Thread: Best prices on Quantum Pulsar Thermal Devices

Originally Posted by stretch

IR scopes can use regular optic lenses and an regular CCD sensor.

A handheld thermal thingee has a special type of CCD sensor that is sensitive to thermal frequencies. These are a different chemistry to the regular silicon based CCDs that all regular digital cameras (visible and IR) use.

A thermal scope has this expensive thermal-specific CCD in it, AND the optic lenses that do the magnification are made of a special glass that allows the thermal frequencies to pass through, unlike regular glass.

The cost is in the special thermal CCD sensor, and the special thermal lenses.

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Your explanation is bang-on.

A thermal is basically a digital device that uses a thermal sensor, or correctly know as a microbolometer, that is sensitive to infrared in the 7µ -14µ (7000nm - 14,000nm) wavelength. In comparison, a digital night vision scope is sensitive to IR of 700nm - 1000nm, or .7µ - 1µ. The level of sensitivity of a microbolometer is far higher than a digital CCD or CMOS sensors, and is therefor a lot more expensive.

The other main expense of a thermal is the germanium lens. These are far more expensive than glass lenses, and as the focal length of the lens increases, so does its size, assuming the relative aperture (f-value) remains the same. All the Pulsar Quantum and Apex thermals are defined by the focal length of the lens, (XD38/XD50 etc) the bodies are identical, and the price difference is only the increase in lens size.