Night Vision Reliability and Longevity of Thermal Sights?

Good units last a while. I have around 1K hours on a Pulsar Trail XQ38 with no issues whatsoever aside from one stinking dead pixel I can't fix. I also have about 400 hours on a Thermion XP50 that gave me a fit of dead pixels from the onset, but has had no issues since.

Unfortunately I had a Thermion XP50 that came to me dead out of the box. It took almost two months to get a replacement, and I had to eat shipping back to Sellmark. My experience with the Thermion lines has solidified my desire to never purchase another Pulsar product.

Thermals aren't going to last forever, but most have warranties that last several years. Stick with an established brand, and at least they'll fix your issues if the unit does shit the bed.

Simple,

Invest your dollars into a brand that cares about their customers, believes in timely returns on warranty claims, and most importantly, doesn't care why/how something happened, but will fix it anyways. Secondly, buy from a dealer you trust to do the right thing, even if the manufacturer won't.

All electronics will have a hiccup from time to time. It's how that hiccup is handled that makes all the difference.

SkyScrapin said:

Simple,

Invest your dollars into a brand that cares about their customers, believes in timely returns on warranty claims, and most importantly, doesn't care why/how something happened, but will fix it anyways. Secondly, buy from a dealer you trust to do the right thing, even if the manufacturer won't.

All electronics will have a hiccup from time to time. It's how that hiccup is handled that makes all the difference.

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^ This.

I have a buddy that had a Trijicon IR Hunter MkIII crap out on him. He had a working thermal back to him in nine days IIRC.

N vision and Trijicon

Thermals that are built for mil contracts will have more durability and longevity


Consumer thermals focus more on bs “features” instead of ruggedness

commandernavi said:

Thank you. Which brands stand behind their stuff the best?

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Which brand has the product features you want and is in your price range ?
Find that brand + unit and buy it from a respectable dealer, as the dealer can play a big part in dealing with the manufacturer sometimes.
Most Thermal/NV companies that have been in business a long time, with a lot of sales, will have their CS issues.
Diggler has an issue with Pulsar and his Thermion scope, but I've had the total opposite experience with Pulsar.
Good Luck.

deersniper said:

Thermals that are built for mil contracts will have more durability and longevity


Consumer thermals focus more on bs “features” instead of ruggedness

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I'd add further clarification as this is important to differentiate. There is a difference between mil contract devices and commercial devices, more specifically when it comes to their origin of parts, assembly, and manufacturer. There are plenty of robust consumer thermal products made right here in the US that are far superior than their Chinese competitors.

History has proven that if you buy Chinese, you're buying a consumable. When you buy US, and in most cases European, you're buying a far superior product with longevity of use in mind.

If it's a mil contract device, chances are, it has a short 1 year warranty, and it's going to cost you an arm and a leg to fix should the manufacturer refuse to do it on their dime. If it's a stolen mil item, you're dead in the water. Ideally, these products are hardened, but we all know that isn't always the case. There's a reason why even Trij Oasys has a limitation on their collimation of the UTCxii depending on caliber and firing schedule. Mechanical items always run the risk of breaking (Rolex for example).

As a rule of thumb, stay away from China products unless you're okay with buying twice.

Preston

While it's cool to think that mil items are so much better, it isn't always reality.

Just saying

commandernavi said:

Would Flir be considered a good company? Specifically I was looking at the Breach originally but I saw multiple recent reports of issues like I mentioned so wasn't sure if it was a fluke and whether Flir takes care of people long term.

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Flir no longer sells to the civilian market. I have a friend whom has been trying for 6 months to get one fixed to no avail. You WILL be left high and dry if you need repairs.

Nvision and Trijicon of you want it smooth.

I consider the Triji IR Hunter to be a little better than the Halo and the NOX better than any helmet mounted Triji.

The IR hunter is amazing IMHO in its build quality and toughness.

Pulsar if you want to have some cool features but are ok with some risk too.

Poor thermals break at the same rate a cheap wal-mart kitchen appliance do. They last a bit then they don’t.

Good thermals break at the same rate a good cell phone you baby hardcore does.

It’s worse for weapons mounted stuff.

commandernavi said:

Oof. That's really frustrating and disappointing . Does NVision make any good alternatives to the Breach around a similar price range?

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No, the NOX is a much better system which is why it costs roughly $6k as opposed to what the breach costs.

There are other options.
You could look at the Pulsar Axion for scanners or get a Bering Optics Hogster R25 or 35 and use the Hogster as a scanner and a rifle mount for right around what a breach goes for. https://www.nightgoggles.com/product-category/thermal/thermal-monoculars/

The Bering thermals (Hogsters and Phenom) carry a 4-year warranty, are super dependable, and since Bering services their equipment are not throw-aways once the warranty is up. They, however, do not have anything designed specifically as a helmet-mountable thermal. The Hogster 25 or Phenom could be McGyvered on a helmet but fairly big and bulky.

commandernavi said:

Thank you. That's a good option. Shame it's not helmet mounted though. Small number of market entries it seems

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If FLIR hadn't bailed on all of us I would say the Breach is perfect for your needs. But they did.

if I were in your shoes, I'd get the cheapest handheld set of Pulsar Binos and then run a tube or set of tubes on my head.

We have enough gear here to have tested all of the combinations and that one seems to have the best multi-purpose outcomes. You can put the binos on a tripod and sit and watch for a long time, and laser stuff that shows up on the thermal for other folks. And the tubes take care of your navigation/driving/etc.

I have a tube and a thermal because my brain doesn't give a shit about the non-fusion aspect. LOTS of people get headaches and other problems looking at 2 different images.

kirsch said:

The Bering thermals (Hogsters and Phenom) carry a 4-year warranty, are super dependable, and since Bering services their equipment are not throw-aways once the warranty is up. They, however, do not have anything designed specifically as a helmet-mountable thermal. The Hogster 25 or Phenom could be McGyvered on a helmet but fairly big and bulky.

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I saw someone was going to try something like that out with a R25. I am not sure if they followed through with it or not?

I've done it, but don't like it. You need to make sure to get the Hogster extended forward as well as use the picatinny base to make it work. The Hogsters are super small, but they aren't light. Not recommended but possible with some McGyvering.

kirsch said:

I've done it, but don't like it. You need to make sure to get the Hogster extended forward as well as use the picatinny base to make it work. The Hogsters are super small, but they aren't light. Not recommended but possible with some McGyvering.

View attachment 7604430

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Do you think this would work better with the hogster clip on? That optic seems to check a lot of boxes.

DutyRanger said:

Do you think this would work better with the hogster clip on? That optic seems to check a lot of boxes.

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Not for helmet mounting, if that is the goal. 3x base mag with monocular attachment is really high for that.

The Hogster Clip on is a decent optic, but I am personally not a fan of any clip ons. Too much weight and controls are too far forward and they cost more.

I have asked them, and they don't seem very interested in a helmet mounted solution. You can always suggest it by sending an email to [email protected]. They do take customer suggestions very serious and if enough people ask, they may do it.

The NOX is a good answer to all of this. You get a good weapon sight and a good helmet mount so it’s worth the scratch.