Fusion Thermal Recon 55XR Thermal Clip-On (Day Scope Converter)
The Recon 55XR is a military grade infrared Clip-On (day scope converter) that combines our most advanced thermal performance technology with our ground breaking optical system called MORE (Magnification Optimizing Range Enhancement). This new technology solves the biggest hindrance to clip-on mass adoption, that of being forced to use your device on the lowest magnification settings of your day scope. The MORE optical system allows you to use significantly higher levels of magnification when compared to competitive units on the same day scope. The Recon 55XR (XR = Extended Range) features our premium WAVE 12 sensor with a 640x512 resolution for the absolute highest level of performance.
An separate adapter is required to attach the Recon 55XR to your day scope. See the Fusion Thermal Ruson Adapter to find the correct adapter for your day scope.
At Fusion Thermal clip-ons are in our DNA. In fact, the very first product offered by our company was a clip-on, and our obsession with perfecting the design hasn’t slowed down since day one. The product we call Recon 55XR is the result of our unyielding obsession to craft a thermal clip-on that actually delivers to the expectations of the user. This is not just another thermal system that has been repurposed as a clip-on, a common mistake of our competitors, but a device purposely built from the first screw for the specific mission of turning your day scope into a nighttime monster. Yes, this product does have secondary uses, for example it makes for a killer handheld monocular, but make no mistake it’s a clip-on first and foremost.
You should know the biggest limiting factor with clip-ons is that your day scope has to be set on very low magnifications for them to work, we call this functional use magnification. With most clip-ons if you tried to zoom up past three or four power on your day scope, the image became so grainy that it was not functionally usable. To solve this problem required some creative thinking, and some serious brain power on the part of our optical and electrical engineers. The big leap forward came with the development of our new optical system called MORE (Magnification Optimizing Range Enhancement). This technology breakthrough was designed to shatter the problem of low magnification use limitations common to virtually all clip-ons. That’s right, gone are the days of using your clip-on with your day scope set at 3X and you acting happy. Our MORE optical system changes the game in a very significant way and will dramatically increase your functional use magnification. Now, in full disclosure, we acknowledge that functional use magnification is very subjective to the user’s eye, and highly dependent on the design and quality of your day scope. However, under all circumstances you can expect the Recon 55XR to outperform any competitive alternative when used on the same scope under the same environmental conditions.
Friends, if you’ve been waiting for clip-on technology to come of age before making your move, your time has come. The Recon 55XR with its MORE optical system brings thermal clip-ons into the modern era, so if you’re ready to add some serious flexibility and lethality to arsenal the moment is at hand.
Special Note: The Recon 55XR is available in variants for both right-handed and left-handed shooters. The units are identical in every aspect except for the location of the target focus knob. Since the clip-on is placed in front of the day scope your arm is almost always fully extended when trying to focus the device, and our ergonomic studies showed that a significant improvement in usability was achieved by placing the knob on the side of lens housing as opposed to the top. To keep things easy on us we could have placed the focus knob on top like we do on our dedicated scopes, but it turns out that’s not the best place for it on a clip-on, so we put it on the side where it belongs. Thus we needed to make two units to accommodate both left and right handed shooters.
OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
In addition to providing a great visual experience a properly designed clip-on should also address some other very important fundamentals. The absence of good solutions to any of these requirements can lead to missed opportunities or a poor user experience. Here is what you should look for:
Easy to Deploy: The unit must be easy to deploy. Attachment and detachment to your rig should be something that can be accomplished in a matter of seconds and done in complete darkness.
Easy Correction for Point-of-Impact (POI) Shift: Thermal clip-on devices do not have a direct optical path to the target. If look thru your scope with a clip-on attached what you’ll see is a video image of the target on a display screen, and not the actual target. Thus, you are not looking thru your thermal, but looking at a display screen within the thermal. Knowing this is very important as it helps us understand a fundamental fact. It is impossible for any manufacturer to honestly claim that no (POI) point-of-impact shift will ever occur when using a clip-on. There are simply too many variables at play. What’s needed is a simply and easy way to correct for POI shift should it occur. It would also be helpful if the device could memorize these corrections so they could be easily recalled for future use.
Magnification Limitation: Many first time thermal clip-on owners are surprised to learn that their devices cannot be used for the full range of their day scopes magnification. As an example, lets assume your day scope is a 2.5-10×50, its likely with most clip-ons the highest magnification you’ll be able to use will be 4X, even less for many devices currently on the market. This limitation occurs for the reason explained above. Your day scope is zooming up on the thermal internal display screen, it is not looking thru the device. If you zoom in too much on the display screen your image will become pixilated and essentially unusable. Unless specifically designed to address this problem this is a limitation you will likely encounter, and it is why most clip-on devices fail to meet the expectations of their owners. This is a common problem as most manufacturers are simply trying to repurpose an existing thermal design to sell as their clip-on, and its exactly the reason we built the Recon 55XR ground up for this specific purpose. Yes, there are many factors that can affect a device’s usable magnification limitation including: optical design of the day optic, quality of the day optic, quality of the adapter system, but in all circumstances the design of the clip-on is the most important factor.
Multi Use Capability: Having the ability to use your clip-on as a handheld monocular is a big plus. To do this properly requires a couple of things: First, you will need some type of eye shield so it’s comfortable to use, you don’t want to be holding the back of a metal housing to your eyebrow. Second, you’ll need a menu option that lets you change the device settings from clip-on mode to monocular mode, and menu options for other features handy to the monocular application, like digital zoom. Fortunately, the Recon 55XR has both of these requirements covered quite nicely, so in no time you’ll be using it for all kinds of things like scouting, finding wounded or dead game, stealthy pre-dawn walks to your stand, finding lost dogs and lost wives, checking on cattle, navigating your boat, and home security. If your a deer hunter this is nothing short of a total game changer. You will easily triple or quadruple the number of deer you see during a hunt. You’ll spot every deer in the field and those on the edge of the woods in a matter of seconds. Remember thermal vision is not night vision, its completely usable during the day, all you need is heat differential and it will work, so the applications for all types of hunting or other outdoor recreations are nearly endless.
FUSION THERMAL EXCLUSIVE TECHNOLOGY
T3 Control System – Your Fingers Won’t Get Lost in the Dark. The only thing cooler than the way our T3 – Three Button Control System looks is how easy it is to use. Our highly intuitive three button design with its center tower makes using your thermal scope simple and easy. Every command you need is right at your fingertips, and the Center Tower evenly splits the button control panel, so you always know where your fingers are. We thought this a particularly good thing since you’ll be using it in the dark most of the time. Besides simpler is better, and the T3, well it’s as easy as 1-2-3.
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) Menu – You Might Never Read the Manual. You know the phrase, Keep It Simple Stupid, and at Fusion Thermal it’s the reason we can make the industries boldest statement: Our operating menu is so easy to use you’ll likely never read the instructions. Yep, that’s right. Finally, a highly advanced electronic device that doesn’t require a PHD to use. How’d we, do it? It was simple. We don’t care about making our products usable by someone on the other side of the planet, so or menu uses words and not confusing icons. Words that are in English, with instructions that are written for Americans by Americans. Wow, the happiness you find by keeping things simple.
WAVE Thermal Sensor – Same Money, Better Performance.
Is it possible for one thermal scope to dramatically outperform everything else in its class? Might it even be possible that it could outperform products costing hundreds or thousands more? Yes, so don’t make the mistake of shopping by specifications alone or you just might miss out. Our WAVE thermal sensors are the Olympic champions of the industry and perform way above their class. So, before you plop down your hard-earned cash make sure you do a side-by-side comparison to the competitive alternatives. We think you’ll see for yourself that the difference is clearly obvious.
Arclight Ultra HD Germanium Lens – High Purity for Maximum Energy
The single most expensive component of a well-crafted thermal is its germanium lens. If you skimp here, you’re not even in the game. Our high purity ArcLight Ultra HD Germanium Lens is the crowning jewel of our technology package. It perfects the task of collecting and funneling infrared energy into the thermal sensor unhindered by distortion. This clean transition results in an infrared energy dump that unleashes the full potential of our WAVE thermal sensor delivering a user experience well beyond expectations.
Micro Click Focus – Forget the Dog Collar. Getting your target into focus quickly and easily is a must, and you won’t find a better system than our Micro Click Focus. Our tall tactile focus knob is conveniently located on top of the front lens assembly so it’s easy to reach and easy to find, even in complete darkness. This is critical if you want to keep your eye in the scope and on target, and unlike the dog collar design used by most of our competitors you won’t need to perform a circus act or trash your shoulder just to focus your scope. Plus, you’ll always get your best shot as the micro click adjustments put you exactly on top of the perfect focus point every time. This feature is such a big advancement over the competitive design its often touted as this thing our customers love most about our scopes.
XGEN Alloy Housing – Plastic is for toys. Metal is for tools. It’s a fact, operational heat is the enemy of all thermal devices, and if your thermal can’t get rid of the heat it generates your image quality will suffer. Worse yet is the long-term damage this heat will cause to everything in the device. Your thermal was expensive, and you’ve got to get the heat out to keep it operating properly. This is why we never use plastic or other polymer housings. Plastics and polymers are insulators and aluminum alloys are conductors, one traps heat, and one gets rid of it. It’s that simple. Sure, plastic is ridiculously cheap but it’s a shortcut we refuse to take, and it’s something nearly all our competitors do. Our XGEN (Next Generation Alloy Body) shields your expensive investment in a clad of armor, and our high-end 6082 Structural Aluminum Alloy displaces heat 71,900% better than plastic*. This is a huge difference and reason alone why you should buy one of our products. Think about it, if our competitors are taking a shortcut on something this obvious, what else are they skimping on? It’s your money buy something of value with it.
*Source Sciencedirect.com Thermal Conductivity Coefficients: Plastic & Epoxy Glass Fiber W/(m-K) = 0.25 max as compared to AL 6082 Aluminum W/(m-K) = 180
This product is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). You many not export, re-export, resell, transfer or otherwise dispose of this product to any other country without first obtaining approval from the U.S. Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade in accordance with the ITAR, Title 22, and Code of Federal Regulations Part 120-130. Diversion contrary to U.S. law is prohibited.
- MORE – Magnification Optimizing Range Enhancement Optical System
- T3 – Three Button Control System w/Center Tower
- KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid Simplified Operating Menu
- WAVE12 – 640×512 12 Micron Premium Thermal Sensor
- Arclight – 55mm Ultra HD Objective Lens
- XGEN – Next Generation Armor Housing
- Micro Click Focus – Fast Click-by-Click Precision Focus
- Exceptionally Long 2600 Yard Detection Range
- Blazing Fast 6 Second Start-Up Time
- Monocular Mode for Handheld Viewing Applications
- 5 Year Transferable Warranty
- Made in the European Union
Thermal Sensor | 640 x 512, VOx Uncooled (WAVE12) |
Sensor Pixel Size | 12 Micron |
Objective Lens Diameter | 55mm (Arclight) |
Frame Refresh Rate | 50 Hz |
Field-of-View Clip-On & Mono Mode | 460' at 1000 yards (base level mag.) |
Base Level Mag. Clip-On Mode | 1x (before any digital zoom) |
Digital Magnification Clip-On Mode | None |
Base Level Mag. Mono Mode | 1x (before any digital zoom) |
Digital Magnification Mono Mode | 2x & 4x (2-step digital zoom) |
Display Type/Resolution | Super HD OLED RGBW / 3.2 Mil dots |
Color Palette Modes | 4 (White Hot, Black Hot, Red Hot, Predator) |
Multiple Gun Profiles | Yes (save up to 5 different zeros) |
Detection Range | Up to 2600 yards |
Start-Up Time (Cold Start) | 6 Seconds |
Start-Up Time (Power Saver) | Instant |
Auto Shutdown Battery Saver | Yes, user time selectable |
On Board Photo / Video Record | No (external recording possible) |
Video Output | Yes (output video signal via USB-C port) |
Wi-Fi Equipped | No |
Battery Type | (2x) CR123A or 3.7V Rechargeable |
Expected Battery Life | 3.5 Hours (typical operation) |
External Power Supply Capable | Yes (via USB-C port) |
Recoil Rating | 300 Win Mag |
Nitrogen Purged | Yes |
Front Lens Housing Outside Dia. | 59.1 mm |
Clip-On Adapter Ring Threading | M52x.075 male |
Length | 7.75" (housing front to back) |
Weight | 19.7 oz (without mount or batteries) |
Warranty | 5 year transferable |