New Bering Optics Hogster R Stimulus

Hey guys just thought I'd share the news on the Hogster R Stimulus that Bering Optics so graciously let us break on The Late Night Vision Show today. The scope is aimed at the entry level crowd who are looking to test the thermal waters without diving into the deep end. The Stimulus is a 256x192 resolution, 12 micron, 30hz refresh rate, focus-able objective lens and a 2.3x base magnification with up to a 4.6x digital zoom. The scope is in the same housing as the Hogster R 25 and includes their OEM QD mount and the retail price will be $1,495 and should begin shipping in fairly soon.

I've got got unit in my hands now (I didn't at the time of recording the podcast because it got hung up in the snow storm) and it's a really nice little unit. The image quality is surprisingly good. The only thing that's really noticeable is the 30hz lag when moving the scope around but I was shocked at how well I was ID'ing animals in the field and what the scope is really capable of. For $1,495 I believe the lag is acceptable and for the guys wanting to shoot hogs and coons under feeders etc with thermal but on a tighter budget, this is going to be a great option.

You can check out our "No show SHOT Show" discussion on Bering Optics for 2021 on The Late Night Vision Show at the link below.

https://youtu.be/M2XyTv74b7Q

Watched the No Show SHOT Show this morning, Jason. Good review!

Does this model take the same USB C type as the Super Hogster for external battery?

Yes sir it does. If you look pretty closely in the picture above you can see the little rubber flap. From what I can see it's 100% identical to the housing of the Hogster 25.

I see you say that it lags when moving it. It is so bad that you can't take shots on moving targets? Or mostly when scanning? See you say shooting under feeders would be fine, but don't always drop on first shot and have to hit on move.

I took these two last night with the Stimulus, I was hunting in an elevated blind with a wide open area in front of me. The initial shot on the boar was at 100 yards - he was in a group of 15 or so hogs.

After the opening shot they ran and I was able to effectively scan and pickup a runner at about 125 yards.

IMPRESSIVE unit for $ 1495.00 in my opinion BUT you gotta keep your feet on the ground - it isn’t going to be super effective in dynamic hunting situations where you are on the ground level with the hogs and scanning quickly at various levels of distance.

Back in 2014 some of the early thermal monoculars were 9 hz refresh rates - those were very hard to use .

At 30 hz - you’ll be fine for scanning and shooting wide open areas up to about 125 yards.

As a monocular the Stimulus can be pressed into service for Detection at longer distances

What's the display like? Seems like the display in my Hogster-R goes a long way towards making up for the 380 core vs more expensive 640 cores. The form factor is great on these scopes and the mount has been pretty solid for me. This does seem like a really great option for the static hog hunter.

While manufacturers often tout the displays, the display can only present the image from the sensor and core (and firmware) at whatever the they are capable of, or worse. This is especially true given that most (all?) displays are higher resolution than the sensors and cores with which they are coupled. That is by design so that the display does NOT detract from the capabilities of the other components.

So what I am saying is that the display is not the reason for the nifty image in your Hogster-R. That is going to be in the mechanics/electronics and firmware of the sensor and core. For example, 640 scope is probably 17 micron, but the Hogster-R is 12 micron. Your Hogster-R may have greater thermal sensitivity than your 640 as well.

There is a lot of confusion about the Stimulus out there and I think it needs to be cleared up.

This is not a replacement for a Hogster R 25 ($2,295) or R 35 ($2,675). It's not a replacement for a AGM Ratter TS25 ($1,995) or TS35 ($2,495). This is a competitor to the ATN LT line of entry level thermal optics.

I believe the biggest thing people need to understand with the Stimulus is the slow refresh rate which equals significant lag when moving the scope around. I know Bering says it's 30hz but it does not perform at a normal 30hz refresh rate and strikes me to be much closer to the mid 20's hz in it's actual field performance. For a bare bones entry level thermal for shooting hogs or coons under a feeder I think it will get the job done just fine but a buyer will be getting a whole lot more bang for their buck when considering one of the $1,995-$2,295 thermal scopes mentioned above. Granted, percentage wise, I realize that is a big step up and the extra $500-$700 is more than some people can justify, which is understandable but they need to understand the large step up in real world, night to night performance they are going to get out of better scope.

The image quality of the Stimulus is actually better than I expected. I think the 2.3x base mag was a wise decision since the resolution is lower than what most are used to seeing, so it gives the perception of a little better image quality. I'm happy with the image for the price tag and I really like that it's a focusable lens. Potential buyers just need to understand the lag that is present on the display and not expect to be making running follow up head shots on hogs and coyotes at 150 yards like they see on Youtube. For the price and build quality, it's a great little entry level scope and for a someone trying to shoot hogs off a feeder, kill a coyote or fox hanging around the chicken coop etc, this is going to be a great little scope. If you plan on hunting several nights a month and really want to take it seriously and get the highest bang for the buck, I'd highly suggest considering one of the other Hogsters or other slightly more expensive models. If you're' considering an ATN LT, absolutely buy the Bering Stimulus instead, it's a real competitor to that scope and I like the size, shape, design and usability of the Stimulus waaay over the LT's. Plus Bering is so much of a better company.

Just just review in a nutshell.

-Jason

That's great info, thanks.

I'm definitely not drawing any parallels between this and the regular Hogster-R other than it seems like Bering's approach to hardware setup is making them a pretty good unit for the $ invested. Sounds like that concept has carried over to this lower cost unit as well.

Funny and ironic that the Hogster Stimulus is coming out at the same time as the Covid stimulus checks for about the same amount will be hitting bank accounts ...

Funny? Yes. Ironic? I figure the same name and nearly duplicated amounts indicate this was totally planned.

The display of the Stimulus is quality enough - no issues with colors or brightness (edge to edge) - there isn't much published or known about the component materials versus the Hogster standards or super version.

Lots of good comments above on the screen aspects as it relates to true (to the eye) viewing performance.

I'm looking into having a third arm surgically attached to my chest to hold a camcorder still/steady behind scope viewfinders to try and get good guys like you some quality footage to scratch your itch of curiosity. Until I find a doctor willing to do that for cheap you'll have to accept this offering....



The point isn't to make the 256 look horrible or the boast that the 640 looks so much better - instead the objective here is to show that the image characteristics in the Bering Optics family appear relatively similar in terms of how the core/sensor render the image of the surrounding environment. This to me is awesome as it relates to the Hogster Stimulus because the Standard series and Super Hogsters have been a wild success and are considered an excellent bargain for the money.

Now Bering, with the Stimulus is knocking on entry level scope competitor's doors to capture first time thermal users or those who want an extra tool in the kit for scanning or home security......

In my opinion, the Stimulus package is most welcomed.....

I see the irony being that $$ being sent from an anti-gun administration will buy millions of guns, ammo, and optics.

Would you purchase the Hogster Stimulus as a scanner (backup scope) or the AGM Taipan 19 for a little more money?

For handheld use, I'd buy the TM19 for four reasons.

1) Better image quality
2) Better screen refresh quality (no lag)
3) It's made to be a handheld, better ergonomics
4) It's only $100 more

Awesome information.

Next question is Rattler 25 or Hogster 25?

I know people who use the Hogster and love it. Good scope, but the Rattler is a couple hundred cheaper and wondering which you prefer. Watched your reviews on each.