Handheld Thermal Scanner Recommendations

Powerstroke99

Powerstroke99

New member
I tabled the idea of getting a thermal scanner to use for predators and hogs about 2 years ago after we accepted an assignment in Germany thinking I wouldn't be hunting for a long time. But now it looks as though I should complete my hunting course and qualify for a hunting license in a little over 2 months and thermal and NV scanners are actually legal here. I was leaning toward the HD-19A in the past, but have seen there's new products on the market. What do you all recommend?
 
good bang for your buck-$ . 1400-$ plus some change .. a good buy I see on amazon right now is the ( Pulsar HD 19a Quantum )

They were Retailing out @ 1995-$ two years ago . On sale and there clearing out ( i think ? ) because Pulsar has a newer model out . But it will scan great for you at Nighttime for Coyotes . I bought one when they 1st came out and it served me well .

https://www.amazon.com/Pulsar-HD19A-Quantum-Thermal-Imaging/dp/B00P45CJGE

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Originally Posted By: IndexFingergood bang for your buck-$ . 1400-$ plus some change .. a good buy I see on amazon right now is the ( Pulsar HD 19a Quantum )

They were Retailing out @ 1995-$ two years ago . On sale and there clearing out ( i think ? ) because Pulsar has a newer model out . But it will scan great for you at Nighttime for Coyotes . I bought one when they 1st came out and it served me well .

https://www.amazon.com/Pulsar-HD19A-Quantum-Thermal-Imaging/dp/B00P45CJGE

.


That's the best deal I've seen on that model! What's Pulsar's replacement model fo the 19A?

I'm not looking for something for super long range.... 200 yards or less.
 
Originally Posted By: Powerstroke99Originally Posted By: IndexFingergood bang for your buck-$ . 1400-$ plus some change .. a good buy I see on amazon right now is the ( Pulsar HD 19a Quantum )

They were Retailing out @ 1995-$ two years ago . On sale and there clearing out ( i think ? ) because Pulsar has a newer model out . But it will scan great for you at Nighttime for Coyotes . I bought one when they 1st came out and it served me well .

https://www.amazon.com/Pulsar-HD19A-Quantum-Thermal-Imaging/dp/B00P45CJGE

.




That's the best deal I've seen on that model! What's Pulsar's replacement model fo the 19A?

I'm not looking for something for super long range.... 200 yards or less.




The Helion line is the replacement, not sure which model corresponds to the 19A.

I bought my HD19A on sale last year for just under $1700 from Optics Planet, so $1400 new is a great price, a few just sold used for that $$ price in the classifieds. I think the used prices will drop even more now as guys upgrade to the Helion. I almost sold mine but kept it because it would cost me another $1000 to upgrade and the 19A worked fine for me at 200 yards and less, under the right conditions detection is double that IMO.



 
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I haven't run a Pulsar HD 19a so I can't compare. I do have the Helion xp38. I have a hard time describing how good this thermal is. I owned a Flir Scout III before this. I realize you were talking 200 yards or less, so that may make the HD 19a a much more reasonable choice.

The range of detection with the Helion is almost beyond belief. With the clarity of this unit, the identification is also way beyond probably what you need if you are only talking 200 yards. However, due to the clarity of the Helion, you will know which is nice.

I owned a FLIR Scout III 640 for awhile before this. It worked, but my eyes got so fatigued using it because everything seemed a bit blurry and out of focus. Also, the OLED screen vs LCD seems to be much easier on my eyes. When you add the ability to set the brightness, contrast and adjust for focus and diopter on the Helion (not sure of the HD19a) makes it a joy to use.

When I started I had an OK thermal monocular and a better thermal scope. But in reality, you are probably using the monocular 95% of the time and the actual scope only 5% of the time for calling coyotes. So, I went with a better quality thermal monocular.

At $1400, the HD19a is almost 2.5x less than the Helion I am running, so that may be the biggest factor. I could have gone to a cheaper Helion model but I wanted a specific field of view and the XP38 was the right choice for me.
 
A little more than a month ago I ordered a Pulsar XQ23V with the thought of keeping my HD19A as spare or if someone who didn't have a thermal scanner was going with us.

Here is what I found. My HD19A had a sharper focus than the XQ23. The 19A has objective focus, ocular focus, contrast, and brightness along with three modes which is like the XQ23V and most of the other Pulsar thermal producs. I mostly keep mine on the ID mode.

At the time I purchased the XQ23 it was selling for $1,650 which was $350 less than what I paid for the 19A two years ago. It has some very good features including 2 sec. startup, display off, 7 color modes, OLED screen, 1.8 native, and 2 and 4x digital zoom as well as statiametric range finder plus almost double the detection range. Those are all great features at a much lower price than I paid, but I was just not satisfied with the sharpness of the image. I thought the 17 micron core, OLED screen and slightly larger objective would keep the sharpness of the xq23 comparable to the 19 with it's 1x native, but it did not.

I believe the cause may have been that on this newer model with all those great features they went to a flat faced objective lens rather than the convex lens of the 19A which would help sharpen the focus. The XQ23 and 19A are pretty much identical in size and weight.

If I had not already had the 19A and was looking for a thermal scanner I'm sure I would have been satisfied with the XQ because it would do everything a scanner needs to do which is to locate targets. However I had the 19A and just couldn't see keeping the XQ23 with a less focused image than what I already had in the 19A, so I returned it to the dealer. He checked it against one of the identical XQ23's and said the image was the same. Therefore I knew it wasn't just that I got a bad unit.

I have since gone to a Crye Precision NightCap and one of the brackets made by P-mack to use the 19A as a head mounted scanning unit. Although I haven't had much chance to hunt with the head mount, I think that it is going to work very well this way. The 19A with the 1x native actually made me glad that I am using that unit on the head mount because it works much better for up close walking with the thermal. I just look a few yards ahead with it and make out very well.

I am including a video here of a comparison I made between the two units. My observations are totally mine and in no way represent what anyone else may have found, so make your own decision knowing that I'm not a representative for anyone.

 
Originally Posted By: 6mm06
Good evaluation and description, DoubleUp. Thanks.


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that is a good comairison .
The 19a does locate well, with simple user frienly controls & a nice workable field of view with good battery life to. HD 19a has paid for itself just on the fact it saved me hours of time the past couple years that I don't have to search for any Dogs laying flat on there side in the grass anymore in the night .

Once I get the tripod/rifle setup and I make call, I just flip up the pvs14 and find myself not using it muck anymore for scanning . I keep the pulsar on lanyard on neck and scan with left eye . Shoot NV on the right eye on rifle. The 19a is a nice lightweight unit .
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Originally Posted By: IndexFingergood bang for your buck-$ . 1400-$ plus some change .. a good buy I see on amazon right now is the ( Pulsar HD 19a Quantum )

They were Retailing out @ 1995-$ two years ago . On sale and there clearing out ( i think ? ) because Pulsar has a newer model out . But it will scan great for you at Nighttime for Coyotes . I bought one when they 1st came out and it served me well .

https://www.amazon.com/Pulsar-HD19A-Quantum-Thermal-Imaging/dp/B00P45CJGE

.

The one you see on Amazon for $1400 and change is a refurbished model. Amazon's new price is $1728. Most other sellers listed are still over $2000.
 
Originally Posted By: 6mm06
I also noticed that Amazon charges $70 in tax.



yup, amazon is now collecting sales tax in all 45 states that have a state sales tax code.

the only way left around it is purchases from 3rd party vendors who sell thru amazon.
 
I also hunt here in germany. Although thermal scanners are legal to use. The only way to "legally" hunt at night is under the moonlight. With that being said all my hog shots under moonlight have been 75yards or less. My personal experience. Save your money and by the best 56mmobjective glass you can. You can find used Schmidt and bender Zeiss or swarovski s pretty cheap.
 
I have an HD19-A and it is a good scanner, but the new Pulsar XQ30F is a great scanner. Clearer image, a much greater range further ID as well. If I was to buy a new one it would be the XQ 30F.
 

Old Cat, your report indicates the XQ30f has a much clearer image than the 19a. Makes me wonder what difference there might be between the 30f and the 23V model that was reported to not be as clear as the 19a. Do you have any experience or knowledge of the 23V?
 
6mm, I believe the thermal old cat is referring to, the XQ30F, is part of the Helion series and not to be confused with the XQ30V. It appears the 30F has the convex lens from the pictures posted on the Pulsar website and it appears the 30V has the flat faced objective lens.
 
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