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Direction of prices on thermals #6906980 10/03/17 12:13 PM
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wiiawiwb Offline OP
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I'm looking at get a Pulsar monocular for scanning. There are several I am interested in and which one I get depends upon the price. I won't need the thermal right away and can wait as much as 6 months to get it.

Given that timeline, do you think I would be best served to jump on a good sale if I find one (black Friday, week after Christmas, etc) or wait until the end of the six months to see how prices change?

Re: Direction of prices on thermals [Re: wiiawiwb] #6907143 10/03/17 02:18 PM
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Thermal scopes are like any other electronic toy. Prices will go down on the older models, new models will come out with better features and still be more expensive. I have seen the prices on the FLIR units drop recently. Why not get a thermal scope that you can put on a rifle, and take it off to also scan. I use my FLIR as a monocular during hunting season and love using it (actually my son likes using it more to see in the dark).

This FLIR unit has the best price I have seen on them. You won't find one cheaper.

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbth...-5x#Post6897888


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Re: Direction of prices on thermals [Re: wiiawiwb] #6907386 10/03/17 05:03 PM
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I only use the thermal to scout and scan not for shooting.

The FLIR has a wider FOV which I find attractive.

The Pulsar Helion XQ38F beats the FLIR32 in every aspect. The microbolometer resolution is higher at 384x288 vs 336x256. The Pulsar has an amoled screen vs LCD. The Helion has onboard memory for recording which the FLIR32 does not. The Helion is substantially lighter too.

In the end, I believe the Helion XQ38F is a better choice for me.

Last edited by wiiawiwb; 10/03/17 05:04 PM.
Re: Direction of prices on thermals [Re: wiiawiwb] #6907404 10/03/17 05:12 PM
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Yes, I would agree. But it's a monoclular vs a scope. The FLIR monoculars are less than the Pulsar monoculars. But the FLIR thermal scope is less than the Pulsar thermal scope. Apples to apples, the FLIR is less cost and the Pulsar does have a better image quality, no doubt. I have used both.


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Re: Direction of prices on thermals [Re: wiiawiwb] #6907524 10/03/17 06:48 PM
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I don't have a crystal ball but I don't see any price changes coming from Pulsar in their current line up in the next 6 months. These new monoculars have only been on the market about 6 months and they made a couple price adjustments early on but it seems like everything is set in place.

The only way I could see that they'd be lowering their prices on these models would be if FLIR/Armasight came out with some new models in January at the SHOT Show that were better and cheaper than their models. The issue with that is, even IF (and that's a big if) that happens, it's likely those new FLIR/Armasight models wouldn't be shipping until early Spring at best. So again, all pure speculation, nothing will likely even be a possible competitor to the Pulsar units for 6-7 months. Then at that point, you are 6-8 months from a new product cycle coming again with new optics and better pricing. It's like buying a computer, new smart phone or other electronic device, you can end up waiting forever to buy because there is always something better and/or less expensive around the corner.

As for Black Friday/Christmas sales, that's a good time to buy, but if you are looking for price alone, you will probably end up buying from a big corporate (online or brick and mortar) store. They don't get love from us smaller guys who are trying to hack our way through the business jungle by providing customer service and support that the big boys can't. I can say with confidence that any of the NV dealers that frequent this forum will provide you with 100x better customer service and support, before and after the sale.

So in closing, without a crystal ball, I'd say that the prices should remain steady for the Pulsar units for the coming months, other than some holiday sales. Another option would be to beat the bushes on the secondary market and buy a used monocular, but by doing so, the warranty will not transfer to you, no matter what the seller claims. Neither FLIR nor Pulsar allows warranty transfers, but it might be a way to save some money on the front end as long as you are willing to take the risks.

Oh and I'd definitely go with an XQ38F right now over a FLIR monocular. That could change next year but again, it's technology, the only thing constant is change. grin

I hope that info helps you a little bit. Good luck!


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Re: Direction of prices on thermals [Re: wiiawiwb] #6936913 10/28/17 04:50 PM
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keep your eyes open for used units. Plenty of people upgrading and there are some used demo models on the market soon,.

Re: Direction of prices on thermals [Re: wiiawiwb] #6936950 10/28/17 05:39 PM
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der Teufel Offline
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I'm definitely not an expert, but that doesn't stop me from expressing an opinion! hammer

I have a thermal monocular, it's a previous model Pulsar. It's pretty useful, but I think if I were to do it over again I'd look at a low-end Pulsar weapon sight. That way I could use it as a monocular but mount it on a rifle if circumstances warranted.

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Re: Direction of prices on thermals [Re: wiiawiwb] #6937042 10/28/17 07:50 PM
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It's worth looking into either the Pulsar Quantum XQ23V or the Core RXQ30V (for a dual purpose unit). Both are excellent for scanning and good size and such. Prices have come down tremendously this year. They may come down some more eventually but I would expect them to hold steady for a good while to come.


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