Thermal- how much difference does it make?

[abolter]

I am sorely tempted to get some thermal. I am curious really though, how much difference does it make? In real terms what percentage extra foxes do you think you get?

 

I shot just over 100 last year and am on track to eclipse it this year. I appreciate it might quicken up the demise of a few really tricky ones but I quite enjoy those. Does thermal make it all a bit easy? How many extra would you expect?

[andybrock]

I am sorely tempted to get some thermal. I am curious really though, how much difference does it make? In real terms what percentage extra foxes do you think you get?

I shot just over 100 last year and am on track to eclipse it this year. I appreciate it might quicken up the demise of a few really tricky ones but I quite enjoy those. Does thermal make it all a bit easy? How many extra would you expect?

Good question, and one I often think about. I'm yet to be convinced it makes that much difference (tin hat on ready), it's all well and good spotting a fox in dense cover etc but you still have to get it out in the open so you can shoot it!

All my foxing is the waiting game, either from a highseat or from a vehicle waiting for the fox to come to me rather than looking here there and everywhere for it, I usually have a vechicle mounted spotter with ir which I can spot eyes several hundred yards away and I doubt that many if any get past undetected. But i'm willing to be convinced that therm is the way forward!

[Grouse]

If I had to choose between TI or NV as a spotter set up - without doubt I would keep the TI.

 

I have located more fox's with it and far easier to use too. I use the Guide unit.

[223magic]

I am sorely tempted to get some thermal. I am curious really though, how much difference does it make? In real terms what percentage extra foxes do you think you get?

 

I shot just over 100 last year and am on track to eclipse it this year. I appreciate it might quicken up the demise of a few really tricky ones but I quite enjoy those. Does thermal make it all a bit easy? How many extra would you expect?

Personally I think it makes a big difference, I have used night vision for quite a few years now, and the way I used night vision was to spot and shoot. Some people still lamp and then go to the NV to shoot. I thought I had a great set up with a very good spotter and a Starlight Longbow to shoot with. Now I have dipped my toe in the water with thermal I haven’t looked back.

With thermal you pick up a heat source instantly also it has a greater range than an NV spotter even when it has a three times lens fitted to it. I find that I see a lot more wildlife than when I used night vision for spotting. I have sat in high seat for hours and you can watch everything from mice to deer, I have watched foxes in the wood for an hour before they even get to the bait point.

I have started to use the unit in the day time and this is interesting! I have shot lots of rabbits sat outside their burrows in full daylight, mostly out at about 200 yards, you cant even spot them properly with binos when there’s a bit of cover around but the thermal picks them up straight away. This weekend the thermal came in very handy yet again, an old friend asked me to go lamping not that I do much with a lamp these days it was a nice change to get out and do it the old fashion way. I did however take along the thermal! We lamped and called and area with no success, just before we left I decided to fire up the thermal and have a scan around. I spotted three heat sources in a field of oil seed rape, one was a hare the other two were foxes, we had lamped this field but we had failed to spot anything. I was able to direct the lamp man on to the vermin and they were taken care of. That’s just another benefit where the unit is not affected by light unlike a NV unit.

So in answer to your question thermal does make it easier, certainly more enjoyable because you see a lot lot more. And how many extra foxes you would get is down to you. If I had my time again and I was only allowed one item then it would be a thermal unit without doubt.

Give in to your temptation you won’t regret it. ( mine is a Pulsar HD38 )

ATB

Mike

[achosenman]

I use thermal. NV works when you know something is there...less so when you are trying to spot at the edge of its ability to detect.

I cover a lot of ground single handed. I can do this with thermal in an evening easily. It was impossible to do using a lamp.

If I could only have one, I would choose a TI for spoting and use a day scope and mounted lamp for shooting. I will never forgo TI, now I have one.

With TI you don't need a top flight NV sight on the rifle. That means for the cost of a top flight NV scope you can spend a bit on a cheap NV (Digi-sight N750 plus NM800) and spend the rest on a TI scope. The total cost is almost the same as a high end Archer.

ATB

[camo304]

Personally I think it makes a big difference, I have used night vision for quite a few years now, and the way I used night vision was to spot and shoot. Some people still lamp and then go to the NV to shoot. I thought I had a great set up with a very good spotter and a Starlight Longbow to shoot with. Now I have dipped my toe in the water with thermal I haven’t looked back.

With thermal you pick up a heat source instantly also it has a greater range than an NV spotter even when it has a three times lens fitted to it. I find that I see a lot more wildlife than when I used night vision for spotting. I have sat in high seat for hours and you can watch everything from mice to deer, I have watched foxes in the wood for an hour before they even get to the bait point.

I have started to use the unit in the day time and this is interesting! I have shot lots of rabbits sat outside their burrows in full daylight, mostly out at about 200 yards, you cant even spot them properly with binos when there’s a bit of cover around but the thermal picks them up straight away. This weekend the thermal came in very handy yet again, an old friend asked me to go lamping not that I do much with a lamp these days it was a nice change to get out and do it the old fashion way. I did however take along the thermal! We lamped and called and area with no success, just before we left I decided to fire up the thermal and have a scan around. I spotted three heat sources in a field of oil seed rape, one was a hare the other two were foxes, we had lamped this field but we had failed to spot anything. I was able to direct the lamp man on to the vermin and they were taken care of. That’s just another benefit where the unit is not affected by light unlike a NV unit.

So in answer to your question thermal does make it easier, certainly more enjoyable because you see a lot lot more. And how many extra foxes you would get is down to you. If I had my time again and I was only allowed one item then it would be a thermal unit without doubt.

Give in to your temptation you won’t regret it. ( mine is a Pulsar HD38 )

ATB

Mike

+1 for this post, i also use the HD38

Mine also Mike comes out during the day, most liked bit of kit i have, just need another for my - then hes not blasting that laser around.

[PESCA]

I've been using a Guide for over eighteen months now. Best thing I ever spent my money on.

 

Makes spotting so much easier as you don't have to search, just quickly scan. Leave it on for when you retrieve your dead fox too, so that you're not blasting a flashlight about.

 

The Guide has an on/off proximity sensor but I leave mine set on continuous. Gives about two hours on 4 x AA, depending on temperature.

 

Outstanding bit of kit.

 

George

[223magic]

I've been using a Guide for over eighteen months now. Best thing I ever spent my money on.

 

Makes spotting so much easier as you don't have to search, just quickly scan. Leave it on for when you retrieve your dead fox too, so that you're not blasting a flashlight about.

 

The Guide has an on/off proximity sensor but I leave mine set on continuous. Gives about two hours on 4 x AA, depending on temperature.

 

Outstanding bit of kit.

 

George

+1 for your comments and if Iam right you should know as you run the www. night vision forum uk. Thanks for your input Thermal is the way to go.

[andybrock]

So looking through TI equipment is it a similar screen view to that of a digital spotter ie bresser or ranger screens?

 

As we all know digital spotters like the ranger and bresser give much better, clearer images when they are hooked up to a separate monitor, is this the case with thermal spotters?

 

Cheers

[AnthonyR]

Has anybody done a direct comparison between the Guide 518C and the Pulsar HD38?

[camo304]

Not had them side by side but had a look thru Georges 518c, i would say the guide would be better at very long range, but the HD38 will spot out to long way was watching a badger at 600+ yards on Saturday.

[camo304]

Had a play with a nice bit of kit last night that put the HD38 in it's place and it had a Ret oh and 2x,4x,6x mag

[PESCA]

+1 for your comments and if Iam right you should know as you run the www. night vision forum uk. Thanks for your input Thermal is the way to go.

I'm just a keen user

 

To be honest, thermal takes a short while to get used to before you can take full advantage of it's capabilities.

 

Just like nv equipment or lamping, judging distance can be difficult, but comes with use. The biggest thing is learning the heat signatures. You'll soon learn to differentiate between a hedgehog and a small rabbit, a fox and a badger. You already know how different quarry moves. How they have a different gait. You just need to translate that from the image you see in the eyepiece.

 

As has probably been said, thermal doesn't have the ability to 'see through' solids (nor can it see through glass), but, if charlie were moving along a hedge line, you'd see his intermittent heat signature. You'd have great difficulty finding him with nv in a similar situation. You can then follow his route or try and call him out. I've sat in a high seat and watched rats go back and forth through a full-grown barley field.

 

They can be focus fussy. Don't let that bother you. Even out of focus, you'll see the heat signature as you scan, then you can adjust the focus if you want to check it out. Scanning with nv, you have to 'look' for your quarry. This is difficult and can be a strain on the eyes. With the thermal, I quickly scan left/right and right/left, and I mean quickly, in seconds. If you don't see a heat signature, chances are there's nothing there.

 

If you don't do it already, scan with the thermal using your non-shooting eye, leaving your good eye for the shot. I personally don't get 'nv eye' with the thermal and never feel that I have drawn eyesight.

 

For those of you that feel that ir illumination spooks your quarry, remember that the thermal gives nothing away.

 

I did find that I was having to put down my Guide to take the shot, so I cut a small Delrin/Acetal plate and mounted it into the tripod hole underneath. Added two holes in the plate and a camera strap so that it's always ready.

 

George

[6x47 lapua]

a message for george a.k.a PESCA i'v tried to pm you but car'nt for some reason can you check

your in box is not full

 

cheers stu

[PESCA]

Hello Stu.

 

Apologies mate it was full.

 

George

[6x47 lapua]

hi george pm sent

 

cheers stu

[AnthonyR]

Not had them side by side but had a look thru Georges 518c, i would say the guide would be better at very long range, but the HD38 will spot out to long way was watching a badger at 600+ yards on Saturday.

 

 

Thanks fellla, I have been thinking about getting one and the temptation to save a grand and buy the Pulsar unit is strong, but I don't want to compromise performance, I would like to be able to spot foxes a seriously long way away.

 

Stop teasing us and tell us what bit of nice shiny kit you have been playing with?

[camo304]

 

 

Thanks fellla, I have been thinking about getting one and the temptation to save a grand and buy the Pulsar unit is strong, but I don't want to compromise performance, I would like to be able to spot foxes a seriously long way away. How far can you shoot them??

 

Stop teasing us and tell us what bit of nice shiny kit you have been playing with? It was a D-LR and very nice it was too

[AnthonyR]

It's not a question of how far I can shoot them but the further away you can see them the more options you may have to get in the right position for a shot.

 

If that D-LR is the one from Thales, looks a mighty impressive piece of kit but I dread to think what it costs

[abolter]

Had a play with a nice bit of kit last night that put the HD38 in it's place and it had a Ret oh and 2x,4x,6x mag

you must be ex military???? go on tell us what it was??

 

As regards the Guide versus Pulsar my mate has had both recently altho not side by side and considered the pulsar superior!!

 

I had a play with £32k of ISIS (i think) kit and it is astonishing but then for the price of a small house it should be

[abolter]

Sorry camo I was too slow

[camo304]

It's not a question of how far I can shoot them but the further away you can see them the more options you may have to get in the right position for a shot.

 

If that D-LR is the one from Thales, looks a mighty impressive piece of kit but I dread to think what it costs

Keep doing the Lotto like me

[triple2]

I would say my thermal Guide 518C has increased my fox spotting by a great deal. And as others have said, it is the best bit of gear I have bought. You can scan a field in seconds and if theres something there you will see it.

You dont have to scan and hope for movement/eyeshine like with just a conventional spotter. saying that a conventional spotter is handy just to confirm what the target is, but you do get used to the shape and movement.

 

One thing I do find myself walking a hell of a lot more checking out heat sources.

 

i have made a few videos of the Guide in action looking at foxes/badgers etc.

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1KSDanYx3qf7mx9W8Oce5A/videos

[dorg]

I had a good look at both units together and decided when cash allows the Pulsar HD38 is the one for me, it just seemed clearer and at about a grand less its a no brainer personnally.

[abolter]

unfortunately I didnt engage my brain and now I own one!! I'll let you know how I get on