Talk me out of a REAP-IR?
- Thread starter Schneeky
- Start date
Need to get the Reap-IR out with my Zeus 640 75 tomorrow night. Of course the lens is a lot smaller. I am not blown away by the image so far. How do you focus this thing guys? The joystick focus seems crude. I need to laze distance what I'm looking at in the morning. I can't get anything into satisfactory focus. The manual closed shutter muc is a total non issue to me so far.
I broke down and took the plunge on the REAP and an XD19a. It came in while I was at the hunt club so I had to have it shipped near there. Picked it up in one of those "really diverse" pack-n-ship joints that sells pre-paid phones and weaves!
Agreed on the Quick Reference Guide. Not really enough info. But most of the menu system seems to be pretty intuitive and might just need some gettin used to. The owner's manual seems to be MIA.
I find it amusing that I used to yell at the screen when those guys on Youtube would constantly fiddle with the controls. I got out on a few stands to try it out. Saw stuff, fiddled with the controls!
Zeroing in 90*+ humid weather was a bit trying after a day on the tractor at the hunt club. Where's the instructions for the one shot zero? Got it sighted in with a hand warmer.
I also found that my old eyes needed reading glasses to get a clear image. The diopter on mine will only move from center to -2 so I'm sure that ain't helping. Still tweaking my groove with this gadget, but so far I'm truly diggin' it!
Hat's Off to Tyler and Rich @ Ultimate Night Vision for putting up with me for a few months and gettin this thing together.
d:^) Jake..
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I've been removing the eye cup and using specs. My up close vision is hosed.
Might try one of Kris's contacts next go round.
Where'd ya find optional eye cups?
It's all good, bruthaman.
I wanna hear other opinions. And the scenario you described above is one that has crossed my mind several times during an attack of "commonsenseitus". Which I know should be avoided at all costs in such situations but there it is. I'm pretty sure my "man card" is gonna take a beating from faltering when full permission and cash are there in one place to "go for the gold".
It comes down to a choice between 2 toys (REAP & XD19a), or a pile of toys something to the effect of Pulsar XD50s & XD19a with $4500 worth of other goodies.
The lack of a reasonable QD option for the Pulsar is a real PITA. I know Tyler has one but I don't want my rifle to end up as tall as it is long. That said with the savings I could just buy a dedicated rig. Now I'm carrying 2 guns up to the hunt club yadda, yadda, mumble grumble...
Yes, I am overthinking it. It's what I do when I'm obsessing and I'm s'posed to make a decision today.
I'm not trying to talk you out of the REAP-IR, but Ultimate Night Vision's QD mount adds no significant height, if any at all, to the XD50. Using UNV's QD mount, my AR with the XD50 isn't different than my AR with the IRD MKII in so far as cheek weld, etc.
JPK
If ya wouldn't mind lemme know how that works out for ya.
I've been piddlin with it s'more today and it's starting to make better sense now that I'm no longer looking for something that isn't there (one shot zero procedure). Not sure where I got it in my head that this was an option on these. Got a coupla clues from Rich and it's all good. The 4 save positions are gonna be key since that's exactly how many rifles we have that it may get used on. In retrospect the QRG is ok. It's prolly just the unfamiliarity of the new gadget that makes it seem inadequate, I guess.
Sometimes ya hafta hear something a different way to finally "get it". Fiddled around a l'il more with the diopter and got some movement out of it anyways. Focus looked somewhat better to my naked eye today but I can't say I've ever seen this stiff of a diopter adjustment. Or mebbe I was just havin a bad eye day this past weekend or some such. Who knows.
Messed with the l'il Pulsar as well and now it's all pretty familiar except for how to get the "Display Off" to work. I've hit it accidentally before so I know it's there. Found the menu with the color palettes and all. GTG. The weather here has been crappy with mega humidity and high temps cause of that l'il tropical depression that refuses to budge. There were 2 hogs killed at the club this weekend by guys who just tripped over them. They're gettin thicker. Fall can't come quick enough.
This is gonna be fun...
d:^) Jake..If the ocular lens won't focus so you can see the image clearly without readers - and it should, try cutting the center out of a shuttered eye cup. You won't loose all the benefits of the enforced light discipline but you will loose some.
BTW, the best way I have found to prevent the loss of the eye cups on IRD products is to use a small wire tie cinched tight to keep it on.
JPK
I can't see that the range in motion of the diopter adjustment does anything at all. Pretty sure my focus issues are bc of my sight. I don't see how anyone can shoot with the shuttered eye piece. To me it unnaturally places cheek weld.
To this point I still like this optic. I was comparing it to a 640 75mm Zeus and really it isn't that much of a comparison. As a scope I'd pick the Zeus every time. To me it's a scanner that can be used as a scope, and will make a decent scope. Given this is before I've even zeroed it on a rifle.
One thing that did impress me was that with a digital zoom to 2x, the scope didn't seem to lose as much resolution as I would have thought. Is it the core? Am I imagining things?
To this point I still like this optic. I was comparing it to a 640 75mm Zeus and really it isn't that much of a comparison. As a scope I'd pick the Zeus every time. To me it's a scanner that can be used as a scope, and will make a decent scope. Given this is before I've even zeroed it on a rifle.
One thing that did impress me was that with a digital zoom to 2x, the scope didn't seem to lose as much resolution as I would have thought. Is it the core? Am I imagining things?
Hey JPK. We musta been typin at the same time.
I got a skosh of adjustment out of it but not much. What little I did get seemed to help a bit. Not quite sure if I'm adjusting or partially disassembling, tho'.
This bugger is tight!I'll keep that in mind on the eyepiece. Sure am glad nobody was around when I was wondering "WTF is up with this thing?!?" when I first put my eye "gently" up to the eye cup and there were all these jagged edges on the screen.
**sigh** Another learning curve. Hehehe. I ain't never heard anyone say "Ya hafta push yer eye against the eye cup a ways to open it up".
I reckon I still ain't "high-speed" enough.
I tried to call IRD this afternoon. Got a pretty generic sounding answering service. Tried again a few minutes ago and got a cat named Don I think. He hooked me up on what I needed to do pretty quickly (hat's off to ya, sir!).
Now I can twist that puppy to a fare-thee-well. Image is clear and life is good sans specs!
Can I get an AMEN, bruthas!! d:^) Jake..
theblakester
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I think I might be interested in upgrading to the reap from the MKii. I have a few guns with bobro return to zero QD mounts. Having 4 preset zeros in the reap, I could swap out optics easily without having to rezero. Not to mention being able to use it as a scanner and optic in general is great. And since I have an Ir laser with helmet mounted pvs-14, I could use the laser for quick shots if I don't have time to transfer the reap onto the rifle. I really like that versatility.
What do yall think but my logic there?
What do yall think but my logic there?
Schneeky what did he tell you? How do you adjust the diopter?
Blakester that sounds like a good plan. I really like the reap joystick, the smaller size (compared to a dedicated scope) and the robust feel. I like my hd38a but honestly it feels pretty cheap compared the the reap. In the pulsars defense, I don't think the reap "blows it out of the water." I'm going out with them again tonight.
Blakester that sounds like a good plan. I really like the reap joystick, the smaller size (compared to a dedicated scope) and the robust feel. I like my hd38a but honestly it feels pretty cheap compared the the reap. In the pulsars defense, I don't think the reap "blows it out of the water." I'm going out with them again tonight.
theblakester
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im happy with the image from my Mkii 35mm and its my understanding that the picture is the same for both? Right? Just lighter with different housing and controls. So unless the image quality isn't the same or as good as the MKII I'm all good bc I already know what to expect.
IM inbound, bubba-la-hoo. Gimme a shout.
d:^) Jake..Yeah Blake I'm sure you'll like the reap coming from a 35mm scope. But I've never used a 35 II.
I dunno. For me it would depend on the situation. I originally considered the REAP 'cause I run a SCAR 17s and anything smaller/lighter on that puppy what gets the job done is better.
Then I picked up a 300BLK upper on that PA sale a few weeks ago and I was like mebbe a dedicated rig with an XD50 or the heavier-than-REAP-but-less-expensive MkII would "do". But I wanted 300 yards covered and I ain't sure the BLK or the XD50 is up to that. Not to mention the wantin to swap it between a few rifles I might wanna run on a particular occasion. A fella gets excitable to choice and might wanna keep his options open (Jayne:Serenity) Hmmmmmm.
Being a gear 'ore and somewhat of a glass/resolution snob I had ta opt for the REAP. That said, I dunno if I could make the leap from the MkII to the REAP if I already had a MkII in hand. I'm thinkin the return would be kinda small and I could make the gear-n-humans adapt to the existing optics in a more "economically feasible" manner. I.e. lighter gear to make up for the added weight of the MkII. But w/o the X,Y readings swapping could be tedious at best if that was a priority. So I reckon it depends on what your priorities and financial situations are. That slippin' up on yer targets looks to be a hoot, too. I'd be curious to watch somebody try it in one of these NC paper company cutovers we hunt around here.
It ain't no pasture. Crap, I've confused myself!
I have no problem over-thinking things I really know nothing about. d:^) Jake..
theblakester
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Lmao "jake"