Thermion.

[Tony Z]

A couple of weeks ago i took out my new XQ 38 to sight in and chase some pigs. Long story short, i sighted the 22/250 in for a 225 meter zero for a point blank of around 260 meters.
The HD clarity and field of view of the XQs puts them up another level where i will be really looking forward to the XG line when they get here.
I spotted a big family of roos at about 1500 meters arcoss a flood plain where two of the roos looked out of shape. Suspecting they were pigs i closed the gap to confirm that they were indeed pigs. Around an hour later i shot this fellow at around 75 metres after having filmed his activity for some time. Ugliest boar I've seen with legs way too long and more appropriate for a deer.

[barryb]

Good work there Tony , your certainly getting some mileage out of that Thermal eh!
Barry

[Tony Z]

On Friday i went out with a mate that has just acquired an XQ50. In a few weeks time i will be helping out another two mates setting up their XQs.
Why i bring this up is because each and every person i speak too has reservations of the click adjustment values on Pulsar thermals.
An example is the new XQ38. One click is said to be worth 17mm at a 100 metres on the website and on the user manual. In keeping with linear measurement, that becomes 51mm at 300 metres. For an XP50 it's 21mm at 100 metres. Now that seems and is very course for high accuracy rifles out beyond 200 metres. And it is. But what is not explained on the sites, Pulsar or elswhere is that that adjustment is based off base magnification.
In the case of my new XQ, at 100 metres, at base magnification of 2.5x, one click value is 17 mm vertical or horizontal. First magnification or double the base now at 5x, it is now 8.5mm or 0.5 click as seen on the screen. Then on the second magnification, 10x or 4 times the base, one click is 4.25 mm or as seen on the screen, 0.25 click.
Why i bring this up is that a number of people i have spoken to have been put off thermals because of the course adjustment numbers and have bought other brands that state lower click values, not knowing that some brands do not have this reduction feature.
The stated 21mm on the most expensive in the current line XP50 at 21mm is actually one sixteenth of that with its 4x base magnification range. But to be perfectly honest, the pixelation at that magnification range would preclude a real time manual adjustment, but would work well for a measured or image freeze adjustment if deemed necessary. Unless you shoot 1K at night, which i reckon could be done with experience, pretty well pointless having such a fine adjustment..
I hope this filters through in some way to help with this issue. Why it is not on the sites or the manuals, or hasn't been last i looked, is puzzling. There is one youtube video that touches on it, but is very vague as the presenter assumes it is a known specification. Being a major seller of Pulsar thermals in the US, i would have thought this would have cropped up at some point.

[Tony Z]

Thanks Barry. Hope you are getting some mileage out of yours.

[mick_762]

Cheets Tony, always good to read your posts as they are far more informative on this topic than many other pages on the 'net.

[Sako 22-250]

Cheets Tony, always good to read your posts as they are far more informative on this topic than many other pages on the 'net.

Ditto ......great read


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bushchook]

On Friday i went out with a mate that has just acquired an XQ50. In a few weeks time i will be helping out another two mates setting up their XQs.
Why i bring this up is because each and every person i speak too has reservations of the click adjustment values on Pulsar thermals.
An example is the new XQ38. One click is said to be worth 17mm at a 100 metres on the website and on the user manual. In keeping with linear measurement, that becomes 51mm at 300 metres. For an XP50 it's 21mm at 100 metres. Now that seems and is very course for high accuracy rifles out beyond 200 metres. And it is. But what is not explained on the sites, Pulsar or elswhere is that that adjustment is based off base magnification.
In the case of my new XQ, at 100 metres, at base magnification of 2.5x, one click value is 17 mm vertical or horizontal. First magnification or double the base now at 5x, it is now 8.5mm or 0.5 click as seen on the screen. Then on the second magnification, 10x or 4 times the base, one click is 4.25 mm or as seen on the screen, 0.25 click.
Why i bring this up is that a number of people i have spoken to have been put off thermals because of the course adjustment numbers and have bought other brands that state lower click values, not knowing that some brands do not have this reduction feature.
The stated 21mm on the most expensive in the current line XP50 at 21mm is actually one sixteenth of that with its 4x base magnification range. But to be perfectly honest, the pixelation at that magnification range would preclude a real time manual adjustment, but would work well for a measured or image freeze adjustment if deemed necessary. Unless you shoot 1K at night, which i reckon could be done with experience, pretty well pointless having such a fine adjustment..
I hope this filters through in some way to help with this issue. Why it is not on the sites or the manuals, or hasn't been last i looked, is puzzling. There is one youtube video that touches on it, but is very vague as the presenter assumes it is a known specification. Being a major seller of Pulsar thermals in the US, i would have thought this would have cropped up at some point.

Good info. there Tony. I’m hoping to buy an XQ50 shortly and that may have saved me some ammo.

[crackers17]

Great read Tony

Iv never been able to work that out with any of the thermals iv had. It would be interesting to have a chat to you about some of the other options on the pulsar line

[barryb]

Top read Tony & very helpful in getting an understanding with the Pulsars.

[Tony Z]

Time for another update after being away with the thermals these last few days.
I spent Saturday setting up two Thermions for two brothers on a very large melon and mango farm. They have been smashed by pigs over the last few seasons and it was interesting listening to the lengths they go to to control these pests. Anyway they had heard of the success people in their district are having with these scopes and decided to dump their Nikko Sterlings, no i don't jest, and fit up a couple of XQ38s.


I used both my XM38 and XQ38 for a direct comparison over the last few days. The XQs HD firmware is incredible for detail out to around 500 metres or so. Beyond that the resolution is similar to the XM but its limit is dependant on the night. Good night, around 1500 m or a bit more. Not so good maybe 1200.

The XM is in a league of its own like the Apex XD 75 for heat signature detection, 1800 metres and beyond on a good night. The trade off is field of view. The XM38 lacks here where the XQ38 was used very effectively to get right in close and shoot scattering pigs. The XQ38 is very good at replicating what a lot of us do in daylight. The XM38 is not good for this unless they are dumb and mill around confused with the shot echo on a still night.

If i was to choose one, i don't know which I'd pick. The XM38 is brilliant at detecting and picking animals off at range. The XQ38 will do the same, not as well at finding stuff at longer distance, but you can scan with nearly double the FOV of the XM. The XM38 is a little more compact and a little lighter. The XQ38 has a couple of hours more battery life. If really pushed i would have to say the XQ38 because it looks, feels and replicates closer to what most of know and expect in a day scope.
Unfortunately the XMs are getting phased out and i would expect that the 38s will end up being sought after for their long range capability. The XM50 is probably better again but the very narrow FOV and high base magnification of 5.5 really limits it to long range pest control like rabbits over a warren at night.

I know some of the ranges I'm talking of here sound inflated or unrealistic. Those that have thermals and those that eventually get to experience the vision of an animal through a good thermal sight always get blown away by the ability of these units to detect the heat signature at very long ranges that are usually well beyond what you can see in daylight.

What i can tell you is both scopes have been set and forget. By that i mean zero. Brightness and contrast are dependent on conditions or terrain. Aside from that i have found both units to be completely issue free.

[barryb]

Great stuff Tony - once again very helpful information especially for those uninitiated in the field of Thermion. Thanks.

[Tony Z]

Not an update but something to pass on after going out over the weekend helping a mate with his new XQ38.

Two things. Firstly firmware updates. So we're out in the paddock doing a basic settings procedure and also a finer sight in. The mate wants to view and record the process on his iPhone as i walk him through it. Initially all is good but he somehow accidentally??? decides to update to the latest firmware and it shuts down the scope while I'm setting parameters. He says oops, i say fuck. Well from there i could get wifi connected with any device but no image on the viewfinder. So there is a bug in the firmware somewhere and i suggested that he record his X and Y coordinates and factory reset to wipe the latest firmware if he couldn't get it to operate properly.
Like any firmware, read what they're offering, see if it is going to be of value, decide to upload but if there is an issue, record the zeroing coordinates and factory reset. If it aint fucked, dont fuck it.

Second thing. While we were out looking for hogs he asks about a white dot in the scopes viewfinder which appeared soon after the firmware incident. Sure enough there was a white dot top left. Not big but annoying. Anyway i used the pixel repair function to wipe the spot and all was good. I know Pulsar has this repair function, most don't, but if it occurs and was to persist, i suggest a warranty job. Especially after the first outing.

The wifi phone viewfinder issue is most likely a bug in either the phone or scopes firmware or a compatibility issue. Annoying but not catastrophic. The white spot thing, actually a malfunctioning pixel(s), is the first thing i have seen to date in a fair number of different models of Thermions that i would call a product hardware issue. It may return or it may not.
I will keep you'all posted.

[Glenn]

So Tony you don't leave pixel repair function in auto?

It was set to auto from the factory so I left it.

Is it to save battery life?

Glenn

[dashooter]

Not an update but something to pass on after going out over the weekend helping a mate with his new XQ38.

Two things. Firstly firmware updates. So we're out in the paddock doing a basic settings procedure and also a finer sight in. The mate wants to view and record the process on his iPhone as i walk him through it. Initially all is good but he somehow accidentally??? decides to update to the latest firmware and it shuts down the scope while I'm setting parameters. He says oops, i say fuck. Well from there i could get wifi connected with any device but no image on the viewfinder. So there is a bug in the firmware somewhere and i suggested that he record his X and Y coordinates and factory reset to wipe the latest firmware if he couldn't get it to operate properly.
Like any firmware, read what they're offering, see if it is going to be of value, decide to upload but if there is an issue, record the zeroing coordinates and factory reset. If it aint fucked, dont fuck it.

Second thing. While we were out looking for hogs he asks about a white dot in the scopes viewfinder which appeared soon after the firmware incident. Sure enough there was a white dot top left. Not big but annoying. Anyway i used the pixel repair function to wipe the spot and all was good. I know Pulsar has this repair function, most don't, but if it occurs and was to persist, i suggest a warranty job. Especially after the first outing.

The wifi phone viewfinder issue is most likely a bug in either the phone or scopes firmware or a compatibility issue. Annoying but not catastrophic. The white spot thing, actually a malfunctioning pixel(s), is the first thing i have seen to date in a fair number of different models of Thermions that i would call a product hardware issue. It may return or it may not.
I will keep you'all posted.

I don’t have a Thermion (love one but $$) but by all accounts it’s not just limited to IPhone, it’s android too. One suggestion from the distributor was to factory reset your phone.
Hopefully the next firmware update will have the bug fixed.
In saying that my XQ38f has never been great in the wifi connection and download department. I can have my phone sitting on the monocular and still have wifi drop out.


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[Glenn]

I brought a Pulsar Thermion XM38 March last year.
I put it on my Defiance Rebel 260, shot a few deer with it but had issues with bullet performance so I had it rebarreled to 308 and have not looked back!

I'm using Sierra 150gr Pro Hunter projectiles, they are a flat base Gameking, they are working exceptionally well!

The XM38 has changed the game for us!
I said the same as everyone, I cannot justify the cost, well once you use one the cost fades away very quickly!

We shoot all our deer on private property, it's basically pest control. We have permits!
The farms we shoot on were hit hard with drought for 3 years and the farmers were sick of the deer eating them out of house and home! So we shoot everything we see!

We spotlighted for years, still do, shot a lot of deer, but since getting the thermal EVERYTHING has changed!
We still spotlight but only to find them!

I shot 50+ sambar in 4 months!
We shoot deer now we never would of even thought of shooting at before!
An eye in the thick bush was not even worth looking at before because you could not see any of the body, but now I can see EVERYTHING!

Thermal has changed the way we hunt, mainly due the detection range.
Stop and have a look from a high point to see if there are deer there, no deer, keep driving! It saves a lot of time!

They are good for finding animals too

It dose take some getting use to but once you do it really is a whole new world!

I mount my gun to a tripod and walk a fair bit, that works very well, no light, no car you can catch them out!

Thermals do have some limitations, judging distance is one that has caught me few times, have shot deer a lot further than I thought it was!
Using the gun with the scope to scan an area is a pain in the arse, because of this I am getting a hand held thermal with a rangefinder!

If you are on the fence about buying a thermal all I can say is once you get one you will not regret it!