Thermal vs. NV....Which and why?

[Esq.]

I have both. I have a TNVC PVS, Gen 3, autogated etc...I also recently bought a WP PVS and consider it an improvement over my old green unit...Haven't used it a lot yet in the field honestly. In thermals, I have a Flir Breach and a Pulsar XP Trail....I have used the PVS weapon mounted and helmet/cap mounted. I have gone "binocular" with the Breach on one eye and a PVS on the other....

With the exception of driving, I really prefer thermal for most of my night work. No illuminator OR illuminator signature to worry about...I'm usually using NV to SHOOT something and those things are living, breathing, creatures and thermal really makes detection so much easier. I think a decent thermal is probably cheaper than a comparable grade NV device and generally more robust- weapons mounting a PVS is not recommended other than on lighter calibers for example.

I guess, they both have their use but if you had to choose one over another-

Which and why?

[GTF425]

If money was no object, I would rock a Fusion setup or a COTI.

The outline mode on a COTI is the bee's knees. I like thermal for detection and night vision for seeing and moving. My only complaints about Fusion tech is usually the weight and, in the case of the PSQ-20 (A and B), the mount.

[titsonritz]

Thermal works during the day but will not "see through" windows.

[Esq.]

Thermal works during the day but will not "see through" windows.

True, it makes it nearly impossible to drive "blacked out"....but I don't do that very much, mostly just for grins, "Yea, I've done that" kind of thing..... I guess if you were in a mostly urban area that would be a real downside...I spend most of my time using night vision in the sticks and so it's not really an issue.

[Alex V]

Based on my limited observation and research, seems like NV has more uses. I decided that I would rather see at night than be able to see a heat signature in the brush. As GTF425 said, if I had the money I would add a COTI and cover both bases.

[Lowdown3]

COTI with NV is a great combo.

Can't wait to get my hands on the new Nox thermal monocular.

[B Cart]

If you're scanning for living things at night (2 or 4 legged), Thermal is hard to beat. With a decent unit, it's very easy to spot anything living for 1,000+ yards, and you don't have to worry about an IR signature or external illumination. For moving or working at night, (hiking, driving, etc), I think Night Vision is the way to go, and like others have mentioned, a COTI/NV combo would be the best of both worlds if you have the money.

I have two thermal scopes that i use for hunting and SAR work (a Bering SuperHogster and a NVision Halo-LR), and i'm always amazed at how incredible they are. If you're looking for a good thermal scope without spending $7k, the Bering R35 and Super Hogster units are very good in that mid-range price ($2,600-$3,200).

[DefenderAO]

Like many have stated, both have some use case overlap (see things at night) but also diverge in capabilities.

I have nice WP NV (2600+ FOM) and a REAP-IR. When navigating terrain on foot or in a vehicle, NV is king. Many thermal units have some native magnification which is less preferential when moving around.

For scanning to acquire and engage (think hogs etc), thermal is much better. You can miss the things with NODs; they're essentially a green or blue hue equivalent of what you'd see with your naked eyes in daytime.

Thermal is a different game. If I had to pick one, thermal. Glad I didn't have to choose...

[Esq.]

Like many have stated, both have some use case overlap (see things at night) but also diverge in capabilities.

I have nice WP NV (2600+ FOM) and a REAP-IR. When navigating terrain on foot or in a vehicle, NV is king. Many thermal units have some native magnification which is less preferential when moving around.

For scanning to acquire and engage (think hogs etc), thermal is much better. You can miss the things with NODs; they're essentially a green or blue hue equivalent of what you'd see with your naked eyes in daytime.

Thermal is a different game. If I had to pick one, thermal. Glad I didn't have to choose...

Yea, I have used my PVS with the Breach as a bino pair, takes some getting used to but it's literally a "Super Power"! Lol....

[Nightvisionary]

I have used both looking for people from several hundred to 1000+ meters away. In the Southwest everything gives off heat signatures all night long. Rocks, trees, cactus, animals, people. People are not easily identifiable with that kind of signal to noise environment. I end up looking for the one heat signature that moves rather than a single heat signature among the hundreds. Almost like trying to find satellites stargazing. Uniforms, gear, and packs reduce heat signature by a surprising amount. With both devices I end up looking for small movements at distance which are very difficult to identify.

[B Cart]

I have used both looking for people from several hundred to 1000+ meters away. In the Southwest everything gives off heat signatures all night long. Rocks, trees, cactus, animals, people. People are not easily identifiable with that kind of signal to noise environment. I end up looking for the one heat signature among hundreds that moves rather that a heat signature. Almost like trying to find satellites stargazing. With both devices I end up looking for small movements at distance which are very difficult to identify.

Definitely a great point. I'm always amazed how much heat the rocks and everything give off. The later into the night/early morning it gets better, but you do have to learn what to look for.

[DefenderAO]

Definitely a great point. I'm always amazed how much heat the rocks and everything give off. The later into the night/early morning it gets better, but you do have to learn what to look for.

A different cause to the same issue with high end NODs. There's no native magnification, and trying to identify a pig or raccoon from a push at 150Y can be challenging, especially when you add ambient light issues to the equation. Now powerful IR lights do aid in ID for sure, but I still find thermal (even with heat noise in the South) to be easier to find things that don't want anything to do being found.

[Eurodriver]

Definitely a great point. I'm always amazed how much heat the rocks and everything give off. The later into the night/early morning it gets better, but you do have to learn what to look for.

This was my biggest surprise with thermal. My only experience with it prior to civilian use was on top of Pohakuloa Training Area in Hawaii (5000ft+, low humidity, always cold) and Iraq in the winter (low humidity, always cold). I could see pigs moving on Mauna Kea from 500+ yards away easily.

Transition to the swamps of Florida in July and oh my goodness. Every single thing out there is 95 degrees. Thermal was just about useless.