Thermal..... Again!

[PESCA]

You're right there, Bruce. Don't think my battery indicator has ever been on full.

Mind you, it often surprises me how long it keeps going when showing empty. Even once it starts flashing, it seems to last a while from that.

George

[Fox Hunter]

My Duracell rechargeable show 100% on the screen. I haven't tried Duracell alkaline as I was worried about them being 1.5v instead of 1.2v. I didn't think it would harm it but was afraid to take the risk but I'll give it a go soon as I bought 100 of the blighters as I thought it would be easier than charging batteries all the time..

[Fox Hunter]

I've linked my guide to the screen which worked perfectly at first. I then went to move it to a dark room to see how much light the screen gave off but before I did the screen just went black/off. I disconnected the 12v battery from the screen thinking it could have been a loose connection and when I reconnected the screen came on (blue) and then went off as if it wasn't receiving a video signal from the guide. Could the problem be that the Guide hasn't got enough power left in the battery to send the signal to the screen? The view through the viewfinder worked perfectly but there was only one bar showing on the guide screen:crazy:

[Fox Hunter]

Answered this one myself, as long as the guide has battery power it will power the screen.
The problem I've got is the screen itself. When I plugged the guide lead into the yellow av1 lead on the screen, nothing (this worked yesterday). I then Plugged into the av2 on the screen and it worked. It then wouldn't come back on after disconnecting things at first but after disconnecting everything and starting again it worked . Are these Chinese screens up to the job or are they temperamental? I'm a little worried by the cotton thin wires but if it works great. Can someone tell if there's a way to connect them or a certain order of connection?

[Fox Hunter]

Does'nt ANYBODY use a screen with their thermal?

I've just been out and had a much better experience with the thermal and also a totally frustrating time too...

I started off everything was crystal clear, the hedges, trees, tracks etc all showing with such definition, what a difference a dry (ish) day makes, I was feeling rather pleased with the image.

I then walked up into the hills a little and again found it slow to go through every heat source in view because stones, rocks and sheep were constantly in view a bit like this...



And this..



A little disappointed thinking it's going to be quicker and easier to just lamp I thought I'd just try fields this evening with the thermal. I turned and looked across the valley and noticed a heat source on it's own in 'the bottom field' when all the rest of sheep were in the top field. This is a fair distance away and will get range found tomorrow but you could tell it was a fox because of it's size compared to the sheep which were much bigger in the field further away. Here's a couple of pics of the fox but you struggle to see on here. The fox is almost dead centre in the screen in black hot for definition (not that there is any )..


After sitting watching for a while thinking ...Is it???? a sheep walked across the field above, note the difference in size..



So knowing I had to get over there, I trekked over a few fields and negotiated a nasty ravine with flood water's and got within a couple of hundred yards. I video'd the fox for a while and then switched to nv... Couldn't see it...back to Thermal..Still there...sights all steamed up on the nv and just couldn't make out the fox. Glasses on,off, didn't make any difference just couldn't see the fox clearly. could see it's location through the nv but it was a blur. I then noticed I couldn't even see the cross hair clearly it was fading and fading. I switched on the IR illuminator (900nm) and foxy looked straight at me. Now I'd been there 10 mins watching this fox and it hadn't batted an eye lid. He wasn't bothered by the IR but I felt I needed to get a shot off or it was going to get twitchy. Back to the thermal pressed record rested it on my rucksack recording the fox and back to the gun... Blind again I'm using my left eye to scan and right eye to shoot but this thermal lark REALLY affects my night vison. I vaguely had a pic of the crosshair, could see the outline of the fox and knew there was a bank for a backstop right behind the fox. Let one fly, and missed The fox took off but came down the field towards me but I just couldn't see the cross hair. All I had was a green pic with the fox in the middle but no cross hair. I tried red/orange up and down, no joy, no cross hair. I thought I'd killed my scope but it was nothing to do with the dedicated scope I was just blinded by the themal. That's the first fox I've missed with the dedicated scope for an age as I limit my range with it but to say I was pissed off was an understatement. I've come home and watched the videos and no wonder I couldn't see the fox clearly at first with nv as it was hunting through the fern at the edge of the field in the bank. I can now see how good these thermals are in the right conditions and locations but I can't believe I'm going to say it but I might need to get a digi dedicated with a bright cross hair and tv screen.
I've got some half decent (for me ) vids of this fox but it won't upload to photobucket, it just states upload failed,anybody know why?

[phoenix]

Re using a screen with the thermal.
I've just rigged up the satnav display in my landcruiser to take the video out signal from the thermal and show it on the screen. It works rather well.

Cheers

Bruce

[Fox Hunter]

Re using a screen with the thermal.
I've just rigged up the satnav display in my landcruiser to take the video out signal from the thermal and show it on the screen. It works rather well.

Cheers

Bruce

That's what I thought with that screen you recommended but I can't work out why it kept going off but the picture was great. I've got to get myself a solid self contained screen that will take a beating. I can see me using a screen every time I'm 'resting' but can't be arsed to carry a 12v battery. Sitting in a 4x4 it would be perfect to just watch a bait point, that was my plan with the screen but after tonight I need to reconsider my options..

[Fox Hunter]

Here's a couple of vids of the fox, should have spent more time just filming it in different modes rather than try to shoot it
http://youtu.be/S2SBOa9dFsU
http://youtu.be/IYlPnPvJUS4

[Fox Hunter]

Just in case anyone is actually interested in this thread, I've found the answer to my blindness.. Use the same eye to scan as to shoot. The eye strain closing one eye for long periods of time whilst scanning and then swapping to the other to shoot caused 'me' a problem. I used the same eye tonight and no problem focussing on the dedicated reticle after looking through the thermal for periods time, the only difference was the Nv scope seemed slightly darker but the reticle was perfectly visable.

[longbow3]

at a recent night vision event I was able to test the guide 518ec alongside the pulsar hd 38s and there was very little difference
the big difference was the price that's why I am ordering the pulsar
Guide is £5000 but the pulsar is under £3000