Frequently Asked Questions About Installation of A Thermal Clip-On on Picatinny Rail In Front Of A Daytime Scope

In this blog post, we address some common questions to help you make an informed decision when choosing the Picatinny mount installation of a thermal clip-on unit for your night hunting adventures.

Q: Is the Picatinny mount that screws onto the bottom of the Clip-On reversible? (I have a short Picatinny rail on my rifle and can install the Clip-On mount only in a reversed way).

A: Yes, it is fully reversible. Please choose the LaRue Mount and Light Suppressor Kit, since the LaRue mount is slimmer than the standard mount and it should not interfere with the light suppressor if the mount is used in a reverse way.

Q: What is the Yoter-C’s height when mounted using the Picatinny mount?

A: Approximately 1.7” from the Picatinny rail to the middle axis of the clip-on. Standard “High-Profile” rings of a daytime scope are the best choice if you want to use a Picatinny mount for the clip-on. Please note that 43mm on the picture = 1.7”.

Q: Is it the industry standard 1.5”? (My ring height is 1.5”)

A: 1.5” is one of the industry standards for medium-high profile rings. With that height of the rings, there's going to be some offset between your daytime scope and the clip-on, like in the picture below. It is not optimal, but you will still be able to adjust your zero following the Clip-On Zeroing Procedure, which we discussed in a separate article HERE.

Q: Does it matter if I install a clip-on on a Picatinny mount in front of a First Focal Plane or a Second Focal Plane daytime scope? 

A: Yes, this is extremely important. Rifles equipped with First Focal Plane (FFP) and Second Focal Plane (SFP) scopes behave very differently when used with a clip-on attachment mounted on a Picatinny rail in front of the scope. Location of the daytime scope focal plane affects how the reticle aligns with the clip-on’s display at different magnifications and how any misalignment influences point of impact shift. If you're planning to use your clip-on with a Second Focal Plane scope in this setup, we strongly recommend reading this article to understand the implications and avoid performance issues.

Q: What are the advantages of the LaRue mount over the standard QD mount?

A: The LaRue Mount and Bering Optics Tactical Mount are more advanced than the Standard Mount, which is described in great detail in this article. Briefly, the major differences:

1. The LaRue and Bering Optics Tactical mounts have a sliding lock on the lever. When the lock is engaged, the lever can't be opened, which prevents the release of the Picatinny mount if the lever is accidentally pulled.
2. The LaRue mount has more convenient tension control. All Picatinny mounts have adjustable tension mechanisms to accommodate different Picatinny rails. The LaRue Mount has a sprocket on the bottom. Rotating the sprocket will adjust the tension. You may count clicks. You may also mark the position of the sprocket to remember the tension for each rifle with which you have zeroed your device. It influences the repeatability of zero. Bering Optics Standard and Tactical Mounts have a nut on the opposite side of the handle. You have to press the spring-loaded handle for the nut to get out of the slot, then you can tighten or loosen the nut, and make sure that the nut goes back into the slot when you release the handle, and the spring will push the handle out. That allows users to make sure that the mount has the proper tension, but it is difficult to remember which position of the nut is for each rifle. Therefore, the rule of thumb should apply: When you close the lever, it should almost freely close up to 30 degrees, and then you have to force it to lock.
3. Also, there is an advantage if you have a short Picatinny Rail and want to use the mount in a reverse way on the same Picatinny rail with the daytime scope since the LaRue mount is slimmer than the standard mount and it should not interfere with the light suppressor if the mount is used in a reverse way.
4. Unlike Bering Optics mounts, the LaRue mount will not lock on an extra-low profile Picatinny rail. Read this article for the details.

With all this said, the only disadvantage of the LaRue Mount is that it will not lock onto a non-standard ultra-low-profile Picatinny rail. Some people have modified the standard rail to lower the scope axis by about ¼", but this is a questionable solution—it offers minimal gain in accuracy while making many mounts designed for standard rails unusable. Bering Optics Standard and Tactical mounts will lock onto this non-standard ultra-low-profile Picatinny rail. Read this article for the details.

Q: How much precision does the rifle maintain with the clip-on installed?

A: Installing the clip-on on the Picatinny mount is not the only option. In fact, this type of installation typically allows for hunting accuracy at 200-300 yards, which is common for many ARs of all kinds. If you are a long-range shooter, and you want to achieve greater precision, please consider using a custom-made through-lever adapter, at least for your most accurate rifle. Take a look at the Through-Lever Adaptor and browse through the images. This adapter ensures perfect centering of the clip-on with the daytime scope. With such a setup, we hit a target at 1,100 yards when testing the Super-Yoter C clip-on attachment for the manufacturer.

Q: Is there a better option clip-on at this price point? Say under $7000?

A: We do not know of any. Please let us know if you find one! For the head-to-head comparison of the clip-ons, please pay attention to the following parameters:

• It should be a Vanadium Oxide thermal core (left image). Huge difference if it is an amorphous silicon core (right image). US militaries are using VOx cores for a reason. Please look here if you need more technical details: THERMAL SENSORS BACKGROUND FACTS

• Thermal core resolution should not be less than 640 x 480 pixels.
• The thermal matrix pitch should not be more than 12 microns. It influences the pixilation of the image when you zoom in with your daytime scope.
• The lens should be 50 mm. It’s gonna be a significantly smaller field of view of your thermal image at Zoom 1x with 35mm or a smaller lens, and you will not be able to zoom in with your daytime scope significantly.
• The lens material must be high-end germanium to match other parameters and ensure that the thermal image quality is high enough to handle your daytime scope magnification of 20x or more.
• The refresh rate should be 50Hz or 60Hz. The human eye can’t catch the difference between 50 and 60 (an HD movie shown in a theater is usually filmed at 24 frames per second). But it is good to have 50+ for fast-moving targets.