I was looking real hard at the T50, but also considering the M24 640 core.

I am running L3 Filmless ANVIS-9  goggles (soon to have BNVD's) along with D2's also for my main NV setup. I also hang the FLIR PS32 around my neck for thermal scanning it works great for my use this is my second season with the PS32. My buddy is running a helmet PVS-14 and ITAL and M24 640x480 around his neck. I like his M24 housing alttle better overall and the 640x480 core is great but honestly both systems do what we need out of a thermal which is to spot hidden/hard to see critters under 50- 400 yards. Thats why I have never spent the extra money to upgrade to the m24 even though I think about it every few months :)  
With the limited FOV of the M24 I dont think I would use it helmet mounted it just doesn't work anywhere close as well vs a helmet mount pvs-14.I'm no thermal expect I have only had a chance to use personally the FLIR PS32,M24 640x480, and the H-307 models in hunting conditions and to me they are were more of a detection type unit which I then grabbed the gen 3 NV to get a better look.

I had the M24 640 core and sold it.  I think Terry is right.

Where I went wrong was thinking of thermal as a viewing device.  My assumption was twice the resolution means it would be twice as good.  Wrong.  The real value in thermal is detection.  They are not that great for viewing.  Their value is in detection.  The viewing role belongs to my PVS14.  If I ever do thermal again it will be with instalert and something reasonably priced.  I don't think you get $8K worth of value out of an M24.  Like Terry says, you can get the detection job done with spending much less money.

I recently picked up a FLIR T50 and although I have not had a lot of time with it my orginal thoughts dating back 13 years ago seem to be correct, that a viewer is best and especially if you can only have one.
I personally have always wanted a helmet mounted viewer but from everything I have read you have to go real high end for it to work correctly, like the SKEET IR.

What is the insta-alert feature? How does it work?

On my PS32 I have White Hot,Black Hot, and 4 levels of instant alert. In instant alert each level becomes more sensitive from 1-4 in fact most of the time level 3-4 red out(overload) around here. The instant alert is basiclly white hot mode but hotter items in the image are red which makes them super fast to spot. The side affect is instant alert is not the best clarity wise black hot is best,white hot next and then instant alert most of the time. Instant alert just helps you spot targets faster making targets really stand out that said sometimes it doesnt work well as everything reds out same can happen in white hot mode. I find real rocky areas/lands  to be a pain for my thermal the rocks are warm and it makes the thermal clutter up alot reducing its ability to do its main job detect.

My experience is that thermal really performs well identifying living objects on flat fields.  Example: Hogs, deer, rabbits, ect on a farm in Kansas.

It doesn't do so well in areas with lots of vegetation (trees and bushes) or rocks.  Example: in the desert with lots of boulders and sagebrush everything looks hot at a distance.  It doesn't even matter if it is cold out.  Too much clutter.

I see about 4 different versions of the PS32.

M24 640x480 is a very nice unit if you have the extra $$$$ buy the best of the bunch its not a huge gain over the PS32 as far as just detection of critters but the housing is nicer and the the 640x480 imager is nmore eye pleaseing overall. The PS32 is also very nice and price is impossiable to beat for what you get price wise. Something middle ground would be the LS series 30hz and the newest FLIR imager design mil spec harden

Im not sure if the ps32 has a 9hz or 30hz refresh rate but me personaly i wouldnt want the 9hz. I also considered the m24 640x480 model but ended up with the hs-307 (because of price) which has a 320x240 core.  It works great for what i do. I have a friend who sold his hs-307 to upgrade to the m24 640 and he said that it works very well but that it was not worth the extra $. To me for detecting hogs and other critters a 320x240 unit is all you need and though i've never got to look through a 640 core i bet when there is high humidity the 320 and 640 suffer the same. If i were to do it all over again I would go with the atn thor 320 scope. That way you have a viewer and a weapons mountable scope all in one.

If I didn't already own a thermal and was starting from scratch I would be the LS32 or LS64. Both these can be had for around $1000 of retail if you shop prices, both are 30hz, but have mil-spec hardened imagers of the newer design and pixel sizes,both have instant alert mode, and the LS64 has a 30mm lens which really helps at long range for less than the M24 640x480 model. My buddy also sold his H-307 to buy the M24. His reason was he liked the much smaller/more compact size of the M24 it fits in your BDU pocket while his 307 was larger size wise. That said the big lens on the 307 really rocked at longer ranges I think even better that 640x480 core M24 past 150-200 yards. And yes I would also like to have one of the Mini Thor 2X model scopes :)

Id go T50.


































 

+1, I do the same thing.

How does the H-307 compare to the LS64?

Both look pretty good and might replace the M24 I was planning on getting.

I haven't seen the LS64 yet its so new out but it's the same housing as the PS32 with  640 x 512 ,35mm fixed focus and 18x14 FOV. The H-307 is a great longer range system do to its bigger lens but I didn't like the overall size/weight compared to my PS32 or the M24. Around here we only need thermal for 400 yards max so if I was in the wide open plains viewing 500-1000 yards I might feel the 307 is a better unit for that task everyone has different needs for us a compact unit that works well under 500 yards is the key. One thing to look at is the FOV is important to narrow it doesnt work well close range(woods) like looking throught a straw.

This is practical advice that I needed to hear.  What would you say the FOV is with the T50?

 

T-50 FOV:9.33° (h) x 7° (v)

http://www.flir.com/uploadedFiles/GS/datasheets/SS_LTR_ACTS.pdf

http://www.trijicon.com/resources/product_literature/ACTS_ComparisonChart.pdf

Just noticed one bummer about the LS64; the battery appears to be internal with a micro USB charge option.

Kind of want a replacable battery for potential SHTF purposes.

Just hook a USB adapter up to a solar charger or any 12volt battery, not a problem.

Personally, I like the internal rechargeable setup better on my PS 32 than replacing batteries all the time.

Anyone got any info or feedback on the X28?