Helmet Mounted Thermal???

Fredhorace77

New Member
What is the best route for a helmet mounted thermal?

IR- Patrol or the new FLIR Breech....any other contenders? I know IR will win in the high resolution catergory....but that new breech is so so small...im torn on which direction to go.

Wish the FLIR Breech was ava. as a 640 core, then it would be a no brainer.
 

wigwamitus

LSB Active Member
Here we have SKEET 320 on the left eye (right side of the pic) and PVS-14 on the right eye with COTI cliped on the 14.

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The 14 gives you basic navigation and ability to see the ir-laser. Together with the coti this gives "hip shoot" capability.

And the SKEET gives long distance detection ... I detected cattle at 1,800 a couple of weeks ago ... and intermediate distance PID ... hum out to 300yds to 500yds depending on the critter and the conditions.

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Here we have the same setup, except the SKEET is replaced by the PATROL. The PATROL, being a 640 is slight superior image, maybe 10% to 20% but not as much as you might think. The display in the back of the SKEET is GOOD. The SKEET is half the size and half the weight of the PATROL and the SKEET has a laser pointer. The SKEET needs precise focusing to retain a decent image on 2x digital. My SKEET does not have a battery pack though I'm trying to get a buddy to make me a custom one.

jdpIxin.jpg


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Close up of the COTI on the 14 ... this is a fast setup.

fYgZAUI.jpg


Again, I have no battery pack for the COTI, but getting same buddy to make me some. In -10F to -20F last winter, the COTI was only running about 10m, hence the battery pack is desperately needed in the winter. I've improved my power management skills with this widget (it is more complex than you might expect) but it still really needs a usb battery pack, should have one soon.

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And here is an earlier setup with the ODIN 320 thermal on the helmet together with one 14 ... I used this setup for about 2 years and it still works fine. And the UNV Battery pack works for both the PATROL and the ODIN.



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Th Q-14 I could get to work by itself on the helmet, but not side by side with the 14. Further the 14 image was only marginally better than the ODIN, even though the Q-14 I had was a 640. And the Q-14 extended battery adapter was unreliable. Armasight sent me a new one, but it still could not take recoil. I wound up using the Q-14 on my .22LR for about 2 years as my "ratter" and it was actually good in that role. The ODIN can do the same, but I think I slightly prefer the Q-14 on the .22lr due to the manual focus.

5s51s3p.jpg


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For most nights, I'd prefer the SKEET to the PATROL. The SKEET is smaller and lighter and has the compass heading in the display to help with team orientation ann the aiming laser can also help get people with 14s oriented on a critter of interest. But if I am in open fields and need maximum distance/PID capability, I want the Patrol. In close terrain, I'd like the COTI also due to ability to engage quickly if something fleeting pops into view ... and I live along a creek and see yotes, coons, opossum near my coop inside 50yds ... and boom they appear and I need to act quickly. So the coti helps in close terrain. In open terrain, the coti is not needed.
 

wigwamitus

LSB Active Member
Actually all of those helmet mountable thermals ^^ are available for way less than what I paid for them these days ... so cost should not be a barrier. Being persistent in the search for lower pricing is a key factor. That and either being willing to buy from ebay or knowing enough dealers that hear about people selling these sorts of items. All those head mounted thermals in my pics above are 320s ... and for small lenses and helmet spotters I think 320 works. But if you want 640s ... they are available as well.

Safran/Optics 1 has a new 640 COTI and even an SWIR version, though I am not sure if we can buy any of those.

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Oh, exception, the PATROL is a 640 ... and it is also an exception to the "way less" on pricing ... I was thinking of the COTI, the Skeet and the ODIN, when I said those words.
 
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