Looking for Pros and Cons of Pulsar XP50 accolade LRF binos

Mr. Poppadopalis

New member
Started my night hunting with a Stanley spotlight, Flir PS32, Flir LS64 and now a Ir Patrol M250.

Your thoughts on IR Patrol versus Pulsar XP50 Accolade LRF??


Thank you!
 
Ernest might be able to give us some feedback as he seems to love the XP Accolade. For calling coyotes at night, I scan continuously. The question is will you be able to comfortably hold them for 30 minutes pretty much continuously while scanning on a stand?

To me this would be appear to be very tiring but the form factor and weight may not be as big of a deal as I think it will. I was surprised their website says they only weigh 21oz, so it might not be as bad as I think. Bino NV on a helmet makes sense to me for walking and/or navigating.

As for the LRF, it depends. On a gun, it makes sense to me as you can range an animal as it is approaching and stop it when it is in range. I suppose in theory you could do the same thing with the binos, but then you are moving to gun when they are very close and there is a chance they might see your movement when you wait this long. A person could potentially range things like a hill, or tree before starting to call to get some general ideas of distance.

I admit I haven't used them. You don't see a lot of people using glass monoculars vs binoculars for hunting, so maybe I am making a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be, and if I spent time with a set, I maybe would love them.
 
I did some more checking and changed some of my response. They are lighter than I thought. I guess I shouldn't give advice on something I have not used. Just because it doesn't appeal to me, it might for lots of others.
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Kirsch wrote well: I had 3 monocular thermal imaging cameras. In 2014 I had the Flir PS32 and it looked fantastic, then in January 2015 I had the Flir LS-X on trial for 2 months which seemed even better. With this thermal I took that famous photo, (which the Regina armory had put on its website), of woodcocks in the pasture on the great plain in the middle of the woods in Croatia. So I had, in June 2015, the first in Italy, the Flir LS-XR that surpassed all the others, a real top of the range, unsurpassed. In October 2015 I sold it, because I felt guilty for having spent 6270 € (!) (And I found a night hunter who gave me exactly what I had spent ...). I was without a thermal scanner until July 2018, when I purchased the first Pulsar Accolade XP50 binoculars with which I made a qualitative leap. Long hours of observation without eye strain. In March 2019 I sold Accolade XP50 and I immediately purchased Accolade XP50 LRF, still improved, with easier focus. On 3 June 2020 I had the great opportunity to compare my Accolade XP50 LRF with the brand new Accolade 2 XP50 LRF model (with the NETD sensor
 
Ernest,

I have no doubt the image is good and most people I have talked to said using thermal bioculars isn't harder on your eyes.

Not to sound cocky, but I am fairly fit for 51 as I exercise and lift weights regularly. However, the idea of glassing for 30 minutes holding both arms up for that long continuously seems tiring. Maybe they are light enough, a person can hold them one handed and swap, I don't know. I know some find it humorous that I use a selfie stick for scanning, but using some type of handle allows me to really take most of the weight and pressure off my arms and shoulders. I sometimes use my stick like a monopod and that works too. I don't know that you could do that with a set of binos. My partner just extends his selfie stock down about 1.5 feet, and he likes it this way as he still doesn't have to lift his arm/shoulder very much. Everyone is different but for anyone who glasses for hours at a time for elk with glass binos, I am fairly sure the same could be done with these. For coyotes, it is typically more 360 degrees and it is constant scanning is the main difference.

For anyone interested, grab a pair of glass binos, and sit or stand however you night hunt and see how long you can go constantly glassing. If you can find a comfortable option for the glass ones where you can last 30 minutes at a time for multiple stands in a row, it should work fine.
 
... maybe you could try mounting the Accolade on a tripod. In fact, on the lower side there is a hole with standard thread, like the one that cameras have
 
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Originally Posted By: Ernest49... maybe you could try mounting the Accolade on a tripod. In fact, on the lower side there is a hole with standard thread, like the one that cameras have

Ernest,
You really like the Accolade 2 XP50 LRF????

When did the #2 come into the market??
 
Pulsar Helion 2 XP50 arrived at the Pulsar seller in Udine (Friuli region) in Italy on May 1st. The Pulsar Accolade 2 XP50 LRF arrived on May 11th. We were in the lockdown period because of the coronavirus. I could not leave Veneto to go to the nearby region. June 3 was the first day after the lockdown and I was already in Udine doing the comparative test between my Accolade 1 and Accolade 2 ..... and there I immediately understood that the qualitative leap was very remarkable . On 5 June I went to find the mountain hunter who tried my Accolade 1 and immediately bought it, paying me € 4,200. Unfortunately the Accolade 2 of Udine is a unique piece. They cannot sell it, because otherwise they would remain without the demonstration device. I have to wait for the second piece to arrive. But from Belarus the thermal Pulsars arrive in Italy with the dropper! Pulsar rightly gives priority to exports to your American market, which is the largest market in the world .....
 
Originally Posted By: Ernest49... maybe you could try mounting the Accolade on a tripod. In fact, on the lower side there is a hole with standard thread, like the one that cameras have I don’t know that I would choose a tripod for this, but you definitely could mount some type of handle or stick like I do for a monocular to the bottom of the Accolade which might help arm/shoulder fatigue.
 
.... surely you Korey would find the best way to support and manage the scan and rotation of the Accolade. 24 ounces (including the battery) is not a great weight, but neither is it negligible. When I was observing for hours on the tower stand, I leaned on the wooden side of the tower, but it was not very comfortable for my back bent forward....
 
Originally Posted By: willy1947 I mount my ATN BinoX-4k's on a trigger stick with a QD mount. They are very easy to use. I have my monoculars on a trigger stick at times as well. Unless I spent a lot of time in the field with a a set of thermal binos, I am just guessing. I continue to use a monocular style scanner because they are easier to carry and stow due to size, lighter, and less expensive. Binos have their advantages as well.

Originally Posted By: Mr. Poppadopalis Your thoughts on IR Patrol versus Pulsar XP50 Accolade LRF? I realized I got off track on the binos part. The Patrol is a nice unit. One of the few that really was designed to be used as a handheld, helmet, and/or as a scope. It really comes down to do you want a set of thermal binos or not.
 
Guys ... now you understand that I am ... very persistent (to put it mildly ...). I asked the seller from Udine again if he sells me the Pulsar Accolade 2 XP50 LRF .... Nothing to do ... He doesn't want to sell it because a second piece doesn't arrive in the shop. Now they will close for summer holidays until 30 August. Therefore, unfortunately it will be discussed again in September ....
... meanwhile our colleague night hunter from Naples in these days will receive the Pulsar Thermion XP50 from the Holland seller. He had to wait a month to get the export permit from Holland to Italy, but now he is very happy to have paid it only € 4299, which is an exceptional price, unbeatable here in Europe.
...His patient waiting was rewarded ...
 
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Just wanted to jump in real quick with my opinion. I personally prefer a monocular but two of my best friends run the Accolade XP50 and they LOVE THEM! They won't use anything else. In fact, they both just ordered Accolade LRF XP50's from me last month so they will each have 2 sets of Accolades. They love them that much. To each their own.
 
Dear Tom and Korey, even if I don't know you personally, I respect you very much and I admire you for the passion and professionalism you show in night hunting. Believe me if I tell you this: if you try the Pulsar Accolade 2 XP50 LRF, you will never use monocular scanners again !! I have had, some in ownership, others on trial, practically almost all types of monocular thermal imaging cameras: Flir PS24; Flir PS32; Flir LS-X; Flir LS-XR; Flir Scout III 640; Pulsar Helion XP50 .... But when I tried the Pulsar Accolade XP50 thermal binoculars, I never went back. To explain it better ... I use a stupid, but significant metaphor: until 2000 I always drove only cars with manual transmission. Since 2001 I have a Mitsubischi Pajero SW with automatic transmission. I will never go back to driving a car with a manual transmission. Rather I prefer to go on foot !!!
 
I used the xp50 lrf accolade all last season. I run it on mono stick and a chest mounted bino pack with a hole cut in the bottom so i can slide the stick down and get the eyepiece shine out of sight. I did the same when I ran my helion. They are nice. Probably can scan quite as fast side to side only because you have to keep both eyes in them. All I can say is get very used to searching for your tripod With zero night vision. Both eyes are crap. That also bothers me because I cant see my partner as well on a last minute position change. As far as the lrf it depends where you hunt. We mostly hunt flat crop fields and shoot 243’s. Therefore the only time I range is on a fence row before we see anything or on a hung up coyote 300+ yards away. It is very hard to get an accurate range on a coyote in a flat field past 300 yrds. The bottom line is I like them but If I had an opportunity to turn them into a Helion2 xp50 and put some cash in my pocket I would have to really think about it. If they ever put lrf of a Helion I would definitely be switching.
 
I am new to this thermal and was thinking if I myself would like both my eyes blacked out when come off a bino like thermal.. I like to keep one eye available so I can see what is going on beside me a bit.. But that is just me. Dan
 
When I go from my helion to my trail I can keep my left eye on what my partner or partners are doing when I'm following a coyote in with my rifle.
 
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