Iray USA , RICO Alpha , 640 thermal scope - is it the perfect scope ?

Slowly a storm has been brewing , quietly the work and testing being put in by players who I think we will come to know are behind the project and have what it takes to hunt effectively and know what top shelf gear should have in it ...

First and foremost - I am a consumer : I have ZERO to gain by promoting or recommending one companies gear over another. Secondly I am a hog hunting enthusiast who REALLY digs the tech side of the sport.

So hours of research and internet sleuthing have brought me to the point of sounding the alarm before the storm arrives.

Here is what I think I know :

One year ago, almost to the day (Jan 21 2020) a Facebook page appeared for iRay Technologies in North America.

The company is based right here in Cowtown.

They are about to import a foreign scope from InfiRay Outdoors called the Rico Mk1

BUT

The company will soon (hopefully) be releasing a couple of scopes of their own design

Teaser info has surfaced in the last few months and I think we are close to seeing what the company is going to bring to the thermal game.

RICO Alpha - there are NO specs available because it hasn’t been released yet and I don’t believe the scope is a replica of any current thermal product on the market. Here is the teaser video



The description in the video says it is a 640 res thermal optic with onboard video recording and long battery life

A few guesses having watched the video - it’s going to be front focus adjustable (manual focus) and bad assss....

RICO Bravo - there are NO specs here either , simply a photo posted on their FB page which I’ve tried to lighten up to see better (unsuccessfully).



Here is what I am wishing for with either of the straight up IRay USA offerings (not the imported Mk1)

Please let it have a rock solid scope mount - you know , like a Bobro , DLOC , Larue , etc... something legit

I hope it has a 60 HZ refresh rate - silky smooth , zero lag !

We need that manual focus - I’ve never been a fan of fixed focus scopes

Battery life , I’d like to stop using CR123s and go with either rechargeable 18650’s or a rechargeable AND removable (replaceable) battery pack that doesn’t get so hot that it melts the scope , good clean long lasting power

Provide me with an affordable option to add LRF (laser range finding) down the road

Error free internal recording - I MUST cut the cord in 2021 , I’ve had my fill of wires and corrupt files and the like . Also noise free and near eyepiece quality output recording quality would be appreciated....

Shutter NUC , again not a fan of Manual NUC or auto NUC systems - just let me hit a button when I want the scope to calibrate.

Reticles - give me super precise aim points and the graphics need to be on point , no blocky clunky reticles or aerospace reticles that are super busy - if you can work in color inversion to target that’d be sweet too.

Lastly - the near eye display - I mean this , color screen with 1024 res at least . I cannot believe other new models of scopes are being released with black and white screens that are 640 res - WTH ??? Give me the full eye candy please , don’t hold back!

So - what have you folks heard ?

I think if these scopes do what I outline above I’d be willing to spend $ 7k for one

I DO have concerns about dropping that much coin on a first year model product and company but hey , it’s 2021 - they’re a Fort Worth company, and if they stand behind the product with a 5 year warranty , Well .....

I think you've done your homework and I think you have a huge wish list.lol I also think you'll be happy with what the offerings look like from iRay USA in the future, stay tuned!

Full Disclosure: We are a dealer and one of the handful of distributors for iRayUSA and we are currently have a gag order discussing future offerings and can currently only talk about the soon-to-be-released Rico MK1.

Jason

Video looks good, but of course they aren’t going to put subpar footage in it. It appeared that most of those animals were very close, well within 100 yards, which always looks great. I’m all for new companies joining the game as it helps push the OG companies to create new and better products. I’m a Pulsar Trail 2 fan, so it would take a lot for me to get away from them, but I am looking for a loaner thermal.

And that profile pic sure looks like a few thermals already on the market

And then today Iray releases this photo with no added info

Not sure if this is the Alpha or not ........

If those are buttons on top of the eye piece like on the Thermion, I hope they work a lot better than they do on the Thermion.

That is not the Alpha, it is the Bolt. I've been using one for several weeks and the image quality is outstanding.

Excellent!

Hmmmmmm - the imported RICO Mk1 scopes are going to be the first released and they are recoil rated to 308 cal

I sure hope the Alpha IRay USA scope is 50 cal rated like the Halo and Pulsars.....

Yep, that's a problem especially for me. My go-to hog gun is a Scar 17S, and although it's a 308, the BCG does some funky stuff and is known to break scopes. I wouldn't trust it.

I'm envisioning a dad and son Nvision pair in my future...ironically the son is coming first

Disheartening for sure...as is the lack of technical specs.

Scope image etc looks good. You’d think with what lil video promo is out that someone would have taken the time to scroll through the menu, reticles, colors. If the menu is on par with the MH25 I’d be fan.

Not sure which scope you're referring to for the tech specs but the only scope that iRay USA has officially completely let out of the bag so far is the Rico MK1 and they let Hans and I break the news on the official specs on Ep. 143 of The Late Night Vision Show. The Bolt will be coming next and anything else like the Alphas etc are future releases and they just teased them out, don't expect any info at all on them right now.

As for the menus, reticles, colors, PiP, etc none of those things show up on the recorded video on our units. I'm not sure if you spoke to Hans but I know another Josh did and asked for those exact same things. We are working as hard as we can to get you all the content we can but it's a time consuming process and there will be more to come over the next few weeks but there is currently no possible way to record those videos your looking for. Sorry!

Our scopes are pre-release scopes and we know of a couple improvements that will be made on the final version that ships but we don't know if menu functions etc will show up on the recordings in the final product but I doubt they will.

Jason

Yes Sir that was I and the Rico is what I was referring to. No worries, but that info would have been handy to have up front in making a decision to get in on the initial order. Kinda hard to throw down $6000 on a scope without seeing the form and function of those features....but I get it...

Talked to Rich as well and he was supposed to call me back or email with answers to my other questions but no joy.

Iray USA posted a reply on Facebook saying the Alpha scope will be released on Night Crew’s Monday episode on the Sportsman’s channel

I’m ready ...

Yes the timing was off....the scope isn't ready but the TV show was pre-recorded, so it has to air.

Jason, can you confirm that the zoom and PIP function of the scope can be used in the zeroing process?

Press release specs say 300 WM rated...🤷🏼‍♂️

Night Crew released a video yesterday about the RICO Alpha too.

Maybe just to promote the episode? Sure looks like a commercial, though. Lots of questions in the comments.

Video and audio onboard recording?

That’s what I’m hearing from those who have tested them

I’m trying like heck to get one of the first batch of Alpha models - it’s like pinning down jello (getting info)

Yeah, it is...
I’ll refrain from commenting further.

As far as I know from what I’ve seen/heard the Rico has onboard audio and video recording.
I did finally get a reply on IG that the magnification is usable in the zeroing process.

Guys, I know it seems frustrating but the lack of information from iRay is intentional. They are teasing things out to create a buzz. It will all come out in detail soon and again, not everything is ready for release in the exact order and on the exact timeline that they originally thought but it's all coming. I'm talking to the owner daily and trust me, they are working around the clock to get things rolling and they are not rushing things, which I really appreciate it. I would much rather see them take these things slow and steady vs dumping scopes on the market before they or the scopes are ready.

We shipped our first sold out batch of Rico 640 MK1's on Friday and we'll have them in stock and on the shelf this week, along with the Rico 384 MK1's for $3,999.

As mentioned, the Alphas are not ready for the market. The Night Crew promo video and TV show were pre-planned and the TV schedule can't be changed so it's airing this week. iRay let Hans and I break the details of the Rico 640 MK1 on The Late Night Vision Show and they let Night Crew break the details of the Alpha because they've been using it and preparing for their TV show. The Alphas are the same guts as the MK1 but with a modified housing and some upgrades, the price is $7,000.

Again, I know there are some people who are frustrated with the lack of info available but iRay is rolling things out slowly on their time table and this is not by accident. Every company has a plan and theirs seems to be working well. There will be more updates, more details and more scopes you might not have heard of coming as the days and weeks roll on.

Jason

Nobody assumed it was accidental or unintentional, LOL. That is part of the frustration!

You'd think that, but you'd be wrong. Way way wrong.lol We're getting PM's, DM's, emails and phone calls from a few frustrated people thinking that their is a grand conspiracy to withhold information or cause confusion. If one thing is clear, in an instant gratification world, people don't like surprises or teasing. They want the info, all the info and they want it yesterday. I promise, Hillary, Putin and Biden aren't behind the grand conspiracy to without iRay info. It's just some Texans doing marketing.

LOL, you do realize that conspiracies are intentional acts and not accidental? Forgetting to provide information would be an example of something that was accidental or unintentional. Having unwittingly lost the information would be accidental and unintentional. Not releasing information until a time deemed most appropriate and agreed upon by a group of people (some, like you, by contractual obligations) is absolutely intentional and given that it is planned, is not an accident.

It isn't like the information isn't known. It is being intentionally withheld, plain and simple. It is common for companies do this this with new releases. It is nothing new. It doesn't keep potential customers from being frustrated, however.

So ......

Outside of frustrations : which certainly wasn’t the point of me posting and starting this thread - and for which I haven’t subsequently voiced any ...

I will say that I have the money in hand at this moment to spend on my next scope and with the current offerings being made available by other manufacturers it is getting dang hard to not pass on the Alpha and just go with another companies unit.

I’m certain that a missed sale due to waiting until the product is ready is a simple choice for the company to make and if all the units sale out my money certainly wouldn’t be missed but I’ll tell you this - each missed customer opportunity is multiplied by the power of word of mouth.

It doesn’t really boil down to superior tech and functionality but rather simple availability .....

I think I can hold out until March - again NOT frustrated - simply ready to get this show started and pop some pigs with new tech !

I have it confirmed with the owner of iRay in writing and I'm allowed to say it now that it's all public. The Alpha is the exact some unit as the MK1 except for physical exterior differences and upgrades. The guts of the scope and specs are 100% identical. There was also some confusion because one of the Night Crew guys mistakenly/accidentally said the Alpha was a 4x base mag, but that is incorrect, it's 3x just like the MK1 because they are the same scope underneath the housing. So for those who've been wondering if the Alpha was a totally different scope, it is not, just one that has improved external features like magnetic USB cables, a different focus knob, modified housing etc. There will be a list of differences posted later but it's all physical.

I hope that info helps clear up at least a little bit of confusion.

Jason

Ok , thanks !

It would be interesting to hear what the owners have to say about the new housings ability to better equip the scope to withstand recoil .

In other words was it an outcome of redesigning the shell to increase recoil handling capability ?

If not that’s cool it would be a bonus outcome

Also it’ll need to be related whether the overseas variants of the InfiniRay Outdoors Mk1 scope use matrix III processing or if that is not the image algorithm used on the Rico RH50s

In other words did InfiniRay Outdoors produce a Matrix III Mk1 for the US. market in anticipation that the Iray USA scopes would add it to the base core and internal workings.

It makes it seem like the Matrix III is unique to the Iray USA import and rebuilt scopes ...

Does that mean all other manufacturers using InfiniRay outdoors Vox cores aren’t getting that software package ?

I just got off the phone with him and read him these questions. His answers are...

There is no increased recoil handing on the Alpha.

The Matrix III is not unique to the American models and it is available to other manufacturers using the InfiRay Vox cores.

Also, for further clarification....

Rico MK1 $5,999 (available now) vs Alpha $6,999 (available in Spring 2021) - They are 100% the same guts, image quality, specs, magnification etc. The differences are the Alpha has a redesigned exterior body, painted coyote tan, it has magnetic USB connections, a different focus knob and the Alpha package includes the American Defense QD mount and (1) extra (2 total) rechargeable battery packs. So you're paying for the mount, extra battery pack and exterior design changes, that's it.

I hope that clears things up a little further.


Jason

Yes sir - I appreciate you working the phone lines and getting that cleared up.

Tyler is good people - he will do well on these units !

He really is and I think he's excited to finally see some scopes shipping after over a year of working on the project!

Jason

If this scope is only rated to 308 I’d consider it useless to me. I’ll stick with Pulsar.

It certainly is a feature that some folks would like to have - I know a number of folks who would like to use thermal on 450 bushmaster ...

Pulsar and N-Vision have thermals that can take the recoil and are warrantied.

Iray / Night Crew / UNV - one of these said they ran it on a SCAR which is probably equivalent to 338 Federal , 450 Bushmaster BUT it isnt warrantied past 300 win mag.

Ive had both an Apex XQ50 and now a Trail XP50 and ive fired hundreds of rounds of 12 gauge slugs through each and have never had an issue. 4 yrs ago when I first started I emailed Pulsar and they said nobody has done it yet so we don’t know what will happen but go for it and let us know. I’m sold.

Things have been pretty quiet from iRay. Anyone seen or heard anything about the Alpha’s eta?

Good looking scope to me. Id buy one.

Alphas have no ETA other than Spring 2021. I would expect to see them in less than 2-3 months minimum. Ricos are selling out as soon as they get them in, so they aren't on the shelf. We'll have the Rico 384's within a few days. The snow storm messed us up and our demo units got hung up with UPS but we should have them tomorrow.