The 2021 Thermal and Night Vision Thread

[Lip]

Originally Posted by muzzlebrake

My Wraith 4K max came today. Now for the learning curve. I did turn it on and image is crystal clear in daylight and color is natural but vivid. Waiting for night to get here. Meanwhile charging the internal battery and figuring out which gun it goes best with. Menu's gonna take some learning but I think once the proper settings are made it will a matter of just hitting the on button.

Call your dealer and ask them what the optimum settings are for it.

[muzzlebrake]

Originally Posted by Lip

Call your dealer and ask them what the optimum settings are for it.

I have found a pretty good Youtube tutorial for it. So far whatever factory setting are looks pretty good even the purple reticle. The real test will be tonight after dark. Just in time to check out this new neighbor that moved in Monday

[Outdoor Legacy]

Originally Posted by Lip

Jason, are you recommending the Super Hogster over the Thermion XQ38 or is this recommendation based on the price with the Super Hogster being $180 less than the XQ38?

Fair question. No sir I'm definitely not suggesting the Super Hogster over the Thermion XQ38, I just inched my suggestion up to the Hogster since it was only $120 above his listed budget. The XQ38 is great but it's $300 over his budget and after a good QD mount and a spare battery he's looking at probably $600 over his budget. I think it's a great scope but probably going to be well above where he said he wanted to be. Good question though.

[Outdoor Legacy]

Originally Posted by imyomama

doing some research , i'm leaning toward the agm micro tm384

The Micro TM384 is being discontinued and replaced by the improved Taipan TM15 1.5x for $1,295. Just a heads up....

Jason

[Mconner]

Originally Posted by Outdoor Legacy

The Micro TM384 is being discontinued and replaced by the improved Taipan TM15 1.5x for $1,295. Just a heads up....

Jason

Jason, couldn’t be happier with my super hogster and I’m waiting on my rattler 35 from you. any updates on delivery on those I’m like a kid with Christmas right around the corner.....

[Lip]

Originally Posted by Outdoor Legacy

Fair question. No sir I'm definitely not suggesting the Super Hogster over the Thermion XQ38, I just inched my suggestion up to the Hogster since it was only $120 above his listed budget. The XQ38 is great but it's $300 over his budget and after a good QD mount and a spare battery he's looking at probably $600 over his budget. I think it's a great scope but probably going to be well above where he said he wanted to be. Good question though.

I figured it was due to the lower price but just checking.

[Lip]

Jason, with all of these new scopes coming out if you need me to review anything for you, I'll be in the area this weekend and then again most of next week through the weekend.

Looks like it's going to be cold.

[imyomama]

Originally Posted by Outdoor Legacy

The Micro TM384 is being discontinued and replaced by the improved Taipan TM15 1.5x for $1,295. Just a heads up....

Jason

how is the taipan better ? which model would you recommend for helmet mount ? been looking at the micro, the 25 and the 35 .. i want something I can ride my bike with ... but like the clarity of the bigger lens ... dang more decisions!

[imyomama]

Originally Posted by imyomama

how is the taipan better ? which model would you recommend for helmet mount ? been looking at the micro, the 25 and the 35 .. i want something I can ride my bike with ... but like the clarity of the bigger lens ... dang more decisions!

answered my own question, looked it up .. 12 micron ... looks like the taipan 15 is perfect for what i need ..

[muzzlebrake]

Video tutorial for how to adjust settings of the Sightmark Wraith 4K max.

Sightmark Wraith 4k MAX - Menu Overview - Narrated - YouTube

This is not the latest firmware version so I don't know what may have been added-----------yet

[jofus]

Has anyone seen a direct comparison of the Thermion xg50 and the iRay Rico mk1?

I’ve narrowed my search to these and I’m stumped.

[TX03RUBI]

Originally Posted by jofus

Has anyone seen a direct comparison of the Thermion xg50 and the iRay Rico mk1?

I’ve narrowed my search to these and I’m stumped.

I’d be very surprised if the XG image is anywhere near the RICO. From all the videos and still images I’ve seen from Iray it seems their image is superior to Trijicon or NVision, which both are superior to the XG.

[TX03RUBI]

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CK7saMI...d=4mebmbq75kjr

The image I’m seeing is pretty dang impressive. Nowhere near what my XG is capable of.

[jofus]

Originally Posted by TX03RUBI

The image I’m seeing is pretty dang impressive. Nowhere near what my XG is capable of.

Thanks! It will be interesting to see how they compare with reliability, UI, etc.

[Lip]

Originally Posted by TX03RUBI

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CK7saMI...d=4mebmbq75kjr

The image I’m seeing is pretty dang impressive. Nowhere near what my XG is capable of.

The image I'm seeing says: "This Account is Private"

[muzzlebrake]

Originally Posted by Lip

The image I'm seeing says: "This Account is Private"

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbJ...LR8tS3d8vtvccQ

[Lip]

Originally Posted by muzzlebrake

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbJ...LR8tS3d8vtvccQ

Thanks. Cool video.

[TX03RUBI]

The Video I posted was Amantine filming for Iray through the Rico. The one linked above is Amantines XG video.

[Lip]

Originally Posted by TX03RUBI

The Video I posted was Amantine filming for Iray through the Rico. The one linked above is Amantines XG video.

Evidently his Instagram channel is private but his youtube channel isn't.

[jofus]

It’s private, but he’ll approve your follow request fairly quickly.

The iRay video isn’t showing up on his YouTube page yet. It’s definitely impressive.

[TX03RUBI]

Originally Posted by Lip

Evidently his Instagram channel is private but his youtube channel isn't.

Yeah him and Estian Van Rooyen are two dang good IGs to follow. They’ve got the camera equipment and desire to put in the work to get some really great footage.

[Lip]

Originally Posted by TX03RUBI

Yeah him and Estian Van Rooyen are two dang good IGs to follow. They’ve got the camera equipment and desire to put in the work to get some really great footage.

Followed both of them.

[Russ81]

Anyone have any tips on why an AR-10 won’t cycle? Had 10-15 hogs in front of me last night and it only cycled one round

Seriously debating looking into a mutant and make sure it’s built right from the get go. I’m afraid when I switched from a A2 stock it messing the cycling up on this one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[sierracharlie338]

Originally Posted by Lip

Evidently his Instagram channel is private but his youtube channel isn't.

Because little whiny snowflakes keep reporting his posts.


Sierracharlie out....

[Pushbutton2]

Originally Posted by Russ81

Anyone have any tips on why an AR-10 won’t cycle? Had 10-15 hogs in front of me last night and it only cycled one round

Seriously debating looking into a mutant and make sure it’s built right from the get go. I’m afraid when I switched from a A2 stock it messing the cycling up on this one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

My first step in cycling issues with a gun that has been operating fine is to check lubrication.


When you say not cycling can you be more specific?
not feeding new round gets stuck on feed ramp. This is a FTF Failure to Feed



Not ejecting the fired round and it gets pinched between the new round in chamber and bolt, but the mouth of the casing is sticking out ejection port. This is a FTE Failure to Eject. This specific failure is called a stove pipe



When you switched to the A2 fixed stock did you put a new spring and buffer in it?
Are the buffer tubes the same length?
Same spring and buffer?
Springs and buffers have different weights if those change it can throw the timing off.



Do you have an adjustable gas block?
you could be over gassed or under gassed..

[imyomama]

Originally Posted by Russ81

Anyone have any tips on why an AR-10 won’t cycle? Had 10-15 hogs in front of me last night and it only cycled one round

Seriously debating looking into a mutant and make sure it’s built right from the get go. I’m afraid when I switched from a A2 stock it messing the cycling up on this one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

i can maybe help you .. ar10's aren't like ar15's. .. lots of non standard parts that may work on one and not the other ...

if you replaced the stock or buffer tube , you may have created issues .. or even wrong buffer as they look almost alike but are not...

first is put in an empty mag and charge it .. does the bolt catch engage and hold gun open ? if it doesn't you're short stroking buffer too long or tube too short ..

next if it held open, load one round ... fire , if bolt does not hold open , but buffer is the correct length, your buffer may be too heavy ... iv'e seen some guns with wrong springs as well , some are longer than others .. that would be hard to spot as there are no markings on them ...

if you know the parts you swapped , that would be the quickest way to see where you went wrong ... if you used ar 15 parts.. there is your problem already , those don't always or even work even though they look like they fit ...

ar10's are not "mil" specs all parts fit type animals , i've fixed 2 of them in the past , one of them being my PAS that came with the wrong buffer ... they had put an ar15 rifle buffer instead of an ar10 buffer (slightly shorter) ... would not hold open ... ran fine after that ...

hope that helps ... this is just my 2c...

[muzzlebrake]

Went to the range today with the Wraith 4K mounted on my M4 5.56 and did the one shot zero thing. Awesome feature and so easy to use. I shot some 55 gr soft points from Dallas Reloading and they did good at 100yds. After shooting and adjusting on 50 yard range I moved over to 100. First shot was high left and adjustment took only a few seconds then 5 more to see if it stays zeroed. Can't wait to get on some night creatures of the Swine variety.

[imyomama]

Originally Posted by muzzlebrake

Went to the range today with the Wraith 4K mounted on my M4 5.56 and did the one shot zero thing. Awesome feature and so easy to use. I shot some 55 gr soft points from Dallas Reloading and they did good at 100yds. After shooting and adjusting on 50 yard range I moved over to 100. First shot was high left and adjustment took only a few seconds then 5 more to see if it stays zeroed. Can't wait to get on some night creatures of the Swine variety.

must be nice .. still waiting on mine ... been waiting since december

[gingib]

Originally Posted by Russ81

Anyone have any tips on why an AR-10 won’t cycle? Had 10-15 hogs in front of me last night and it only cycled one round

Seriously debating looking into a mutant and make sure it’s built right from the get go. I’m afraid when I switched from a A2 stock it messing the cycling up on this one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Why I went with a 7.62, plus ammo costs. I ran an AR-10 for 2 years and never seemed to have the same issue. But man does an AR10 lay a pig down wherever you hit them

Got tired of tuning and having issues with my AR-10. Soometimes it would go several hunts no issues. Then several times more often then not it would jam

AR-10's are hard to supressed and finicky!

[gingib]

Originally Posted by TX03RUBI

Yeah him and Estian Van Rooyen are two dang good IGs to follow. They’ve got the camera equipment and desire to put in the work to get some really great footage.

YES! Very good info, videos, hunts, and informative info

That new IRAY is very intriguing, BUT i have not done any research on it yet. But the price point and video quality is incredible

Curious as to specs, warranty, housing, video out?

[TX03RUBI]

Originally Posted by gingib

YES! Very good info, videos, hunts, and informative info

That new IRAY is very intriguing, BUT i have not done any research on it yet. But the price point and video quality is incredible

Curious as to specs, warranty, housing, video out?

Warranty is the best in the business, and that’s saying something with NVision and Pulsar being around. They haven’t released much in the way of specs for the RICO Alpha or Bolt yet. I believe the specs are out for the RICO MK1.

[gingib]

Originally Posted by TX03RUBI

Warranty is the best in the business, and that’s saying something with NVision and Pulsar being around. They haven’t released much in the way of specs for the RICO Alpha or Bolt yet. I believe the specs are out for the RICO MK1.

Yeah I seen that. 5 year warranty. Onboard recording. $5999 for that image quality is the best in the business.

The image almost looks too good to be true lol. Curious what maybe a negative about the scope?

[jofus]

From watching Jason and Hans’ review, sounds like the biggest issue with the MK1 is it is not compatible with Apple computers. You need a pc to get footage from the scope.

They did mention an app is coming that will be iOS compatible, but I haven’t seen anything about when it’ll be released.

They said it has the best image of any thermal when weather conditions are poor.

The scopes have unproven dependability and longevity. My fear is the warranty is so good because it needs to be.


I really wish someone would do a direct pros/cons comparison to the XG50. It’s tough to decipher without having your hands on both. Really depending on the retailers to give us clear feedback.

[gingib]

Originally Posted by jofus

From watching Jason and Hans’ review, sounds like the biggest issue with the MK1 is it is not compatible with Apple computers. You need a pc to get footage from the scope.

They did mention an app is coming that will be iOS compatible, but I haven’t seen anything about when it’ll be released.

They said it has the best image of any thermal when weather conditions are poor.

The scopes have unproven dependability and longevity. My fear is the warranty is so good because it needs to be.


I really wish someone would do a direct pros/cons comparison to the XG50. It’s tough to decipher without having your hands on both. Really depending on the retailers to give us clear feedback.

I disagree with your warranty statement. I think this will be the new industry standard that NVSION started. Everyone else will have to keep up. Its getting tighter and tighter.

This image quality blows away the XG50 and every other scope I seen.

[jofus]

Originally Posted by gingib

I disagree with your warranty statement. I think this will be the new industry standard that NVSION started. Everyone else will have to keep up. Its getting tighter and tighter.

This image quality blows away the XG50 and every other scope I seen.

That’s fair, and I made less of a statement and more of a concern.

The flip side is that these guys are new to the game and needed to make a splash. That’s why I have one on order.

[jofus]

Here is the Mk1 spec sheet:

[Fordnandez]

Originally Posted by gingib

I disagree with your warranty statement. I think this will be the new industry standard that NVSION started. Everyone else will have to keep up. Its getting tighter and tighter.

This image quality blows away the XG50 and every other scope I seen.

What makes their warranty best in the business is that it is not only a 5 year warranty but what Jason said on the show was that they will fix your scope in 5 business days of receipt of the scope or they will send you a new one. I think this is a direct response to all the negative feedback that is in the community caused by ATN taking forever to get warranty items taken care of.

I do agree that there shouldn't be a fear that the warranty is what it is because it needs to be.

[gingib]

Originally Posted by Fordnandez

What makes their warranty best in the business is that it is not only a 5 year warranty but what Jason said on the show was that they will fix your scope in 5 business days of receipt of the scope or they will send you a new one. I think this is a direct response to all the negative feedback that is in the community caused by ATN taking forever to get warranty items taken care of.

I do agree that there shouldn't be a fear that the warranty is what it is because it needs to be.

Now thats pretty sweet!

Well to your ATN, if someone is dumb enough to buy an ATN then thats on them

[Fordnandez]

Originally Posted by gingib

Now thats pretty sweet!

Well to your ATN, if someone is dumb enough to buy an ATN then thats on them

Lol I agree. I know there are a lot of guys that have had great success with them but there are also quite a few that have been left holding the bag also. I have a friend that has had nothing but issues with his.

I think ATN has really put a black eye on the thermal market and the warranties on the newer companies I think is a direct reflection of it. There is no telling how many folks have stopped looking into buying a thermal because they got a buddy that spent thousands of dollars on an ATN thermal and had issues with it only to never get it fixed.

[Fordnandez]

One last thought on all the new optics coming out and some people are going to say this being to critical or picky but my opinion is that at these prices for the 640 units the consumer should be critical and picky. I really wish that one of these manufacturers would make a 640 12 micron unit with internal video recording that is a 2.5x base magnification. My 4x on my Flir 536 was waaaaay to much, the 2x on my XP50 is a little less than I wish it was and I feel like my buddies 3x on his XG cuts into the field of view just a little to much. I have watched some youtube video's of some older scopes that are 2.7x and 2.4x that seem to be just about perfect but they are not 640 12 micron. I just really feel like 2.5x would be the sweet spot but you always want what you cant have right?

[Russ81]

Originally Posted by gingib

Why I went with a 7.62, plus ammo costs. I ran an AR-10 for 2 years and never seemed to have the same issue. But man does an AR10 lay a pig down wherever you hit them



Got tired of tuning and having issues with my AR-10. Soometimes it would go several hunts no issues. Then several times more often then not it would jam



AR-10's are hard to supressed and finicky!

I didn’t buy a high dollar one and at the time it was based solely on caliber. At the time it was a dollar a round, the guy that tried to fix it this time was adamant that the 5.56/.223 was adequate for hogs. I told him yea for the small ones or head shots, but the follow ups is where it takes more pews to put the big runners down and it’ll end up more $per hog. I was hot at one boy for spending $5 to kill a hog with that AR-10!

With ammo getting scare I’m kinda concern about 7.62x39 but I feel like that’s gonna be the best compromise.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Outdoor Legacy]

Alright guys I came over here to talk about iRay for a few minutes and BOOM I see y'all started without me.haha!

Ok so let's get the party started. iRay USA is based in Texas and they are importing and distributing some stock scopes but also taking those scopes and making improvements to the exteriors and creating their own models. I'm working very closely with iRay behind the scenes and Tyler, the owner, and I have been friends for a long time and we've had a great business relationship for years. He's a great guy.

I've been testing the iRay Rico MK1 for them for a couple months and Hans and I have already reviewed it on Ep. 143 of The Late Night Vision Show and Hans will be reviewing it on his HansETX channel soon.

I want to start here on go on the record and say something that is my personal opinion but seems to be shared by many people who have looked used these iRay 640 scopes....they are good, no they are great! The image quality is outstanding, the video recording quality speaks for itself and value for the dollar they are awesome. They are going to rock the market and the buzz they are creating is 100% well deserved. But so far, current models including the Rico MK1 and Alpha, as great as they are, they do not quite have the image quality of the N-Visions and some Trijicons. Now to be clear, they definitely have some of the best image quality I've ever seen but I can't honestly say it's "the" best or even equal to the best but it's dang good and it gives a lot of other thermal companies a real reason for concern.

There will be more iRay scopes to come in the future but right now what I can talk about is this....

Rico 640 MK1 3x $5,999
Alpha 640 MK2 3x $6,999

Rico 384 MK1 4x $3,999
Bolt 384 3x $3,299

There is a lot of confusion on the Alpha and I want to clear that up too.

Rico MK1 $5,999 (available now) vs Alpha $6,999 (available in Spring 2021)
They are 100% the same guts, image quality, specs, magnification etc. The differences are the Alpha has:

Redesigned exterior body
Painted coyote tan
Magnetic USB power connections
Different focus knob
American Defense QD mount (included)
Spare 6-8 hour battery (Rico comes with one, Alpha comes with 2)


So you're paying for the mount, extra battery pack and exterior design changes, that's it. Otherwise it's a Rico MK1. I'm not saying the Alpha isn't worth it, I just know a lot of people are under the impression it's a totally different unit and it's not.

We've already sold through the first round of Rico MK1's and I'll have more in a couple days. We should have the Rico 384 MK1's by next week and there will be more info on them soon.

I know that's a lot of info to digest but I hope it helps!

Jason

[jofus]

Originally Posted by Outdoor Legacy

Alright guys I came over here to talk about iRay for a few minutes and BOOM I see y'all started without me.haha!

Any word on timing of the app for Macbook or iOS compatibility?

[rossivey]

Any update on the Thermion XQ38? I'm impatiently waiting

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[gingib]

Originally Posted by Outdoor Legacy

Alright guys I came over here to talk about iRay for a few minutes and BOOM I see y'all started without me.haha!

Ok so let's get the party started. iRay USA is based in Texas and they are importing and distributing some stock scopes but also taking those scopes and making improvements to the exteriors and creating their own models. I'm working very closely with iRay behind the scenes and Tyler, the owner, and I have been friends for a long time and we've had a great business relationship for years. He's a great guy.

I've been testing the iRay Rico MK1 for them for a couple months and Hans and I have already reviewed it on Ep. 143 of The Late Night Vision Show and Hans will be reviewing it on his HansETX channel soon.

I want to start here on go on the record and say something that is my personal opinion but seems to be shared by many people who have looked used these iRay 640 scopes....they are good, no they are great! The image quality is outstanding, the video recording quality speaks for itself and value for the dollar they are awesome. They are going to rock the market and the buzz they are creating is 100% well deserved. But so far, current models including the Rico MK1 and Alpha, as great as they are, they do not quite have the image quality of the N-Visions and some Trijicons. Now to be clear, they definitely have some of the best image quality I've ever seen but I can't honestly say it's "the" best or even equal to the best but it's dang good and it gives a lot of other thermal companies a real reason for concern.

There will be more iRay scopes to come in the future but right now what I can talk about is this....

Rico 640 MK1 3x $5,999
Alpha 640 MK2 3x $6,999

Rico 384 MK1 4x $3,999
Bolt 384 3x $3,299

There is a lot of confusion on the Alpha and I want to clear that up too.

Rico MK1 $5,999 (available now) vs Alpha $6,999 (available in Spring 2021)
They are 100% the same guts, image quality, specs, magnification etc. The differences are the Alpha has:

Redesigned exterior body
Painted coyote tan
Magnetic USB power connections
Different focus knob
American Defense QD mount (included)
Spare 6-8 hour battery (Rico comes with one, Alpha comes with 2)


So you're paying for the mount, extra battery pack and exterior design changes, that's it. Otherwise it's a Rico MK1. I'm not saying the Alpha isn't worth it, I just know a lot of people are under the impression it's a totally different unit and it's not.

We've already sold through the first round of Rico MK1's and I'll have more in a couple days. We should have the Rico 384 MK1's by next week and there will be more info on them soon.

I know that's a lot of info to digest but I hope it helps!

Jason

Question: I own a Trijicon. By the looks of it, the video out/image of the MK1 beats my Reap. Or am I wrong?

The detail of the MK1 looks incredible

Originally Posted by Russ81

I didn’t buy a high dollar one and at the time it was based solely on caliber. At the time it was a dollar a round, the guy that tried to fix it this time was adamant that the 5.56/.223 was adequate for hogs. I told him yea for the small ones or head shots, but the follow ups is where it takes more pews to put the big runners down and it’ll end up more $per hog. I was hot at one boy for spending $5 to kill a hog with that AR-10!

With ammo getting scare I’m kinda concern about 7.62x39 but I feel like that’s gonna be the best compromise.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

From personal experience, I switched from an AR-10 to a 7.62 5-6 months ago and I love it. NOW, you can't beat the knock down of a .308 on running pigs.

BUT I have been very impressed with the 7.62. I just can't get myself to pay a $1 per trigger pull on a 308.

I am shooting 7.62 HP's and have killed many. Yes more run off, but no jamming issues which is a deal breaker.

[Russ81]

Originally Posted by gingib

Question: I own a Trijicon. By the looks of it, the video out/image of the MK1 beats my Reap. Or am I wrong?



The detail of the MK1 looks incredible





From personal experience, I switched from an AR-10 to a 7.62 5-6 months ago and I love it. NOW, you can't beat the knock down of a .308 on running pigs.



BUT I have been very impressed with the 7.62. I just can't get myself to pay a $1 per trigger pull on a 308.



I am shooting 7.62 HP's and have killed many. Yes more run off, but no jamming issues which is a deal breaker.

What’s your new setup? I’ve seen some good deals but you had to use certain magazines for the 7.62x39 or the rifle wouldn’t work. I want one that’ll take whatever mag I can get my hands on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[gingib]

Originally Posted by Russ81

What’s your new setup? I’ve seen some good deals but you had to use certain magazines for the 7.62x39 or the rifle wouldn’t work. I want one that’ll take whatever mag I can get my hands on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I dont recall. I pieced together a SS upper with a PSA lower. Think I paid like $540 total out the door.

I hate those big banana AK mags, so I went with a more traditional looking "Normal" mag

[gingib]

Is this Tyler from UNV who owns IRAY?

I heard he has exclusive rights to them and is not the owner. But imports them from China.

But its like their UNV brand kinda deal as they are behind it.

My thoughts are this: UNV's customer service is AWFUL. I sure love their videos/publicity, but they are lacking on CS.

So for example, if you mail in a scope for a warranty claim does Tyler at UNV have headquarters to repair them in Texas or does it have to be mailed back to China? Thinking of that 5 day warranty claim

[Russ81]

Originally Posted by gingib

I dont recall. I pieced together a SS upper with a PSA lower. Think I paid like $540 total out the door.



I hate those big banana AK mags, so I went with a more traditional looking "Normal" mag

Me too I’m fine with a 10-20 round mag but certain lowers won’t take certain magazines which I think is ridiculous


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[imyomama]

the reap is getting old , new image processors and technology will have better performance ... footage on my reap pretty much suck out the video cable .. but it's still a really simple to use scope that never disappoints... i won't be upgrading any time soon. and by then the new stuff will be even better and cheaper... heck i still drive and love my 09 f150 lariat ... but i'm sure a 21 platinum would be nice...