Thermal imaging

[Tackle]

Hey guys, wasn't sure what category to list this thread in ?, but here we go. 

Got a lost kitty, wife's doing her pieces, loads of other unfortunate shit going on at the moment & kitty going walkabout is literally the last straw & triggered lunacy lol. 

Anyway, someone suggested thermal imaging kit, & I thought hhmmmm, there's an opportunity?

So my question relates to affordable thermal scopes that could be utilised in the search for Woody the cat, & also transition towards Airsoft use if possible. 

Obviously I know shite about these, so anybody with experience of this stuff I'd appreciate your advice. 

Many thanks as always guys??

 

[Lozart]

I'm not sure there's anything actually "affordable" when it comes to thermals.

 

[SBoardley]

Watch out…..this is one  Of those clever spam bots!!

 

[Emergencychimps]

Thermal is cheaper than good night vision. 

There is the Leupold LTO tracker (few varients) that you can pick up from £300 ish, the Torres pine t 20 is good as well. 

You can also look at clip on thermal, giving a thermal overlay onto night vision as well, but you're looking 2.5k for that. 

Check out Scott country, they probably have info on options. 

 

[Pseudotectonic]

Also for ghost hunting? ?????

https://www.spiritshack.co.uk/shop/thermal-imaging-camera/

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

Vevor do one for around £200, I don't know its quality.

Flir units are very good and now down to £400 https://uk.farnell.com/flir/tg165-x/thermal-imager-80x60-25-to-300/dp/3513905   Fanatic squirrel hunters love 'em.

Pulsar are designed for spotting game etc they start at around £1100 and are designed for what you want it for.  Probably a bit high spec for searching a garden or loft/shed, but buy once etc.

 

[Impulse]

I'm also interested in this, but what I ideally want tends to start around £1000, but most are around the £2000 - £3000 mark after a cursory glance on the internet at my options. I just think a thermal rifle scope on my m700 would be "fun"

 

[Tackle]

Vevor do one for around £200, I don't know its quality.

Flir units are very good and now down to £400 https://uk.farnell.com/flir/tg165-x/thermal-imager-80x60-25-to-300/dp/3513905   Fanatic squirrel hunters love 'em.

Pulsar are designed for spotting game etc they start at around £1100 and are designed for what you want it for.  Probably a bit high spec for searching a garden or loft/shed, but buy once etc.

I'm down on the coast/Romney Marsh, so quite a large rural & desolate area potentially, hence why I'm thinking scopes with a bit of range rather than those infrared thermal vertical jobbies. 

& yep, £1100 seems to be the general starting price, tried looking s/h but there's feck all about unfortunately. 

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

I'm also interested in this, but what I ideally want tends to start around £1000, but most are around the £2000 - £3000 mark after a cursory glance on the internet at my options. I just think a thermal rifle scope on my m700 would be "fun"

What exactly do you want to do?  Think mounting, range, colour/display options, battery life, etc etc.  

The Yukon unit was the mutt's nuts for years for bolty night shooting.  Once £400-ish they are now £600+.  That's night vision not thermal.  

I'm down on the coast/Romney Marsh, so quite a large rural & desolate area potentially, hence why I'm thinking scopes with a bit of range rather than those infrared thermal vertical jobbies. 

& yep, £1100 seems to be the general starting price, tried looking s/h but there's feck all about unfortunately. 

NVUK do NV units that reach out to 130 yards for around £150 or so.  You find them on fb.  

After 130 yards you're into Pulsar territory.  I don't own any, but friends rate them.  

Good luck whatever you do.

 

[Cr0-Magnon]

I was sceptical but something that worked almost immediately for when my cat went missing, was to put a blanket they slept on over one end of the fence. Apparently if possible, putting their litter tray outside is also highly effective.

We think ours got into a scrap and sprinted off in a direction he was unfamiliar with.

 

[Tackle]

Don't think I'd gain anything with NV, already got some awesome torches that will get a good "cats-eye" reflection at up to 200 metres-ish, even the very best NV might struggle to match that, shame really as prices are pretty good. 

I was sceptical but something that worked almost immediately for when my cat went missing, was to put a blanket they slept on over one end of the fence. Apparently if possible, putting their litter tray outside is also highly effective.

We think ours got into a scrap and sprinted off in a direction he was unfamiliar with.

Trying it all, splattered all over the local fb pages, large flyers in all the local shops & we've posted hundreds of smaller flyers through letterboxes, & continue to do so going further afield according to possible sightings we've had (last one was 2 miles away ) 

We've also deployed a capture cage from cat protection league in gardens that think they've seen him, loaded with fishy food & a blanket his sisters been sleeping on. 

Can't get any of the drone mobs involved as they only do larger dogs, kitties are too small & more inclined to curl up under shelter when not on the move, especially as temperatures are starting to drop. 

I'm walking miles in the early hours just to try & spot him, which is agony?, as I'm getting a new knee in november, last week I had an op in London in relation to my cancer, rode the 80 miles home 2 hours after waking from the anaesthetic, had some grub then went out looking until 3am, Dunno what IV painkillers they gave me but I was marching on like robocop lol, good shit?. 

When I catch him I'm gonna wring the little shits neck. 

View attachment 96530

 

[Skara]

Leupold LTO Trackers are great for both cat rescue and airsoft.

The problem is that they're discontinued (because the guys at Leupold are fucking retards) and hen's teeth levels of rare. I've been after one for a while now...

 

[Cr0-Magnon]

My missus bought a load of these Apple airtag trackers for various applications. Our cats don't wander far, so we don't actually use them fulltime but they worked very well when we did give them a test.

View attachment 96535

 

[mightyjebus]

The handheld thermals are ok for searching but not really suitable for airsoft unless you want to walk around with a pistol in one hand and the imager in the other. Here's my UNI-T I use for electronic repair viewing my dogs in the garden. These cost around 220 quid from aliexpress.

View attachment 96548

I've also got a Leupold LTO and I modified it to work more as a close range scope and is ideal for airsoft.

View attachment 96549

There is a knock off version on aliexpress for around 450 quid and it actually has a higher resolution sensor than the LTO and it has an adjustable cross hair as well.

link for anyone interested in it.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004799373798.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.3b395cf7qZemN5&algo_pvid=d7feabd9-3d95-485e-9b63-76577f5916e2&algo_exp_id=d7feabd9-3d95-485e-9b63-76577f5916e2-1&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id"%3A"12000030529096690"}&pdp_npi=2%40dis!GBP!649.15!454.41!!!!!%400b0a01f816656009065817414e980f!12000030529096690!sea&curPageLogUid=UovvyxjEY0h6

 

[Oneshotscott]

Thermal scope £1500

New cat £80

Buy both... Just incase.