FLIR Scout TK Review- Is it a Good Thermal Monocular?

Written By Annalena Wood

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FLIR gives you the vision of the world in a different manner using their thermal imaging devices. 

There are lots of good thermal imaging devices for outdoors in Scout series, they are light in weight and endure in any outdoor environments.

In this article, you’ll find our latest FLIR Scout TK review. Learn more about the latest thermal monocular by FLIR, a very lightweight and a handheld device useful for hunting or finding animals.

Are you a hunter or an outdoorsman? Do you need to spend your weekend in the wildlife? Scout thermal imaging device is the best companion for you.

Thermal technology lets you identify the creatures in a new way during outdoor adventures. The infrared technology made you feel like having more tools on your packets to capture the objects and nature. You can connect the FLIR with your smartphone also.

Scout TK is the best affordable thermal monocular that comes in an attractive design and it is the perfect choice for those who need a budget-friendly thermal monocular.

FLIR Scout TK Thermal Monocular Review

FLIR Scout TK is a compact-sized and handheld thermal monocular for exploring the outdoors at night time and low-light conditions. Scout exposes your surroundings and allows to see the people and animals up to 100 yards. It is simple to use and easy to fit in your pockets during transportation.

flir scout tk review

Specifications

  • Sensor Resolution: 160 x 120
  • Display Resolution: 640 x 480 LCD
  • Dimensions: 6.7 x 2.3 x 2.4 inches
  • Weight: 6.1 ounces
  • Field of View: 20° x 60°
  • Detection Range: 100 Yards
  • Battery Life: 5 hours
  • Operating Temperature: -4° to 104°F

Scout TK is mainly invented for those who like to go outdoors like hunting, camping, hiking and spotting animals. It provides you a crisp view of wildlife while hunting, hiking and other things you may face on the way even in the dark. Unlike night vision, Scout thermal monocular works in complete darkness without any ambient light.

It allows you to capture images and record videos hence it is the best companion while you’re in the field.

FLIR Scout has the capacity to view the heat signatures of the objects in the dark spots so the users may get a better awareness of their surroundings. Scout TK is a very lightweight and inexpensive product in the Scout series.

Full FLIR Scout TK Review: Best Features

FLIR has great features that allow you to see the heat signatures in the darkness. The users easily control this device using its easy handling controls. If you have the experience with any other Scout products, you won’t face any problem with shifting to this new one because it is similar to the existing models.

When you use the Scout for the first time, you have to explore the settings to check the features. It is 6 oz weighted and 6 inches long hence it is very comfortable to use. You can connect this Scout TK with your smartphone.

Some of the features of FLIR Scout TK are as below:

High-Quality Display

FLIR Scout TK comes with the 640 x 480 LCD display which helps to view images accurately. Scout produces high-quality pictures using the Digital Detail Enhancement of FLIR’s proprietary.

Every image created by FLIR has more information and excellent variation which helps you to see the difference between your object and field and it also provides a 20 x 16 degrees field of view to display the pictures at a wide range.

You can get high-quality images using the Scout TK and it is the best choice for night hunting because of its compact size, clear visual and affordable price.

This Scout TK is specially designed for night hunting and spotting the targets in the outdoors.

Sensor

FLIR Scout has the 160 x 120 Vox Microbolometer sensors that identify the heat signatures of the objects. This thermal sensor reduces weights in the parts of this monocular.

The frame rate is 9 frames per second hence tracking the quick-moving animals is a little difficult but most of the users satisfied by this product.

Scout TK allows you to see the objects in darkness and reveal your surroundings. It has the detection range of 100 yards that means you can identify the objects up to 100 yards.

It is very useful for personal security at night time and if you want to be too close with the animal you search for. The Scout doesn’t have the highest resolution but as an inadequate thermal monocular, it performs well.

Portability & Durability

FLIR Scout TK is the compact and affordable product in the Scout series, it weighed 6 ounces. It can easily fit in your pocket or ties your neck using its rope.

It is designed for one-hand use hence the users can handle this easily while moving. Though it is a small size, it provides surprising performance with great functionalities.

This thermal monocular is IPV6 water-resistant hence it can withstand in 1-meter depth of water for 30 minutes without any damage. Scout can handle any rough field includes dust and smog hence it allows you to use it in any environment. But it ensures the clarity of the pictures among these elements.

FLIR Scout can endure in a drop of 2-meters. It works in the temperature from -4° to 104° F and the storage temperature ranges from -40° to 140° F hence Scout doesn’t need any particular care for the storage.

User Interface

FLIR Scout has four buttons to control the device by just pressing the button for what you want to use. The power button is used to start the device within 5 seconds and the camera button captures the images and record videos. A short press of the image button captures the pictures and the long-press records the video.

The USB button allows you to transfer the images and videos to your PC or any other devices.

Color Palettes

Scout allows you to select different color palettes to modify the color of your pictures and videos according to your preferences. With every setting, you can illustrate the scene but it is based on the contrast and the color palettes that you select.

The color palettes are White to Black Hot, IstaAlert, Graded fire, Lava, Iron, Rainbow and also provides you the wide choices to make changes in your images and videos.

You will experience the excitement while looking at the images and videos you capture in pitch darkness, and it is special if you’re using this device for exploring the outdoors and animals.

Battery Life

Before you purchase a thermal monocular, you should know about the operation time. Scout TK comes with a rechargeable battery with five hours of lifetime.

It is built with the Lithium-Ion battery hence it provides long-lasting operation time and which will be enough for the outdoorsmen.

Storage Capacity

This device has the storage capacity that provides you 1000 photos and four hours to record the video. Then you can upload your pictures and videos using the USB port into your computer.

The image and video quality are fantastic and also another thing to remember is that it doesn’t have the capacity to record the sound in the video.

Technology

Before you purchase and operate the FLIR Scout, you have to know the technologies as well as the working on this monocular with the comparison of other products. It works with thermal technology to observe the environments through heat and no visible lights.

Heat and lights are the elements of the electromagnetic spectrum, however, the camera that detects the visible light won’t see thermal technology. This thermal monocular takes the temperature and can work in the darkness without any small light and also it works even in the dust, smoke, and smog.

FLIR Scout is a straight forward tool that doesn’t confuse with many features and performs its job with its useful features.

Applications

FLIR Scout is an essential device for those who explore through the darkness and search the animals that are hidden in the environment. This thermal monocular doesn’t need any light to view the objects yet capture the images. It makes easy to detect the animals which hide inside the broad plants and shrubs.

FLIR is a useful tool for backpacking, wildlife, and traveling outdoors. This helps you to follow the right hiking tracks in the different environments and aware of you to stay safe from dangerous animals.

Apart from hunting, hiking, and other outdoor adventures, FLIR Scout is used for many fields to identify the problems. You can use this thermal monocular in your home to detect the heat observation of the buildings and elements. Also, you can identify if any leakages in A/C units or any other devices.

Moreover, it’s a night fun toy for nature enthusiasts, animal lovers, and science passionate.

Final Words

Everyone will see the world from a different perspective. FLIR Scout provides a different vision of the objects that you see and it helps to experience the vision in the darkness using thermal imaging technology.

FLIR Scout is a basic thermal monocular comes with a reasonable price that helps you to view the objects or persons in the low-light conditions via heat. It can be used in various fields and applications to view the objects and detects the problems.

If you’re a beginner in hunting and other outdoor activities, it will be a suitable device for your needs.

However, this is an affordable product with the basic features compared to the others and it is the best tool to learn about the working of thermal imaging technology.

About Annalena Wood

Annalena is carrying her rifle with passion and pride for her love of the outdoors and the experience of hunting. Her most memorable hunting season was back in 2015 when she and her dad were drawn for special elk tags. That allowed them the chance to fill their tags with an actual bull elk rather than a spike. That year both her and her dad came home with their first trophy elks, with hers a 6 by 6 pointer and her dad’s a 6 by 5.

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