InfiRay Outdoor Mk1 384 RL42 Thermal – Full Review

The Rico Mk1 384 thermal riflescope from InfiRay Outdoor features a rugged, waterproof, construction with a base 4x magnification making it ideal for long range nighttime hunting. It’s driven by a 12μm sensor with a 50hz refresh rate. It features the new optimized MATRIX III image algorithm software for sharp image resolution. Paired with the dynamic AMOLED display, the Rico Mk1 produces a crisp and clear image with long-range detection.  

InfiRayOutdoor products are made overseas in China. They are imported and distributed in the U.S. by iRayUSA. Although they’ve only been available in the US market for a couple years, InfiRay has been making thermal imaging products for over a decade. They also have one of the best warranties. Their scopes come standard with a 5-year warranty and 1 week turnaround time.

Onto everyone’s next question, the price. The Mk1 384 has an MSRP of $3,999.00. Yes, it is expensive. Most things that are good typically are, and the Mk1 is no exception. For the serious hunter or landowner looking for the ultimate advantage, an optic this expensive is worth every penny. Thermals can be used day or night, on or off the gun adding more value to the upfront costs.

Tech Specs

Sensor Resolution: 384×288
Sensor Pixel Size: 12μm
Refresh Rate: 50hz
NETD, mk: ≤50
Magnification: 4-16x digital zoom
Objective Lens: 42mm F1.1
FOV: 33.4° × 29.4°
Display Resolution: 1024×768 AMOLED
Battery: 3.7V / 4400mAh
Max Battery Life: 6 hours
IP Protection Rating: IP67
Internal Memory Storage: 32GB
Dimensions (LxWxH): 9.84 x 2.40 x 2.28 inches
Weight without Batteries: 29.27 Oz
Detection Range: 2,000 yards
Recoil Rating: .308 WIN

Unboxing:

In the box you’ll find a nice padded carrying case, mount, battery, cable, and charger. The Mk1 sports an all-aluminum housing with a rubber eyepiece and plastic objective cover. There is a focus ring for the display, and an objective focus knob on top to tune the thermal image depending on your distances. In the hand it feels extremely robust and well made. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this scope in any conditions.

On the left side of the scope is a picatinny rail for rangefinders, battery packs, or other accessories. InfiRay makes a laser range finding module (ILR-1000) for the Mk1 that can range targets out to 1,000 yds. If you have a Radius, that will work here too. While most of us shoot at known distances, range estimation at night with a thermal is almost impossible. Having the rail is essential. Behind the rail sits a covered USB-C port for video output and charging.

A quick-release removable battery is embedded and sits flush on the right side of the scope. On top are the four operating buttons and the objective focus knob.

The Mk1 comes with an aluminum offset Picatinny rail mount. It’s hefty and well made, but not my first choice when it comes to mounting options. The test unit I received already had an optional iRayUSA AD-RQD quick detach mount installed. I’d highly recommend this one over the one provided by InfiRay. It is also quite expensive at $199. But the mounting hardware is critical for success. A cheap mount will cause POI shift. The RQD mount holds zero even after removing and installing the scope multiple times.  

Overview

The Rico Mk1 is packed full of features if you wish to use them. I mainly stick to the recording functions but having the full gamut of options is nice. Below is a full list of features found in the Rico series:

• Photo & Video recording
• Wifi capability for smartphone app
• Built in compass & gravity sensor
• Ultraclear picture mode
• Picture in Picture
• 4x digital zoom
• Multiple zero distance profiles
• Various reticle and color palette options
• Pixel correction

Operating this high-tech optic is intuitive and easy. After charging the battery, push the power button to turn on the scope and let it power on. The other three buttons are for zoom, menu options, and photo/video recording. Although there is no built-in microphone, you can still record audio through the InfiRayOutdoor app for your smartphone.

The zoom feature cycles through 8x, 12x, and 16x. Long pressing the zoom button turns on the picture in picture mode. The PIP mode is 2x magnification of the main screen.

The Rico Mk1 allows users to have up to 3 different shooting profiles for different guns, or distances. Switching between profiles is accessed in the quick menu with a short press of the menu button. You can also change brightness and color palette from the quick menu. To access the zeroing option and additional features, press and hold the menu button until the extended menu appears. This is where you can turn on the compass or gravity sensor for seeing your elevation and angle of your gun.  

Testing

Although it weighs more than a traditional scope, the Rico MK1 overall is compact and felt great on top of the COX ARMS USA Wulf Pistol. It doesn’t throw the balance off and it was natural to aim. Zeroing the scope took a few shots at the range, but I was able to easily see the foil glowing in the summer heat downrange.

Eye relief on the Rico MK1 is about 2-2.5 inches and the rubber eyecup is comfortable to use. The relief focus ring has good resistance and operates smoothly. The AMOLED screen is vibrant, and the contrast is one of the best I’ve seen on a thermal screen. When I first looked through the Mk1, I was shocked it had a 384×288 core. The image looks very close to some 640 core thermal scopes I’ve seen. With a base magnification of 4x and a crisp image, you can confidently identify what you’re aiming at.

My favorite color palette choice is white hot. I tried playing with the ultraclear mode and I prefer leaving it off. I only had time to take this thermal out once on a hog hunt and came up with nothing. These brutal summer days don’t make them move much. But I did spend significant time testing the scope along the bayous and lakes in my area. Even on 100°F + days with high humidity, identifying birds and people at distance wasn’t a problem. This scope would be best for shooters taking shots at 100+ yds. or those who just prefer a higher magnification. Coyote and pig hunters will love this one in open spaces.

Using the scope as a scanner in the hand is easy to do. The unit isn’t too big or heavy and with the ADM-RQD mount you don’t have to worry about losing zero. If you’re scanning from near to far, you’ll have to play with the focus adjustment on top. The image quality is fantastic and it’s easy to see detail in the surrounding areas.

The 50hz refresh rate proved to be sufficient for scanning and I never experienced any lag or image trailing. I will say with this magnification, it’s best to be scanning in open areas. Anyone who hunts in thick brush or takes shots within 100 yds. might prefer less base magnification.

The Mk1 has an auto-calibration mode that refreshes the image in certain intervals. There are other options for manual calibrating, but the automatic mode is the way to go. When on the move, I’d put the MK1 in standby mode. It’s nice to have standby so you’re not completely shutting down the scope and waiting for it to power cycle every time.

I found the battery life to be better than the specs. The MK1 in the on position lasted 7.25, and 7.5 hours during the two testing cycles. Charging the batteries takes about two hours.

There were a couple color palettes I didn’t find useful but that’s all subjective. The white hot looked best to me. In total there are 7 different reticle options with 4 different colors – black, white, red, and green. I didn’t experience any weirdness or issues with the Mk1 during my testing. It performed as expected and I’ll be upset to send this one back.

I downloaded the InfiRay Outdoor app and was able to connect to the MK1 with no problems. Downloading pictures and videos straight to my phone was quick. There’s also a remote viewing option if you have someone with you who wants to watch on a separate screen. The video picture looked great on the phone and there seemed to be virtually no lag. I didn’t see how far I could go from the scope before picture quality degraded, but someone within 10ft. should have no issues watching. The app worked a lot better than other apps I’ve tried. I also had no issues connecting to the PC and downloading the files.

Conclusion:

Overall, the MK1 is a stout unit delivering image quality above its price point. The operating buttons on top are easy to use and the menus are effortless to navigate. You only have up, down, and enter. That’s all you need and I’m happy InfiRay made it easy. On the gun, it feels balanced and natural, just a little heavier than normal scopes. Having the IP67 waterproof rating also gives me peace of mind about seriously using this scope in all environments.

The Rico MK1 is available now from iRayUSA

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