Can you turn off the unit completely? How difficult or easy is it to turn the unit back on again?

The reason behind the question is that I can see how the shake awake feature is great if the unit is just sitting still in a bedroom not using power then it comes on automatically when I pick it up.

But if it'll be like in a backpack moving around, then I might as well turn the unit off and turn it back on manually. I'm wondering how hard is it to turn the unit back on.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rey HRH,

My 507’s are shut off by holding both intensity buttons together for a few seconds. I think you have to hit one of the buttons to turn it back on. With it on but not moving the shake awake works just like you’d expect. Instantaneously.

Yes, you can turn it off completely. The shake awake comes into play when the unit is left on, but unmoving for a time, it then goes to sleep. When it detects movement, it wakes up. Hence the “shake awake”.

All of the ones that I have can be turned off by momentarily holding down both intensity buttons. When you turn it back on by pushing either intensity button, it automatically reactivates the shake awake feature.

quote:

Originally posted by Dwill104:
All of the ones that I have can be turned off by momentarily holding down both intensity buttons. When you turn it back on by pushing either intensity button, it automatically reactivates the shake awake feature.

Thank you everyone. That answered my question.

I have a second question since you have more than one. Do you have one with the auto mode feature that automatically controls the brightness of the reticle based on the ambient lighting? I suppose it's brighter when you're in bright sunlight and dimmer when you're in the shadows. Have you come across any issues with this feature? I'm thinking you're in the shadows looking at a target out in daylight and the unit thinks it's dark so the reticle is just faint instead of bright.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
I have a second question since you have more than one. Do you have one with the auto mode feature that automatically controls the brightness of the reticle based on the ambient lighting? I suppose it's brighter when you're in bright sunlight and dimmer when you're in the shadows. Have you come across any issues with this feature? I'm thinking you're in the shadows looking at a target out in daylight and the unit thinks it's dark so the reticle is just faint instead of bright.

I forget which model it was, but I had one with auto adjust- it tended to save some adjustment clicks, but was never on the "perfect" setting. The only point to it that I can see is if you're moving to bright light in a duty setting and need the reticle to be any amount brighter, and you may save battery life with it kept dim while concealed.

But I really didn't care for it, it didn't play well with flashlight use, and I disabled it via the adjustment button sequence.

All of my red dots are single dots and anything carried for defense has iron sights or is usable with dead batteries. I deal with bloom if it's too bright, target focus both eyes open the dot is still fine - a flashlight can also help, even during daytime. If it's washed out there are iron sights that are probably going to be nice and well defined sitting right there ready to go and I'm still pretty good with those.

Edit to add - battery life is measured in years with the red dots I rely on. I proactively change the batteries and keep the dot on whatever setting is most appropriate whenever it is loaded. I only turn the dot off when the gun its attached to is unloaded.

The feature where is auto adjusts brightness hasn’t really worked for me. The problem is the ambient lighting it senses is the lighting where you are, not where the target is. If you’re indoors, or at a covered shooting bench, and your target is in bright sunshine, the reticle will be too dim. I always use the manual brightness adjust.

Good to know, Rustpot and Dwill104. Thank you for providing your experiences. I'll look for models that don't have that feature as I don't like having to play around to disable that feature.

No point to turning them off except maybe if you are storing them for months on end or something. I've got several of them, including one on a duty gun (509T) and three more on my core rotation of carry guns (407C, 508T, and 508K) and cannot kill a battery within my one year change interval.

Press up and down brightness at the same time, though, if you must.

I'll echo the concerns of others with auto brightness as well. I leave it disabled.

I would not worry about the battery usage while in a backpack. The sight can got for years without a battery replacement.

As far as the auto brightness, I am not impressed and its almost unusable. My Trijicon RMR did a better job on auto. I played with the Holosun in the garage. With the less than ideal garage lighting the dot would dim. When I activated my pistol light the dot would be washed out by the light.