the tweaks already being performed on the FLIR core. The lack of a super-sharp focus really bothered me when I first got the unit. Now I am seeing that while the lines/edges might not be as sharp on the IRH, the sensitivity and detection ability is on par with the best. If you didn't have a manual focus unit to compare the IRH to, you would never know the difference. Magnification When comparing the 3x ATN to the IR Hunter 3x, the ATN unit appears to be significantly less than 3x (or the IR Hunter is more). I noticed this also when comparing the ATN 640 100mm (5x) to the IRH 320 35mm (3x); the magnification was closer than I would have expected. MISC Observations The unit is very well built, and easy to use in the dark. We had no problems with any controls, and were able to change batteries while mounted without problem (this may be due to the fact that we had it mounted further forward on a rail vs the receiver itself). We had no issues with battery life. The ability to turn the unit off easily, and back on meant that I could do that rather than leaving it on all the time. The ability to use it as a clip on (with or without a lens adaptor) is key because I can now go on a hunting trip without having to take two rifles; one for day and one for night. Curious to see how the clip on lens would compare to using it the way we did. Having the ability to have it sighted in and move it to a standalone weapon sight role is great for redundancy and adds value. Overall I'm very happy with the product. Edit: First review just come over from a PD in IOWA. Thought y'all would like to see what they had to say(after their 21 day evaluation period before purchasing): <table style="font-size: 12px; list-style: inside; text-align: left; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);"> <td style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-size: 13px; list-style: inside;"> <td style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-size: 13px; list-style: inside;"> Reviewer: Muscatine Police Department from Muscatine, IA Tactical Advantage in the Dark of NightJuly 17, 2014 We (Muscatine Police Department) needed a device that we could use to operate a weapons systems in the dark of night. The tactical turret knobs make it easy to switch settings and the accuracy was as precise as my Acog. The IR Hunter will allow us to effectively engage threats in the dark of night and give us a tactical advantage against our adversaries. Killin Pigs Below is the video of 6 out of 6 pigs being exterminated with the IRH. One important thing to note is that not a single one of these pigs broke 50 pounds. They were all very small for some reason and it's not a great comparison video to other videos where we have shot bigger pigs. The 1st and 6th pig were DRT, but pigs 2-4 were recovered about 10 feet deep in the nearest brush line. Below is an example of one of the pig/rats that were taken. This pig is the 1st pig in the video. [youtube]http://youtu.be/MbGEwLEROVo[/youtube] |
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Very interesting, thanks for the review. When you say you were able to collimate the IRH, how is this done on the the unit? Is this somehow adjusted electronically?
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Quoted: Very interesting, thanks for the review. When you say you were able to collimate the IRH, how is this done on the the unit? Is this somehow adjusted electronically? View Quote Step 1). Bench your gun with zeroed Elcan. Step 2). Select CO mode and mount the IRH in front of optic. Step 3). Check your zero, and if its changed at all adjust the IRH scene to match your day optic reticle. Optional step 4). Go 6 for 6 on murdering small Louisiana pig rats. |
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There is a clip on mode which moves the scene instead of the reticle. You just align the scene to match your day optic. Step 1). Bench your gun with zeroed Elcan. Step 2). Select CO mode and mount the IRH in front of optic. Step 3). Check your zero, and if its changed at all adjust the IRH scene to match your day optic reticle. Optional step 4). Go 6 for 6 on murdering small Louisiana pig rats. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Very interesting, thanks for the review. When you say you were able to collimate the IRH, how is this done on the the unit? Is this somehow adjusted electronically? Step 2). Select CO mode and mount the IRH in front of optic. Step 3). Check your zero, and if its changed at all adjust the IRH scene to match your day optic reticle. Optional step 4). Go 6 for 6 on murdering small Louisiana pig rats. That's really cool. Prices on these don't look too bad either. |
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Looks good but I have thought from day one they need to round off the on/off knob to reduce the chance of the scope getting turned on by mistake.The current switch just sticks out to far.
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The IRH is also functional as a clip-on with a Burris 1-4x 24mm.
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Quoted: We then drove to Louisiana to do some hunting, View Quote My phone never rang. :(
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Question: When used as a clip on, and you go to CO mode, does the unit use a different screen/processor part or do you loose everything if you had been using
it as a weapon sight and had it sighted in? Second question: is the 640 units actual picture as good as the Thors? |
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Quoted: Question: When used as a clip on, and you go to CO mode, does the unit use a different screen/processor part or do you loose everything if you had been using it as a weapon sight and had it sighted in? Second question: is the 640 units actual picture as good as the Thors? View Quote The image won't be quite as sharp as a manual focus lens like the Janos lenses on the ThoRs, but the IRH has strengths in other areas that are unrivaled. Its a give and take on what features you want.? Update: the IRH survived a .338 lapua with no shut-offs. More on that later.
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It uses a different area to save weapon sight zero from Clip-on zero. So, yes you can easily use as both. The image won't be quite as sharp as a manual focus lens like the Janos lenses on the ThoRs, but the IRH has strengths in other areas that are unrivaled. Its a give and take on what features you want.? Update: the IRH survived a .338 lapua with no shut-offs. More on that later. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Question: When used as a clip on, and you go to CO mode, does the unit use a different screen/processor part or do you loose everything if you had been using it as a weapon sight and had it sighted in? Second question: is the 640 units actual picture as good as the Thors? The image won't be quite as sharp as a manual focus lens like the Janos lenses on the ThoRs, but the IRH has strengths in other areas that are unrivaled. Its a give and take on what features you want.? Update: the IRH survived a .338 lapua with no shut-offs. More on that later. Will the ThOR 640 5x handle a .338 LM? I've been tempted to put it on mine, but would like a Yay / Nay from Sachal or someone in-the-know. |
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This is a unit I am very interested in. Thanks for the information.
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Quoted: Will the ThOR 640 5x handle a .338 LM? I've been tempted to put it on mine, but would like a Yay / Nay from Sachal or someone in-the-know. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Question: When used as a clip on, and you go to CO mode, does the unit use a different screen/processor part or do you loose everything if you had been using it as a weapon sight and had it sighted in? Second question: is the 640 units actual picture as good as the Thors? The image won't be quite as sharp as a manual focus lens like the Janos lenses on the ThoRs, but the IRH has strengths in other areas that are unrivaled. Its a give and take on what features you want.? Update: the IRH survived a .338 lapua with no shut-offs. More on that later. Will the ThOR 640 5x handle a .338 LM? I've been tempted to put it on mine, but would like a Yay / Nay from Sachal or someone in-the-know. You can find a ThOR recoil testing report in our industry forum here: |
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This is a unit I am very interested in. Thanks for the information View Quote UNV has these to rent I have one coming next week to check out. Try before you buy it's well worth it ,plus you can apply the rental cost to your purchase! |
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Quoted: . UNV has these to rent I have one coming next week to check out. Try before you buy it's well worth it ,plus you can apply the rental cost to your purchase! View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: This is a unit I am very interested in. Thanks for the information UNV has these to rent I have one coming next week to check out. Try before you buy it's well worth it ,plus you can apply the rental cost to your purchase! This a good call
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After I check out the IR hunter this week I will have used a RS64 (rented), THOR (buddies scope) and IR hunter(rented) all in the last couple of weeks. Then I will order my favorite model that works best for me. Renting is great for thermal scopes as most places will not let you return a thermal scope after its been mounted on a rifle. How are you going to know if a thermal scope works well or not if you don't try it first and then if it sucks your flat out stuck with it or sale it at a loss.
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Quoted: After I check out the IR hunter this week I will have used a RS64 (rented), THOR (buddies scope) and IR hunter(rented) all in the last couple of weeks. Then I will order my favorite model that works best for me. Renting is great for thermal scopes as most places will not let you return a thermal scope after its been mounted on a rifle. How are you going to know if a thermal scope works well or not if you don't try it first and then if it sucks your flat out stuck with it or sale it at a loss. View Quote |
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Spikes08, I’ve only had a chance to use the IR hunter 640 1.5X a couple hours so far, but will give you my first observations.
First the IR hunter housing has “WOW” factor to it very impressive construction. It’s very compact, streamlined and sort of heavy feeling for its size. I like the design a lot compared to other models I have used over the last few weeks. In fact I would go as far to say it’s my favorite thermal scope housing I’ve seen in person. Battery Housing/Cap is low and tight against the rifle rail so yes it can be a tough to take off if you have big hands. That said this sucker has a Larue mount I have no issue with taking the scope off the rifle (If needed) to install new batteries. I have never had any Larue mount fail to go back to zero in fact I think it’s one of the best mounts made for the money. So like the battery setup or not it shouldn’t be a deal killer to stop someone from ordering this model. Battery life, well it’s a thermal they all eat batteries like candy. I ran through the first set of 123A’s pretty quick maybe 2 hours, but I’m not sure if they were brand new as they were already in the scope when it arrived. IR Hunter Fixed Focus Front Objective: I prefer the THOR manual focus style you can really adjust it to a perfect crisp image at any range. That said the IR Hunter 640 1.5X I’m renting isn’t “horrible” in actuality it’s about the same as the FLIR PS/LS/ RS models I’ve seen using the same fixed focus. Point blank range (5-10 yards) the image isn’t perfectly crisp focused but plenty good enough to still hammer critters. Mid to long range no issue as far as seeing good detail and shooting. I thought the 1.5X 640 model image looked pretty good overall maybe not the best I ever seen, but far from the worse, so let’s just call it average. Bottom line the fixed focus will never produce the perfectly crisp image at “all ranges” vs. a manual style. That said you never have to adjust the front lens so as far as “speed” the auto/fixed focus lens is ready to shoot always, sort of like the old MK845 1.5X fixed lens NV scope I own. Controls and Switches: I love the turrets on the IR hunter, wow they are so nice/easy to scroll through the menu, plus they have a solid tactical feel to them. I don’t mind buttons like on the FLIR RS or THOR for controls as they have some advantages to them also, but the turrets win out for me. LCD screen and Reticles: LCD screen is big, clear and “Very Nice” that’s all I can say about it. Reticles in my opinion are the best I’ve seen in a thermal scope period. Image Contrast: This is a subject most new thermal buyers don’t understand until they have seen several different models. The IR hunter has “average” contrast to me as compared to my FLIR, ATN, and pulsar thermal systems I’ve owned and used. What does average that mean? Well it means I have seen better and worse. Just kidding, its similar to what you see with the FLIR line up on PS/LS/RS models which does surprise me as with the big beautiful LCD screen the IR hunter has I would have expected it to look more like the ATN or Pulsar OLEDS which really “pop” image contrast wise to your eye. I have had zero issues through the first set of batteries everything works like it should no surprises. Overall, I like the IR Hunter scope the great housing and controls rock. The reticles are bad @@@ and very fine/crisp so it’s easy to pick a small spot on target. Image and contrast wise I have to give the edge to the THOR line up. I think there is still some room to improve the IR Hunter scope even more, but I can say that about the FLIR RS and THOR’s I’ve owned and tested. I have yet to see a perfect Thermal scope, but I hope to see one sooner vs. later! As of today I have reached my thermal scope buying decision and ordered a IR Hunter 336 2X model this morning from UNV (Thanks for the good pricing and service Tyler!). I also plan to order a new THOR 336 3X or 4.5X very soon. |
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Quoted: Spikes08, I’ve only had a chance to use the IR hunter 640 1.5X a couple hours so far, but will give you my first observations. First the IR hunter housing has "WOW” factor to it very impressive construction. It’s very compact, streamlined and sort of heavy feeling for its size. I like the design a lot compared to other models I have used over the last few weeks. In fact I would go as far to say it’s my favorite thermal scope housing I’ve seen in person. Battery Housing/Cap is low and tight against the rifle rail so yes it can be a tough to take off if you have big hands. That said this sucker has a Larue mount I have no issue with taking the scope off the rifle (If needed) to install new batteries. I have never had any Larue mount fail to go back to zero in fact I think it’s one of the best mounts made for the money. So like the battery setup or not it shouldn’t be a deal killer to stop someone from ordering this model. Battery life, well it’s a thermal they all eat batteries like candy. I ran through the first set of 123A’s pretty quick maybe 2 hours, but I’m not sure if they were brand new as they were already in the scope when it arrived. IR Hunter Fixed Focus Front Objective: I prefer the THOR manual focus style you can really adjust it to a perfect crisp image at any range. That said the IR Hunter 640 1.5X I’m renting isn’t "horrible” in actuality it’s about the same as the FLIR PS/LS/ RS models I’ve seen using the same fixed focus. Point blank range (5-10 yards) the image isn’t perfectly crisp focused but plenty good enough to still hammer critters. Mid to long range no issue as far as seeing good detail and shooting. I thought the 1.5X 640 model image looked pretty good overall maybe not the best I ever seen, but far from the worse, so let’s just call it average. Bottom line the fixed focus will never produce the perfectly crisp image at "all ranges” vs. a manual style. That said you never have to adjust the front lens so as far as "speed” the auto/fixed focus lens is ready to shoot always, sort of like the old MK845 1.5X fixed lens NV scope I own. Controls and Switches: I love the turrets on the IR hunter, wow they are so nice/easy to scroll through the menu, plus they have a solid tactical feel to them. I don’t mind buttons like on the FLIR RS or THOR for controls as they have some advantages to them also, but the turrets win out for me. LCD screen and Reticles: LCD screen is big, clear and "Very Nice” that’s all I can say about it. Reticles in my opinion are the best I’ve seen in a thermal scope period. Image Contrast: This is a subject most new thermal buyers don’t understand until they have seen several different models. The IR hunter has "average” contrast to me as compared to my FLIR, ATN, and pulsar thermal systems I’ve owned and used. What does average that mean? Well it means I have seen better and worse. Just kidding, its similar to what you see with the FLIR line up on PS/LS/RS models which does surprise me as with the big beautiful LCD screen the IR hunter has I would have expected it to look more like the ATN or Pulsar OLEDS which really "pop” image contrast wise to your eye. I have had zero issues through the first set of batteries everything works like it should no surprises. Overall, I like the IR Hunter scope the great housing and controls rock. The reticles are bad @@@ and very fine/crisp so it’s easy to pick a small spot on target. Image and contrast wise I have to give the edge to the THOR line up. I think there is still some room to improve the IR Hunter scope even more, but I can say that about the FLIR RS and THOR’s I’ve owned and tested. I have yet to see a perfect Thermal scope, but I hope to see one sooner vs. later! As of today I have reached my thermal scope buying decision and ordered a IR Hunter 336 2X model this morning from UNV (Thanks for the good pricing and service Tyler!). I also plan to order a new THOR 336 3X or 4.5X very soon. View Quote I can't tell you how much I appreciate your feedback on this unit.
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No problem, I will let you know how the IR Hunter 336 2X model performs when it arrives. If I was only buying one scope it would have been a hard pick between the THOR and IR Hunter for me as each has it's own strong points. I had the choice of buying two 336 thermal scopes or one 640 thermal scope within my budget.. While the 640 systems are super, super sweet I found the 336 systems worked to do 95% of what the 640's did for me with just alittle less clarity/sharpness to the image. I wish I could have bought two 640 systems, but I am blessed to be able to get two new 336 scopes so will smile and be happy!
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For my budget I am interested in this unit
IR HUNTER 3 - 12 x 35MM, 320x240 Thermal Weapon Scope
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Looks like the battery extender will move the endcap past the on/off switch allowing for easier access to the battery compartment when mounted atop a flat top AR.
What say you? |
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I rented the IR Hunter 320 35mm from UNV. Easy process by the way and an innovative program. This is my first night playing with the unit so bare with the video. I will get out and do some shooting this weekend and hopefully record various animals at various distances. Initial impressions are that the 3x unit shines outside of 25 yards. Anything closer and the image is not as crisp, which honestly isn't an issue for me.
For now I attached the unit to my iPad via the inTelligent iPad case adapter. Here is a quick video I took of the dogs |
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I rented the IR Hunter 320 35mm from UNV. Easy process by the way and an innovative program. This is my first night playing with the unit so bare with the video. I will get out and do some shooting this weekend and hopefully record various animals at various distances. Initial impressions are that the 3x unit shines outside of 25 yards. Anything closer and the image is not as crisp, which honestly isn't an issue for me. For now I attached the unit to my iPad via the inTelligent iPad case adapter. Here is a quick video I took of the dogs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rtaIKvVGOY&feature=em-upload_owner View Quote Wow! That little guy stays pretty busy marking his territory. Might want to keep your shoes on a shelf. lol Thanks for posting the video, the ir hunter has a great reticle. Are the controls easy to use? I have heard of some POI shift issues. Curious to how it will perform for you this weekend. Renting these thermal units for a test drive seems like a very good idea for such a large investment. |
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Be sure to set the ocular focus as perfect as you can get it . Since you have no objective focusing haing the ocular to the perfect setting seems to really make a big difference in clarity with my IR hunter 320 model.
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The 3x mag might be a bit much. The field of view is limited as a hand held viewer more than I would prefer. As a pure weapons sight between 50-200 yards its money.
The 2x model maybe a better option for those looking to use the scope as a hand held spotting tool and a weapons mounted option. I have some vids I will process in the next view days. I was able to detect deer at 600 yards, not identify. They were easily identifiable under 200 yards. I am going to play with an eotech x320 today for comparison. More to come.
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Looking forward to your complete review of the 3X. I can tell you the 336 2X IR hunter is about the perfect magnification me. No issue shooting out to 150 yards also when using the 2X zoom.
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<=====================BEGIN MK II INFO==================> The following are MK II know issues that have been fixed with firmware updates. - Dead/Dark Pixels Some early MK II units had calibration issues where pixels would not calibrate correctly. When you calibrate the unit the pixels would look normal, but after a few minutes the pixel would appear a darker or lighter color than the rest of the image. This was fixed with an early firmware update. - Missing Icons Some or all icons disappear momentarily but come back after you let the unit catch up. This was fixed with v1.37. You may still some icons that disappear, but this issue is normally caused by low batteries. Replace your batteries and try again. - Very Dim Display Some units will have a very dim display upon startup but will brighten up after a calibration. What causes this is if you have your brightness level low and also have the auto dimmer on level 8 set to "on". To remedy this issue either leave your display brightness above 1/2 or turn your auto dimmer off. NOTE ABOUT MK II CLIP ON MODE: The IR Hunter MK II can be used with up to a 4X optics. The clip-on mode is improved from the original IR Hunter MK I unit where you had to use a 1X day optic. The MK II display size shrinks when put in CO mode to accommodate day optic magnification. Videos - IR Hunter Thermal Night Hunting Video Playlist Video - IR Hunter MK II One Shot Zero Sight In Method The new IR HUNTER MK II is a breakthrough in the 640 category at the lowest priced 640 system ever at $5,495.00 and made to the same quality as the IR HUNTER. Externally the new sight is identical to the existing IR HUNTER with the following improvements. 1. Sensor is a 640x480 MicroIR BAE 12um thermal engine 2. 12um Micron mean all existing lenses have a 35% increase in magnification over 17um Micron sensors 3. 40% power savings for longer battery life 4. Battery cap has been moved forward for easier removal and installation 5. 60hz frame rate in a 640 weapon sight – yes 60hz. We also have a selectable 30hz mode for power saving, the 60hz takes more juice to run. 6. 640x480 VGA Emagin OLED for an extra sharp image. 7. The display size has been reduced by 20% to make it ideal for both dedicated and clip-on operations. 8. CLIP-ON – the sight will work with a bunch of 1x and variable 1-4x, 1-6x day optics. It works as is with no changes and no need for an accessory. It will work perfect out of the box using the feature in the system to sight it in. 9. Image capture is improved and now will show the reticles in the images and it saves more images as well. |
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This just in from IR Defense: The new IR HUNTER MK II is a breakthrough in the 640 category at the lowest priced 640 system ever at $5,495.00 and made to the same quality as the IR HUNTER. Externally the new sight is identical to the existing IR HUNTER with the following improvements. 1. Sensor is a 640x480 MicroIR BAE 12um thermal engine 2. 12um Micron mean all existing lenses have a 35% increase in magnification over 17um Micron sensors 3. 40% power savings for longer battery life 4. Battery cap has been moved forward for easier removal and installation 5. 60hz frame rate in a 640 weapon sight – yes 60hz. We also have a selectable 30hz mode for power saving, the 60hz takes more juice to run. 6. 640x480 VGA Emagin OLED for an extra sharp image. 7. The display size has been reduced by 20% to make it ideal for both dedicated and clip-on operations. 8. CLIP-ON – the sight will work with a bunch of 1x and variable 1-4x, 1-6x day optics. It works as is with no changes and no need for an accessory. It will work perfect out of the box using the feature in the system to sight it in. 9. Image capture is improved and not will show the reticles in the images and it saves more images as well. View Quote Wow those are some impressive features! How big of a lens is on this $5500 scope? |
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Quoted: Wow those are some impressive features! How big of a lens is on this $5500 scope? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: This just in from IR Defense: The new IR HUNTER MK II is a breakthrough in the 640 category at the lowest priced 640 system ever at $5,495.00 and made to the same quality as the IR HUNTER. Externally the new sight is identical to the existing IR HUNTER with the following improvements. 1. Sensor is a 640x480 MicroIR BAE 12um thermal engine 2. 12um Micron mean all existing lenses have a 35% increase in magnification over 17um Micron sensors 3. 40% power savings for longer battery life 4. Battery cap has been moved forward for easier removal and installation 5. 60hz frame rate in a 640 weapon sight – yes 60hz. We also have a selectable 30hz mode for power saving, the 60hz takes more juice to run. 6. 640x480 VGA Emagin OLED for an extra sharp image. 7. The display size has been reduced by 20% to make it ideal for both dedicated and clip-on operations. 8. CLIP-ON – the sight will work with a bunch of 1x and variable 1-4x, 1-6x day optics. It works as is with no changes and no need for an accessory. It will work perfect out of the box using the feature in the system to sight it in. 9. Image capture is improved and not will show the reticles in the images and it saves more images as well. Wow those are some impressive features! How big of a lens is on this $5500 scope? |
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Pretty cool. It would be really cool to do a comparison between all the units available out there throughout the entire price spectrum, mil-spec and commercial. I'm thinking like an IR Hunter (various models), FLIR RS (various models), ATN Thor (various models), L3 LWTS, FLIR T70 and T75, and whatever else. I'm sure it wouldn't be easy to get all that equipment looking at the same scene in the same conditions but wow that would be insightful. If something like that happens in FL I'd be happy to drive my LWTS to wherever to do some in person comparisons.
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This is why I'm selling my D740 and X320 soon with all this great new gear coming out!!!
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The 3x mag might be a bit much. The field of view is limited as a hand held viewer more than I would prefer. As a pure weapons sight between 50-200 yards its money. The 2x model maybe a better option for those looking to use the scope as a hand held spotting tool and a weapons mounted option. I have some vids I will process in the next view days. I was able to detect deer at 600 yards, not identify. They were easily identifiable under 200 yards. I am going to play with an eotech x320 today for comparison. More to come. View Quote Looking forward to reading the comparison. Thanks for posting. |
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MK II 1.5X, I can see that model finding its way into my safe when they are shipping out hopefully sooner than later
On the same topic I have really been getting lots of enjoyment out of my IR Hunter 336 2X scope it's become my perfered IR thermal scope it's just so simple and fast to use in the field. I find that a big advantage vs some of the other thermal sights we have been using. |
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Quoted: MK II 1.5X, I can see that model finding its way into my safe when they are shipping out hopefully sooner than later On the same topic I have really been getting lots of enjoyment out of my IR Hunter 336 2X scope it's become my perfered IR thermal scope it's just so simple and fast to use in the field. I find that a big advantage vs some of the other thermal sights we have been using. View Quote Videos coming soon.
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This is why I'm selling my D740 and X320 soon with all this great new gear coming out!!! View Quote I share your enthusiasm! How lucky are we with all this new equipment coming out? In 2007 I SOOOOOO WANTED to buy a FLIR Thermosight for 9k! Those were 160x120 units IIRC, but they were available when very little else was for civilians. Then later I nearly bought a used dpt of energy TAM-14 for $4500 in 2010 which, at the time, was also a steal. I "subsisted" with my used AN/PAS-19 units from 2009 until 2013 which honestly served me VERY VERY well. Those things worked very well but had limited resolution, a ~30 second time to readiness, and weighed 5lb w/ mount. Many critters died at the hands of those elderly units, they very much served their purpose. At that time a CNVD-T was advertised at $26k new so I just figured I'd never ever have anything like that. I once again nearly bought the FLIR RS 640 w/ 35mm lens in Feb 2014 amidst all its initial hype but stopped myself because I really wanted a clip-on. I finally got off the fence in April of this year and bought a mil-spec L3 LWTS for $10k and could NOT possibly be happier that I waited until that time. I still can't imagine a more perfect thermal sight, not that such a thing is not forthcoming. Now, if this 12 micron 640 device with a BAE sensor that has both stand-alone and clip-on capabilities actually comes to fruition for its quoted price tag of just over $5k, that will be something else entirely. When I initially got into night vision, partially by necessity and partially by the whole "always wanted one" mentality, a good thermal sight was limited in its capabilities and also VERY cost-prohibitive to most people (let alone an undergraduate student which I was at the time). Now, gentleman, we have options. God Bless capitalism and the free market |
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That speed-of-use thing seems more and more important. Been playing with the Thor 336 more and love everything except the start up process. View Quote Yep I really like my THOR 336 3X it has great image clarity,sharpness and contrast to the image. I have no trouble to ID targets at my normal shooting ranges and well beyond. The only thing I would like improved is a faster one touch start up process like the IR hunter has I would think that could be done in the firmware. Overall that said I think the THOR 3X is a steal on the market for its performance and construction. My buddy has two Thor sights now and uses them a ton year around they hold up very well to heavy use in the field. The 336 3X is my second THOR and I really like it a lot. |
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What do you refer to when you say "clip on"?
Also, is there any advantage/disadvantage to the 35mm over the 19 or 20? |
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Quoted: Great more pictures Tyler that's just what I need to see. View Quote Printable Spec Sheets for anyone interested. IR Hunter MK II Spec Sheet |
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