Thermo versus generation 3 - ATN ThOR 320 3x Enhanced Thermal Imaging Weapon Sight

The Thor 320 3x Thermal scope is my second night vision scope. I also have a ATN Aries Mark 7700
generation 3 night scope which I bought about 8 years ago.

The Thor 320 3x has 3 magnification settings - 1x, 2x and 4x. I don't know if the 4x versus the
advertised 3x is a product upgrade or what. The 4x setting is too grainy for use. Save yourself
a thousand bucks and go with the Thor 2x.

The Thor 320 has black & white as well as as 10 color plats. The color plats aren't worth anything.
You get a much more natural picture with the black & white as well as much better depth perception.
Hot objects glow bright white while cooler objects appear darker. If you have ever looked at a 20
shade .gif black & white picture on a computer the image in my scope would rate about like a 10
scale picture in comparison.

The Thor 320 came mounted on a quick release mount which I truely like. It goes on and comes off
in just a few seconds. ATN put it in a waterproof Pelican box but the foam inside is cut for a
different scope. When not in use the scope should be stored in the case and not on a weapon.

I was a little disappointed that foliage blocks out the thermal image. I watched a deer walk through
my corn field and as it came out I noted that a single leaf was all that it took to blockout the
thermal image. I took the scope out in the car and discovered that the window had to be down for the
scope to work and also that it would not show if a car is occupied if the other person's car window
is rolled up. In both cases I had hoped that there would be a glow, but there is not a trace of heat.

You will not be able to id a person's face through the thermal scope.


Now for a comparison.

The Thermal scope cost $8,000 while the generation 3 cost about $3,300.

You can not see lights with the thermal scope while the generation 3 makes lights really glow (look up at
night and you will see millions of stars where you thought there were very few). Hense the thermal won't
show an night scope pointing in your direction whereas a non-thermal night scope will if the opponent has
his IR luminator turned on.

If you plan to use the scope for killing supper at night then the thermal has a huge advantage of being
able to find dinner after it has been knocked down. With the generation 3 scope non-moving things on the
ground are hard to detect versus 'glowing white hot' with the thermal scope. I have tried the generation
3 scope to search for downed deer and it doesn't work very well.

You actually get much better detail with the generation 3 with its IR luminator/flashlight. However the
thermal scope has the advantage of making warm object glow brightly against a darker background.

There is no comparison of range on warm objects. The thermal scope has over a half of a mile range at
detecting warm humans whereas the generation 3 is limited to about 150 yards in practical terms
unless the opponent is carrying a light source, looking straight at you (eyes reflect), or standing up on
an open field.

I like having both. For the price difference I'd go with the generation 3 unless was planning to use it to
bring dinner home.
Pros: needs no light at all to work, doesn't give off detectable light
Cons: no fine details of target of person's ID

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.