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Message
ATN X-sight II or?
Posted on 2/20/17 at 4:42 pm
Posted on 2/20/17 at 4:42 pm
I am going do some pig hunting second weekend of march and I want to dip my toe into night vision. I may get into thermal once the new FLIRs come out and get reviewed, but until then I was thinking about getting the X-sight to play around with on my ar10 with some pigs. I plan to get a extra light...but it seems there is a newer stock version that isnt too bad. I guess shots will be around 100 yards...not sure yet.
Anyone have one? Is there something better for around the same price?
Anyone have one? Is there something better for around the same price?
Posted on 2/20/17 at 5:36 pm to NOLAGT
ATN has come a looong way and they have some real quality units in the catalogue right now, but.....the x-sight is not one of them. we send a ton of them back. digital night vision pretty much sucks arse
Posted on 2/20/17 at 5:47 pm to Carson123987
So which of their units are quality?
Posted on 2/20/17 at 6:09 pm to Timmayy
Night Vision
PVS14 (3 and 3P, P is autogated) - monocular/multipurpose (helmet mounted or weapon mounted)
PVS7 and PS15 - goggles
Thermal
Thor 640
Odin (these are bad fricking arse)
PVS14 (3 and 3P, P is autogated) - monocular/multipurpose (helmet mounted or weapon mounted)
PVS7 and PS15 - goggles
Thermal
Thor 640
Odin (these are bad fricking arse)
Posted on 2/20/17 at 6:20 pm to Carson123987
So the way I look at it. You either buy the xsight for 600 and go night hunting or you don't buy anything at all because you can't justify something that is at minimum 3000 dollars and don't go night hunting.... easy decision for me if I really wanted to be able to go shoot some pigs.
Yeah it would be badass to have and obviously the xsight is not optimal but we are not talking about doubling a tripling a budget you are at the very least saying no eff that thing it sucks look at this thing that is 6 to 12 times as expensive.
Me I get the hesitance towards the xsight it seems a little gimmicky and ta not ideal but for most shooters even for those wilth 2000 dollar ARs they will not put 3000 dollar night vision in top.
I have made the choice to wait until thermal and night vision drops in price to something a little more reasonable but for those who wouldn't mind playing with the xsight it would be tough for me to tell them not to buy t and they have to buy a 3000 dollar nightvision or 6000 thermal
Yeah it would be badass to have and obviously the xsight is not optimal but we are not talking about doubling a tripling a budget you are at the very least saying no eff that thing it sucks look at this thing that is 6 to 12 times as expensive.
Me I get the hesitance towards the xsight it seems a little gimmicky and ta not ideal but for most shooters even for those wilth 2000 dollar ARs they will not put 3000 dollar night vision in top.
I have made the choice to wait until thermal and night vision drops in price to something a little more reasonable but for those who wouldn't mind playing with the xsight it would be tough for me to tell them not to buy t and they have to buy a 3000 dollar nightvision or 6000 thermal
Posted on 2/20/17 at 6:35 pm to NOLAGT
I have an X Sight and it's good for the price. And it records. Firmware updates have helped.
Posted on 2/20/17 at 7:42 pm to Timmayy
That's what I'm doing...I figure it will be a year or so before I get a thermal. I like what I have read so far on the new FLIRs but they will be rolling out through the year. And I'm sure sell out. And have a few bugs. So in the mean time I was going to mess around with a budget NV scope. Id guess there are a few in the under a grand range. I just don't know them.
Posted on 2/20/17 at 11:19 pm to Timmayy
quote:
Yeah it would be badass to have and obviously the xsight is not optimal but we are not talking about doubling a tripling a budget you are at the very least saying no eff that thing it sucks look at this thing that is 6 to 12 times as expensive.
until the technology gets cheaper, it's pay to play homie
rule of thumb is if NV is less than $3k, it sucks, and if thermal is less than $4k, it sucks. Not 100% true as there are are a few notable exceptions, but it's a generality
Posted on 2/20/17 at 11:24 pm to Carson123987
quote:
Not 100% true as there are are a few notable exceptions
And they are?
Posted on 2/21/17 at 2:16 am to Carson123987
And I understand that to a certain degree. But tell that to the hundreds of videos that ppl have uploaded of them killing pigs straight onto YouTube from their atn
Had their not been the 600 dollar option I guarantee you less than a quarter of those people hunting with those sights would have been able to afford true night vision and would not be able to night hunt.
So I get what your saying but you act as if it doesn't do anything at all. It does still allow you to see at night and it does serve a purpose for killing hogs yotes etc.
Had their not been the 600 dollar option I guarantee you less than a quarter of those people hunting with those sights would have been able to afford true night vision and would not be able to night hunt.
So I get what your saying but you act as if it doesn't do anything at all. It does still allow you to see at night and it does serve a purpose for killing hogs yotes etc.
Posted on 2/21/17 at 7:21 am to Timmayy
I have the Photon XT. It's similar to the X-sight. Actually it had better reviews than the X-sight when I was looking at them both a year or two ago.
I decided to buy one because I couldn't justify spending 3k on a sight when I don't night hunt very often. If I really got into it I could spend the money down the road. To me these two sights are design around entry level night vision.
Does it work? Yes. Is it great? No. A buddy has some Gen 3 googles and it is crazy how good those are compared to the Photon. It's not even close. The Photon is good out to about 250 on a clear night. After that you can't really make out objects.
The major downfall to the photon is the FOV. Scanning with it is terrible. For it to really work you need to be hunting an open area with specific spot (like a feeder) around 100 yards away.
If I really got into it I would get a FLIR monocular to scan and spot, and use the photon until I could afford a better NV optic. In the end these digital NV scopes are just entry level stuff. You get what you pay for when it comes to NV/thermal.
I decided to buy one because I couldn't justify spending 3k on a sight when I don't night hunt very often. If I really got into it I could spend the money down the road. To me these two sights are design around entry level night vision.
Does it work? Yes. Is it great? No. A buddy has some Gen 3 googles and it is crazy how good those are compared to the Photon. It's not even close. The Photon is good out to about 250 on a clear night. After that you can't really make out objects.
The major downfall to the photon is the FOV. Scanning with it is terrible. For it to really work you need to be hunting an open area with specific spot (like a feeder) around 100 yards away.
If I really got into it I would get a FLIR monocular to scan and spot, and use the photon until I could afford a better NV optic. In the end these digital NV scopes are just entry level stuff. You get what you pay for when it comes to NV/thermal.
Posted on 2/21/17 at 10:58 am to jdavid1
I'll have to look closer at the photon. Is has the same features? Can it have different rifle profiles?
I'd love to do more night hunting for varments with thermal. Maybe one day. But I'm not ready for that yet and I think waiting for the new ones to come out will be a smart thing. I look at that Thor hd for 1999...but then I think flir is supposed to have something much smaller and better for 1899.
I know I get what I pay for bet from what I understand it should be real fun with where I'm going. Max 100 yard at a feeder from a box stand. This is from the guys trail cam. He said they are always around. But they won't be when I go
I'd love to do more night hunting for varments with thermal. Maybe one day. But I'm not ready for that yet and I think waiting for the new ones to come out will be a smart thing. I look at that Thor hd for 1999...but then I think flir is supposed to have something much smaller and better for 1899.
I know I get what I pay for bet from what I understand it should be real fun with where I'm going. Max 100 yard at a feeder from a box stand. This is from the guys trail cam. He said they are always around. But they won't be when I go
This post was edited on 2/21/17 at 11:01 am
Posted on 2/21/17 at 11:09 am to NOLAGT
I believe your buddy has a little hog problem.
I think the X sight may have more features than the photon. I haven't looked at them in a while though. That setup should be perfect for what you are trying to do. You may want to get a separate IR light. I know the one on the photon isn't that great.
Where is that at? I would be more than happy to help out getting some of those hogs off the property. From the looks of it he needs all the help he can get.
I think the X sight may have more features than the photon. I haven't looked at them in a while though. That setup should be perfect for what you are trying to do. You may want to get a separate IR light. I know the one on the photon isn't that great.
Where is that at? I would be more than happy to help out getting some of those hogs off the property. From the looks of it he needs all the help he can get.
Posted on 2/21/17 at 11:26 am to jdavid1
Yea I spit my drink out when i got that text...few pigs...here and there Its around centerville tx I think? I am going with my sales guy and a customer.
What would you take out there to use? I have my sig 716 in 308 and a wasr10 I was thinking about. I dontk now about a ar15...I know shot placement and better follow up potential. But with the NV the smoke limits the follow up so maybe the 308 is a better option.
I found this review on amazon. I think im going to go with the xsight. one of the things that i wanted to play around with was the video recording...and from those pig pics...it looks like I might get some good daytime stuff.
Well I can help answer that question, because I have the ATN X-Sight and my son just purchased the Sightmark Photon XT. So I have them both sitting side by side.
The problem is, I can't say which one is better, because while they are both night vision in about the same price range, they vary greatly in features, and you need to decide which are most important for you.
First up Features, The X-Sight has way more of them, digital zoom, video recording, GPS, wireless streaming to a phone, and color viewfinder. If recording your shots is important to you the X-Sight wins hands down because the Photon XT needs a separate external video recorder. However those features come at a price. The Photon XT is much easier to set up, it powers on and boots up much quicker. If you are not very tech savy and don't want a video of every shot, get the Photon XT.
Weight, Photon wins at about 1.4 lbs to the X-Sights nearly 3 lbs.
Field of view, I have both the 3x and the 5x X-Sights. The Photon XT has a little greater filed of view than the 5x X-Sight, and the 3x X-Sight has about 50% more field of view than the Photon XT. On moving pigs I prefer the greater field of view of the 3x X-sight.
Price, the Photon XT is about $100 cheaper than the 3x X-Sight and $200 cheaper than the 5x.
Mounting, the Photon XT requires you purchase separate 30 MM mounts. Depending on the mounts you could end up spending more on the combination than the X-Sight which has integral sights. However those integral mounts on the X-Sight really only fit AR pattern rifles well. If you want to mount it on something else like a Bolt Action rifle, good luck.
Video recording – the Photon requires you to purchase a separate digital recorder. They aren't expensive, you can find them for $20-$25, but you will also need cables and a power source for the recorder. The X-Sight has built in video recording and the latest models automatically sense the recoil and record your shots for you.
Performance, The Photon XT amplifies available light better, I think this is because it is a black and white only scope. The X-Sight can be switched from a monochrome night vision mode to a color day mode. If you are going to be shooting a lot in the day, get the X-Sight, but really it sucks as a day scope, it's big and heavy and a regular optical scope would work much better. However they both perform about the same with the IR illumination turned on at night. Both of them have the same problem that any branches or leaves up close at night will reflect back the IR light and wash out your view. They are not very useful in the thick stuff. Battery performance is about the same, but the X-Sight takes four AA batteries to the Photon XT's two.
So bottom line, If you want lighter weight, easier to operate, and don't need to video record, or if you want to mount the scope on something other than an AR type rifle, get the Photon XT.
On the other hand if you want to video all your shots, like playing with technology such as GPS and ballistic compensation, want to share your video on your phone, don't mind the extra weight, and price or slower start up , then get the X-Sight.
What would you take out there to use? I have my sig 716 in 308 and a wasr10 I was thinking about. I dontk now about a ar15...I know shot placement and better follow up potential. But with the NV the smoke limits the follow up so maybe the 308 is a better option.
I found this review on amazon. I think im going to go with the xsight. one of the things that i wanted to play around with was the video recording...and from those pig pics...it looks like I might get some good daytime stuff.
Well I can help answer that question, because I have the ATN X-Sight and my son just purchased the Sightmark Photon XT. So I have them both sitting side by side.
The problem is, I can't say which one is better, because while they are both night vision in about the same price range, they vary greatly in features, and you need to decide which are most important for you.
First up Features, The X-Sight has way more of them, digital zoom, video recording, GPS, wireless streaming to a phone, and color viewfinder. If recording your shots is important to you the X-Sight wins hands down because the Photon XT needs a separate external video recorder. However those features come at a price. The Photon XT is much easier to set up, it powers on and boots up much quicker. If you are not very tech savy and don't want a video of every shot, get the Photon XT.
Weight, Photon wins at about 1.4 lbs to the X-Sights nearly 3 lbs.
Field of view, I have both the 3x and the 5x X-Sights. The Photon XT has a little greater filed of view than the 5x X-Sight, and the 3x X-Sight has about 50% more field of view than the Photon XT. On moving pigs I prefer the greater field of view of the 3x X-sight.
Price, the Photon XT is about $100 cheaper than the 3x X-Sight and $200 cheaper than the 5x.
Mounting, the Photon XT requires you purchase separate 30 MM mounts. Depending on the mounts you could end up spending more on the combination than the X-Sight which has integral sights. However those integral mounts on the X-Sight really only fit AR pattern rifles well. If you want to mount it on something else like a Bolt Action rifle, good luck.
Video recording – the Photon requires you to purchase a separate digital recorder. They aren't expensive, you can find them for $20-$25, but you will also need cables and a power source for the recorder. The X-Sight has built in video recording and the latest models automatically sense the recoil and record your shots for you.
Performance, The Photon XT amplifies available light better, I think this is because it is a black and white only scope. The X-Sight can be switched from a monochrome night vision mode to a color day mode. If you are going to be shooting a lot in the day, get the X-Sight, but really it sucks as a day scope, it's big and heavy and a regular optical scope would work much better. However they both perform about the same with the IR illumination turned on at night. Both of them have the same problem that any branches or leaves up close at night will reflect back the IR light and wash out your view. They are not very useful in the thick stuff. Battery performance is about the same, but the X-Sight takes four AA batteries to the Photon XT's two.
So bottom line, If you want lighter weight, easier to operate, and don't need to video record, or if you want to mount the scope on something other than an AR type rifle, get the Photon XT.
On the other hand if you want to video all your shots, like playing with technology such as GPS and ballistic compensation, want to share your video on your phone, don't mind the extra weight, and price or slower start up , then get the X-Sight.
This post was edited on 2/21/17 at 11:29 am
Posted on 2/21/17 at 11:33 am to NOLAGT
What about renting? Anyplace rent them?
Posted on 2/21/17 at 11:34 am to wickowick
No idea...they rent stuff like that?
Posted on 2/21/17 at 11:39 am to wickowick
You could get it on amazon prime and return it if you don't like it. I believe you can return open box but I'd check first. Don't want you to not be able to return $650 worth or merchandise on my word
Posted on 2/21/17 at 11:40 am to LSUfreak1459
ill put your name in the reason for return box
Posted on 2/21/17 at 11:43 am to wickowick
Ultimatenightvision.com rents NV, but it ain't cheap. Around $250.00/3days.
Posted on 2/21/17 at 12:09 pm to jdavid1
Mail order renting at that...who knew.
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