As a hunter, taking down any target is considerably harder under the cover of darkness
Your equipment could mean the difference between an accurate kill or simply giving away your location and anonymity.
A good quality thermal optics scope is invaluable when out in the field. Quite literally your sight in the dark - vital equipment to any successful hunter.
Today the market has become saturated with options and choosing a thermal vision companion is no shot in the dark (pun intended). We have taken the liberty of comparing and reviewing three sensors we personally recommend you take a closer look at.
FLIR is the leading brand in thermal optic technology and recently debuted their newest thermal sensor known as the Boson Core. Let’s take a look at what makes this device so unique and why it’s currently the talk of the hunting town.
New FLIR Boson Core
The Boson Core is a first in some of the technologies housed in its tiny exterior.
Expandable infrared video enables the most advanced image processing known to date while simultaneously working with peripheral sensors and communicatory devices.
With so much going on one would presume the energy consumption to be quite high. However, it seems FLIR found a way around excessive consumption and the Boson proves to be one of the lowest starting at just 500mW.
It gives you the option of a variety of lenses and shutter options. It’s among the first of its kind to operate at full function in temperatures ranging from the extreme -40 to +80°F.
Some notable features worth mentioning:
The intelligence behind the Boson is something FLIR has been working on for years. For it to finally be at your fingertips, powering the thermal viewers we know and love is a hunters blessing.
Micron Pixels
When it comes to thermal optics ‘micron pixel’ is a term that demands attention.
When a thermal imaging device is designed around a smaller microbolemeter it allows the user to fit smaller lenses when using the unit. This reduces cost of equipment and saves a hunter on costs in the long run.
Smaller lenses are cheaper and easier to lug around in the field. Size-conscious microbolemeters are a growing point of interest amongst the thermal optics community. The smaller the better.
Detection Ranges
What it really comes down to is how the thermal viewer performs in target detection when put to use in the field.
The FLIR PTS233 is one of the units powered by the Boson Core intelligence. The precision imagery can detect a human size (give or take) target up to 300 yards away. With the upgraded lenses on the PTS536 and PTS736 that range is even longer. The PTS536 and PTS736 feature a 50mm lens and 75mm lenses with 4x and 6x optical magnification.
The RS32 and RS64 units vary in ability depending on your lens of choice.
The RS64 is more focused around extreme long-distance imaging especially if you are using 35mm and 60mm lens which also has 16x digital zoom. This allows you to zoom in even closer on targets and with the 640x480 thermal resolution even when using the digital zoom your image quality will be clear.
Refresh Rate
Another critical factor to consider in a thermal viewer is the rate at which the device is able to refresh itself. A fast moving target requires faster refresh rates for accurate image relaying.
In spite of the RS64 having higher thermal resolution its refresh rate is only 30Hz. The RS32 outshines with a whopping 60Hz refresh rate, double that of the RS64.
The PTS233 (and other PTS models) matches that of the RS32 also at 60Hz.
Battery Life
The battery lives of the RS64, RS32 and PTS233 are relatively the same. At full charge the units will run up to four hours of continued use before the battery packs need to be recharged.
The RS64 and RS32 battery packs are not interchangeable and need to be recharged using the built in USB port. I would say built in batteries may be better because you could buy external USB charger for less than $30 and use it to recharge scope on the go. In contrast the PTS233 batteries (CR123Ax2) are completely swappable; here though we suggest buying re-chargeable batteries or an external battery pack to save money over the long run.
The PTS233 has the feature of a low power mode that can be activated in order to extend this four-hour run time even further.
Connectivity
Unfortunately, these ranges of FLIR thermal scopes are not preinstalled with the Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity technology present in some of the other thermal optics devices. This is no doubt to keep costs low and the product as affordable as possible.
Hunters seeking to live stream their footage will have to seek additional technology to add to their setup.
On the bright side the PTS233 does feature a new USB-C connector which is a first for these types of technological devices.
Video Recording
Another standard feature across the FLIR range (sans the PS32-R series) is the ability to video record the imagery being processed through the viewfinder.
Through video output features all three of our units have this ability and simply require a connection cable in order to link them to your choice of DVR device, which will in turn record the respective imagery.
The PTS233 is the only unit that can store actual footage within the unit itself, free of a cable. Up to 2 ½ hours of video recording or 1000 still images can be held in the unit. The PTS line also has shot activated recording so that all of your shots are automatically recorded.
ThermoSight® PRO PTS233
