Hi Jim, Good review! I have one and agree with everything you mentioned regarding the pros and cons. I have used mine on my .243 with a separate IR and when doing so, switched to cloudy mode….this switches the IR off, allowing for longer battery run time….or at least it seemed to. I messaged Hikmicro and mentioned about the battery life…. Got a message back to say a new firmware should be available at the end of June. Don’t know if it will address battery usage but I do believe it’s going to offer the continuous zoom as with the Alpex upgrade. Regards Al
Hi Al thanks for that feedback mate it's always good to hear comments like yours. I'm guessing the firmware update with be the same if not similar to the Alpex. Which if it is I personally think that will be great. All the best Jim
Good review Jim thanks. I was considering one for my .22LR but you have confirmed my concerns as to lack of focus lever and picatinny mount for an additional IR. These are deal breakers for me so I don't think I'll be buying one.
No worries and yes I agree which is why I pointed it out. If it had a picitinny rail it would be great as you can get away with using a fishing coaster as a lever like I do with my Alpex. Maybe they will improve this model with a follow up perhaps 🤔
pick mine up tomorrow and cant wait. good review i see what you mean with the sore points but buzzing to get out with it on the r10. cheers for the review mate
No worries mate and I hope you get on with it. Yes it does have a few bad point but I've yet to come across a digital or thermal scope that is perfect. I absolutely love my Alpex but even that does have 1 or 2 issues but the overall performance is fantastic. Using this cheetah on the R10 will be perfect. Just get yourself some decent batteries especially if you're using it at night. Let me know how you get on with it I would be interested mate 👍
Good to see you Jim. I wish I could hunt with a piece of kit like this but seems that Colorado is more restrictive when it comes to varmint hunting than it is over the pond there.
Hi Nicholas yes it's a lovely bit of kit mate and I have very much enjoyed testing it out. Yes we are lucky in that respect of what we can use over here. I hope you're all keeping well and hope to see you out in the field soon. 😊
Thanks muddy and I would say yes to a certain degree, but like anything digital mate you have to be careful. If the rifle which leaning up against a post and it fell over it should be ok but obviously we always try to be as careful as possible but sometimes accidents happen.
You could also mention that if you only have dovetails on your air rifle then you will need to buy a picitinny to dovetail adapter. I found that out when I bought it. Something no one in the reviews of the cheetah mentions.
I have one, currently its on a .243 I like the field of view at night as I dont use a thermal spotter or anything other than the Cheetah I also use a PBIR the combo works for me and you dont know its on a rifle unlike my ATN 4K
@owenneil5065 I've used it on my .223 and it was fine for foxes out to 200 yards. You can see further but comfortably out to 200. Personally I prefer it on my rimfire as I think the Alpex is better.
have you installed the new firmware update? it has improved the unit greatly. if you have done the update a video of your opinion of this update would be nice as most reviewers of any scope very rarely follow uo their original post with any firmware updates that get released.
No not yet but I will in the next few days and yes I will be doing a video showing this. Apparently the ballistic calculator is very good so I'm looking forward to trying it out. How good is it in your opinion? Thanks for the message 👍
@@jimwood I don't have the lrf version so can't comment but they have fixed a few issues especially with you now being able to set the power level on the ir to either l/m/h...minimum focus is now set at 2 and the image seems a lot more cleaner.
@dbarnard2 that's good then. I will keep you posted once I have done the update. Glad they have sorted the ir power settings. Can you turn the ir off completely and use an additional ir?
Hi mate, firstly thankyou for watching I'm glad you enjoyed it and yes you can use a power bank with it. I bought a cheetah not long ago which now has the ballistic calculator on it so I'm looking forward to trying it out 👍
@@jimwoodThanks Jim that’s a good thing to know. I’m in the market for a new NV set up. Using an add on at the moment. I’ve had an ATN in the past with the ABL 1000, good bit of kit even if on the heavy side. Only thing that let it down was after sales. Will seriously consider the Cheater. Keep up the vids mate, very informative.
No worries Jan and yes I know what you mean regarding the ATN. I've owned a few. They are great scopes but as with any digital scope they have issues. I have just to find the perfect scope that has everything I need. However the hikmicro cheetah and Alpex are at the top of the list for me at the moment. And the Pulsar C50 is up there as well. I currently have bought both the Alpex 4k and Alpex 4k LRF so looking forward to trying those out. Is there anything you have in mind or perhaps a budget you will goto?
@@jimwood Tim I’ve also looked at and like the Alpex 4k lrf, simply because I think it’s easier to use the and set up the BC. The Zulus needs a phone and as I’m a dinosaur I don’t own one. Simple is best and being an ex infantry grunt that’s better for me all round.
@janhudson4501 I know what you mean. Just keep in mind the Alpex 4k LRF and non LRF models are quite heavy like the ATN. So if you want something light then the cheetah might be a better option. But can I ask are a left or right handed shooter? The reason I ask is the cheetah suits right handed shooters better than left so keep that in mind.
Greetings from New Zealand Jim...great video mate...I have a question for you...I pig and deer hunt with a .308 Howa brand rifle...it has the softest recoil I have ever experienced..damn near zero recoil...I shoot with 150grain ammo....would you mount one of these Cheetahs on a .308 ?...asking as I am considering purchasing a Cheetah for that purpose. I search with a thermal monocular...but as in time the thermal stuffs your sighting eye up and you stand in the field for 5 minutes or so to regain your vision....
Good morning and thankyou for watching my video I appreciate it. Now firstly can I ask at what ranges will you be shooting? And I assume it will be at night? If the recoil is that minimal then the cheetah would be fine on it. Now without stating the obvious your quarry is alot larger than what I go after so the cheetah will work better at longer ranges. Just keep in mind when you zoom in at say 150 yards plus it does become pixilated especially towards full magnification. I use it alot on base mag out to 100 yards with no issues at all. The LRF is great but for me the biggest issue is battery life. I'm not sure which are the best 18650 batteries but I would invest in them especially for night shooting or use an external power pack. I now use my power bank which connects directly to it and is great. It is a great scope but does have its issues like alot of day/night scopes. But for the money it is good and the LRF makes it worth the money I think. Sorry for the long reply I just want to point out things you should know. All the best Jim
the battery you showed is some cheap chinese battery, rated at 9900mAh is clearly fake since not even tesla produces that capacity batteries, find some original Samsung, LG or Panasonic batteries and you will be happy
To be honest I'm not sure as I didn't have yhe clip on version. The one in the video is the scope version. If you contact Opticswarehouse they will be able to help
How do you find the focus, mine seems not very good focused, also when you get close to focus I have to turn the the focus ring alot like nearly quarter of a turn, then goes past and needs loads of adjustmemt to get it right, every other scope I have used has a sensitive focus wheel, how is yours?
Hi Steve my apologies for the late reply only just seen your message. Personally I found the focus ok to use, yes it does seem like it takes a while to turn to get a crisp image but no more than Alpex really. I'm getting the impression that not all units are the same because it's like the Alpex the focus is stiff to turn and 99% of people I speak to say the same yet a friend of mine his is perfect with no resistance. I still have the cheetah on loan so I will get it back out in the field to double check.
@@jimwood I think the focus and sharpness is crap compared to the other night vision scopes I have, don't get wrong it still does what it's supposed to but I would have expected it to be clearer and sharper. If It didn't have the lrf I would be getting rid of it.
Hi Jim,
Good review! I have one and agree with everything you mentioned regarding the pros and cons. I have used mine on my .243 with a separate IR and when doing so, switched to cloudy mode….this switches the IR off, allowing for longer battery run time….or at least it seemed to. I messaged Hikmicro and mentioned about the battery life…. Got a message back to say a new firmware should be available at the end of June. Don’t know if it will address battery usage but I do believe it’s going to offer the continuous zoom as with the Alpex upgrade.
Regards
Al
Hi Al thanks for that feedback mate it's always good to hear comments like yours. I'm guessing the firmware update with be the same if not similar to the Alpex. Which if it is I personally think that will be great.
All the best
Jim
Grate review
Thankyou 👍
Good review Jim thanks. I was considering one for my .22LR but you have confirmed my concerns as to lack of focus lever and picatinny mount for an additional IR. These are deal breakers for me so I don't think I'll be buying one.
No worries and yes I agree which is why I pointed it out. If it had a picitinny rail it would be great as you can get away with using a fishing coaster as a lever like I do with my Alpex. Maybe they will improve this model with a follow up perhaps 🤔
Good review jim. Ive not used mine yet but i plan on shooting within 100 yards so hopefully it will suit my needs.
Thanks mate and yes it will be perfect for that type of range 👌
Nice one Jim , great review mate , very thorough 👍👍🤠
Thanks Col 👍
pick mine up tomorrow and cant wait. good review i see what you mean with the sore points but buzzing to get out with it on the r10. cheers for the review mate
No worries mate and I hope you get on with it. Yes it does have a few bad point but I've yet to come across a digital or thermal scope that is perfect. I absolutely love my Alpex but even that does have 1 or 2 issues but the overall performance is fantastic. Using this cheetah on the R10 will be perfect. Just get yourself some decent batteries especially if you're using it at night. Let me know how you get on with it I would be interested mate 👍
Good to see you Jim. I wish I could hunt with a piece of kit like this but seems that Colorado is more restrictive when it comes to varmint hunting than it is over the pond there.
Hi Nicholas yes it's a lovely bit of kit mate and I have very much enjoyed testing it out. Yes we are lucky in that respect of what we can use over here. I hope you're all keeping well and hope to see you out in the field soon. 😊
Good honest review Jim and what you said i agree with too pal 👍
Thanks Simon and I do think the lack of a picitinny rail will put alot of people off. But the scope itself is really good I found.
Excellent review. Thank you.
No worries 👍
Thanks. Just got CZ .22 synthetics with a Burris 3-9x40 drop tine so not sure wife would approve. One day maybe
How you finding the CZ? And yes I know what you mean regarding getting one. But sometimes she is kept in the dark 😁
Really informative and honest review 👍🏼
Thanks Ash 👍
Nitecore batteries Jim there excellent I’ve had some for years and still hold charge best 18650 and rcr123a batteries I’ve used 👍
Thats great Craig I appreciate that mate will look into purchasing some 👍
A good honest review Jim👍 I'd be too worried I'd break it, can they take a bit of a knock about? Atb muddy 👍😃
Thanks muddy and I would say yes to a certain degree, but like anything digital mate you have to be careful. If the rifle which leaning up against a post and it fell over it should be ok but obviously we always try to be as careful as possible but sometimes accidents happen.
Nice review, you could have mentioned the current RRP though 👍
Yep point noted. I will say about it in the comparison video I do 👍
You could also mention that if you only have dovetails on your air rifle then you will need to buy a picitinny to dovetail adapter. I found that out when I bought it. Something no one in the reviews of the cheetah mentions.
Ok point noted. I will say about that when I do the comparison video. Thanks for mentioning it 👍
Nice honest review Jim nice work mate 👍
I have one, currently its on a .243 I like the field of view at night as I dont use a thermal spotter or anything other than the Cheetah I also use a PBIR the combo works for me and you dont know its on a rifle unlike my ATN 4K
That's good then mate sounds like it works well for you then. Thanks for watching and letting me know 👍
Hiya mate what’s it like on the .243? Just ordered the add on version for the foxes
@owenneil5065 I've used it on my .223 and it was fine for foxes out to 200 yards. You can see further but comfortably out to 200. Personally I prefer it on my rimfire as I think the Alpex is better.
Looks a nice unit
It is mate 👍
Mine has just arrived, doesn’t seem to hold my rifles zero when used as an add on, anyone know why???
have you installed the new firmware update? it has improved the unit greatly. if you have done the update a video of your opinion of this update would be nice as most reviewers of any scope very rarely follow uo their original post with any firmware updates that get released.
No not yet but I will in the next few days and yes I will be doing a video showing this. Apparently the ballistic calculator is very good so I'm looking forward to trying it out. How good is it in your opinion? Thanks for the message 👍
@@jimwood I don't have the lrf version so can't comment but they have fixed a few issues especially with you now being able to set the power level on the ir to either l/m/h...minimum focus is now set at 2 and the image seems a lot more cleaner.
@dbarnard2 that's good then. I will keep you posted once I have done the update. Glad they have sorted the ir power settings. Can you turn the ir off completely and use an additional ir?
@@jimwood yes you are able to now disable the ir completely if you wish.
@dbarnard2 that's good to know thanks 👍
Just seen this mate. Good round up on this. One question can you plug a power bank in to it?
Hi mate, firstly thankyou for watching I'm glad you enjoyed it and yes you can use a power bank with it. I bought a cheetah not long ago which now has the ballistic calculator on it so I'm looking forward to trying it out 👍
@@jimwoodThanks Jim that’s a good thing to know. I’m in the market for a new NV set up. Using an add on at the moment. I’ve had an ATN in the past with the ABL 1000, good bit of kit even if on the heavy side. Only thing that let it down was after sales. Will seriously consider the Cheater. Keep up the vids mate, very informative.
No worries Jan and yes I know what you mean regarding the ATN. I've owned a few. They are great scopes but as with any digital scope they have issues. I have just to find the perfect scope that has everything I need. However the hikmicro cheetah and Alpex are at the top of the list for me at the moment. And the Pulsar C50 is up there as well. I currently have bought both the Alpex 4k and Alpex 4k LRF so looking forward to trying those out. Is there anything you have in mind or perhaps a budget you will goto?
@@jimwood Tim I’ve also looked at and like the Alpex 4k lrf, simply because I think it’s easier to use the and set up the BC. The Zulus needs a phone and as I’m a dinosaur I don’t own one. Simple is best and being an ex infantry grunt that’s better for me all round.
@janhudson4501 I know what you mean. Just keep in mind the Alpex 4k LRF and non LRF models are quite heavy like the ATN. So if you want something light then the cheetah might be a better option. But can I ask are a left or right handed shooter? The reason I ask is the cheetah suits right handed shooters better than left so keep that in mind.
This what i should have bought instead of the alpex, its no good for my rimfire but this has a lrf whi h is what i need for my .22lr .
Greetings from New Zealand Jim...great video mate...I have a question for you...I pig and deer hunt with a .308 Howa brand rifle...it has the softest recoil I have ever experienced..damn near zero recoil...I shoot with 150grain ammo....would you mount one of these Cheetahs on a .308 ?...asking as I am considering purchasing a Cheetah for that purpose.
I search with a thermal monocular...but as in time the thermal stuffs your sighting eye up and you stand in the field for 5 minutes or so to regain your vision....
Good morning and thankyou for watching my video I appreciate it. Now firstly can I ask at what ranges will you be shooting? And I assume it will be at night? If the recoil is that minimal then the cheetah would be fine on it. Now without stating the obvious your quarry is alot larger than what I go after so the cheetah will work better at longer ranges. Just keep in mind when you zoom in at say 150 yards plus it does become pixilated especially towards full magnification. I use it alot on base mag out to 100 yards with no issues at all. The LRF is great but for me the biggest issue is battery life. I'm not sure which are the best 18650 batteries but I would invest in them especially for night shooting or use an external power pack. I now use my power bank which connects directly to it and is great. It is a great scope but does have its issues like alot of day/night scopes. But for the money it is good and the LRF makes it worth the money I think. Sorry for the long reply I just want to point out things you should know.
All the best
Jim
Excellent video as always but tell me does it have a secondary aim point like the pard ds 35 once the target has been lased.
Thankyou. I haven't had anything to do with the pard ds 35 but I will check it out and let you know 👍
the battery you showed is some cheap chinese battery, rated at 9900mAh is clearly fake since not even tesla produces that capacity batteries, find some original Samsung, LG or Panasonic batteries and you will be happy
Im using a burris 5x25x50. Is this too big of a scope to use it on ?
To be honest I'm not sure as I didn't have yhe clip on version. The one in the video is the scope version. If you contact Opticswarehouse they will be able to help
How do you find the focus, mine seems not very good focused, also when you get close to focus I have to turn the the focus ring alot like nearly quarter of a turn, then goes past and needs loads of adjustmemt to get it right, every other scope I have used has a sensitive focus wheel, how is yours?
Hi Steve my apologies for the late reply only just seen your message. Personally I found the focus ok to use, yes it does seem like it takes a while to turn to get a crisp image but no more than Alpex really. I'm getting the impression that not all units are the same because it's like the Alpex the focus is stiff to turn and 99% of people I speak to say the same yet a friend of mine his is perfect with no resistance. I still have the cheetah on loan so I will get it back out in the field to double check.
@@jimwood no worries mate I sent it back and they told me it was faulty and sent me a new unit and now works perfect
Thats great news mate hope you get some good results with it.👍
I'm going to do another video on the rabbits with the cheetah as hikmicro have asked me to as they want to help promote it.
@@jimwood I think the focus and sharpness is crap compared to the other night vision scopes I have, don't get wrong it still does what it's supposed to but I would have expected it to be clearer and sharper. If It didn't have the lrf I would be getting rid of it.