Rat Hunter: New tools to try

[ztirffritz]

So far, my rat hunting expeditions in my back yard have proven fruitless for me. I think I'm not staying up late enough...before I go to sleep though, I've been setting up a rat trap and baiting it with black oil sunflower seeds. I've caught one rat per night for 3 nights that way. I have a new tool to add to my toolbox though. I borrowed a FLIR camera from work. I think this might help me.



It works quite well I think:


The camera isn't too expensive either, though this model does require an iPhone 5/5S, $150:
http://smile.amazon.com/FLIR-ONE-Thermal-Imager-iPhone/dp/B00K0PXFB6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1438968552&sr=8-2&keywords=flir+one

The newer version will work with anything newer than the iPhone 5, $250:
http://smile.amazon.com/FLIR-Thermal-Imaging-Equipment-Devices/dp/B00VILVV62/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438968552&sr=8-1&keywords=flir+one

 

[PaulWI]

How rad would this be if you could use it behind a scope.

 

[ztirffritz]

I can! I'm going to play with that tonight. I tested my scope mount on my spotting scope and it works really well. I put the spotting scope on a tripod so I can maneuver it. It will be steady while the gun can move freely. Yeah, I'm a nerd.

 

[PaulWI]

Shut up!
It will resolve a image thru the scope? So it just uses the sensor on the plug-in?
I just figured it was using the camera and the plug-in.

You have really done it now! This changes everything. I just wasted the last month sorting out ir options, so glad I didn't buy in yet.
Thermal would be soo much better.
I am definitely interested to see what you come up with!

 

[ztirffritz]

I may have spoken too soon. I can't get it to focus. I'll need to play with that a bit more in daylight. It's too difficult in the dark. Plus it keeps falling out of the mount. The ir camera comes with a special case that holds the phone to the camera. Someone at work lost the case. So everything is loose and wobbly. I'm pretty sure it will work though if I can get the setup figured out. 

 

[ztirffritz]

Take a gander at this: http://www.inteliscopes.com/2014/09/2101/

 

[PaulWI]

Looking into it a little more, seems like you can change the image to white hot. I'm thinking that looks to be alot more suited to hunting.

 

[PaulWI]

I want to be wrong but I think that thermal imaging can't work through glass therfore looking thru the scope would not work.

I hope I'm wrong
Paul

 

[ztirffritz]

You're right Paul. I was able to take some nice thermal images of the lens in my spotting scope, but not the images in the lens. Oh well. Learned something new...

 

[hunterone]

Great thought and setup nonetheless!