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Author Topic: Thermal Riflescopes  (Read 8262 times)

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Offline Mark 79

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Thermal Riflescopes
« on: October 13, 2025, 06:32:43 PM »
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    • TFB makes a great show that it is about "Firearms, not Politics," but that is bullshit. Zionism alone has always had "Freedom of Speech" on the site.  I have long argued that their motto should be "Infomercials, not Reviews," because they usually and undiscerningly regurgitate industry press releases.

    That said, this article is decent…

    https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/best-thermal-rifle-scope-44822866
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    Offline Michaelknoxville

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #1 on: December 08, 2025, 10:09:33 AM »
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    • Just remember you can not live in your scope. You will still need i.r to get around and if the reaper drones fly by they will have your red light as well as you and your heat signature right along with it 😵‍💫. But if you’re just scoping your back 40 for varmints maybe 2 legged ones they do make a good option day or night. When they first came out with the digital ones the government ordered all the data the scope collected to be turned over. So as always the more expensive analog ones that don’t record you is probably wise. I’m not sure they even exist at this point without WiFi. I think even amg and Trijicons come standard with WiFi now. 
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    Offline Mark 79

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #2 on: December 09, 2025, 01:52:20 AM »
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    • Quote from: Michaelknoxville on December 08, 2025, 10:09:33 AM
    Just remember you can not live in your scope. You will still need i.r to get around and if the reaper drones fly by they will have your red light as well as you and your heat signature right along with it 😵‍💫. But if you’re just scoping your back 40 for varmints maybe 2 legged ones they do make a good option day or night. When they first came out with the digital ones the government ordered all the data the scope collected to be turned over. So as always the more expensive analog ones that don’t record you is probably wise. I’m not sure they even exist at this point without WiFi. I think even amg and Trijicons come standard with WiFi now.

    I think you need to flesh out those comments a bit.

    "You will still need i.r to get around…" This begs for qualification. If you have zero ambient light, image intensifier tech works just fine. Even if you have zero ambient light, the thermal differential allows thermal imaging to work, albeit with muted contrast in many scenarios.

    "…and if the reaper drones fly by they will have your red light as well as you and your heat signature right along with it." They will have your heat signature no matter whether or not you have any NVD.

    "…the digital ones… the more expensive analog" I have not seen any worthwhile digital CCD NVD—not one.  Have you? Thermal devices are digital, excellent, and relatively expensive.
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    Offline Michaelknoxville

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #3 on: December 09, 2025, 09:53:40 AM »
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    • You will still need i.r to get around…" This begs for qualification. If you have zero ambient light, image intensifier tech works just fine. Even if you have zero ambient light, the thermal differential allows thermal imaging to work, albeit with muted contrast in many scenarios.

    If that’s all you have is a scope……. You’re just going to live in it and muzzle everything?

    and if the reaper drones fly by they will have your red light as well as you and your heat signature right along with it." They will have your heat signature no matter whether or not you have any NVD.

    Exactly!

    the digital ones… the more expensive analog" I have not seen any worthwhile digital CCD NVD—not one.  Have you? Thermal devices are digital, excellent, and relatively expensive.

    This is something to think about.


    https://gunsamerica.com/digest/ice-google-apple-user-data-atn-scope-app/

    And no I don’t think thermals are made anymore without being digital. Which means irs are the only analog options left. Like the old pvs14s and such. They are 3-4000 not 3-400$ 
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    Offline Mark 79

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #4 on: December 09, 2025, 09:11:50 PM »
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    • Quote from: Michaelknoxville on December 09, 2025, 09:53:40 AM

    …If that’s all you have is a scope……. You’re just going to live in it and muzzle everything?…

    (1) We have more than "a scope." (2) Even if we didn't, I would rather muzzle everything than be "blind" at night. (3) We all have excellent trigger discipline.

    Quote from: Michaelknoxville on December 09, 2025, 09:53:40 AM

    …

    This is something to think about.


    https://gunsamerica.com/digest/ice-google-apple-user-data-atn-scope-app/

    And no I don’t think thermals are made anymore without being digital. Which means irs are the only analog options left. Like the old pvs14s and such. They are 3-4000 not 3-400$

    Yes. You highlight an important point… let me add this… I am not stupid enough, BUT if I was stupid enough to carry or, worse, use a "smart phone" app for "ops," I would already be room temperature (or resigned to be room temperature) before they could download the data. Neither would I own an NVD that automatically stores images.

    I have never seen an analog thermal NVD. Is it even possible? I try to imagine an analog thermal NVD. I am blocked at the look-up table necessary to display the data. I only see digital options to display the data. I am not an engineer, but I have a decent grip on imaging physics. What use would an analog frequency domain graph be in an incursion or firefight?

    While the various generation image intensifier NVDs do have on-board IR illuminators, they must be manually activated. The only time I/we have ever activated the illuminators was to test them in a room without any ambient light. (They worked.) The detent for the activation switch is quite secure. I cannot see a circuмstance in which the illuminator could be accidentally activated.

    Incidentally even the Gen 1 image intensifier units are useful despite low resolution, bulk, weight, and short life span of the image intensifier tube, but you can get such a unit with some usable life span remaining for $200.

    I think your concerns are worthy, so buyers should know the capabilities of their gear before purchase.  That said, anyone wiling to own or carry a "smart phone" has already compromised their persec/opsec.


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    Offline Mat183

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #5 on: December 09, 2025, 09:24:01 PM »
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    Offline Mark 79

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #6 on: December 10, 2025, 05:26:41 AM »
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    Offline Mark 79

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #7 on: December 10, 2025, 05:27:23 AM »
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    Offline Michaelknoxville

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #8 on: December 10, 2025, 06:42:45 PM »
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    • Quote from: Mark 79 on December 09, 2025, 09:11:50 PM

    (1) We have more than "a scope." (2) Even if we didn't, I would rather muzzle everything than be "blind" at night. (3) We all have excellent trigger discipline.

    Yes. You highlight an important point… let me add this… I am not stupid enough, BUT if I was stupid enough to carry or, worse, use a "smart phone" app for "ops," I would already be room temperature (or resigned to be room temperature) before they could download the data. Neither would I own an NVD that automatically stores images.

    I have never seen an analog thermal NVD. Is it even possible? I try to imagine an analog thermal NVD. I am blocked at the look-up table necessary to display the data. I only see digital options to display the data. I am not an engineer, but I have a decent grip on imaging physics. What use would an analog frequency domain graph be in an incursion or firefight?

    While the various generation image intensifier NVDs do have on-board IR illuminators, they must be manually activated. The only time I/we have ever activated the illuminators was to test them in a room without any ambient light. (They worked.) The detent for the activation switch is quite secure. I cannot see a circuмstance in which the illuminator could be accidentally activated.

    Incidentally even the Gen 1 image intensifier units are useful despite low resolution, bulk, weight, and short life span of the image intensifier tube, but you can get such a unit with some usable life span remaining for $200.

    I think your concerns are worthy, so buyers should know the capabilities of their gear before purchase.  That said, anyone wiling to own or carry a "smart phone" has already compromised their persec/opsec.
    Yes analog is possible! I got not clue what makes it run “ alien tech for all i know” but my older pvs14 set up is considered analog as opposed to digital. No WiFi no recording capabilities and it’s actually pretty sharp. I got the spec sheet with it I think it was a 2 grade which basically gets graded on the dead spots the screen displays . I have to look really hard to see the dead spots. The resolution is awesome. I can’t imagine spending all night in it but I got a level 3a helmet with a mount i hook it up to with a mount that either sits up out of the way or down straight in front of the right eye. I run it with an eotech exps 3 and a weapon mounted amg flood light. I get about 200 yards of visibility out of it. I payed about 4,000$ for the whole thing it’s an old green light display like the movies. The white ones are the newer rage. The green gives you crazy dreams and tweaks your mind after a bit from what roommate tells me when he ran one in Afghanistan 😵‍💫😄.  I mostly take it to the dog park at night. I keep it right in my pocket. 
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    Offline Mark 79

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #9 on: December 11, 2025, 04:10:17 AM »
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    • Quote from: Michaelknoxville on December 10, 2025, 06:42:45 PM
    Yes analog is possible! I got not clue what makes it run “ alien tech for all i know” but my older pvs14 set up is considered analog as opposed to digital. No WiFi no recording capabilities and it’s actually pretty sharp. I got the spec sheet with it I think it was a 2 grade which basically gets graded on the dead spots the screen displays . I have to look really hard to see the dead spots. The resolution is awesome. I can’t imagine spending all night in it but I got a level 3a helmet with a mount i hook it up to with a mount that either sits up out of the way or down straight in front of the right eye. I run it with an eotech exps 3 and a weapon mounted amg flood light. I get about 200 yards of visibility out of it. I payed about 4,000$ for the whole thing it’s an old green light display like the movies. The white ones are the newer rage. The green gives you crazy dreams and tweaks your mind after a bit from what roommate tells me when he ran one in Afghanistan 😵‍💫😄.  I mostly take it to the dog park at night. I keep it right in my pocket.
    Solid. I've toyed with building our next one… but like so many other things… it's not on top of the priority list. :laugh1:
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    Offline Michaelknoxville

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #10 on: December 11, 2025, 11:59:35 AM »
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    • Quote from: Mark 79 on December 11, 2025, 04:10:17 AM
    Solid. I've toyed with building our next one… but like so many other things… it's not on top of the priority list. :laugh1:
    Parts kits are the way to go! If you can make your own tubes you are speaking a foreign language to me haha! But you can get housings, lenses and hardware for them pretty cheap. You can cut the price in half just assembling your own. I was going to go that route because instructions are easy to come by and the parts are easily available. Even eBay has a good market for parts kits. From what I’ve heard from military friends they are durable like acog durable. They just work and keep working. Anything Trijicon eotech and amg make seems to be that way anyway. Joe proof! I got mine when I made good money working in Boston. I miss those days. The “ migrants” took our jobs. The whole stinking company. Now I’m poor! Poor me 😄 but yes premade parts to get you rolling are readily available. 

    https://superiortac.com/product/pvs-14-parts-kit/

    and no joke if you go through a good distributor eBay is a solid source. 
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    Offline Mark 79

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #11 on: December 11, 2025, 09:59:43 PM »
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    • It's been a few years since I estimated the cost of a build, but at that time I could build NVD with high Figure of Merit II tube with about $500 saved.  If one was willing to accept a lower Figure of Merit (a few dead pixels) as much as $1500 would have been saved.
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    Offline Michaelknoxville

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #12 on: December 12, 2025, 04:53:14 PM »
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    Offline Michaelknoxville

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    Re: Thermal Riflescopes
    « Reply #13 on: December 12, 2025, 04:54:55 PM »
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    • How to defeat it or at least deal with it. ☝🏻
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