Estimated read time: 7 min.
The Pulsar Krypton 2, which we launched earlier this year, is a great device for those who want it all – but don’t like to carry a bunch of equipment everywhere. Originally designed as a thermal imaging attachment you mount on your daytime optics, it also easily transforms into a handheld thermal monocular, becoming a truly universal, dual-use device. Now, it’s time to hear what hunters think about it!
Hunter's review
A major upgrade
From the very beginning of the Krypton 2 development, we knew we wanted the update to be significant – tweaking a few minor things cosmetically isn’t exactly our thing. In this particular case, both the design and the internal components got a major shift. Since the updated design is the most obvious change, let’s begin with that one.
The body of the new attachment is lighter and better balanced than its predecessor’s. With the battery now resting on top of the device, the weight distribution is more uniform than before.
“The size of the new Krypton 2 is totally an advantage. It is small and lightweight, so it is easy to take it with you. Very often, I hunt both during day and night and to have a scope I can just attach to my regular scope when the dark hits is very helpful,” says Erica Eggonson, a huntress from Sweden.
Erica Eggonson
Easy to control
Ease of use is always a priority for us. With Krypton 2 being a thermal imaging attachment, it is inevitable that the device will be placed slightly further away from you. While you can still reach the controls of it, the task might distract you from the actual hunting process. To avoid this, we ship each Krypton 2 with a separate Bluetooth remote control. It mimics all controls of the device and can be placed wherever it’s comfortable to you, thus helping you to retain focus on the target at all times.
Erica is a big fan of the feature: “The remote is also a very big help with this scope for me as I have quite short arms. To be able to correct settings without stretching my arms all the way to the front feels much better.” Her counterpart from Germany, Henrik Sproedt, who also starred in the Krypton 2 launch video, adds that “the new remote control is especially helpful when adjusting the point of impact.”
Hunter's review
Improved image quality
Now, let’s leave the design aside for a minute and look into the internal components. With an upgraded 640×480 @ 12 µm thermal sensor by Lynred, 8 color palettes, and an F50 / 1.0 lens, it will surely help you step up the thermal game. Now, if these numbers sound more confusing than clarifying to you, leave it to Stefan Orman, a Swedish hunter and arguably the biggest fan of Krypton 2 there is, to explain it in simpler terms.
“Oh, the image quality in the Krypton 2 FXG50 is far superior to the old one. And there are two main reasons. The first one is the 50 mm focal length F1.0 lens. This translates to a crispier image. Then, you’ve got the new Lynred sensor with less than 40mK NETD. It’s way more sensitive. And then you get into the third reason. Better platform, smarter hardware, better algorithms. They do improve the image a lot, but the main reasons are the new lens and a new sensor.”
Stefan Orman
The dual use
“The new Krypton, together with the 3x monocular, is the first device I use as a true dual-use device, i.e., as a front attachment and a monocular,” says Henrik, and we’re very happy to hear that this feature has found its fans. And all you need to perform the transformation from an attachment to a handheld thermal imager is the Pulsar 3x20B compact monocular. The process is fast and simple enough to perform while in the field.
“I have an Axion I love as well, but when I hunt wild boars, it is very nice to use Krypton 2 as a monocular as well. This way, I don’t have to bring three pieces with me,” shares Erica.
Stefan, despite having an array of Pulsar spotters at home, also takes advantage of both functions of the Krypton 2. “You know, you gotta scan with handheld when you find the animals and confirm if everything is safe. That’s when you’re gonna put it on your scope and go to do business,” says the hunter, reminding once again that you should never use your scope for scanning.
Hunter's review
The mounting and zeroing
Krypton 2 has dedicated PSP-B adapters for easy and reliable mounting. “It is so easy to mount on my regular scope. My favorite scope has always been Thermion 2 XP50, but this one with the outstanding image quality is almost as good,” says Erica.
Another mounting-related and very important feature that Stefan mentions is the scalable user interface. With previous attachments, if you mounted them on a scope with a higher base magnification and zoomed in a little, you could lose some useful information from the status bar. Thanks to Stefan and Henrik (and our R&D department, of course), that’s not the case anymore.
“Me and Henrik were going on and on about how we would need a scalable interface with the status bar so that you don’t lose information as you zoom in if you have a higher base magnification scope. And, luckily, that became a feature that we got to include and that really improved the overall usage for the Krypton 2,” says Stefan, and we can confirm it’s true – he and Henrik really did give us a hard time about this!
Matthias Lusch
As for the setup and zeroing, it’s as easy as it’s intuitive – the whole process is super simple and will only take you a couple of minutes. Henrik confirms this (“The Krypton itself is very easy to set up and sight in.”), and he’s definitely not the one to call something easy if it truly isn’t. Need more arguments? Here’s what Matthias Lusch, another German hunter, said: “The assembly process is simple and good; it has very good repeatability and can be easily removed and put back on.”
If you do feel like you could use some help, but manuals are not your thing, our colleague Christin has made a very informative video about the whole process – you can find it on our YouTube channel.
The size of the new Krypton 2 is totally an advantage. It is small and lightweight, so it is easy to take it with you. Very often, I hunt both during day and night and to have a scope I can just attach to my regular scope when the dark hits is very helpful.
Erica Eggonson
The various uses
If you’ve read all the way up to here, we assume you’d love to hear some particular examples of use, too. Matthias recommends it “for everyone who would like to hunt wild boars and predators at night.”
If you need more, here’s Stefan’s opinion: “We got the FXG50 and the FXQ35. The FXQ35 has a wider field of view, so that’s more suitable for people who are going to be hunting at a pretty close range. It’s going to be good for anything less than 150 m. But if you do pest control and see a wild boar, it’s going to get very close because of high wheat or crops. And the wide field of view is going to be a huge benefit. It will be very, very good for that on a low-power scope.
If you’re going for something that is a bit further away, maybe you’re hunting wild boar on open fields, or you live in a country where you’re doing a lot of foxing, like in the UK, then the FXG50 would for sure be the version I would go with. You get a long detection and identification range on the FXG50. In total, it’s best suited for the ones who want the most bang for the buck. And for the ones that want to be more versatile. It saves weight, you don’t need to carry two different scopes. It’s a very, very good device for professional use.”
Henrik Sproedt
The verdict
“The new Krypton 2 is lightweight, robust, uses the same batteries as the Helion, and has a very good image quality,” says Henrik when we ask him to name his favorite features. And as you can see, the uses for the device are endless. Surely, you can always go with a dedicated scope and a spotter or two, but sometimes, less really is more. “If you’re out stalk hunting and you want to have everything in the backpack, be lightweight and versatile, then the clip-ons are definitely the absolute best units, period,” says Stefan, and we feel like there isn’t much else to add!
Before purchasing any night or thermal vision device, please make sure you adhere to the local legislation and only use it when it is allowed. Our ambassadors come from various countries and travel a lot, which allows them to test different devices. We do not encourage or support the illegal use of our devices in any events. If you wish to learn more about export and sales restriction policy, please visit the following link: Export and Sales Restriction Policy.