SIGforum.com    Main Page  Hop To Forum Categories  Mason's Rifle Room    Does your laser rangefinder provide accurate readings in the rain?
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Does your laser rangefinder provide accurate readings in the rain? Login/Join 
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
posted
Or fog, or when it’s snowing? Any conditions when it doesn’t provide accurate readings?

I have a Laser Technology TruPulse 200X that works properly in relatively heavy rain, but heavy snowfall and fog either result in no reading or a short distance reading. The unit has settings that permit it to range only the closest or farthest object in its sensor angle, and sometimes the “far” setting helps with atmospheric conditions, but not always.

I’m curious about other people’s experiences.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47365 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
If I can see the target through the range finder it will give an accurate repeatable range nearly instantly. A good range finder should give you the range. I just wish good range finders where a little more affordable.
 
Posts: 1788 | Location: Spokane, WA | Registered: June 23, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
posted Hide Post
Which “good” rangefinder(s) have you found to operate through snow and fog?

I actually have two, the 200X and a much older Leica 1200, that won’t range under some conditions despite the fact that I can see the target. I’ve had the TruPulse for a few years and although it was pretty expensive and better than most nonmilitary-level units marketed to hunters, things are always improving, so I’m curious what the top units are these days.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47365 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
The Unknown
Stuntman
Picture of bionic218
posted Hide Post
You're shooting a light at an object, and then allowing a small calculator to convert the bounce-back time of that light into a distance. Since a laser is just a fancy light, and water is just a fancy prism, I don't think you'll find a 100% fix.

I feel your pain. Our laser level survey gear (before Trimble) would give us wonky readings in the mentioned conditions too. Fog being by far the worst.

It may exist, but I do not know of a unit powerful enough to boost through the prism effect of water on light. If one were available, I would imagine it's size would be sufficient to consider it non-portable.
 
Posts: 10729 | Location: missouri | Registered: October 18, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by bionic218:
I don't think you'll find a 100% fix.


That was my thought, but rather than answer my own question, I decided to ask the group. The previous reply indicated that the poster was familiar with units that would work through snow and fog (if the target could be seen, and which is usually the case in my experience), so hopefully we’ll learn the answer.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47365 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
I currently have a few range finders as well. The only good one I have is an original Vectronix terrapin. When it was available it was the cheapest rangefinder that I found acceptable. It was discontinued and it’s replacement just came out. The replacement model, the terrapin x has some nifty new features, but it does not seem as robust, and it reportedly does not range as well as the original. What I consider to be a good range finder is one that will return an accurate range immediately on the target I am attempting to engage in any conditions where the target is visible enough to engage. It seems that the actual effective range of most rangefinders is about a third of the advertised range of the units in actual practice on the targets I typically shoot, and that is in good conditions. I am a competitive shooter, I don’t hunt, I don’t shoot at people, so I can get by with the bare minimum function, but I still expect it to work every time.
 
Posts: 1788 | Location: Spokane, WA | Registered: June 23, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  
 

SIGforum.com    Main Page  Hop To Forum Categories  Mason's Rifle Room    Does your laser rangefinder provide accurate readings in the rain?

© SIGforum 2024