Hi All,

I recently got a Swaro Rangefinder and I'm having some issues that I can't get sorted. Basically I seem to get a different reading when I range things that are stationary.

I'm assuming this is idiot operation error but thought I would check to see if anyone has had similar issues.

I think the upshot is that it is so sensitive it is picking up wisps og rass etc that I can't see, but I'm not sure if there is a sensitivity adjustment.

best regards,
FB

Kiri,

I just had a quick look at the PDF-file of the instructions for the Swaro.

What mode of measuring are you employing?

Scan or just measure? I would belive that the scan mode is better to get correct measurements in the rangefinder.

Oh well, it would appear that a bit of a test could sort if you really have a problem with the piece.

Best regards Chris

Kiri

I have no direct experience of the Swaro rangefinder but have experienced their excellent after sales service. The only thing I can say is that if there is a problem with them they will sort it foc and the turn around time is a max of 6 weeks (mine took 3 weeks).

I am just about to test Leica's after sales service as after this weekend just gone, I am sending my BRF's over for them to fix. I have only had them for 6 months but the dioptre compensation ring on the left hand side will not rotate any longer. The customer service bloke asked me if I had dropped them (which I haven't) so it will be interesting to see how I get on. They recieved them today.

Whatever you decide to do let us know of the outcome. I would be interested to see how you get on.

Best

JB

Righto I think we might be getting somewhere...

Tell me more about the Scan Mode and Measure Modes. In typical fasion I threw the Destructions away thinnking it must be idiot proof given it only had one button....

I had better look on the web for an instruction manual.

Thanks
FB

Kiri,

according to the manual 3,4 depressing the button longer than 2 sek means that the rangefinder will continue to range/scan untill one lets go, in theory and depending on how stable a hold one has it ought to yield a better rangeing result.

Best regards Chris

http://www.swarovskioptik.at/index.php?l=en&css=&c=prod...ktname=Laser%20Guide

Kiri

The operation should be simple and faultless. i.e. press the button once, place the ret on the target to range, press again and get a reading. If this doesn't happen time and time again I would say you have a problem.

From memory, didn't you experienec the problem with this on saturday morning? If so conditions were perfect. No mist or haze - blue skies with sun and clear as a bell. You shouldn't have experienced problems with it on sat morning in my opinion.

The scan mode as I understand it is for ranging targets at extreme distance or where conditions are not ideal i.e. misty etc.

I might however be wrong about the sat morning thing?

Cheers

JB

Jon,

you are correct. I ranged the buck at 135 which I was happy with. took the shot and then ranged him again, (In the even he dropped pretty much where I shot him so I ranged the tree next to him) the reading was 198yds.

In any event the shot was spot on, so no problem there, just the discrepancy on distance. I've had it before while ranging foxes in daylight that it give a different reading but not to that extent.

I downloaded the brochure on the net and it doesn't look likie I missed anything so I'll try it again and see what I find. I think I may just be picking up the odd bit of grass etc but I'm not 100% sure


Rgds,
FB

Kiri,

Not sure what "aiming" reticle the swaro's have, but my now very ancient Bushnell has a square within a cross, through experience I have found that I get the most consistent reading when the object is not bracketed within the square, but at the base of the square on the intersection to the lower vertical of the cross (that might sound complicated??).

The bushnell have a great feature that gives out the accuracy of the reading, this is missing on the top end rangefinders - they maybe are more accurate?

The problem you are encounting may just be to how you are bracketing the object. And of course the angle of the terrain will multiply this error greatly - but I wouldn't have thought to the extent of 60 yds.

I would get someone else with a range finder and sit down and ping some ranges off together to see if there is a problem....

Cheers Rich

Range finders are not fool proof. As Nightwalker states, depending on the ground it is quite easy to miss the specific object you are ranging and instead range something quite close to it. If the ground drops away or is very flat this can lead to quite a disparity.

The way to avoid it is to take a few readings, considerable differences are an indicator that you have this problem. If you need the rangefinder and can't afford to take the time to take 3-4 readings then the chances are you shouldn't take the shot.

It pays to analyse your use of it occasionaly. I was out this morning and tried to range a knobber. No dice - in the drizzle and flat light I could not get a reading (from my ancient Leica) on anything. Then I realised that I had ranged this field a couple of times before and could estimate to within 25yards how far it was. In the time I had wasted the shot opportunity nearly went.

1894,

Glad the opportunity only "NEARLY" went.

I took the unit out on Saturday while I could focus on the ranging and not be distracted by a beast. The only thing I could see was that given it has a circular reticle, when you are standing, or the ground slopes away as you say there is quite an ammount of ground that is taken in by the circle. It obviously worked best on solid tree trunks etc but ranging a fox in stubble or medium pasture seems to be likely to return uncertain results.

Rgds,
FB

1894- I am also glad the moment did´n´t pass you by.

In reference to all this about rangefinders and to still my own curiosity, I search a bit and found this.

http://www.6mmbr.com/rangefinders.html#ground

One issue with range finders is the with of the beam and the range reticle size, ground scatter as FB is thinking about can also be a problem.

Apparently Leica has a vider but not so tall beam, giving that range finder a bit of an edge regaring ground scatter.

Best regards Chris