Really want to get thermal. I know these haVe limited uses,  only good for 100 yards. These good for wildlife observing,  close in security?

I bought a TM160 and a TM384 via Amazon and did my own side by side comparison. The 160 went back, it was horrible compared to the 384.

While they are better than no thermal, you'll be severely underwhelmed with the 160 as your first thermal purchase.
The main reasons are that the display screen size and FOV is minuscule, like looking at a bright postage stamp that's recessed in a tube.
Not ideal for a spotter.
The videos you see, aren't what you see when looking into it.
The bigger display, better resolution and FOV are three reasons to save up for a TM15 384.

For @ 360.00 the 100-125 recognition range and the features it has are well worth the price vs a Leupold Tracker or a Flir scout. If your going to save more to buy a TM15, you'll be better off saving a very little more and buy a thermal weapons scope, use it as a spotter as well as a scope. Amazon has a great return policy with free shipping returns. My suggestion is to try one out for yourself to see its features as well as limitations in different temperatures and environments.

I’ve got one, and a Rattler 25. Of course there is no comparison between the two.

However, if you understand what you’re getting, and temper your expectations, I believe it’s still an excellent tool for certain tasks.

You can absolutely tell a person up to 100 yards, if not more. Even in wooded areas. So if you’re going to use it for ShtF, in an area like a residential neighborhood where the distances aren’t going to be huge, it definitely will make it so you can see people trying to sneak up on you.

But for longer ranges, or being able to make it finer details at distance, it’s not going to perform as well as the more expensive units.

I have some videos of my Rattler 25 on my YouTube page. I’ll upload some of the 160 later so you can judge for yourself.

The TM160 is a cool toy, but not tactically. The TM384 is very usable tactically. The TM15-384 is even better as it has a larger screen. I make helmet mounts for them that I sell on etsy. I am very familiar with these. I own both TM384 and TM15-384. feel free to ask questions

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TM384
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Thoughts on the TM 10 ?

I don't have a AGM TAIPAN TM10-256, but I think 384 resolution is the minimum resolution I would accept. So for a few hundred more get a 384.

Kinda been my problem. I look at the cheap FLIR and AGM models and they seem to be lacking. Then I look at the next level up and see people post, spend a few $100 more and get X. At that point Id be spending $1500-$2000 on something I dont know that Ill use all that often and it seems a bit much.

So back to having nothing and sitting on the side lines waiting for prices to come down. lol

I've handled every type of budget thermal monocular available in the states.
The cheapest, useable, feature packed thermal mono available to me, is the AGM TM15 384, which is what I ended up keeping.
Cons, it's made in China and has an internal battery.
Pros, wide FOV, large screen size, records, helmet mountable, long battery life using sleep mode with wifi off.
I'll also add decently priced to the pros too, as any other manufacturer with those features cost a lot more and most if not all aren't helmet mountable.
I used PP credit and paid it off monthly.
They have a three year limited warranty for the original purchaser.
I have several friends with AGM scopes/monos for over a year now with some heavy usage and none of them have had any issues as of yet.
I would find a dealer that has a good rtn policy and check them out for yourself.

I use PP credit the same way.

At $1500 think I’d lean more towards a PVS-7.


Has anyone had issues with the batteries dying? And if so anyone try to crack it open and replace them?


Also how well does the head mount work?

Sounds like you've leaned over and hit your head pretty hard, to choose a PVS7 over a thermal !
I've found the TM15 for $1,200 shipped on flea bay and it'll blow away any type of NV for spotting anything living on the planet.
No issues with the batteries yet and while I was testing it, I ran it dry and powered it up with a 5000MaH mini power pack.
I would think that AGM would probably just send you a new unit, instead of trying to cut it open to replace the battery.
The headgear works as it should and is fair priced.
I've used it while riding on an ATV + UTV, but I primarily use it while in stand, giving my arms a break.

How far will the 15 reach and still distinguish game?

Ex can you tell deer from a cow at 100-200 yards?

Tm-15 384 can do 100 yards cow/deer. 200 I don't know, would be borderline. 640 res would do it.

PID all depends on your experience in the field with thermal.
I can and have ID deer and cows out to 400+ with the 15, because they are large animals and their behavior is fairly easy to recognize.
Smaller animals are always given a pass till they get closer, but you can easily tell the difference between a deer or dog at 200 from their behavior and shape. Ex- a dog has a longer tail, shorter neck, is closer to the ground and moves differently than a deer.
Having a crappy spotter with a minimal FOV and screen size will make it harder to ID animals at any distance.
In my opinion, the 15 would be worth saving up for, but if a 160 is all you can afford for the foreseeable future and your expectations aren't set to high, it's still better than nothing.

Ok, so I just took some video with my 160, but for some reason, when I transferred it to my computer, it now looks like trash. And that’s without YouTube curbstomping it further.

I don’t want to post it because it really doesn’t give you an accurate portrayal of the image.

I can tell you, for sure, you can very easily make out people to 120(ish) yards.

The image got kinda trashed on my rattler 25 too but no where near as bad as my 160. You can see some videos of my rattler 25 on my YouTube page

My YouTube page