Thermal monoculars / PulsarDiscontinued
Pulsar Axion Key XM22
320×240 · 12 µm · 22 mm · 4 h · Discontinued
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Coyote at 100 yd
11 px tall at the shoulder
Coyote at 200 yd
6 px tall at the shoulder
Coyote at 300 yd
4 px tall at the shoulder
Identify a coyote out to
Identification distance
Our estimate of how far away you can tell a coyote from a fox or a dog. It is calculated from the lens and sensor, assuming good conditions.
~95 yd
Farther than 30% of the 171 current thermal monoculars we track (#121).
Ground across the screen at 100 yd
Field width
How many feet of ground fill the screen at 100 yards. Wider makes scanning faster; narrower usually means more detail on the animal.
52 ft
Wider than 34% of the 174 current thermal monoculars we track (#116).
Specs
| Sensor | |
|---|---|
| Resolution Sensor resolution How many heat-reading pixels the sensor has, such as 384 × 288 or 640 × 512. More pixels show more detail, but the lens matters just as much. | 320 × 240 |
| Pixel pitch Pixel pitch The size of each sensor pixel, in microns. Smaller pixels mean more magnification from the same lens. Most current thermals use 12 microns. | 12 µm |
| NETD (maker’s claim) NETD (thermal sensitivity) How small a temperature difference the sensor can show. Lower is better, but brands measure it differently, so numbers from two makers are not a fair comparison. | — |
| Refresh rate Refresh rate How many times per second the picture updates. 50 or 60 times a second looks smooth; lower rates stutter when you pan or a coyote runs. | 50 Hz |
| Optics | |
| Lens Focal length The lens number in millimeters, like 35 mm or 50 mm. A longer lens puts more pixels on a distant animal but shows a narrower slice of ground. | 22 mm f/1.2 |
| Base magnification Base magnification How much bigger things look before any digital zoom, like 2× or 4×. Higher is not automatically better: it narrows your view. | 2× |
| Max digital zoom Digital zoom Electronic enlarging of the picture. It makes the animal look bigger but adds no detail; past about 2× to 4× the image gets blocky. | 8× |
| Field of view Field of view How wide a view you get, in degrees. A wide view makes scanning for animals faster; a narrow one usually means more magnification. | 10° × 7.5° |
| Detection range (maker’s claim) Detection range The maker's figure for how far away a warm object shows up as a dot or two. It is far longer than the distance you can tell what the animal is. | 1,039 yd |
| Display | |
| Display Display resolution How many pixels the small screen inside the eyepiece has. A sharp screen looks cleaner but cannot add detail the sensor did not capture. | LCOS 960 × 720 |
| Power | |
| Battery | APS3 Li-ion pack, removable |
| Runtime Battery life (runtime) How many hours the device runs on a charge, by the maker's test. Real runtime is shorter in the cold and with Wi-Fi, recording or the rangefinder on. | 4 h |
| Features | |
| Rangefinder Laser rangefinder A built-in laser that measures how far away the animal is. The rated range is for big, reflective targets; expect much less on a coyote. | No |
| Storage Onboard recording (storage) Built-in memory that records photos and video of what you see. Useful for reviewing shots and sharing hunts; listed in gigabytes. | — |
| Wi-Fi / app Wi-Fi and app A wireless link to a phone app for live viewing, downloading videos, changing settings and updating the device's software. | — |
| Build | |
| Weight Weight How heavy the device is. Check whether the maker weighed it with or without the battery, because brands do it differently. | 8.1 oz |
| Water rating IP rating (water rating) A two-part code for how well the device keeps out dust and water. IP67 means dust-tight and survives a short dunk; an X means not tested. | IPX7 |
| Operating temp Operating temperature The temperature range the maker says the device will work in. Batteries lose much of their runtime well before the low end of that range. | 14°F to 104°F |
| Buying | |
| Warranty Warranty How long the maker promises to repair or replace a faulty unit. Check whether it needs registration and whether it passes to a second owner. | Not published for US |
| US price US price The price we found for the unit in the US, with where it came from and when. Prices change often, so treat it as a snapshot. | Discontinued |
| MSRP MSRP The maker's suggested retail price in the US: the list price, before any sale. Useful for seeing how good a deal really is. | Not published for US |
Source: Pulsar Axion Key spec data (pulsar-nv.com product modifications), Pulsar discontinued products list (pulsarvision.com).
Added October 11, 2026 · Specs last checked October 11, 2026
Current models to compare
In production now, nearest in resolution and range.
320×256 · ID ~80 yd · 61 ft wide at 100 yd
Compare with the Axion Key XM22 →384×288 · ID ~90 yd · 65 ft wide at 100 yd
Compare with the Axion Key XM22 →- ATN Odin 6 MFT 320 2-16x$2,995
320×240 · ID ~105 yd · 46 ft wide at 100 yd
Compare with the Axion Key XM22 → 320×240 · ID ~105 yd · 46 ft wide at 100 yd · rangefinder
Compare with the Axion Key XM22 →
Other Pulsar Axion Key models
Other sizes and versions in the same line.
- Pulsar Axion Key XM30MSRP $1,760
320×240 · ID ~125 yd · 38 ft wide at 100 yd · discontinued
Compare with the Axion Key XM22 →