Thread: Thermal Night Shooting Gear - Pard NV007

I found using a ir940nm scope fixed up the cherry glow issue with animals that have been sensitized to it. Downside is that the image sensor on the NV008 (probably the NV007 too) is not optimised for this wavelength, so you essentially have less light on the target. Still totally useable tho.

Originally Posted by quentin

I found using a ir940nm scope fixed up the cherry glow issue with animals that have been sensitized to it. Downside is that the image sensor on the NV008 (probably the NV007 too) is not optimised for this wavelength, so you essentially have less light on the target. Still totally useable tho.

Yes the 940nm I played with until I cooked it.
True 940nm is invisible to the eye I was told, I could just make a glow out on my setup.
The UK boys use 940nm in sheds for rating and close in game they can call in.
It's always a trade off in distance,! Because game can hear and see movement even in the dark.
Some nights there's is no walking up on them, other nights they will run up to you.
The only visibility with thermal is light coming from off the back of the eye piece.
This little bit of light has been enough to cause the game to move off.
Even the pard 007 had this problem close in! as the light would reflect onto my face and more light could be seen.
The red filter removed most of that problem.
Remember these are the best of a entry level unit and I enjoy the hunting with it.
KH

I'll copy and paste this.

The 850 nm wavelength is standard for most applications, including CCTV.
The light source does produce a faint red glow at direct exposure, but otherwise it is not visible to the naked eye. Most of the true Day/Night cameras with removable IR cut filter have great sensitivity to 850nm wavelength, that’s why they are so widely used for IR illumination.

The main advantage of the 940nm wavelength is that it is completely invisible.
The light source doesn’t emit any glow. This is imperative for law enforcement, military, traffic and railroad applications where red light can be interpreted as a signal. However, only a handful of cameras are sensitive to 940nm wavelength. The illumination range is 30–40% shorter, compared to 850nm wavelength. While selecting the 940nm IR illuminator, be sure that you really need it, and will be able to use it.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Thinking of getting a Pard 800 so phoned the chap at Owl Optics and he was very good to talk to. I asked a lot of questions. There are a few I thought of later so maybe someone here could help.

I've been using a Pulsar hand held thermal for a couple of years with a grunty scope mounted Maxtoch torch. Two problems with that are #1 the deer only wait about 3 seconds before bolting once the light hits them, sometimes less. #2 even a single strand of tussock or other plant will reflect back through the scope when the light is switched on and blot out the sight picture. Does the same thing happen with NV when using the illuminator? Can the animal see the IR light?

Any answers to those last two questions would be appreciated.

Obviously a thermal scope would be great but I can't justify the cost for the amount of deer hunting I do these days.

Here's my observations:

When spotlighting with a Maxtoch, keep the deer on the edge of the light pattern, not the centre. And use the least powerful setting that illuminates them.

If using the cheap and cheerful scope mount for the Maxtoch, hang it over to the left hand side of the rifle, not straight up above the scope. You get too much glare off your suppressor when its up above the scope.

Re using a 008 with inbuilt illuminator, the animals seem oblivious to it initially, but a couple of fluffed shots on hares saw them move off pretty quickly the next night. Again, use minimum power to illuminate the shooting area. I can pick up my cows eyes at 300 in an open paddock with the 008 on minimum IR setting.

The 008 also extends your dawn and dusk shooting times significantly, still getting a colour picture way after any quality optical scope lucks out.

Cheers XR500. You just reminded me when you were mentioning using the least light possible to get the job done... Zooming the NV008's inbuilt IR illuminator to the widest setting all but removes the red glow. Less light as a result, but this only tends to be an issue when ranges are reasonably close anyway.

Also have a think about the beam - spot or flood
If you take a white light torch and put it on the ground you see all the stuff around you lit up
Now point it to the sky - except for particals in the sky you just see the light
So keep the beam narrow as you need
Don’t flash it around like a mad man either - same rules for a spot light

850 is the common wavelength
905 works great I have a laser in this range but it’s low powered - works well though - bloody expensive
940 is the other common wavelength - PARDS pick it up fine - but like it was said early you need lose a lot of ‘light’ going up the wavelength vs 850

Nitecore have a ci7 I have one - it’s very powerful; more than the internal - but it’s a wide beam so a lot is just wasted
Range was around 150m vs 250m - but of course it can’t been seen
It’s a normal torch in size so that’s good - I’m trying to make a cone to concentrate the beam more but probably just wind up making a new one with 2 options for the wavelength

We have a laser torch that is good for over 700m - it’s 850nm

Originally Posted by XR500

....If using the cheap and cheerful scope mount for the Maxtoch, hang it over to the left hand side of the rifle, not straight up above the scope. You get too much glare off your suppressor when its up above the scope.....

My hunting mates and myself have found that a simple tube extension made from cardboard or light plastic tubing, about 6" long, slipped on to the front objective end of the scope stops the light reflection from the rear of the suppressor. Good tip about keeping the animal on the edge of the beam; will try that.

Get a bit of say old shampoo bottle the same diameter as yr bell of scope.Cut about 6 inchs long.Glue and line the inside with tin foil.Takes a bit of practice to smooth it out.Run hot water over the outside of tube to soften it up and slip over yr scope.This real helps to thro yr IR light beam out there or torch beam which is on the top of yr scope.

Originally Posted by Trout

Get a bit of say old shampoo bottle the same diameter as yr bell of scope.Cut about 6 inchs long.Glue and line the inside with tin foil.Takes a bit of practice to smooth it out.Run hot water over the outside of tube to soften it up and slip over yr scope.This real helps to thro yr IR light beam out there or torch beam which is on the top of yr scope.

Is the purpose of the tinfoil to stop light showing through the 6" tube?

Originally Posted by quentin

Is the purpose of the tinfoil to stop light showing through the 6" tube?

I think its to make a reflector to bounce the light down the tube

I actually tried a toliet roll on the Ci7 - works to a degree to focus the light a bit - am looking at making something to modify the torch

To give help the torch carry a better beam out to wear you are pointing torch too.

If you want to columnate the light, look to replace the flat front lens with an aspheric lens. All that tinfoiling a tube will do is to cut off the spill from the beam, and leave the centre spot. This spot will be no brighter. (you can easily check with a lux meter at a fixed distance)

I'd love to be proven wrong, but would need to see fact based evidence to back this up. Maybe we will see foiled tubes in front of 4WD spotties, and in front of the latest Audi's headlights

Light won't hit the back of the suppressor, which is a definite plus tho.