During the hunting fair in Dortmund JAGD & HUND, Hikmicro, a popular manufacturer of night vision and thermal imaging optics, has presented a new model of a thermal imager, the Stellar 2.0 SQ50 2.0. It features many improvements, ranging from the parameters of the sensor used, through the type of power supply, to external changes. As in the case of the older Stellar series, it can be expected that the offer will soon be joined by further variants of the refreshed 2.0 sights, differing in sensor resolution and optics used.
The Stellar 2.0 series are thermal imaging sights in the shape of a classic riflescope with a 30 mm tube. The new model uses a 640x512 px @ 12 μm sensor with high NETD <20 mK sensitivity, which, together with the Image Pro Algorithm technology, has a positive effect on the quality of the image presented to the user. This is displayed at a frequency of 50 Hz on a new, semi-circular OLED 0.49" screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (the older model used an OLED 0.39"/1024x768 px display).
The sensor and 50 mm, F1.0 optics give a base optical magnification of 3.3x, which can be increased up to eight times digitally (up to 26.4x) using the smooth zoom wheel and the Picture in Picture function. The widest field of view (at 3.3x) reaches 8.8°×5.3°/15.4 m×9.2 m. The detection range for an object the size of a human, declared by the manufacturer, is 2600 meters, and identification should be possible at a distance of 650 meters.
The method of powering the device has also changed. Similarly to the counterparts of the older series, it uses two built-in lithium batteries and one replaceable battery, and the system allows to replace the latter without interrupting the operation of the sight. However, while in the Stellar models this option concerned the CR123 battery, in the Stellar 2.0 it was replaced with a 18650 battery.
The SQ50 2.0 is equipped with a photo and video recorder with sound (EMMC 64 GB of built-in memory), 5 individual shooting profiles, Wi-Fi connectivity, and other useful features that make using the sight easier. Full technical specifications of the product are available at the manufacturer's website. The sight has already appeared in stores at a price of almost 3,000 GBP.
Source and graphics: Hikmicro
