Depending on who you ask, thermal imagery is either the next big thing in hunting or the current biggest trend in hunting. What makes thermal so…well, hot?
Because thermal optics “see heat,” they work as well during the day as they do at night. (You can check out more details about how thermal works here.) Nighttime hunters love thermal because it allows them to spot hogs, coyotes and other predators in the dark, while big-game hunters use the technology as a glassing tool to find game that might be hidden from sight by brush, fog or other obstructions. And perhaps most importantly, thermal is an excellent tool for tracking, helping a hunter find a wounded or downed animal after the shot.
But thermal comes with a downside — namely, the price. This is high-tech stuff, and all that technology doesn’t necessarily come cheap. Options, bells and whistles abound, driving prices higher into the stratosphere.
ATN has the answer for a hunter who wants to try thermal but who doesn’t have a stratospheric budget: the new OTS LT line of thermal scanners. These monoculars are made to scan the landscape in search of game, day or night, at a competitive price. The line has been completely redesigned, from top to bottom, to make it lighter than previous iterations with a longer-lasting internal battery. A new Obsidian LT Core and cutting-edge sensors give hunters sharp, crisp images and extended range. The whole package is slim and relatively lightweight for a thermal device — 1.2 pounds — and won’t take up a ton of room in your pack or get heavy as you hold it and scan the terrain for potential quarry.
Depending on the model, the OTS LT with 60Hz thermal sensor can detect heat signatures from 475 out to 1,500 meters, showing images in black and white (black hot or white hot; your choice), and it’s operable in temperatures from -20 to 120 degrees F.
Tech-savvy hunters tired of fooling with dead batteries and bulky battery packs will be pleased to find the OTS line makes the question of battery life simple. It uses a proprietary internal power source that’ll run for 10-plus hours before needing a recharge — no batteries to remember or to fumble with in the field. Just charge it up with the included USB cable (a full charge takes about six hours) and run it all day or night. An extended life battery kit is also available for a separate fee, and it will give you an additional 15 hours of battery life, charge other non-ATN micro-USB devices, and supply power to any of ATN’s Smart HD Optics products.
The OTS LT line offers two different resolutions (160x120 and 320x240) and assorted lens sizes that correspond to different magnification ranges, from 2-4X up to 6-12X, for a total of six different models. Select your model based on what you hunt and what distances you expect to be able to spot game. The higher-resolution models (320x240 sensor) are capable of detecting smaller game at distance, and they provide a better quality image.
Everything you need is included, and nothing extraneous has been added to drive up the price. The OTS LT line is simple to use, with only five conveniently-located buttons to learn — brightness up/down, zoom in/out, and a power button.
It’s important to note that the ATN OTS LT line was designed with hunters in mind — although it certainly has plenty of application for defense, it was built specifically to address the needs of hunters and shooters. With a weather-resistant housing, a three-year warranty and a price you don’t need a military-grade budget to afford, you can’t go wrong. The line is available in stores now and retails for as low as $999 depending on the model.
The kind of thermal technology offered by ATN can help take your hunting to the next level without breaking the bank. What are you waiting for?
