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Are your arms got tired of operating the riflescope for the magnified view of your target while hunting or shooting? That is where sighting technology is being used. It is the mature part of thethermal imagingdevices.
A thermal monocular makes this simple when you sight the objects at long distances with the thermal imaging in the compact and lightweight design.
But to buy the rightthermal monocular, you should do research and review available products so that you will know which model best suits your game.
To help you in this, we have reviewed two best and most recommended thermal monoculars for all types of hunting, shooting, and outdoor adventures that are Leupold LTO Tracker and FLIR Scout TK for you based on your needs.
The handheld design, affordable price, features for all games are the primary reasons why they are used by many.
Moreover, if you want the best one among these two, we can go for a comparison between Leupold LTO Tracker and FLIR Scout TK.
To review and compare both of the characteristics and functionalities, First, let’s see about Leupold LTO Tracker and FLIR Scout TK elaborately.
Contents
- Leupold LTO HD Thermal Tracker
- FLIR Scout TK Compact Thermal Monocular
- Leupold LTO Tracker VS FLIR Scout TK
- Final Words
Leupold LTO HD Thermal Tracker
It is true that only with skills you can’t succeed in a wild; instead, you need the right tools to utilize your skills on the spot.
The thermal monocular or thermal viewer is something that can pick the heat signatures or the blood trails of the animals so you can track your prey even in day and night. Anyone can carry and use them efficiently.
Leupold offers a wide range of thermal imaging devices, which will be useful if you are in law enforcement, the rescue team, or professional hunting. The thermal monocular or thermal trackers from Leupold has a massive market in the hunting business.
Leupold thermal trackers are compact and effective for hunting or spotting the animals in low-light areas and complete darkness. Leupold LTO Tracker is a handheld viewer that is built with less weight and high lens quality to locate the animals even from a long-range.
If you are a beginner to spotting or scouting and you can’t afford a high-end thermal imaging camera, then a thermal monocular from Leupold will be a great alternative because of their compact price.
Locating a target is the first step in any type of hunting; these thermal monoculars do that very well. You can keep track of your target, whatever the lighting and weather conditions are.
High-quality Display
Leupold LTO tracker comes with a High-quality 240 x 204 px resolution screen that displays the images of the objects. It helps you to quickly identify your targets in a limited and dark environment.
LTO Screen is not much big, but still, it displays all the objects, whether it’s a person, a tree, or a coyote. This thermal monocular refreshes the screen 25 times per second.
Leupold thermal monocular also has a fixed reticle; hence the focus doesn’t change. You can zoom up the screen while you need a closer view of the long-distance objects.
Thermal Sensor
Leupold thermal monocular comes with a sensitive 206 x 156 infrared sensor. It detects your targets from a distance up to 750 yards.
Besides, you can find the objects from the 1500 yards distance when it is around 50° F outside. If you don’t want to be too close with the animal you take a shot, this will make it easy.
Construction
Leupold thermal monocular is 5.8 inches long and built to easily fits in any hunting equipment and takes less space while carrying. It weighed less than 10 ounces; hence you can carry all day, and sometimes you won’t feel the weight.
You can hold this comfortably with one hand while watching the surroundings. The housing is completely protected from the dust and can endure in water up to 1 meter without any damage.
Leupold thermal monocular doesn’t endure recoil from the high-quality weapon. Some users have used it on their equipment with soft recoil like a pistol. This monocular is not designed to mount on the rifle of any size.
Battery life
Leupold LTO is powered by one C123 battery that has 10 hours of a lifetime and lasts up to your operation. It is immediately available battery type at any time; hence you can replace them quickly.
It is designed with automatic shut down after 15 minutes of inaction. If you have to stay a long time in the field, it saves you from the dead battery.
Other Important Features
Zoom
The LTO comes in a handy 6x digital zoom that allows you to zoom your targets for quick and easy identification. This 6x zoom makes your image a little blur, but that is to be expected when increasing the size of the original image to 6 times. However, this is a helpful feature while hunting at long-distances.
Wide-Angle View
This monocular takes photos and displays them in a wide range using this feature. It provides better identification of objects and even recognizing them at longer distances.
Color Palettes
Leupold thermal monocular contains six color palette options and allows you to choose any of these colors by clicking the button.
The six-color palettes are white, black, hi-white, hi-black, green, red, orange, and copper. It lets you customize the display setting; hence you can see the heat signatures by the color you choose.
Controls
Three pushbuttons are placed on top of the LTO monocular to access several features. The left side button allows you to change the color palettes; the center button is for the zoom in and out and using the right-side button, you can able to on and off the unit.
Accessories
The Leupold thermal monocular comes with a few accessories, such as a case and a spare battery. The case preserves the battery from unexpected damages. Using the extra battery, you can always have a backup power when you needed.
Here is the lucidreview of Leupold LTO Thermal Tracker.
FLIR Scout TK Compact Thermal Monocular
FLIR Scout TK is a compact-sized thermal monocular that helps to identify your objects in low light and total darkness. It exposes your surroundings and allows you to see people, objects, and animals up to more than 100 yards.
FLIR is designing all its thermal devices with the unique FLIR thermal imaging technology to detect the heat signatures of the object.
FLIR Scout TK is the most affordable product in the Scout series, and it has logical menu settings to help the beginners to use the device effectively. This thermal viewer built with the camera that allows you to capture the pictures and record videos of the objects you targeted.
The captured images are stored in the external memory, and you can transfer them into your PC or smartphones.
FLIR thermal viewer is also an excellent tool for home and personal safety at the low light conditions. It lets you protect your home or business at night time and also help to search for your missing pets.
Display
FLIR Scout is built with a 640 x 480 pixels resolution LCD screen. It helps to produce high-quality images and videos of your targeted objects.
This Scout comes with a solid 20-degree lens that ensures the vision of the field and produces clear images of the long-distance objects.
Thermal Sensor
This FLIR thermal image viewer comes with a 160×120 pixels thermal sensor with an advanced detector type called VOX microbolometer. This sensor stands as the best for its lightweight and compact size. However, this is the best thermal monocular because of its excellent quality even it doesn’t have a high-resolution thermal sensor.
Controls
FLIR Scout thermal monocular has an excellent user interface that helps you to operate smoothly. It has four buttons for controlling the device. The power button is used on and off the device, and it takes 5 seconds to startup. Next, the camera button is used to take photos and record videos with the short press and long press of a button.
The brightness button to adjust the brightness of the screen based on the outdoor lighting condition and the thermal palettes button is used to change the colors based on your preference.
The USB port helps you to transfer the pictures and videos that you capture from the monocular to your PC or laptops easily.
Color Palettes
The color palettes have eight different colors that help you to change the colors of your pictures and videos in your preferred colors.
Battery Life
FLIR Scout comes with the rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery that has five hours of a lifetime that enough for most of the hunting.
This thermal monocular is IP67 rated for water-resistance because it can withstand in water up to three feet, and it is fully dustproof.
Storage
Scout TK can store 1000 photos, and it records the videos for four hours. You can upload the pictures and videos via the USB Port to your computer or laptops.
For a more detailedreview of FLIR Scout TK Thermal Monocular, check here.
Leupold LTO Tracker VS FLIR Scout TK
We individually make a side-by-side comparison with the key features and specifications of Leupold LTO Track and FLIR Scout TK in below, it is shown that absolutely Leupold LTO Tracker is the best of these two in most of the features (Check how many YES it got).
| FEATURES | LEUPOLD LTO | FLIR SCOUT | WHICH IS BEST | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | LEUPOLD | FLIR |
| Thermal Sensor | 206 x 156 | 160 x 120 | Yes | No |
| Display | 240 x 204 | 640 x 480 | No | Yes |
| Temperature | -4°F to 140°F | -4°F to 104°F | Yes | No |
| Frame Rate | 30 Hz | < 9 Hz | Yes | No |
| Battery Type | C123 | Li-Ion | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | 10 hours | 5 hours | Yes | No |
| Detection | 600 yards | 100 yards | Yes | No |
| Startup Time | < 3 sec | < 5 sec | Yes | No |
| Color Palettes | 6 | 8 | No | Yes |
| Image | Sharp | Clear | Yes | No |
| Video | NA | 4 hours | No | Yes |
| Size | 6″ x 1″ x 1 3/4″ | 6″ x 2″ x 2″ | Yes | No |
| Weight | < 10 oz | 6 oz | No | Yes |
| | Check Price | Check Price | | |
The Scout TK thermal monocular comes with built-in a video recording feature with lens caps and has the digital detail improvement for the image processing. If you think that video recording is necessary, FLIR Scout TK is a suitable thermal monocular for you because LTO doesn’t have this feature.
Final Words
A thermal monocular is mainly invented for those who go for hunting, camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities. But it also used for home security at night times to search your missed properties; hence this is a useful device for your daily use. Leupold LTO Tracker and FLIR Scout TK are the best affordable thermal monoculars on the market.
In this review, we’ve compared both products according to their features and performance. We’ve given an idea and a precise analysis of the products, it’s not under compulsion to purchase the one from our review. Choosing the right equipment is always a better choice than searching for the best.
FAQs
How far can you see with a FLIR Scout? ›
Description. The FLIR Scout TK is a pocket-sized thermal vision monocular for exploring the outdoors at night and in lowlight conditions. Scout TK reveals your surroundings and helps you see people, objects and animals over 100 yards (90 m) away.
What do you look for in a thermal monocular? ›- Resolution.
- Magnification.
- Micron Number.
- Cost-Effectiveness.
- Field of View.
- Eye Relief.
- Durability.
- Battery Life.
The LTO tracker has a variable six time digital zoom that can be accessed quickly by simply pressing
How do I update FLIR Scout TK? ›Power up the camera, connect it to the PC with a USB cable, and then start FLIR Tools. If your camera uses an SD card, ensure that the card is inserted into the camera. 2. If the splash screen appears, click Check for Updates.
How long does it take to charge FLIR Scout TK? ›In all cases, allowing the Scout TK/II/III/LS/LS-XR/Ocean series to charge prior to use for 4 to 5 hours should provide at least 5 hours of operating time.
What are the three different types of thermal imaging technology? ›Infrared cameras come in three basic types: short wavelength, mid-wavelength, and long wavelength. Each type has its own place in facilities maintenance, depending on use and operation.
What is the best thermal scope money can buy? ›The 4 Best Thermal Scope
Trijicon Teo Reap-IR Mini Therma: Best for Hog Hunting. Pulsar Trail XP38 1.2-9.6×32: Best Thermal Scope for the Money. Pulsar Digisight Ultra: Best Budget Thermal Scope. ATN ThOR 4 1.25-5x: Best For Coyote Hunting.
Leupold LTO-Tracker 2 Handheld Thermal Monocular
From optics giant Leupold, the LTO Tracker 2 is among the best thermal monoculars on the market for general outdoorsmanship and hunting. This monocular comes with a Beacon mode with which you can recalibrate the screen according to the different times of the day.
Leupold officially does not recommend the LTO to be mounted to a firearm as per their FAQ section. It is not recommended to mount the LTO Tracker to any firearm or crossbow as it is not tested for this type of shock.
Did Leupold discontinue thermal? ›Did leupold discontinue making this? Answer: Yes. They have apparently discontinued all of their thermal products.
What is a thermal tracker? ›
” The Thermal Tracker is a community-created cosmetic item for the Scout. It is a team-colored hooded shirt worn over a white long-sleeve thermal shirt. The Thermal Tracker was contributed to the Steam Workshop.
How do you charge FLIR Scout TK? ›Plug the cable provided with the FLIR SCOUT TK into the camera's USB port. 3. Plug the opposite end of the cable into a USB power source. The indicator LED flashes while charging.
Why is my FLIR camera not working? ›If the camera still does not power on, a critically low battery charge, or a microSD card error may be causing the issue. To troubleshoot low battery or microSD card errors creating power lock: Remove camera from the base if attached. If a microSD card is inserted, remove the microSD card from the camera.
How do you reset FLIR Scout TK? ›- Tap the touch screen to show the menu bar.
- Select Settings (gear button).
- Select Device Settings.
- Select Reset Options.
- Select Reset device settings to factory default…
A FLIR thermal camera can detect tiny differences in heat—as small as 0.01°C—and display them as shades of grey or with different color palettes. The same image with heat differences displayed in the ironbow and white hot palettes. Everything we encounter in our day-to-day lives gives off thermal energy—even ice.
Can thermal imaging see through walls? ›Thermal imaging devices can't “see” through walls. But pointing a thermal camera at a building still reveals sensitive information about what's going on inside. Thermal cameras read the heat radiating off of an object.
How far can you see with a thermal monocular? ›Lens Size. The lens of a thermal monocular plays a major in role determining the maximum detection distance of a thermal monocular. Detection distances can vary between 90 meters to over 1.5km! Lens sizes can vary from 9mm up to 100mm and the general rule of thumb is 'Bigger is Better'.
What is the best thermal imaging for coon hunting? ›AGM Global Vision Taipan TM15-384. For hunters who want a device that can identify prey up to 200 meters in the dark, fog, or haze, this is the best thermal imaging for hunting monocular of 2022 for the money.
Are night vision monoculars good? ›Night vision monoculars are a great tool for hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to see in the dark. They allow you to see things that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye during the night.
What brand thermal scope does the military use? ›The AN/PAS-13B Thermal Weapon Sight (TWS) is an infrared sight developed for the United States military by Raytheon. The sight is designed for use on small arms in the U.S. military's inventory, but it can also be used as a standalone observation device.
What is the longest range thermal scope? ›
Scope Detection Range
A very high-quality thermal scope will allow you to positively identify the target at up to 4,000 yards, while an entry-level scope can limit you to 1,000 yards or less.
Thermal scopes can easily detect animals or moving objects from a long distance whether it is day or night. Their detection is better than night vision scopes. Even in the roughest weather, they can help you see (except in extreme cold).
What is the difference between FLIR and thermal? ›FLIRs make pictures from heat, not visible light. Heat (also called infrared, or thermal, energy) and light are both parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, but a camera that can detect visible light won't see thermal energy, and vice versa.
Can you see a snake with thermal imaging? ›Against the background of other objects, humans, animals, or cars have higher temperatures, and they show up more clearly on the device's screen. However, cold-blooded animals like snakes, for example, would be virtually impossible to detect with a thermal imager.
Does FLIR work in daylight? ›FLIR thermal cameras work both day and night, regardless of light. They're totally immune to the effects of darkness, glare, or even direct sunlight.
Does Leupold make a thermal scope? ›The Leupold® Thermal Optic Quest is a powerful handheld thermal device, a camera, and a dual-mode, 300 lumen flashlight. With it, you can detect heat signatures out to 300 yards, which can make all the difference in scouting or tracking downed game.
How do I get pictures off my FLIR camera? ›FLIR Tools can be used to import images from any mass storage camera. You can also copy and paste the images from the camera drive to a folder on your PC. The drivers will map the camera to a drive letter, usually Z:\, so you can copy and paste the images to a folder on your PC.
How do I turn my FLIR camera on? ›Install the FLIR ONE app on your phone/tablet from the App Store (iOS) or the Play Store (Android). Turn on your FLIR ONE by pressing the power button and wait until the steady orange light changes to a blinking green light. This means that the camera is ready for use.
How do I connect FLIR to my computer? ›- Open Programs and Features in the Windows Control Panel.
- Select FLIR Tools from the list.
- Click the Change button.
- Click the Options button and click "Network Camera Support". Then continue with the installation.
Enter the client user name (default: admin) and password (default: admin) and click Login. Install FLIR Cloud™ Client from the CD or from www.flir.com/security/support on a PC or Mac in the same LAN as the IP camera.
How do I reset my FLIR camera password? ›
- Launch the FLIR Cloud app on your smartphone or tablet.
- Tap the Menu button ( ...
- Tap your DVR / NVR listed on the Device Manager menu, and then tap Settings.
- Tap Modify password.
- Enter and confirm a new 6-character password for your DVR / NVR, and then tap the Save icon (
Depending on the camera configuration chosen it may be possible to detect humans beyond 15 km distance, ground vehicles or small boats beyond 20 km, larger ships or vessels and aircraft beyond 30 km.
How far can a thermal scope See? ›A very high-quality thermal scope will allow you to positively identify the target at up to 4,000 yards, while an entry-level scope can limit you to 1,000 yards or less. A lot or a little depends on the working conditions and your tasks.
What is the range of a thermal imaging camera? ›Instead of the 400–700 nanometre (nm) range of the visible light camera, infrared cameras are sensitive to wavelengths from about 1,000 nm (1 micrometre or μm) to about 14,000 nm (14 μm). The practice of capturing and analyzing the data they provide is called thermography.
How far does a thermal imaging camera work? ›A typical application for thermal imaging is border security, where most threats occur at night. Watchtowers spaced at 4km intervals or more have to be able to detect threats at ranges up to 2km or more to guarantee full coverage of the border.
Can FLIR see through windows? ›They CAN'T See Through Glass.
How deep into the ground can a thermal camera see? ›The subterranean limit for most radar is about 30 feet, El-Baz said. Infrared imaging, which detects surface-level heat differences above buried objects, is most effective to a depth of about five feet, he said, though it, too, has been used to track objects 25 feet down.
What thermal does the military use? ›The AN/PAS-13 Thermal Weapon Sight (TWS) provides Soldiers with individual and crew served weapons the capability to see deep into the battlefield. It increases surveillance and target acquisition range, and penetrates obscurants either day or night. The TWS systems use uncooled, forward-looking infrared technology.
What is the life expectancy of a thermal scope? ›The life expectancy of a Gen 3 device is 10,000+ hours.
Can FLIR one see through walls? ›Thermal imaging devices can't “see” through walls. But pointing a thermal camera at a building still reveals sensitive information about what's going on inside. Thermal cameras read the heat radiating off of an object.
What is the best thermal scope money can buy? ›
The 4 Best Thermal Scope
Trijicon Teo Reap-IR Mini Therma: Best for Hog Hunting. Pulsar Trail XP38 1.2-9.6×32: Best Thermal Scope for the Money. Pulsar Digisight Ultra: Best Budget Thermal Scope. ATN ThOR 4 1.25-5x: Best For Coyote Hunting.
As Wired say: "But one odd side effect of infrared photography is that, in some cases, it can see right through clothing. Not always, and the clothes have to be pretty thin in the first place." The issue being that nowadays, the majority of high street clothes are indeed incredibly thin.
What wavelength does FLIR use? ›FLIR cameras are suitable for detecting infrared radiation in three main wavelength ranges: The short-wave, the mid-wave and the long-wave infrared.
What is the difference between infrared camera and thermal camera? ›Active IR systems use short wavelength infrared light to illuminate an area of interest. Some of the infrared energy is reflected back to a camera and interpreted to generate an image. Thermal imaging systems use mid- or long wavelength IR energy.
What is the difference between FLIR and thermal? ›FLIRs make pictures from heat, not visible light. Heat (also called infrared, or thermal, energy) and light are both parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, but a camera that can detect visible light won't see thermal energy, and vice versa.
Can infrared camera see through curtains? ›Standard consumer camera drones cannot see through opaque window curtains; However, more advanced thermal cameras can detect human figures behind thin curtains.
Can thermal imaging see through water? ›Usually a low level of moisture is fine, but leaks or heavy condensation can cause serious problems. A thermal imaging camera cannot “see” moisture in walls, but it can detect subtle temperature differences and patterns that reveal the existence of water.