Are you thinking of diving into the world of thermal imaging? Thermal optics is an excellent tool that will greatly improve your hunting style, scout, and will gain deer after the shot.
One of the slickest thermal tools that you are familiar with is thermal monoculars. These are a huge investment than the normal monoculars and people are very much interested in buying these thermal monoculars. As they use thermal technology to detect objects. This is entirely different from other conventional hunting equipment.
Here, I’ve reviewed the new Pulsar Axion Key XM30 Thermal monocular. Hunters love this monocular as it is light, compact, affordable, and most importantly it is packed with high-performance features to support them in the field.
This best thermal monocular is not only used for hunting, but also for various purposes like law enforcement, rescue operations, tactical use, etc. I’ve posted this only after I tested it in the field. So you can hopefully go for it.
Pulsar Axion Key XM30 Thermal Monocular
The new Axion Thermal Monocular series is the latest production of Pulsar that fits perfectly in your hand. This series is the entry-level thermal scanner and Pulsar offers it at an affordable price without sacrificing its quality and features. This mid-range XM30 Axion model will hit the mark of your hunting needs at night.
Specifications
- Objective Lens Diameter: 24mm
- Magnification: 2.5X-10X
- Resolution: 320×240 pixels
- Field of View: 7.80-13.70 ft @ 100 yards
- Focus Range: 1700 Meters
- Eye Relief: 14mm
- Refresh rate: 50 Hz
- Battery Life: 4+ Hours
- Dimensions: 5.60 x 1.60 x 2.70
- Weight: 8.8 oz
Features and Benefits of Pulsar Axion Key XM30 Thermal Monocular
When entering the market to buy a thermal product, there are two things that you can’t ignore; compact price and compact size. And this Pulsar Axion Key XM30 thermal monocular is a handheld monocular that can sit comfortably in your hand, hunting pack, or pocket.
This ensures a comfortable grip and easy carrying. The compact size makes it an ideal portable unit for hunting, spotting, scouting, and recovering games. Not only these two, the Pulsar Axion Key XM30 Thermal Monocular also boast various innovative features, just check it out below.
Build Quality
The Pulsar Axion Key XM30 is equipped with premium quality materials to offer maximum durability. Due to its compact structure, you can easily operate it with a single hand. The outer body is completely made of slip-proof materials that offer a comfortable grip for carrying and positioning.
The major factors that determine the quality of a device are its resistance and housing. In that way, the Pulsar Axion Key thermal monocular is provided with an IPX7 waterproof rating that works reliably even in cold wet weather conditions. The IPX7 rating assures you that it is submersible to water under 3 feet for about 30 minutes.
Coming to housing, the Pulsar Axion is built with magnesium alloy housing that ensures structural rigidity and ruggedness while maintaining the lightweight structure of the monocular.
Thermal Technology
As the name defines, the Axion Key XM30 2.5-10x24mm Thermal Imaging Monocular works on the principle of thermal imaging technology to provide better performance and results during both day and night.
Like all thermal monoculars from Pulsar, the Axion Key XM30 monocular also features the same 12 µm thermal sensor to provide excellent performance with ample detection and magnification range in pitch darkness.
It is made to identify animals at night by sensing heat signatures that are different from the surrounding terrain. So that you can detect and identify the prey even at long ranges.
Thermal Resolution
The Pulsar Axion Key Thermal monocular comes with a 30mm objective lens to offer a greater focus. It is made of Germanium that can last for a long time. The built-in thermal sensor offers 320×240 pixels of resolution. Though it has a moderate resolution compared to other Axion monoculars, it also delivers bright, crisp, clear images with much clarity.
Magnification Range
The Axion thermal monocular boasts an optical magnification of 2.5x to 10x. Based on your preference you can adjust these ranges. At high magnification ranges, the monocular delivers incredible images without any distortion.
Also, it comes with a 4x digital zooming option that helps you to identify the targets in a very short time without increasing the optical magnification.
Display
The Axion XM30 thermal imaging monocular is engineered with an AMOLED LCOS microdisplay to provide flawless performance at low temperatures and even in complete darkness. The display offers 960×720 pixels resolution. No other Axion monoculars provide such a higher resolution.
Therefore, you can have an exceptional visual experience with high-contrast images and videos.
Detection Range
The ability to identify the prey gets harder as the distance goes farther away. But this Axion Key thermal monocular has a powerful objective lens that is paired with a superior quality thermal sensor for providing exceptional detection ranges.
It is used mostly by professional hunters for its longer detection range of over 1,300 yards in the dark. And this Axion thermal monocular can detect targets up to 1450 yards. This means you can easily track the target that is 600 feet away from you. This detection range is actually a big count and you can find objects even in the dense forests.
For scouting purposes, 500 yards of detection range is enough to identify the type of animal using the standard 4x digital zoom option.
Field of View (FOV)
Having a huge field of view is very important in a thermal device. This helps you to be aware of other wild animals present in your surroundings. This Axion Key is equipped with 7.3 degrees of FOV and 10 feet of close focus. So that you view your surroundings and protect yourself from danger.
Eye Relief
Similar to the field of view, eye relief is also significant. It prevents your eyes from injuries. And this unit has 14mm of eye relief which is sufficient for a hunter to make a shot without any impact.
Stadiametric Rangefinder
To provide a great measurement, the Axion Key thermal monocular is built with an integrated Stadiametric rangefinder which helps you get a perfect focus of the target.
Color Palettes
Further, it comes with 8 different color palettes; White Hot, Black Hot, Red Hot, Red Monochrome, Ultramarine, Rainbow, and Violet. This color intensifier allows you to differentiate the climatic conditions according to your wish.
Instant Start-up
The Pulsar Axion Key XM30 Thermal Monocular is a small package but provides the ultimate performance with incredible features. Thanks to its instant start-up. This new Axion unit boasts an instant start-up time from the display off mode. That is it will power up in just a few seconds.
Moreover, it also has a standby mode that turns off the display when kept unused and starts up instantly with just a single touch of the power button. This saves the battery power and helps to run the monocular for some extra time.
Battery Pack
The Pulsar Axion Key XM30 thermal monocular comes with an APS3 Lithium-ion battery pack that can work continuously for 3 to 4 hours in the field depending on the temperature. If you use it properly, it can work for some more hours. Also, these mini batteries are rechargeable and can be charged using a USB cable.
Additional Accessories
- USB Cable
- Hand Strap
- Lens Cleaning Cloth
- Carrying Case
Pros
- Instant Start-up
- Durable quality
- Long Detection range
- 8 different color palettes
- IPX7 waterproof rating
Cons
- Does not have a live streaming option and video recording capability.
Final Words
What could be better than having all the features you expect, such as portable design, superior thermal technology, quality output, precision calculation, lightweight construction, and more?
The Pulsar Axion Key XM30 2.5-10x24mm Thermal Imaging Monocular comes with all these aspects and provides an ultimate working experience. The specialty of this monocular is its price tag. It is more affordable compared to other monoculars. So everyone can buy it. No doubt thermal imaging will be a game-changer for any major game animal you hunt.
I hope this review will clarify all your queries and stabilize your swing mood.