Props to Doctor Double-D at DRT. Way to help a needy farmer out!
Doc-D just delivered our latest baby girl and newest addition to our family — an L3 CRATOS Jack-of-all-trades thermal monocular / clip-on / dedicated weapon scope. This sweet little bambina — affectionately named “Peanut” — takes the genetic legacy of her Big Bro, the venerable LWTS (pictured below alongside his new sibling), and packs expanded capabilities, features and performance into an even more diminutive package — 60Hz, IR laser, true handheld monocular capability (the LWTS never was a real monocular), more nifty features (standard BH/WH/Outline modes PLUS Color!) and increased FOV with no practical loss of detection range!
Improved handling and image quality (though still not quite up to Skeet standards), better usability and portability, runs on AA’s, etc. Also, the QD mount physically detaches from Peanut, so you can leave the mount on your rifle and pop if off if/when you want to use it as a handheld, eliminating the extra “bulk” of the mount while in your hand.
It’s a seriously sweet piece of kit! Overall, of all thermals commercially available, only the SkeetIR-x is real competition for Peanut. If I had to choose between the two, the dual/helmet capability of the Skeet would win-out, but not by much. The CRATOS is stronger on the weapon-mounting / clip-on front whereas the Skeet is stronger on the helmet / monocular front. If you’re happy with your current headgear setup, then the CRATOS is the better unit. Fortunately, we don’t have to choose between our children.
I would STRONGLY encourage L3/ EOTech to waste no time bringing this to the consumer market — though Trijicon and N-Vision definitely do NOT want that to happen! If the intended retail pricing rumors are even close to being realistic, the CRATOS will ***OWN*** the thermal market in the $5-9K range. If the $8K +/- price being tossed around is possible then you should RUN(!!!), not walk, into the market with this product. In short, nothing else would sell until CRATOS availability dries up.
Photos of my new girl, along with a partial family photo. More to come.
Welcome to the family, Peanut!
ETA: I ran Peanut over one eye and a Skeet over the other, swapping back and forth, and they’re both identical “unity” views and overlap nicely. The Skeet has about 5% wider FOV, maybe less, meaning they’re practically identical without actually being identical. The OLED display screen on the Skeet is definitely nicer. It’s more crisp and provides more detail. I’d say the VGA (non-OLED) display in Peanut is a little nicer than the LWTS, but not quite up to SkeetIRx quality. The difference is immediately noticeable without being egregiously different. Subjectively, I’d say Peanut’s display is about 80% as good as Skeet, give or take.
Just like her older brother, LWTS (now named “Locutus”), she has an automatic internal NUC, which is a HUGE check mark in the PLUS column.
The COLOR heat pallet is very useful and well done, but Peanut’s take on “Outline” mode is absolutely SPECTACULAR!!! I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s actually notable signatures highlighted by an outline but it’s still a grayscale White-Hot image. It’s outline over white hot and it works way better than any outline mode I’ve ever used — UTM, Skeet, PSQ20/36, ENVG... everything.
ETA2: Comparing the two, I’d say Peanut and Locutus share the same sensor and display screen, or if not identical, then very similar. I’m mildly disappointed that L3 failed to provide an OLED display in the CRATOS. For what is currently an $18K optic, that seems like a no-brainer. I get the LWTS, as it was released much earlier, but it seems obvious that Peanut was largely intended to be Locutus’ replacement, regardless of her SOCOM heritage.
Noticeable DNA was passed from Locutus to Peanut. The blatant omission of an OLED display is the only thing that keeps Peanut from winning the Gold Medal in the Uncooled Thermal Ironman Triathlon.
Doc-D just delivered our latest baby girl and newest addition to our family — an L3 CRATOS Jack-of-all-trades thermal monocular / clip-on / dedicated weapon scope. This sweet little bambina — affectionately named “Peanut” — takes the genetic legacy of her Big Bro, the venerable LWTS (pictured below alongside his new sibling), and packs expanded capabilities, features and performance into an even more diminutive package — 60Hz, IR laser, true handheld monocular capability (the LWTS never was a real monocular), more nifty features (standard BH/WH/Outline modes PLUS Color!) and increased FOV with no practical loss of detection range!
Improved handling and image quality (though still not quite up to Skeet standards), better usability and portability, runs on AA’s, etc. Also, the QD mount physically detaches from Peanut, so you can leave the mount on your rifle and pop if off if/when you want to use it as a handheld, eliminating the extra “bulk” of the mount while in your hand.
It’s a seriously sweet piece of kit! Overall, of all thermals commercially available, only the SkeetIR-x is real competition for Peanut. If I had to choose between the two, the dual/helmet capability of the Skeet would win-out, but not by much. The CRATOS is stronger on the weapon-mounting / clip-on front whereas the Skeet is stronger on the helmet / monocular front. If you’re happy with your current headgear setup, then the CRATOS is the better unit. Fortunately, we don’t have to choose between our children.
I would STRONGLY encourage L3/ EOTech to waste no time bringing this to the consumer market — though Trijicon and N-Vision definitely do NOT want that to happen! If the intended retail pricing rumors are even close to being realistic, the CRATOS will ***OWN*** the thermal market in the $5-9K range. If the $8K +/- price being tossed around is possible then you should RUN(!!!), not walk, into the market with this product. In short, nothing else would sell until CRATOS availability dries up.
Photos of my new girl, along with a partial family photo. More to come.
Welcome to the family, Peanut!
ETA: I ran Peanut over one eye and a Skeet over the other, swapping back and forth, and they’re both identical “unity” views and overlap nicely. The Skeet has about 5% wider FOV, maybe less, meaning they’re practically identical without actually being identical. The OLED display screen on the Skeet is definitely nicer. It’s more crisp and provides more detail. I’d say the VGA (non-OLED) display in Peanut is a little nicer than the LWTS, but not quite up to SkeetIRx quality. The difference is immediately noticeable without being egregiously different. Subjectively, I’d say Peanut’s display is about 80% as good as Skeet, give or take.
Just like her older brother, LWTS (now named “Locutus”), she has an automatic internal NUC, which is a HUGE check mark in the PLUS column.
The COLOR heat pallet is very useful and well done, but Peanut’s take on “Outline” mode is absolutely SPECTACULAR!!! I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s actually notable signatures highlighted by an outline but it’s still a grayscale White-Hot image. It’s outline over white hot and it works way better than any outline mode I’ve ever used — UTM, Skeet, PSQ20/36, ENVG... everything.
ETA2: Comparing the two, I’d say Peanut and Locutus share the same sensor and display screen, or if not identical, then very similar. I’m mildly disappointed that L3 failed to provide an OLED display in the CRATOS. For what is currently an $18K optic, that seems like a no-brainer. I get the LWTS, as it was released much earlier, but it seems obvious that Peanut was largely intended to be Locutus’ replacement, regardless of her SOCOM heritage.
Noticeable DNA was passed from Locutus to Peanut. The blatant omission of an OLED display is the only thing that keeps Peanut from winning the Gold Medal in the Uncooled Thermal Ironman Triathlon.
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