Thermal imaging

[jigs]

Can anyone recommend a good hand held thermal image that works well during the day? Under a grand if possible. Thanks

[Steyr]

Firstly Thermal works day and night.
Presumably you want a spotter as opposed a mounted optic.
I would look at the NV section for some advice or speak to distributors like Thomas Jacks and ask them what you need to look for in any new or 2nd hand kit to meet your needs and the purpose you require the NV for.
Your use and the degree of sensitivity and range etc. will sort of dictate what is compliant with the job you need it to do.
2nd hand will of course make your money go further subject to Caveat Emptor and probably no warranty.
Leupold do or did a very small monocular style which retailed under the grand but it is a little crude in comparison with current stuff.

[Spanner.]

Bear in mind they work alot better at night when it has been a warm day. I would up your budget and get a new Pulsar, the three year warranty would be well worth the extra spend over a SH unit. I have an XQ38F they are amazing for night use, less effective in the day dependent on the terrain you are shooting over i.e are there a lot of rocks etc that retain heat in the day. I would not buy SH.

Near to your budget, Mini Magnum on here would probably do you a better price than this.

https://www.thomasjacks.co.uk/pulsar...t.asp?ref=3511

[jigs]

Thanks for the advice. It would predominately used for spotting pigeon and squirrels in woodland, I'm assuming they would be detectable through the canopy?

[Spanner.]

Depends how thick the Canopy is in relation to where your quarry is?

[Muskett]

The Pulsar Axion XM30 or 38 are the latest toys worth having.
Under a grand then it would need to be second hand, the older XQ38f's haven't quite hit that.

As for finding pigeons in the canopy then sure they will work but not necesserily that fantastically on a hot bright day. Its thermal so really needs heat differencials to bring the details out. It doesn't see through solid stuff.

Right conditions they are fantastic, though a real investment. The newest kit good enough for plenty of years.

[nuggs]

Thanks for the advice. It would predominately used for spotting pigeon and squirrels in woodland, I'm assuming they would be detectable through the canopy?

I use my xq38f in woodland early mornings and they are a game changer
I would have missed seeing loads of vermin without it
I always have a quick scan with the mk1 eyeball first
Then put the thermal up and ....wow
Never ceases to amaze me .

[Steyr]

I would also venture to suggest that they are illuminating devices so cant be used for avians other than ferals.
Not had a chance to read the 3 new GLs so dont know if that has changed at all.

[Muskett]

Its passive so unless stipulated might be fine.

[keithy]

Hi i use the leopold lto tracker its very good BUT with all current thermals you get a lot of flare off any leaves that have sunlight on them. For squrrels you only see part of the animal generaly so you only see a bright blob which is very difficult to differentiate between hot leaves. If you can see the full animal then its squirrel shaped. I would say forget thermal on a sunny day, a dull overcast day or darkness is much better. I think unless you are spending thousands you will be dissapointed. However the more you use it the better you get at interpreting what you are actualy seeing. They are brilliant in the dark, above 50 yds it is difficult to identify what animal you are looking at, the tracker has cross hairs like a scope and similar eye relief. I am going to mount mine on my pcp with and adjustable mount and try it out in the dark. I know rats are very easy to see with it. You can see rats and rabbits that you cant see with nv as if the eyes are not visable you cant make out the animal with nv. I use my leopold to spot rabbit in dense folage/long grass at least you know they are there, for finding shot rabbits in the dark they are great.

[keithy]

A bit more info on the leopold tracker, its the same size as a t20 ir torch, you look through it thro the wrong end. Its very very sensitive i was shooting rats in the dark early in the year holding the trigger stick and scanning for rats i decided to have a walk around i walked away about 20yds and turned around looking thro the tracker and was puzzled at a blob floating mid air? It turned out to be the handle of the trigger stock were my hand had been. Thermals need to have a temperature range setting on them to cut out false signals. They are just coming out but are 4 grand at the moment. The tracker will spot rabbits at 150 yds in the dark but i have also stalked up to agroup of mole hills which also give a good indication!!!

[angrybear]

I've got one of those hand held Seek Reveal units for finding shot rabbits in the dark/long grass, iirc it was £350 or so but that was a couple of years ago.
It can pick out squirrels sometimes but all you get is a heat blob, on a warm sunny day it doesn't get them, Obviously it's not a patch on the serious gear but it only costs 1/10th as much.
Birds are almost impossible to pick up, their feathers insulate so well.

I would also question whether pigeons hidden the woods are fulfilling the terms of the GL's

[keithy]

I've got one of those hand held Seek Reveal units for finding shot rabbits in the dark/long grass, iirc it was £350 or so but that was a couple of years ago.
It can pick out squirrels sometimes but all you get is a heat blob, on a warm sunny day it doesn't get them, Obviously it's not a patch on the serious gear but it only costs 1/10th as much.
Birds are almost impossible to pick up, their feathers insulate so well.

I would also question whether pigeons hidden the woods are fulfilling the terms of the GL's

Yes some birds are very well insulated I scanned a pheasant that was about 50yds away i could see the vague outline but no heat reading. On the other hand blue tits and other small birds show up well. I havent been able to scan a wood pidgeon yet. I bought the tracker as it had the highest definition for the money and a 50hz refresh rate so you get a smooth scan as you pan round. They now do one with hd, maybe, but it will still have the same unfiltered response to all temperature ranges. The definition on mine is enough to identify squirrels as squirrels out to about 60yd on a grassy lawn at the local park. But if all you see is part of the body behind a tree branch you will struggle.