Review of the Night Optics Explorer 320
Night Optics Explorer 320
In my odyssey exploring hunting at night, I have spent a considerable amount of time getting used to and learning how to use night vision equipment. So far, my experience has mostly been devoted to using traditional analog night vision, similar to what most would see used in movies or on the news by our armed forces or law enforcement. These black and green images produced by the units I have access to were more impressive than I ever expected them to be.
After getting accustomed to navigating the night with traditional equipment, I determined it was time to bite the bullet and get some thermal equipement. In the last couple of years, the price of thermal imaging has decreased significantly. Just before the end of the year, I was pricing units out with one poster and we kept hitting the $12,000 mark on what the unit was going to end up running for the top of the line model from ATN. Since then, FLIR, ATN, and Night Optics have all sent out much more budget friendly units, making thermal hunting equipment accessible for more hunters.
With my familiarity with Night Optics and trust in their product, I felt most comfortable turning to them to fill my needs. The specific unit I ordered is the Explorer 320, a medium priced unit that was recommended to me by my rep since I did not want to break the bank on it. There are several variations on the build of these units, ranging from a gun scope to a monocular to binoculars. Being one that doesn't generally like pointing my gun at something until I am ready and sure that I want to shoot it, I don't personally like having a thermal scope. Additionally, with the stark contrast in resolution between this and regular night vision, I am of the school of thought to use this as a scanner and then night vision/spotlights to zero in on a target. With all of this in mind and after waiting for three days for UPS to ship it from the West Coast, it arrived in my hands last Friday.
My first impression when opening the box was that I was really surprised at both how small and well built it felt. My first few thermal imagers that I have gotten to try out were a bit heavy and on the bulky side, making it harder to use and maneuver. This unit felt very comfortable in my hands, though my first excitement had to be tempered by charging it. Having an internal battery, it needed to be charged for five hours before it's first use. Also, it is extremely lightweight, coming in at just over 10 ozs--definitely not something that will be a hinderance out in the field. Though light weight, the buttons and overall design show it was well built.
My initial view through the imager was absolutely amazing. The Explorer 320 has a 384x288 imaging processor that outputs to 640x480 high resolution display. One of the great things about thermal is that it does not have to be dark to use it. Traditional night vision tubes can be fried when exposed to direct sunlight, so having the ability to use it as soon as it was charged was very fun.
Being home alone, the only live critter around to look at was my girlfriend's not quite real dog, the Shih Tzu. It's not quite small enough to punt, so I begrudgingly give it "dog status," but just barely. One of the really cool part about looking at Gizmo (it looks and acts like a gremlin so perfect name) was that since the dog is a glorified dust mop, it provided a unique picture into how thermal imaging works.
Another cool property is the ability to see footprints on the ground after an animal walks by. When Gizmo would walk across the floor or lay down, it was very easy to see the residual heat left behind by her.
Because thermal imaging uses infrared radiation (heat) to show up, the parts of the dog with very little hair showed up bright white while it's fur gradually faded in color. I don't have the exact specs on how sensitive it is to heat changes, but I have to say, it really impressed me. The amount of detail that could be seen was also very surprising. Being caught somewhere between Gen X and Gen Y, I grew up with standard definition and was one of those championing high definition TV and the like. As such, I was initially hesitant about the imaging ability of the processor. I was wrong to question it. The fine details of the dog's hair were just leaps and bounds better than I ever thought they'd be. In fact, while I stand by my initial assessment of using the thermal for scouting and the night vision for direct target acquisition, after seeing how this imager worked, I am not opposed to it's use as a scope, either. The unit does have a video out cable but I don't have any equipment to catch that yet. As soon as I can, I'll post some videos up.
Now, there are a couple downsides that do need to be noted. As an optics nerd, Field of View (FOV) is a big deal to me, and I have always been taken aback by just how much of a field of view is shown by modern night vision. Same thing when looking through a scope or binoculars, just how much real estate I can see is very important. Unfortunately, thermal in general has a limited field of view. Being a handheld unit, my uses for it in the field will be mainly for scouting so I'll have to move around a lot more than I'd like to be able to see everything.
Additionally, there is a bit of a stutter to the camera system as it switches quickly from one distance to the next. After it accommodates the new distance, it is perfectly fine and the video is smooth, but the first second or two is a bit jerky. The zoom is also digital, which I rarely care for. At it's standard setting every thing looks great, but as the zoom is applied, it does get a bit grainy.
All in all, I am ecstatic to have my new toy. November's trip up to the ranch can't get here soon enough. I have four different night vision units, a new thermal monocular, and five cases of tannerite. Pigs beware and I really hope I don't ruin my neighbors hunting.
Night Optics Explorer 320
In my odyssey exploring hunting at night, I have spent a considerable amount of time getting used to and learning how to use night vision equipment. So far, my experience has mostly been devoted to using traditional analog night vision, similar to what most would see used in movies or on the news by our armed forces or law enforcement. These black and green images produced by the units I have access to were more impressive than I ever expected them to be.
After getting accustomed to navigating the night with traditional equipment, I determined it was time to bite the bullet and get some thermal equipement. In the last couple of years, the price of thermal imaging has decreased significantly. Just before the end of the year, I was pricing units out with one poster and we kept hitting the $12,000 mark on what the unit was going to end up running for the top of the line model from ATN. Since then, FLIR, ATN, and Night Optics have all sent out much more budget friendly units, making thermal hunting equipment accessible for more hunters.
With my familiarity with Night Optics and trust in their product, I felt most comfortable turning to them to fill my needs. The specific unit I ordered is the Explorer 320, a medium priced unit that was recommended to me by my rep since I did not want to break the bank on it. There are several variations on the build of these units, ranging from a gun scope to a monocular to binoculars. Being one that doesn't generally like pointing my gun at something until I am ready and sure that I want to shoot it, I don't personally like having a thermal scope. Additionally, with the stark contrast in resolution between this and regular night vision, I am of the school of thought to use this as a scanner and then night vision/spotlights to zero in on a target. With all of this in mind and after waiting for three days for UPS to ship it from the West Coast, it arrived in my hands last Friday.
My first impression when opening the box was that I was really surprised at both how small and well built it felt. My first few thermal imagers that I have gotten to try out were a bit heavy and on the bulky side, making it harder to use and maneuver. This unit felt very comfortable in my hands, though my first excitement had to be tempered by charging it. Having an internal battery, it needed to be charged for five hours before it's first use. Also, it is extremely lightweight, coming in at just over 10 ozs--definitely not something that will be a hinderance out in the field. Though light weight, the buttons and overall design show it was well built.
My initial view through the imager was absolutely amazing. The Explorer 320 has a 384x288 imaging processor that outputs to 640x480 high resolution display. One of the great things about thermal is that it does not have to be dark to use it. Traditional night vision tubes can be fried when exposed to direct sunlight, so having the ability to use it as soon as it was charged was very fun.
Being home alone, the only live critter around to look at was my girlfriend's not quite real dog, the Shih Tzu. It's not quite small enough to punt, so I begrudgingly give it "dog status," but just barely. One of the really cool part about looking at Gizmo (it looks and acts like a gremlin so perfect name) was that since the dog is a glorified dust mop, it provided a unique picture into how thermal imaging works.
Another cool property is the ability to see footprints on the ground after an animal walks by. When Gizmo would walk across the floor or lay down, it was very easy to see the residual heat left behind by her.
Because thermal imaging uses infrared radiation (heat) to show up, the parts of the dog with very little hair showed up bright white while it's fur gradually faded in color. I don't have the exact specs on how sensitive it is to heat changes, but I have to say, it really impressed me. The amount of detail that could be seen was also very surprising. Being caught somewhere between Gen X and Gen Y, I grew up with standard definition and was one of those championing high definition TV and the like. As such, I was initially hesitant about the imaging ability of the processor. I was wrong to question it. The fine details of the dog's hair were just leaps and bounds better than I ever thought they'd be. In fact, while I stand by my initial assessment of using the thermal for scouting and the night vision for direct target acquisition, after seeing how this imager worked, I am not opposed to it's use as a scope, either. The unit does have a video out cable but I don't have any equipment to catch that yet. As soon as I can, I'll post some videos up.
Now, there are a couple downsides that do need to be noted. As an optics nerd, Field of View (FOV) is a big deal to me, and I have always been taken aback by just how much of a field of view is shown by modern night vision. Same thing when looking through a scope or binoculars, just how much real estate I can see is very important. Unfortunately, thermal in general has a limited field of view. Being a handheld unit, my uses for it in the field will be mainly for scouting so I'll have to move around a lot more than I'd like to be able to see everything.
Additionally, there is a bit of a stutter to the camera system as it switches quickly from one distance to the next. After it accommodates the new distance, it is perfectly fine and the video is smooth, but the first second or two is a bit jerky. The zoom is also digital, which I rarely care for. At it's standard setting every thing looks great, but as the zoom is applied, it does get a bit grainy.
All in all, I am ecstatic to have my new toy. November's trip up to the ranch can't get here soon enough. I have four different night vision units, a new thermal monocular, and five cases of tannerite. Pigs beware and I really hope I don't ruin my neighbors hunting.