User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 9/16/2017 11:13:34 PM EDT
[#1]
If a scope is what you are getting buy a thermal. That being said I suggest that you look at PVS 14 from TNVC. You can use it to maneuver at night. You can see things that thermal cant see while you are walking. use an IR laser to aim your rifle. NV is more versatile.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/16/2017 11:28:16 PM EDT
[#2]
PVS 14, hands down. Not even close in utility per dollar spent terms.
I own both. Thermal is low res, and not the magic reveals all tool you might think it is. With NV you'll actually know what's out there and the resolution is consistent with normal vision. With Thermal you might know something is out there. You won't know what. With NV the batteries will last days. With thermal it's more like hours. That has a lot of reliability implications. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/17/2017 8:48:19 AM EDT
[#3]
What we find from looking back over the years is that most people buy a PVS14 first, then come back after they've recouped their finances and buy a 2nd 14 or then buy a thermal set.
You want to wait on thermal right now- new and better tech coming out and prices have dropped like crazy. It's a little different with I2 (NV) technology. Was just teaching my son how to drive at night with the PVS14s last night, great way to learn how to put the whole sensory picture together and another way to get the feel of depth, deal with rapidly changing light conditions, etc. I wouldn't settle for used/unknown pedigree, your $$$ is very close to what you can get a new factory built real PVS14 with a 10 year warranty for. Feel free to email me or call us if you have any questions regarding Night vision. I've been a survivalist for 31 years and I've used night vision in training and for preparedness for about 25 of those years. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/17/2017 12:17:43 PM EDT
[#4]
thermal for detection, actual use/ID NVG.
thermal is nearly impossible to hide form, BUT nvgs can be agmented to be better (laser and lights) |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/17/2017 8:38:03 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If a scope is what you are getting buy a thermal. That being said I suggest that you look at PVS 14 from TNVC. You can use it to maneuver at night. You can see things that thermal cant see while you are walking. use an IR laser to aim your rifle. NV is more versatile. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/17/2017 10:55:00 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
thermal for detection I see deer, elk, coyotes, humans and cows at 4-800 yds. You can't hide from thermal. You want to identify & shoot something, NVG |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/17/2017 11:25:07 PM EDT
[#7]
I would not be comfortable pulling the trigger on something I could only see through thermal. While it's like having a superpower, image quality isn't good. Get the night vision if you can only have one.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/18/2017 9:53:37 AM EDT
[#8]
You can play in the night vision section and see more of what has been posted here.
I agree with pvs-14 first. Head mount it, you can weapon mount it as well. Night vision can be much more than just a way to point a rifle at things in the dark. Many red dots have low settings for night vision as well. If you are planning on getting a magnified rifle scope then I think the pvs-14 becomes important still since it is a regular view and lets you see things and then the rifle can be aimed at the target. Some of the coming thermal stuff is awesome, but I pretty much agree on waiting on it. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/18/2017 8:15:11 PM EDT
[#9]
Get a pvs-14 much more versatile as others have stated
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/18/2017 11:21:26 PM EDT
[#10]
OP, just keep in mind that if you mount NV/thermal on a weapon, it gets damn heavy and old fast, lifting up the rifle/carbine every time you want to look through it. Get a monocular and an IR/laser for your first equipment.
Both NV/thermal are great and they compliment each other. I'm waiting until next year for thermal as prices have gone down and I'm waiting to see what comes out from SHOT. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/21/2017 4:21:13 PM EDT
[#11]
Thermal can locate, but cannot provide positive identification of targets. You need night vision capability, too. Start with the PVS-14.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/21/2017 5:04:29 PM EDT
[#12]
I have both thermal and I2 but my I2 rarely gets used. I love thermal and think it is king unless you want to sneak around at night. Flame suit on
Thermal is harder to identify targets at distance (unless you have high dollar thermals such as a flir t75) then even 200- 300 yard identification is easy. I2 is better for identification, this has been said here often. But an apples to apples comparison with the same magnification they are not that far apart unless you want the ability to identify an individual in a group or look through glass. But there will be many times that you would spot game with thermal that you would never see with I2. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/21/2017 7:24:41 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote History[b]Quoted:[/b
But there will be many times that you would spot game with thermal that you would never see with I2. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/22/2017 10:11:25 PM EDT
[#14]
Are you looking to hunt/detect, or do you want to scan/ID?
Both are very good. Each fill a slightly different role. Thermal is damn near impossible to hide from, whereas NVDs are much easier to hide from in comparison. If you go NVDs you better resign yourself to also getting a good IR light to go with them or you may end up being sorely disappointed depending on your AO. If you could only have 1 the NVDs are far more utilitarian. With a good IR laser and a helmet mount...Well, its damned cool. Wont lie. But you need, nd I do mean need, a good IR light to go with it. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/27/2017 11:53:30 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If a scope is what you are getting buy a thermal. That being said I suggest that you look at PVS 14 from TNVC. You can use it to maneuver at night. You can see things that thermal cant see while you are walking. use an IR laser to aim your rifle. NV is more versatile. OP, get the PVS14. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/28/2017 2:51:58 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have a hard time with the whole thermal sight thing. Targets should always be identified BEFORE a weapon is pointed at them, but I suspect thermal sights are used for detection as much as shooting with some folks. If a day hunter used his rifle scope to scan unidentified objects, animals, people that would be a serious safety violation. Would be no different at night with thermal. OP, get the PVS14. Most thermal sights have QD mounts so it is possible to scan without pointing rifle. I wouldn't even see most of the game that I see with thermal if I was using NV. Positive ID is very important and a quality thermal at 1x magnification is pretty equal to NV without magnification at this task. Some here will argue this fact but thermal has come a long way in the last 10 years. They will also tell you how you can walk around in the dark with Night vision but not thermal, this is true. I do most of my hunting from elevated stands as local laws require so NV really isn't that useful for me. Thermal is also extremely useful during day light which renders NV useless. There is a short time every morning and evening during transition from light to dark or dark to light that NV is not usable but is still to dark to see well with the naked eye. For my needs thermal is the hands down winner every time. YMMV |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/30/2017 9:01:26 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Are you looking to hunt/detect, or do you want to scan/ID? Both are very good. Each fill a slightly different role. Thermal is damn near impossible to hide from, whereas NVDs are much easier to hide from in comparison. If you go NVDs you better resign yourself to also getting a good IR light to go with them or you may end up being sorely disappointed depending on your AO. If you could only have 1 the NVDs are far more utilitarian. With a good IR laser and a helmet mount...Well, its damned cool. Wont lie. But you need, nd I do mean need, a good IR light to go with it. Anything below 3rd Gen Pinnacle autogated, yes by all means get some extra IR illumination. That being said, I rarely use extra IR illumination with our PVS14s. There will be times when you can use a little extra illumination, but IME people end up using it too much. It's no longer "passive" when you are spraying the countryside with IR- any boob with a $200. Russian Breakalotski no gen model will be able to see the IR illumination. IR LASERS you use sparingly, touch the pad, break the shot, release the pad and probably move if you can afterwards. Your NEVER going to be totally invisible at night due to your muzzle flash. Almost 30 years ago now, we were taught to shoot at night with iron sights via shooting at the small fishing cyalume lightsticks taped to the center of targets. One of the guys asked the old SF guy what the lightstick was for. "It's to simulate muzzle flash. Sometimes at night that's all you have to shoot at." I personally try to avoid using extra IR if possible, it has it's place no doubt and sometimes it will be damn near necessary, but be careful not to allow it to become a crutch. |
|
|
|
Posted: 10/8/2017 12:35:55 PM EDT
[#18]
Yesterday thermal story:
I've got a Pulsar Quantum HD19a. in Idaho with a doe tag, I'm hunting an area with rolling sage brush hills, 6pm, temp is 55 deg. I scan lots of ground and see a single hot spot. When i put the binoculars on the spot I see nothing. Then the doe flicks an ear. Once that happens I can make out her profile. She is bedded down, tucked under a large sage brush bush. The ground is brown, the bush is brown, the doe is brown. I range her at 176 yards, set up prone with a 15 power scope and take the shot. Food in the freezer. There is no way anyone without thermal could have ever found that deer. Even when I knew something was there, it took movement for me to identify her. You can glass all you want, but withing 6-800 yards, thermal is much more effective. |
|
|
|
Posted: 10/9/2017 1:42:54 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yesterday thermal story: I've got a Pulsar Quantum HD19a. in Idaho with a doe tag, I'm hunting an area with rolling sage brush hills, 6pm, temp is 55 deg. I scan lots of ground and see a single hot spot. When i put the binoculars on the spot I see nothing. Then the doe flicks an ear. Once that happens I can make out her profile. She is bedded down, tucked under a large sage brush bush. The ground is brown, the bush is brown, the doe is brown. I range her at 176 yards, set up prone with a 15 power scope and take the shot. Food in the freezer. There is no way anyone without thermal could have ever found that deer. Even when I knew something was there, it took movement for me to identify her. You can glass all you want, but withing 6-800 yards, thermal is much more effective. |
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
