Armasight Apollo Pro 1x50mm 640×512 30 Hz Thermal Imaging Rifle Scopes

PART 1It's about time that we all received some real good, feel-good news. With everything going on in the world and the pandemic crippling our nation, good news has been scarce. With that I'm here to tell you Armasight is doing something right for the good guys.Recently I have had the opportunity to use the Armasight Apollo Pro 640 clip-on thermal and after close to 90 hours of operation in the field, folks I am Impressed!I am a Professional Hunter and working with my Team we take clients out using thermal and night vision technology. We hunt quite often and have been doing so for over a decade. We have tried a lot of products out there and I cannot believe it's taking so long to find what I currently believe to be the best.First, from the technical side this device produces a supremely crisp and incredibly vivid imagery with its 640×512 pixels. The Imagining Filter +-Algorithms consisting of (ACE) Active Control Enhancement, (SSO) Smart Scene Optimization, (IBHEQ) Information-Based Histogram Equalization, (DDE) Second Generation Digital Detail Enhancement & (SSN) Silent Shutterless Non-Uniformity Correction work seamlessly to constantly correct imagery for optimum picture.Forget just detection or questionable recognition, I am talking about being able to identify the trophy quality of game animals at extreme distances.Most of the Daytime scenes the user views through Armasight are better and more precise than the competitions Nighttime images. In Ideal Atmospheric conditions plenty of thermal products will provide image quality good enough to get the job done. The real test is when the viewing environment becomes suppressed by an atmospheric condition that causes the temperature range variation to be so minor between observed objects. I.E. Extreme Humidity, Thick Fog, Heavy surface level saturation common in Tropical and Subtropical climates. Envision being in a storm with the rain pouring down completely drenching all the vegetation within sight. Dousing every leaf, limb, flower and blade of grass ultimately splashing raindrops into the puddles of surface water accumulating on the ground. Whatever the temperature of this swamping 100% plus covering moisture mass registers, that temperature would be basically the same and constant over everything. Making the detection of a variation in temperature much more difficult than say the desert air just after sunset compared to a rock formation still radiating heat from the sun. These two extreme dissimilar examples help illustrate the distinction between Ideal compared to Extreme Conditions when considering Atmospheric environments. Generally, in mild climates conditions are better at night than in the daytime for thermal devices because the change in temperature variety is greater in objects viewed. It is noteworthy that the Daytime imagery in this Armasight displays detail surpassing the quality of what the competition’s performance can be with good atmospheric conditions even at night!The 60 Hz refresh rate provides fantastic imagery strikingly fast. So quickly you can identify species at medium range and even be able to judge the quality of some animals from a moving vehicle running 50-60 mph down the road in the countryside with an unobstructed view. This translates into the Armasight proving to be a top performer on missions/hunts from moving vehicles where lots of your views end up being down rows of agriculture for example Citrus rows, Apple orchards, planted pine blocks even Sendero’s down in Texas.The unit offers multiple battery options (CR123 or AA), a great feature allowing flexibility with power options.Navigation of features is a snap to use. The drop-down menu is simple, easy to run, and all options just make sense. Access to the menu is so comfortable that after a short while you are able to maintain target acquisition as you manipulate different features of the thermal. Combined with Advanced Military Grade components that are built to such incredibly tight tolerances the unit can be submerged underwater for up to 2 hours and backed up with the best warranty in the business (10 years on some components) there is an awful lot to like about Armasight.Now with all that being said let me get to some Real-World Practical Applications of this baby… As I put this Armasight to use. One of the most entertaining and productive ways to use my new favorite hunting tool is as a handheld Monocular. The field of view (FOV) is incredible, by far the best I have used in thermals. Working the unit by scanning the surrounding landscape as much as possible gives the hunter so much information and the more you can see at one time the better.Our team has a rule when using thermal devices while hunting, basically translating to this Tech cost $$ and it will not run itself, so guides are running/looking through the optics.

Our team has a rule when using thermal devices while hunting, basically translating to this Tech cost $$ and it will not run itself, so guides are running/looking through the optics. Not just holding without viewing” So either Use it or Lose it” is the politically correct version of the rule. Allowing you to be able to move freely, not being encumbered or limited by the weight of a weapon is such an advantage especially as the night wears on. When compared to a strictly dedicated weapon sight/scope this translates into more views providing extra information over the course of a hunting expedition. The Armasight rapidly increased the detection of heat signatures. The quality of images seen along with the simple fact of the clip-on allowing easier deployment translates into more information gathered in less time. That is what the user needs to make strategic decisions in the field. By increasing opportunities your hunt is more successful. My new favorite hunting tool does just that.Being able to have multiple ballistic profiles for different rifles really allows one to maximize the versatility of the 640 clip-on. For instance, using as a handheld device, scanning terrain up until detecting a target we wanted to engage next you have two options that were so quick to deploy I fell in love with it. #1 DEDICATED WEAPON SIGHT/SCOPE In a short-range situation (120 yd+/- or less) using the proprietary quick detachment (QD) mount, locking down to the picatinny rail of an AR is fast & easy. With the simple press and hold (1.5 seconds) of a button the Reticle appears on the saved profile (up to 3) already zeroed for your specific weapon. This handy tool now functions as a dedicated sight that can be moved from gun to gun in seconds. (** YOU MUST SIGHT-IN YOUR WEAPON FIRST FOR THE RETICLE TO BE ZEROED **) My AR previously was Zeroed within a half inch from point of aim (POA) to point of impact (POI) @ 100 yards. After our Spot we simply made our Stalk toward the target finding a good shooting position allowing the shooters to engage targets with flawless performance and luckily all were successful each time. Maybe just luckily but Headshots accounted for about half of the shot placement on the hogs by multiple shooters. This is a big-time indicator of accuracy with any shooting/sight system. Whenever you are changing back and forth between different shooters on the same weapon, and all are realizing basically the same point of impact (POI). This good shooting and the subsequent gloating/ bragging that comes along with almost any competitive group of men's adventures made me want to minimize as many variables as possible to prove whether this was skill or just luck. Testing of the quick detach (QD) mounts on multiple platforms changing back and forth from 4 different rifles also using different digital zoom magnifications (1X, 2X, 4X, 8X), different PALETTE’s, all the different Reticle Patterns, even powered on and off everything I could think of to make it change up and all of them stayed within 1/2-3/4 MOA.Two of the most important words when it comes to Accuracy are CONSISTENCY and REPEATABILITY. #2 TRANSFORMING YOUR DAY OPTICS INTO THERMAL OPTICSThe primary reason we went to a Thermal Clip-On System in the first place was to gain the many advantages of using the exact same shooting system you are practiced and most familiar with. The idea being a thermal view for nighttime engagements which keeps the point of impact (POI) as close as possible to the point of aim (POA) in the same shooting system the shooter is the most trained with will translate into more consistent hits down range. Armasight proved to do exactly that. After simply attaching the clip-on in front of my day scope there was no need for the reticle from the thermal. Using the White Hot, Black Hot or Sepia Palette the reticle from my day scope was clear and defined. Being straightforward to make any corrections for elevation and or windage. Once verified and practiced a few times this process TOOK LESS THAN 5 SECONDs TO SET UP ASTONISHING!Now I am not trying to say that engaging targets at long range (400 yards plus depending on external ballistics) is easy at night. Because it is NOT. Everything is much more difficult at night. This is just one of the reasons the ability to gather information faster is so valuable as mentioned earlier. Heck, to even get a reliable Range to the target can be incredibly difficult at night. Certainly, being able to Recover animals is more difficult at night. The Shooter must have experience as well as excellent communication with a Spotter gained only by practice before even attempting shooting scenarios encountered at nighttime. Both from a safety perspective and the ethics of hunting overall there is much to consider prior to one’s nighttime adventures. PART 3 NEXT