We are all familiar with the trickle-down phenomenon in which military technology eventually becomes available for civilian use. This has been going on since black powder muskets replaced pikes. This article will delve into this dynamic as it relates to thermal optics. The Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF XQ50 Pro and Sightmark Wraith thermal optics will serve as examples—sort of a yin & yang approach to the category.
The ability for non-military personnel to negate darkness’s cloak is now available at a performance level hard to imagine even a decade ago. The increase in performance has been matched by a decrease in price, to the point that thermals are now feasible for people to obtain without bank-approved payment plans.
Why Thermal Optics Are Ideal for Night Hunting
Effective night hunting requires specialized equipment. While spotlights have gotten the job done for years and night vision is certainly worth exploring, thermal imaging scopes represent the way to go. For a predator hunter, the ability to “see” at night helps increase the odds of success fooling animals that have a sensory advantage over us.
How Thermal Imaging Works (Simple Explanation)
Thermal imaging, which made its appearance (pun intended) during the Korean War, uses infrared radiation and thermal energy to formulate images of objects. Thermal imagers are composed of a heat sensor that can detect minute temperature differences.
Infrared radiation is gathered from objects, creating an image based on the differences and inflections of the temperature measurements.
A way to think of thermals is as a digital camera recording infrared/heat waves rather than light, with a processor that creates images for our recognition.
As we’ve seen with nearly every electronic device, shrinking microprocessors have prompted quantum leaps in performance and size reduction since the 1960s.
Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF XQ50 Pro (Premium Thermal Scope Overview)
I have had the opportunity to evaluate night vision and thermal devices from various manufacturers over the years. The unique mounting styles and often stingy eye relief don’t compare favorably with traditional magnified optics.
However, with its Thermion 2 LRF XQ50 Pro, Pulsar has created a thermal imaging device within a classic form factor that uses 30mm rings for mounting to your rifle.
Key Specs & Features
The Thermion 2’s profile is similar to a typical variable magnification rifle scope with 50mm objective, except it can “see” in the dark with a 1900-yard detection range, has a built-in 875-yard laser range finder, features a picture-in-picture (PiP) reticle option, records video and captures photos, features unique reticle styles that can be programmed to different calibers/loads.
The Thermion 2 construction meets IPX7 waterproof standards for being submerged under 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. This is good to know for the damp nights the thermal will be exposed to.
Battery life is 10 hours with the XQ50’s internal and external batteries.
Thermal Sensor & Image Quality (Resolution, Refresh Rate, NETD)
The XQ50 is no longer the “hottest” model in the Pulsar stable, with newer, more advanced offerings available. With that said, I have not felt the need to put the XQ50 out to pasture.
A European Union (EU) thermal sensor from France is at the heart of the Pulsar Thermion 2. The XQ50 model offers 384×288 pixel @ 17 µm, 50 Hz frame rate. The NETD is <25 mK (the lower the better).
NETD stands for Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference. This is a measurement of thermal sensitivity based on heat signature.
Don’t forget that a thermal is still useful during the day, unlike traditional night vision devices. With a NEDT (Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference) of less than 25mK, the Thermion 2 has a temperature differentiation measured in the tenths/hundredths of degrees.
The more refined the temperature differentiation is, the more detailed the provided image can be, even when the sun is out.
AMOLED Display Benefits (Why It Matters)
The Pulsar Thermion 2’s AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) display has another advantage with tiny red, green, and blue (RGB) pixels in four layers.
Each pixel is animated by its own light source, instead of one large backlight screen like an LCD would use. This results in very sharp image quality with less eye fatigue for the user.
Images are simply more vibrant with the AMOLED display, which refreshes faster than LCDs with a 1 millisecond rate. This is not only an advantage for moving targets, but also for better real-time recording.
Pulsar Thermion 2 Field Evaluation (Real-World Use)
It is best to familiarize yourself with Thermion 2 controls in the daylight so that operation is more intuitive in the dark.
That said, the controls are minimal, with functions controlled by short presses on the left side control knob, found where parallax knob is usually found on traditional daylight scopes. Buttons near the rear eyepiece control magnification, PiP, laser rangefinder (LRF), and recording.
Why the Laser Rangefinder (LRF) Is So Useful at Night
I found the LRF function especially important. Remember, you are sitting in pitch black conditions with your window to the world being the 7.5 degree (42 feet @100 yards) field of view in your thermal.
You really have no spatial input, allowing you to determine how near or far away objects are, especially if magnification is cranked up. That’s where the LRF can really benefit users.
This was brought home not only in Texas when cruising around to various fields and food plots, but also sitting in a blind in West Virginia as objects began appearing out of a wood line into a planned ambush zone.
Having distance displayed in the corner of your Thermion 2 device gives you instant input as to where to place digital crosshairs, as well as how much time you have to get set up for a shot.
Zeroing the Pulsar Thermion 2 (Quick Setup Tips)
Sighting in the Pulsar Thermion 2 XQ50 Pro is relatively simple. A small handwarmer packet was stapled to a target, simplifying zero. Strips of duct tape work too, illustrating how sensitive thermal detection is.
The ability to operate a thermal during the day helped. I advise users to read the operation manual to understand what screens to toggle to for reticle zeroing and methods to input adjustments. This just saves time and frustration, especially for those new to the category.
Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Reticle Feature
The Pulsar PiP feature was the most practical in terms of placing rounds on target. The function enables the shooter to display a high-precision zeroing frame in the display.
Taking only 10 percent of the total display area, the frame shows a magnified image of the target and reticle and allows the user to closely see the image in the aiming area and have visual control of the entire field of view at the same time.
Sightmark Wraith Thermal (Budget-Friendly Option)
The Sightmark Wraith Mini 2-16x35 thermal offers thermal capability at a gentle price point, about 60 percent less than the Thermion. It’s a great start for anyone contemplating exploring thermal optics.
Sightmark and Pulsar are sister companies operating under the Sellmark corporate portfolio. The Sightmark Wraith thermal stands out based on its performance-to-price point ratio.
Sightmark Wraith Specs & Performance
Like the Pulsar, an EU thermal sensor is used in the Wraith, which has a 384x288 resolution sensor featuring 17micron sensor pitch, allowing for sharp/crisp images and increased magnification potential.
The Wraith thermal offers 2x optical and 1-8x digital zoom. The Wraith thermal scope has a 50Hz frame rate, excellent for the price.
All of this is crucial for successful tracking/observation and engagement of moving targets. With a NEDT of less than 40mK, the Wraith has a temperature differentiation of .04-degree Fahrenheit.
Color Palettes, Reticles, and OLED Display
The Wraith mini thermal has five thermal color palette modes—traditional black-hot and white-hot, along with green, rainbow, and magenta hot for added background contrast and more precise heat detection.
Ten reticle patterns are available along with nine reticle colors to choose from, with its OLED display.
As mentioned in the Thermion discussion, a key advantage of OLED is that the screen is self-emissive, as it emits its own light. This results in very sharp image quality with less eye fatigue for the user.
Other OLED advantages include a perfect black background, something important for thermal optics. LCD screens rarely show true black levels because the backlight is always on, leading to leakage of light to the screen.
Perfect black allows for infinite contrast, so the difference between the darkest and brightest parts of the image is higher than what other display types are capable of.
Energy consumption is also less because it does not need a backlight to produce light. That makes them a good choice for smaller devices as they can last longer than their LCD-based equivalents.
Size, Mounting, and Battery Life
The Sightmark Wraith thermal is compact, measuring 6.6 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 2.9 inches tall. The squat Wraith thermal weighs 19.3 ounces with its aluminum body.
The Wraith arrives on a Picatinny mounting rail for attachment to a firearm. This mounting method is handy to position the Wraith far enough rearward on the host firearm for proper eye relief.
With that said, the Wraith thermal’s size makes it feasible for use as a handheld unit as well.
This method was used a lot during a visit to Texas to explore what the Wraith offered, especially compared to its more expensive brethren. Sessions along power line clearings and expansive fields confirmed the Wraith’s listed 1400-yard detection range with identification of deer out to 800 yards.
Two CR123A offer 3.5-4 hour run time with the Wraith.
To supplement the CR123 batteries, I strongly suggest adding the Sightmark Quick Detach Battery pack for use with the Wraith thermal. The rechargeable lithium battery stores 10,000mAh of current that offers 8-10 hours of run time with the Wraith thermal.
The Sightmark battery pack smartly attaches/snaps to the Picatinny rail section in front of the Wraith thermal with a USB cord connecting the two.
Real-World Results: Using Thermal Scopes With No Lights
A multitude of night forays over the last few years, in Texas as well as Virginia and West Virginia, with the Pulsar Thermion 2 and Sightmark Wraith, provide a good sense of what each offers.
The compact Sightmark Wraith thermal delivered surprisingly detailed imaging considering its price point. There was no issue identifying hogs, deer, coyotes, raccoons, and foxes.
The preferred method was to keep the Wraith thermal at a low magnification setting for observation purposes. White-hot and black-hot were my go-to palette choices.
The Wraith’s size/layout enables users to take it off their weapon and use it as a hand-held viewer.
The Thermion 2 stretched its legs out to 800 yards for identifying different animal types and 1,400 yards for detection purposes. Conditions on a given night can impact this.
The amount of heat signature of vegetation was surprising in thicker/denser areas. However, the ability to adjust palette settings increased observation effectiveness.
Final Thoughts: Pulsar Thermion 2 vs Sightmark Wraith
With a thermal setup centered around the Pulsar Thermion 2 XQ50 Pro or Sightmark Wraith, you actually look forward to the sun disappearing.
Beware that night hunting can become addictive, with your day and night sleeping patterns impacted. Long weekends of exploring the night can certainly affect your Monday morning day job.
With that said, you can expect more than just hunting. A range of practical applications comes immediately to mind: wildlife monitoring, livestock operations, law enforcement, border patrol, construction inspections, search-and-rescue operations, and so on.
We could keep going here, but you get the point. People will find uses for thermal optics that its developers never even considered.