The POTHS is a thermal hunting scope priced under $1,000. Parish Optics lists it at $917.76. That puts a 3–9x thermal in range for hunters who have been priced out of the category. We covered the launch in our news report on the POTHS. This post collects the specs and what the first review found.
Specs
- Sensor: 384×288, 12µm, uncooled
- Refresh rate: 50 Hz
- Magnification: 3–9x (3x base, digital zoom to 9x) with a 35mm objective
- Display: AMOLED. Parish's spec table says 1024×768, while the description text says 1280×720, so the listing is inconsistent
- Power: one 18650 lithium battery
- Weight and size: 660 g (23.3 oz); 335 × 80 × 35 mm
- Weather rating: IPX7
- Warranty: three years
What the review found
Shooting News Weekly published a review on October 8, 2026. The reviewer found the 3x-to-9x range more than adequate for scanning and then zooming on a target, and called the image quality "plenty effective" while noting it is not class-leading. The scope identified animals and people, brush and ground detail, a fresh hit on a steel plate, and impacts through a cardboard target. The package includes a spare battery, charger, printed manual and soft case; the scope has two zero profiles, a microSD slot and USB-C. The reviewer valued the spare battery because runtime is short.
The trade-offs
- Resolution: 384×288 is modest next to higher-priced thermal riflescopes.
- Missing specs: no NETD or battery runtime figure is listed, and the reviewer found no downloadable manual on Parish's website.
- Origin: made in China, per the review.
- Learning curve: the reviewer noted the controls take time to learn.
Check your hunting regulations
Rules on using thermal optics for hunting vary by state and by species. Check your state wildlife agency's current regulations before you buy, and see our state pages on My State for firearm rules.
My read
The question with any budget thermal is whether it is good enough to do the job you bought it for. For hogs, coyotes and varmint work inside a couple hundred yards, this resolution class is common at this price. If you want to identify game at distance or run it as a long-range scope, spend more. At $917.76 with a spare battery and a three-year warranty, the POTHS is a sound entry point, and I would still read the manual-and-support complaint twice before ordering.
Sources
- Parish Optics: POTHS product page
- Shooting News Weekly: Gear Review, Parish Optics POTHS (Oct 8, 2026)
— DJ Cavalcanti, DownRange Founder