Suggested external battery packs for thermal

Y

YoteWorks

New member
First thermal. Rolled the dice on the AGM Rattler 35. Mostly for the locking ADM mount and internal recording option. Seems the Super Hogster with Bobro mount was $700 more.

Any suggestions on which external battery pack for a thermal? Looks like most will accept a 5v/2a with the type C plug - although the thermal only lists 3v/3.7v (rechargeable) 123’s in the menu.

Good experiences, suggested brands/models… or any ones to definitely stay away from?
 
YoteWorks, congrats on your purchase. It is already made but just for reference, the Super Hogster doesn't need a Bobro mount. Only one thermal dealer pushes for that. The Tactical QD mount on the SH is fantastic and every bit as good as the ADM mount. The extra year of warranty and the fact there is a US service option during and after warranty are worth every penny. Add to the fact, they are assembled in the US and not imported in from China are another huge plus for Bering. Feel free to contact me before any future purchases, and I can walk you through pros and cons of various choices.

Now back to your question, I haven't used a Rattler but believe there are lots of people using the TRB Extended Battery Pack from Night Goggles. There is a coupon code for PM members. Please send me a message on Predator Masters if interested and I can supply. I won't post the code on the forum as there are many non-members who read posts.

The Bering units say 3v/3.7v as well but those are for internal batteries. 3v are standard CR123s and 3.7v are rechargeable 123s, but most thermals now allow an external 5v pack. Some of the older thermals like Armasights and older Pulsars needed 6v which meant they needed more proprietary solutions.
 
Congrats on the new toy!

I'm running the Anker Powercore 5000mah batteries with outstanding results. I mount them to my pic rail with a qd scope ring. I've ran them in cold temps and they have held up very well. PM me your cell and I can text you photos of my set ups and links to Amazon if you would like this option. They are top quality and very affordable.

Whatever batteries you decide on i strongly suggest a magnetic cable to attach to your scope.
 
I would definitely look at Apex 3D. He has a few different options for external batteries. Also they are a lot less expensive than the TRB.
 
Thanks guys. I appreciate the input.

Kirsch, I should have put more info in the original post. I had read your field eval and opinions here on the Bering Hogster products. Kino’s opinions, as well. I know most guys on here have gone with the Hogsters. I also read about the lack of response you had from AGM when asking for product to field test and your customer service concerns.

The QD locking mount was my own personal requirement. I wear dual tube L3 Harris Gen 3 White Phos NVG’s at work. I have been saved a few times when the goggles were bumped out of the helmet mount and been saved by the tether. Makes a guy thankful when he is wearing $12,000 goggles that don’t belong to him. I also have experience with both the ADM and Bobro scope mounts. Either one is an excellent piece of kit. Color me a bit cynical of a non locking QD throw lever of unknown manufacture not coming loose. The non locking throw levers have been known to catch on other gear and open up. Looks like the non locking mount securing the optic is a single throw lever design. Murphy’s law will dump that expensive thermal when you least expect it. Worse yet, it happens at o’dark thirty and you have no idea where it fell off. I’m guessing anyone who has lost equipment during a field training exercise can sympathize. And lastly, the quality of the QD attachment will determine whether one has consistent return to zero (RTZ) when removed and reattached.

I spoke with Hans from Outdoor Legacy by phone prior to purchase and we had a great discussion. After talking with him and outlining what I was looking for, he felt the Rattler was the way to go… and in my case, quite a bit cheaper. I decided I wasn’t gaining much capability with the Super Hogster over the Rattler 35. As explained to me, both are manufactured in China - although the Super Hogster may receive final assembly here in the US. Kinda like Harley Davidson these days. A number of YouTube reviews spoke very highly of either thermal, especially at the price points. I wanted to give one a try but either optic is a simply a roll of the dice.

Also, I suspect that either optic will be rather obsolete before the warranties on either expire. By then, I’ll have replaced it and can use it as a dedicated monocular. I figured that the $700 saved by buying the Rattler 35 and locking ADM mount instead of the Super Hogster and Bobro mount probably gets me 20% of the way to the next thermal in 2-3 years. Having not messed with thermal optics yet… we’ll see if I like them.

 
I think the AGM will serve you well, I have an AGM ASP35 scanner that has done well, I was going to sell it but decided to keep it as a backup/loaner.

Thermal technology has came a long way and its nice to see different brands building good options.
 
Originally Posted By: YoteWorksThe QD locking mount was my own personal requirement. Color me a bit cynical of a non locking QD throw lever of unknown manufacture not coming loose. The non locking throw levers have been known to catch on other gear and open up. I agree 100% and it is the reason Night Goggles includes the Tactical (locking) QD mount on both the R35 and the Super Hogster and now a LaRue mount on the Super Yoter.

Originally Posted By: YoteWorksI spoke with Hans from Outdoor Legacy by phone prior to purchase and we had a great discussion. After talking with him and outlining what I was looking for, he felt the Rattler was the way to go… and in my case, quite a bit cheaper. I decided I wasn’t gaining much capability with the Super Hogster over the Rattler 35. As explained to me, both are manufactured in China This is where Hans and I disagree as the Rattlers and Taipan are direct imports from China. Although the Bering thermals have iRay sensors and even share a body mold from the Siam series, they are assembled in TX and CA depending on the model. The reason I am so adamant about this is service during and after warranty. If replacement is the only option because there is no service, how long may you have to wait during hunting season if they don't have inventory to replace. This is the biggest concern. Bering services their entire lineup. To me this is a big deal, to others it may not be.

Outdoor Legacy and Hans and Jason seem to be good guys and they seem to do a good job of trying to get people into a good thermal for them.

Originally Posted By: YoteWorksAlso, I suspect that either optic will be rather obsolete before the warranties on either expire. New products will release, but look at all the old Armasights, Pulsars, etc still around. Someone will own these thermals once the warranty expires. At that time, it would be awesome to know if something happens, there is an option to get it fixed vs having to throw it out. Bering excels at service. They still fix lots of older NV stuff as well. Would you pay more for a used thermal knowing it can be fixed vs rolling the dice if something goes wrong, it is a disposable item?

I wasn't going to respond but there were just a few things I wanted to clarify. I genuinely hope you nothing but success with your new thermal, and some of my information on AGM may be dated, and I admit that.
 
Kino M said:
Congrats on the new toy!

I'm running the Anker Powercore 5000mah batteries with outstanding results. I mount them to my pic rail with a qd scope ring. I've ran them in cold temps and they have held up very well. PM me your cell and I can text you photos of my set ups and links to Amazon if you would like this option. They are top quality and very affordable.

Whatever batteries you decide on i strongly suggest a magnetic cable to attach to your scope.
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I have the Anker PowerCore 5000 cylinder. My super hogster will turn on but won’t stay on even though the battery packs are fully charged. Brand new magnetic cable. Any help? They aren’t brand new battery packs but I have hardly used them.
 
A couple of questions?
Does it just cut off without you shooting or doing anything else that jars the scope?
Are you running CR123 batteries as well, and are they set on 3v?
You mentioned it is a new magnetic cable. Were you having an issue with the old cable?
There is a good chance that your USB-C port on the scope is worn and needs replacing especially if you were unplugging it from the scope very much.
 
DoubleUp said:
A couple of questions?
Does it just cut off without you shooting or doing anything else that jars the scope?
Are you running CR123 batteries as well, and are they set on 3v?
You mentioned it is a new magnetic cable. Were you having an issue with the old cable?
There is a good chance that your USB-C port on the scope is worn and needs replacing especially if you were unplugging it from the scope very much.
Click to expand...
I think the usb-c port is the problem. Both cables are brand new. Which surprises me because I didn’t use it but a couple times before it would no longer work. Batteries still power it on.
 
Are your new magnetic cables charging only or charging and data? I think the charging and data cables are more finicky and easier to lose contact. Do you have a regular usb-c cable (non-magnetic) that you can try. You probably got one in the package when you purchased the scope.
 
Yea I tried the one that came with the scope (non magnetic) and I tried the magnetic that I got from Apex 3D. I am going to have to send it in for repair. I had only used external pack on it maybe 2-3 times so I was a little dissapointed that the USB port damaged that easily.
 
Dmc005 said:
Yea I tried the one that came with the scope (non magnetic) and I tried the magnetic that I got from Apex 3D. I am going to have to send it in for repair. I had only used external pack on it maybe 2-3 times so I was a little dissapointed that the USB port damaged that easily.
Click to expand...
Did it work with the included cable? If it did, then the problem lies with the magnetic cables, not the port.

The 1st year I used my Super Hogster, I had no problems with the magnetic cables. The 2nd year, I could not fire up the SH with the magnetic connections. I would have to fire it up on the internal battery, then connect the magnetic. Then a couple times it shut down in the middle of a set. I called Bering, and was told it's the magnetic cable problem, not the unit itself.

I went back to direct connection & my problems went away.
 
I kept knocking the connection loose with the magnetic. Had it on the small connection on the hogster 35 so I didn’t have to keep taking it in and out.
 
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