Best thermal for detection from vehicles & for passengers?

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DerekFSU

New Member
While scouting with the Armasight thermal binos and then shooting with thermal scopes is a hoot for the shooters, it's really boring for any other passengers without thermals. All they see is black, a few muzzle blasts, and the squeal of pigs.

Any thoughts on a PTZ thermal camera to a larger video display so others in the hunting party can help with the scouting, watch the sounder under fire, and help the scout by them not having to hold up the binos to their eyes the entire night? Would love something not insanely expensive, moveable from one vehicle to another, remote control, and an external screen or 2 so others can have fun as well. Any ideas? Thanks.
 
Jhop

Jhop

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I've been wondering the same thing. There are four of us who regularly hunt together. Two spot one drives and the other just listens to the spotters. We've found that if the spotters give a running account of the action it's more exciting for everyone. We take turns with the night vision and thermal gear when shooting.
 
Ratdog68

Ratdog68

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Checked the hobby industry's "FPV" capabilities? Transmission of video signal to either goggles, or a video monitor(s)?

Go to Youtube, "Flite Test" channel, and search "FPV" (First Person Video).
 
J

JPK

LSB Active Member
I hunted with a guy who had a Sony camera roof mounted with remote control and a 12" video camera in the van.

Or maybe Pulsar HD 19 A's at about $2k/ ea
 
Brian Shaffer

Brian Shaffer

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There are a couple of different perspectives on scanning. Some people prefer a very wide field of view, but that usually comes with no magnification or very little. From a vehicle, I prefer more magnification for better target identification as distances tend to be longer and the magnification is a benefit. I don't find the reduced FOV to be a problem because I am not usually scanning at short range.

So what is "best" is going to vary depending on one's perspective of how the scope should perform for scanning and what one is willing to pay.

For a short while, I got to borrow a large ATN 5x monocular for watching a large field where distances were usually 200-400 yards, 600-700 at the most. I thought the scope was GREAT for the job of distance and scanning from a motionless location, but it was a LOT of magnification for being in motion and much harder to use while in motion. Long range identification, however, was a snap.
 
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DerekFSU

New Member
Thanks folks! I have a FLIR PathfinderIR on a buggy wired to a 14" display. Works pretty well for riding around for fun. You have to move it manually, not much focal length reach, and it's picture isn't all that great. This is it: FLIR PathFindIR LE 25-Hertz, PAL 334-0001-00P w/ Free S&H

FPV goggles would be fun. My folks like to talk while we ride so I was thinking one or 2 external screens they could watch whenever they wanted. Hope for a PTZ version with 640 resolution and no more than $12k. I think that's the hard part!

Maybe something like this:
Thermal Image (FLIR) PTZ Camera | TH-FLIR-PTZ
 
Curly Shuffle

Curly Shuffle

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One of the SUVs (Expedition, Tahoe, Navagaitor)with the screen already in the roof and back of the head rests and send it WiFi, get the popcorn and BANG EVERYONE is at the movies!!! BANG BANG!!:)

Just joking guys, went with a guy down South of here and he has a little 5 inch or so screen on the dash and as he scanned we could look at the screen. Pretty cool better than looking out into darkness.
 
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DerekFSU

New Member
Thanks Curly. I like that idea! I'm thinking it needs to be a mobile unit that can be moved from one buggy to another though.
 
J

JPK

LSB Active Member
I think you need the $4k master controller too.

I also think the 320 resolution unit would do the job well. All in at $12k if you go the 320 system, $18k with the 640.

I wonder what the power source is for the camera and the controller?
 
J

JPK

LSB Active Member
That's a 320 unit and a pretty neat package. It's not clear how it mounts, magnetic, or maybe suction cup. I wonder what the power source is for this one too.
 
Lancer

Lancer

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JPK said:
That's a 320 unit and a pretty neat package. It's not clear how it mounts, magnetic, or maybe suction cup. I wonder what the power source is for this one too.
Click to expand...
I have used go-light spotlights for 15 years, but never the thermal. They are very solid units and typicaly have a suction mount that will slide into a magnet mount shoe,ive rarely had an isue with limbs or anything else even moving them. It looks like this has a cigarette lighter plug as my spotlights do.
Of course you could buy one of their spotlights ($300) and mount a Pulsar 19a (<$2000) on it ,run a video out cable down to your own monitor and save $$$.
 
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D

DerekFSU

New Member
Thanks Lancer. I too love the Go Lights. Looks like this thermal version doesn't seem to allow for zoom. Unless it's focal length is over 100mm, I need zoom. Hmmmmm.
 
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DerekFSU

New Member
Lancer said:
I have used go-light spotlights for 15 years, but never the thermal. They are very solid units and typicaly have a suction mount that will slide into a magnet mount shoe,ive rarely had an isue with limbs or anything else even moving them. It looks like this has a cigarette lighter plug as my spotlights do.
Of course you could buy one of their spotlights ($300) and mount a Pulsar 19a (<$2000) on it ,run a video out cable down to your own monitor and save $$$.
Click to expand...

Maybe a motorized magnetic tripod with a piece like the Pulsar mounted on it with video out.
 
Lancer

Lancer

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DerekFSU said:
Maybe a motorized magnetic tripod with a piece like the Pulsar mounted on it with video out.
Click to expand...
i absolutely hate cold weather, i'll be mounting my Pulsar to an old go-lite soon enough as i hate driving with the windows down. I'll post results good or bad.
 
Ncorry

Ncorry

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I bought one of the Cadillac thermal sensors off eBay and wired it up inside an old Q-Beam spotlight housing with a 4" LCD on the back of the spotlight and a separate 7" LCD monitor for inside. It worked well enough that I bought another one and a NIB goLight to gut and combine into a poor-man's Helios. Then I moved onto other projects. I need to drag it back out and get it put together, take some pics and do a write up. For the $600 I've got into the spotlight version, it works very well. Was able to cobble an old camera lens' focus into the germanium lens so it can focus.
 
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