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Posted: 10/17/2025 4:44:07 PM EDT
[Last Edit: the-answer-is-42][Edited]
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Looks like a direct competitor to the Infitac Mini. Does anyone have any information on it yet? Heres the press release I found: https://www.vectoroptics.com/News/308.htmlVEOT-RS08 |
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I found the product page on their website today. Looks like it was just launched but is out of stock: https://vector2007.com/collections/not-on-sale_2025/products/owlset-heim-es-x-nano-std-mini-thermal-sight-veot-rs08 Finally a cheap alternate in this space with a low price. It does look like the specs differ as of right now where the Infitac has a 25 NETD and this model states 40 NETD. Also the refresh is 50hz on this unit with a 60hz on the infitac. The battery is a 16280 instead of a CR2 on the infitac as well. Edit to add: It uses ACRO mounts instead of the FMP proprietary plate thing. Thats neat. But for casual larping and varmint hunting I dont think those matter much. I'm pretty sure there is a spin15% and spin20% coupon code still active for this website, so at a $599 price this comes down to like $480 or less because ALL their products are always on sale on their website. |
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Originally Posted By the-answer-is-42: If anyone wants to know anything specific let me know Nothing specific we just want to know it all. |
"I am gonna laugh my ass off looking out the air vent of the box car watching some of you shot in the head in a ditch when you finally realize it's time to resist." stolen from RR_broccoli
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Originally Posted By MtnRoamer: Thanks for being the guinea pig on this, looking forward to your thoughts on it. Alright guys here it is. I bolded headings, combined photos, and looking 'professional' I hope  I was sick this week after taking this thing outdoors and to the range after receiving it so I've had plenty of time to write up a bunch of thoughts. Hopefully this covers all the bases   The Owlset VEOT-RSS08 is the second mini-thermal of its kind on the market that I can recall. The Infitac Mini FM-series which was released a few years ago was the first model and has had a good reception as an auxiliary thermal sight. Mini thermal sights have been photographed being used in multiple ways for both civilian and law enforcement needs so as my first thermal sight model I wanted to start small to see what having one was about. From what I can see the RSS08 incorporates many of the same features as the Infitac Mini but also introduces additional settings and modes into its firmware and features of the unit. I believe it also has some internal differences based on their spec sheets. You can see in the above post that the price of the RSS08 can be less than $500 with coupon codes available online which is about $175 less than the lowest sale price of the Infitac Mini FMP at around $649 which I think makes the RSS08 the most budget thermal on the market.  These mini thermal sights were initially marketed as pistol optics, but in my opinion that’s a very small use case and they are much better suited as secondary scanning devices to your main optic or used as the main thermal optic for close-distance varmint hunting. The RSS08 settings and preferences are fully touch screen and can also be navigated with the rubber buttons (shown below in the side photo) on the side of the unit with short and long presses. Using the touch screen to change modes or settings is very easy on this unit and the ‘home’ screen allows you to swipe between reticles, zoom, and thermal modes with ease.  Battery Power and Mounting The RSS08 uses the newer 3.7v 16280 battery from the higher-priced Infitac FML model – and not a small and hard-to-find CR2 which the original Infitac FMP (and really old EOtech?) used. This is a very positive spec for the battery and Owlset includes not one but three lithium rechargeable batteries with the unit as well as a .5A USB-C charger in the box. The RSS08 will charge while off using the USB-C port on the side of the unit while plugged into a wall charger or with an external battery pack. This is a very cool feature especially if you need to charge the unit in the field while hunting and negating the need to the external charger if you don’t have it. I did not have any issues with battery life while using the unit and after an hour and more of use only one bar was missing from the battery monitor icon shown below. The RSS08 uses an ACRO footprint which is borrowed from the Aimpoint ACRO. It does not have changeable plates to adapt to various red dot footprints like the Infitac Mini but the ACRO is available in many mounting options and the RSS08 does include an ACRO-to-Picatinny mount in the box as well. Thermal Modes, Settings and Additions Note: The images shown do not look as good enlarged on our computer screens as they do on the unit itself with the smaller screen. They are much sharper on the native small screen.  A full color range of thermal modes is available on the RSS08 and they are easily switchable with a swipe from the home screen. See the below image for all choices along with a green reticle choice I added to the screen. In additional to the usual modes a ‘cold color’ mode has been added (shown above right with the turkey) which shows cold in a greenish hue and hot in a purple/white gamut of colors. In the other image above, you can see a car traveling down a wooded forest road at about 70 yards with hotspot detection and a crosshair green reticle turned on. You can see a turkey here in these trees at about 30 yards (the reticle is on the turkey) and showing every single color mode available on this unit:  The RSS08 incorporates a new feature of being able to choose multiple reticle colors which I don’t believe the Infitac has. You can choose from yellow, blue, white, red and, green to overlay onto the thermal image. Green was chosen above in the test images. Hotspot tracking is probably the nicest firmware addition to this unit which inserts a box onto the screen and automatically centers itself on the hottest item it is detecting. The Infitac Mini does not have this feature in its spec sheet. Here are two images showing squirrels and a turkey at around 30 yards away using hotspot tracking in both black and white hot modes:  The RSS08 (vs the RS08) is a wifi version which means it has a local wifi network that you can connect to with your cell phone and use to act as a second larger screen or a way to download your photos and videos and manage the device. It’s very handy to have this app availability for this mini thermal and I could see some additional uses like the larger screen with a picatinny cell phone holder for stationary varmint hunting. All images shown here were taken natively on the unit itself and then downloaded via wifi and the iPhone app. Another novel setting option which Owlset has added is called “Pure Mode” that removes all widgets from the screen to show only the thermal image and none of the setting icons or watermarks/dates/etc giving you a “pure” unobstructed view and is a nice added feature for those using this unit only as a scanning device. Usage and Future Upgrades The screen on this unit is good for being so small. It is large enough to identify items on the thermal screen while still being compact, and I don’t think moving up to a 300+ resolution screen on these units would do much in favor of that. The contrast is adjustable but leaves a little to be desired along with the minor amount of smear/lag when moving due to the 50hz refresh rate. As with the previous mentions these are also part of having such an affordable and small unit so it’s up to the purchaser to decide if the trade-offs are worth it. One minor detractor for this unit is the field of view in close quarters and close-in areas. The unit needs a bit of space to really see anything properly which backs up my theory that this really isn’t a good fit for a tactical pistol unless you are using it for varmint hunting at 5+ yards away with a pistol at nighttime for rodents, hogs, or etc on something like a .22LR. Below is an image of a turkey in a tree line at about 30 yards in both no zoom (.5x zoom) and full digital zoom (1x zoom):  Some additional features I would like for this unit are shake-awake and the ability to add/save/remove settings profiles to the system. Shake-awake is a given these days with devices and would be a huge benefit to battery life on this unit - though I can see that since this is such a niche item that is purpose-built it may not be 100% necessary. I found myself wanting settings profiles several times while using this unit. It’s not a deal breaker but having to go back to the settings screen and change reticle colors or etc would have been nice in a full profile change rather than using the quick swipe method on the touch screen. Maybe these can be taken care of with firmware updates in the future from Owlset via the phone app? This RSS08 is also only 1000g shock rated as opposed to 1200g for the Infitac FM-series line and is only a 50hz refresh rate vs the 60hz of the Infitac line. The NETD (Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference) is a thermal scope sensitivity rating (lower is better) and this unit comes in at a rating of 40 where the Infitac units have a rating of 25. I don’t feel this is a huge issue again given what Owlset is trying to accomplish with this unit but it’s something to keep in mind if that is important to you and your thermal imaging journey. Conclusion What can I say? For a sub-$500 thermal sight (with a $599 street price) when purchased with discounts this unit is just a crazy good deal to get into the thermal optics game. I think you need to be realistic in your comparisons of these mini units and what you want to accomplish with them. Are they as good as $2000+ clip-on units or other 256+ units in that thousands-of-collars price range? Of course not. Would I put this on a 12:00 piggyback mount to scan at night or even during the day for thermal signatures? Absolutely. Would I put this on a .22LR for varmint hunting? Absolutely. Can you add this to a .300BLK for hog or coyote hunting? Absolutely. Could law enforcement in rural areas use this in a 45 degree, 12:00 piggyback, or parallel side-mount for scanning to find heat signatures? Absolutely. Is this a precision instrument? Probably not. The Owlset RSS08 packs a ton of features into a small thermal package and in my opinion is a great starting point and absolutely a force-multiplier that everyone should have in their equipment and if you’re looking at the Infitac Mini line this unit is a welcome addition to the space. As I get more time on this unit and bang it around outdoors I will provide future updates and a huge shoutout to Owlset to providing the unit. |
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Originally Posted By 1iviper: thanks for posting up the pics and mini review i was thinking about picking up one of the newer infitac's but this looks like it's worth a closer look at also No prob! I just checked this company's website again and they have another thermal product that's been out for a year now I've never seen which is a 'thermal nano monocular' that can be used as a clip-on or a helmet monocular. With how crazy cheap these things are I'm trying real hard not to get a helmet-mountable thermal...but thats going to come with additional costs I'm sure 
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Originally Posted By the-answer-is-42: Well guys...a fool and his money, right? Looks like I have a dirt cheap helmet-mountable thermal inbound Its showing as only $419 shipped with a free $25 red dot for my .22lr LOLAny recommendations on a cheap helmet with front NVG mount around $100 that isnt complete crap?  Let us know when it arrives |
Stolen Firearm: Colt AR15, Serial # SP342380, 16" carbine. Stolen in California by Kevin Ayres, and taken to Missouri.
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Originally Posted By 1iviper: looking forward to hearing how well it does crye precision nightcap should work good for that , or amazon has a plethora of cheap knockoff bump helmets I looked at that but it didnt come with a mount, and after getting a unity summit and the cap and battery pouch it would be pushing $200. The goal here is to keep it cheap as possible I ended up getting this from arms unlimited: https://armsunlimited.com/damascus-tbh1-tactical-bump-helmet/ |
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Originally Posted By the-answer-is-42: I looked at that but it didnt come with a mount, and after getting a unity summit and the cap and battery pouch it would be pushing $200. The goal here is to keep it cheap as possible I ended up getting this from arms unlimited: https://armsunlimited.com/damascus-tbh1-tactical-bump-helmet/ |
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Ordered the mini. Plan to try it on a Marlin 1894 357 trapper. I have an agm varmint already but would like something lighter to use for pest control around the house. Used healthcare to get Govx pricing. 25% off. Post up that monocular and what ever mount you end up using. I purchased some cheap digital NV and went through about 4 Chinese bump helmets until I found one I liked. Believe I also found op’s turkey tracking video on YouTube. |
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Mine arrived today. Waiting for adm qd mount. Looking forward to follow up shots on armadillos Attached File |
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Mount came. Initially it mounted up fairly loose. Took a little hand fitting to the Owlset to get a tight lock up to adm. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By WhiskeyBear: Mount came. Initially it mounted up fairly loose. Took a little hand fitting to the Owlset to get a tight lock up to adm. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/262264/IMG_0296_jpeg-3743612.JPG I have mine right now on an ADM piggyback ring for their delta series 30mm scope mount and it screwed on fine - but I always push my stuff forward while screwing on to give it the recoil tension. Let us know how it goes and if youre experience with it is similar to mine! |
So I ended up getting the other cheap monocular in hand and I quickly realized their website description was wrong. More on that later, but I'm waiting on a replacement thermal from them  Originally Posted By WhiskeyBear: Mount came. Initially it mounted up fairly loose. Took a little hand fitting to the Owlset to get a tight lock up to adm. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/262264/IMG_0296_jpeg-3743612.JPG @WhiskeyBear Did you end up getting time behind this? Wondering if you have the same pros/cons as me. |
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I got the wiggle out of the thermal with a piece of electrical tape between adm mount and thermal. I emailed owlset and they gave me item numbers for their qd mount that would then stack with pic rail adapter…no thanks. With it being so dry in my area I have not seen any armadillo sign. That’s my primary use of thermal. I wish it had a focus function. Maybe I’ve missed it with such limited use but it seems about 30 yards is the sweet spot. Between turkey season and the drought I haven’t spent much time messing with owlset. On the other hand, my Benelli has kept turkeys relevant to this thread. Attached File |
Ok here is the long awaited (maybe, if anyone cares  ) post about the Owlset monocular. They have several models going from "MC06" to "MC08" and as it turns out, the model I thought I needed which was the MC07 had a bunch of wrong information listed on the website (both their corporate and retail websites which was removed after I pointed it out) and is only meant to be a handheld monocular or weapon-mounted with generous eye relief and had no diopter or other adjustments. After bringing this up to Owlset and telling them my needs they offered to send me the upgraded MC08 model with a 400 sensor! So thanks to Owlset for being an awesome company to start off this TED talk.I have been beginning my thermal journey and testing out 256 resolution thermal units on the lower end of the thermal spectrum to see how they work and how they could fit within my usage scenarios. The Owlset VEOT-MC08 is a 400-class detector thermal monocular that provides lots of new features over the 256 units I have on hand.  After my first time using it, I was amazed by how much clearer these units are than my 256 ones. The definition and clarity of a 400-series detector over a 256 are huge! Thermals have their own line of important aspects: 25mm objective, 25mK NETD, a 400-class 12-micron detector, IP67 water proofing, and an 800x600 AMOLED screen inside the unit. Seemingly standard for this class of unit. The MC08 unit features all the usual color spectrums for thermal but also adds in two new ones which are green and sepia-toned. I don’t have much use for the sepia - and not sure where the contrast would work well - but the green version is great makes it seem like a night-vision-esque experience and is quite nice to view.  The stitched photo above shows all available color modes while viewing trees and pavement after dark.  The image above shows several objects at approximately 100 yards – both a vehicle and a person walking. The imaging is very clear and you can see both items with ease at 100 yards. For my top priority, I wanted to get a thermal monocular that could be helmet mounted so my hands could be free while either hunting or other tasks. For this to work the thermal monocular needs to have objective and focus adjustments like a thermal clip-on that allow you to focus on the scenery and adjust for your eyesight. The MC08 does both and the adjustments work very well.  The eye relief is short on the MC08 but it allows the thermal to sit in a very night-vision-esque manner on the helmet. Owlset has an available mount for these thermals and other products, but it would place the thermal in the middle of your face and I wanted to offset the monocular so that my dominant eye could be free to focus on a red dot, scope, or mounted clip-on thermal if needed for aiming while still using the MC08 thermal in my nondominant eye. This is where the mounting solution turned into a mixture of parts. I ended up using a Wilcox NVG mount along with a GoodNightGear NVG30/50 adjustable dovetail mount which then attached to the MC08’s picatinny mount/adapter piece. So, in all, three separate products were needed to create the proper offset mount for this monocular. My second use case is to use the monocular as a clip-on and the MC08 did not disappoint in this usage, either. Installation was easy with the provided picatinny mount – though I did have to remove the NVG helmet adapter pieces which involved several screws.  I tried the MC08 on a 1-6x LPVO currently as my DMR setup and it worked fine right out of the gate! The image below shows the LPVO and MC08 at 1x, 3x, and 6. I needed to adjust the ocular ring to get a clear image compared to my helmet setup but after that I was only using the scope to zoom. There is some refraction/blur at higher magnifications, but it is still useable and, in my opinion, much better than a 256 unit or even using the digital zoom on the unit itself. Here’s how it looks as a clip-on as pictured above with 1x, 3x, and 6x magnification:  The firmware included with the MC08 is easy to use and is traversed by using the directional scroll wheel built into the unit by the eye piece with a single or long-press button on the bottom. The wheel is stiff until you break it in a bit, but after that and getting used to it the menu is easy to use and has a full suite of thermal features such as sleep modes, image enhancements, color options, user-defined shortcuts, and the usual brightness/contrast settings. Firmware options such as Bluetooth and wifi can be turned on to access the unit from your phone with the ThermalIR app and you can then view the screen remotely, make firmware updates, or change settings on the unit in real-time. If you don’t like changing options with the omin-directional scroll wheel than the ThermalIR app is what you’ll want to use most often. Overall, I think this Owlset MC08 unit is a very powerful and handy thermal monocular that bridges the gap between cheaper 256 units and much more expensive 1280 units very well. I’m glad I ended up with this MC08 unit! Using the MC08 as a helmet mounted monocular, I think will be a gamechanger for me when scanning tree lines and etc. during hunting trips and being able to use it as a capable clip on is a super huge plus as well. |
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Is anyone here a 3D printer and wants to print something for a price? I want to see if I can get this made for one of my Guide thermals which is the same as Owlset: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1568612-guide-te211m-thermal-riflescopes-bridge#profileId-1649309 Any takers? |
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