I'd really like to get a Thermal spotting scope/monocular, but would like to save a few $ and hopefully pick up something second-hand.

Are there components in one that time out or become less effective either with a typical hunter's use or simply age?

Thanks,
Charlie

So no one has any guidance or comments on this? Thermal sensors don't wear/age? Trying to relate it to maybe like you hear with some IR devices getting dark spots over time?

Charlie

Everything has the potential to wear out, especially electronics. You can have pixels go out. Switches can fail. Tin whiskers can short out the electronics.

Most folks don't have old thermal gear.

Lead-free solder is particularly bad about the formation of "tin whiskers." Heat and time both promote it. Plain old lead-tin solder will also deteriorate over time also but tin whiskers are not such a problem with that alloy.

I don't know whether thermal and conventional NV utilize any critical optoelectronic light sources, but these too will be grade over time.

Thanks for the replies. I've read where the "tube" in like a PVS 14 can get spots like a dead pixel of sorts, I'm guessing that comes from use. May be just like dead pixels, just bad luck... 😀
Didn't know if there was something similar in the thermal sensors.

I've decided with the amount of use I'll likely put something through over the course of a couple years, some of you regular night stalkers will do the same in a couple of months. Now I'll worry about how much to spend on one...

Thanks,
Charlie