There's about a 1/3" mismatch in the LWTS optical axis in clip-on mode with the 6x ACOG mounted to my REPR. I was concerned that parallax issues (POA/POI) would manifest along with pixelation but that seems to be a non-issue at 100m. I need access to a range other than the 100m at Lake City Conservation here in Missouri to verify if that's actually the case at longer range. The display clarity was amazing considering the 6x fixed magnification. A friend of mine has a farm in Platte City with well over 700m of safe clearing. We might just try our hand at the rural hostile vegetable pacification program. Confirming RTZ should prove interesting.
I think that L.E., .gov & .mil demand has established a higher contractural priority over civilian end-users & components such as shrouds/optics bridges, even though outsourced, are still bound by pecking order. My unit has a birth date of February, 2014 & apparently a "full kit" is not the norm. It seems to be the trend these days with companies such as AIMPOINT leaning away from the civilian market. Fortunately, for those of us who like to shoot Knight's Armament Corporation rifles such as the SR-25K/"enhanced" variants, their sister company KMC/Knight's Manufacturing Company is happy to fulfill civilian orders. I shoot suppressed & now prefer the LWRCI REPR. It's a wonderful stick w/o gas in the face as it's a side-cocker similar to a FAL but with bolt-assist in the handle. Nothing quite like watery eyes when trying to engage.
From what I gather, full-auto is the real test of a thermal core's fragility/longevity & the VOx sensor is apparently up to the task. That type of shock FAIL would be a deal breaker for me. My unit came with a charger & 8 rechargeable Lithium AA batteries. While they "may" have a shorter operating time than the ubiquitous AA throwaway battery, the rechargeable packs might come in pretty handy with vehicle accessory power sockets & solar cells in a pinch.
I've had the LWTS for one week & spent the better part of the day/night it arrived doing function checks. I adjusted the objective for close-up viewing in my home looking for hot spots in electrical wiring, termite damage, attic insulation & possible nesting sites for wasps that try to set up shop during the Spring & Summer months. In some instances, I could see the criss-cross internal framing of a hollow core wooden door as if I had X-Ray vision & thermal patterns of internal organs of willing participants (hand held, not weapon mounted). The image is so sharp that detailed facial identification/recognition blew me away. Just placing my hand momentarily on a cotton jacket left a HOT image for several minutes. A light fixture in the kitchen that had been turned off an hour prior looked as though it was still "lit". AMAZING! OK, I was just playing around with it & then I went to the toy box to mount it on appropriate weapon platforms. The CCO shroud/bridge is pretty stiff & the gap between the ELCAN & LWTS is only about 1/3". I had to screw the CCO on to the thermal, insert it into the recess of the SPECTER's objective & rock both into position on the rail, simultaneously. Thermals by their very nature run hot & while they are passive to some extent, they do radiate heat. That signature can be picked up by an opponent with another thermal even though the CCO is utilized. Food for thought! That can be mitigated to some extent by improvising a body bag for the LWTS out of Mylar & a thin sheet of insulation.
My wife, bless her heart, is supportive of my addiction... I've been leaving subliminal hints that I have a powerful hankering for mass quantities of ENERGIZER "Ultimate" Lithium AA Batteries... & coincidentally, my birthday is this coming Wednesday.
