Introduction
We have covered the Merger LRF XP50 in 2022, then the Merger LRF XL50 after the SHOT Show 2023 back in January, and the Merger LRF XQ35 soon followed after the IWA 2023 back in March. But there is one more Merger that we saw at IWA, and it is the one that will complete the Merger line. It is not out yet, and most likely won’t be for another year, but we got to see its early-stage prototype. We are talking about the upcoming Pulsar Merger DUO NXP50.
What We Know About the Upcoming Pulsar Merger DUO NXP50
Pulsar Merger DUO NXP50 is still in its prototype stage and will be most likely significantly improved by the time it gets fully released (presumably in about a year), but we still got to know a little bit about it.
It looks like the other models from the Merger line, but it comes without the laser rangefinder (LRF) a feature that all other 3 have.
That doesn’t mean that it is any worse, though. The Merger line was never supposed to be bound by some set-in-stone parameters, with features serving the same purpose. Its purpose is much simpler, yet bigger: it “merges” different technologies.
In Merger DUO NXP50’s case, the LRF was swapped for a digital night vision module. It has a digital night vision camera paired with the thermal camera and will bring together the best of both worlds.
The digital night vision camera will allow the observer to see details that are outside of the thermal sensor capabilities. This will be especially useful to those that hunt for specific trophies such as red deer, for instance, where it is very important for a hunter to really accurately identify the trophy. We only hope that Pulsar will figure out how to incorporate true fusion overlapping of both channels.
And if Pulsar doesn’t plan on drastically changing its overall design, the Merger DUO NXP50 will also be very ergonomic. At the moment, it is shaped as other Mergers, meaning it has a classic binocular look. This will be especially appreciated by those that find monoculars cumbersome or are just more accustomed to the binoculars.
In the future, though, we expect it to be upgraded with an IR illuminator and perhaps some other features that might further alter its exterior design. Only time will tell, but for now, we think that the coming fourth member of the Merger family promises quite a lot.
Release Date
The release date of the Pulsar Merger DUO NXP50 is still unknown. It is still in the prototype stage, and it most likely will not be released for at least another year.
In the meantime, you can check out the Pulsar Thermion Duo DXP50:
Conclusion
We are excited to see that Pulsar is developing the Merger family beyond just LRF models. The potential of combined thermal imaging with digital night vision technology is huge and will continue to be so until thermal sensors are developed to the point where even the slightest details will be clearly visible with a thermal camera alone.
Interestingly enough, however, Pulsar tested a similar device in the past which didn’t pan out the way they were hoping. We are talking about the Pulsar Trionyx T3 Multispectral Binoculars which had a short-lived story. We aren’t exactly sure what caused its demise, but we suspect that the night sensor technology was simply just not advanced enough for Pulsar to consider it appropriate for its brand. This probably means that sufficient advancements have been made in the past couple of years to give way for the newer and supposedly better Merger DUO NXP50.
We are certain that Pulsar will be able to pull this off. Afterall, they did a great job of bringing a digital day-time camera into the thermal imaging when they released the Thermion Duo. It is now time for them to do the same for digital night vision, and we have no doubt that Pulsar Merger DUO NXP50 will achieve that.
