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Night Vision Vortex Impact 4000 Rifle/Rail mounted Range finder???
- Thread starter PowPowHawg
- Start date
@Scott_at_Vortex called me on a Sunday with an update! Replacement unit is on the way back. One of the screws that holds the laser rang finding unit together within the chassis of the unit hadn't been loctited. Happens to the best of us in manufacturing sometimes. Incredibly happy with the customer service and quality of communication. Wish Vortex was local in NH!
Has anyone had an issue with their remote dying? Three brand new batteries all back-to-back have been put in the remote, turns on, auto pairs with the LRF, then promptly dies. Zero clue what is going on at this point.
Feature enhancement request:
Add option(s) for the weather button on the Impact itself so it can be programmed to grab updated weather info from a Kestrel weather station.
Currently I have to go into the GB app on the phone and hit the capture button for 3 seconds to get updated weather data from the Kestrel.
Add option(s) for the weather button on the Impact itself so it can be programmed to grab updated weather info from a Kestrel weather station.
Currently I have to go into the GB app on the phone and hit the capture button for 3 seconds to get updated weather data from the Kestrel.
Not that I'm aware of. The Impact itself definitely doesn't get it's own wind information. That has to be manually entered or input from a Kestrel.
From the Manual:
Based on what is stated in the manual you have to press the green button in the GB app to get the weather info from the Kestrel into the app.
The Impact 4000 manual states the Impact has onboard weather sensors so you do not have to pull weather from the app, you can also use the wind bearing capture function for wind direction and adjust the wind speed as you see fit. The wind bearing capture is a better feature than connecting to a Kestrel as your wind downrange may or may not be the same as what you are capturing at your position.
We are selling one of our shop demo Vortex 4000 LRF if anyone is interested, feel free to call 916-670-1103 
The big thing I was wondering before picking one of these up a few weeks ago was how well they hold zero. So far mine has been perfect in that regard. Lots of dry cycling an AR at first and then I kept it on while doing up drills. Yes, it's only 5.56 but the AR platform cycling and vibration can be hard on things so I was pleasantly surprised when it held perfect after a little under 40 rounds. This is obviously not a torture test of any kind, but it has done a LOT better than my Radius and Dima so far. I also pulled it off the rail and reinstalled at same torque spec to see how good RTZ was. It was perfect at the ~350 yd distance I checked the red laser at. So far, I'm really liking the Impact . Next stop is large frame gas gun.
Any updates on battery life when using a ~3.7V 16340 rechargeable or similar ~3.7V RCR123 rechargeable with higher charge capacity, 700-950mAh
It is interesting because the lower voltage (~3V) CR123 do have higher charge capacities but I guess in cold weather drop below the low voltage warning trigger level more readily than the higher voltage rechargeables do.
Bottom line though, which is giving the best battery life, and what is that battery life?
It is interesting because the lower voltage (~3V) CR123 do have higher charge capacities but I guess in cold weather drop below the low voltage warning trigger level more readily than the higher voltage rechargeables do.
Bottom line though, which is giving the best battery life, and what is that battery life?
I've only used a rechargeable Surefire CR123 in mine and battery life was about half of a normal battery in warm conditions but it didn't have the cold weather issues a regular 123 had (those should shut off after 30 min at ~15F). The rechargeable has a good enough battery life it is what I use year around now
Interesting, so maybe it really is just the lower voltage non rechargeable CR123s that start off ~3V that then drop below the warning trigger voltmeter level in the cold.
The Surefire LiFePo 3.2V RCR123 rechargeables and the typical 3.6-3.7V 16340s probably aren't' doing this then. Really good to know!
A few other questions, has anyone run one of these on a gas gun, mounted on either side of the rail sorta by the barrel nut, either 3 or 9 o clock? How does it perform out there in terms of ergos? I would mount the remote forward on the handguard for activation by left hand (right handed shooter). If mounted at the 9 o clock, I assume that the laser would hit your left support arm if it were out on the rail, and or any 9 o clock sling mount? My concern with a 3 o clock mount is the unit being hit by ejecting cases, and or getting covered in fouling from being so close to the ejection port?
Thoughts?
The Surefire LiFePo 3.2V RCR123 rechargeables and the typical 3.6-3.7V 16340s probably aren't' doing this then. Really good to know!
A few other questions, has anyone run one of these on a gas gun, mounted on either side of the rail sorta by the barrel nut, either 3 or 9 o clock? How does it perform out there in terms of ergos? I would mount the remote forward on the handguard for activation by left hand (right handed shooter). If mounted at the 9 o clock, I assume that the laser would hit your left support arm if it were out on the rail, and or any 9 o clock sling mount? My concern with a 3 o clock mount is the unit being hit by ejecting cases, and or getting covered in fouling from being so close to the ejection port?
Thoughts?
I wouldn't recommend this unless you are running a monolithic upper with machined integral pic rails. Forearms flex and move and asking a small m-lok rail to support the impact is alot to ask and will eventually shift or loosen if you shoot alot. The most fail safe way to mount a weapon mounted LRF is a "one piece" ring cap replacement diving board. This is not anecdotal, this is based off our test data and very reproducable.
Hope that helps my friend. Feel free to message if you have any questions.
Best Regards
Scott
Don’t want to disagree with Scott but I’ve had pretty good luck with this gadget keeping lasers zeroed on AR15s. I’m left handed. But the ergos are much better for me carrying the rifle on left side of my body with left hand right in front of mag well, than they are with the laser anywhere on the forearm. It would prevent you slapping the bolt release with the palm of hand like some prefer but if you operate it lefty with trigger finger or righty with fingers from below it works fine.
It is held in place with a set screw and you’d think it would back out or loosen but it never has.
It is held in place with a set screw and you’d think it would back out or loosen but it never has.
Definitely no disagreement here Mr Tom. A direct mount to the receiver pic rail and/or the same rail your scope is mounted to(like you have hear) would be about as solid as you can get.
A few technical questions, and please forgive any ignorance on my part!
I am interested in using the Impact 4000 on an AR style gas gun, both small and large frame. I also would prefer to maintain the top noon position of the scope mount rings for a piggybacked red dot for closer range engagements, but more importantly for passive NVG aiming. Forward of the scope at the noon position of the rail is already spoken for real estate for a COTI unit. This leaves the sides at 3 and 9 o'clock, or the offset positions at 1:30 and 10:30 for the right and left hand side respectively.
My first question is, assuming rigid rails, rigid mounting, and correct zero procedure, can the Impact 4000 operate at a roughly 45 degree angle, mounted on an offset mount at the 1:30 or 10:30 position? The only sensors I can think of that might be affected by this change of orientation are the magnetometer compass and what are presumably MEMS based inclinometers. Do these sensors still provide accurate data for the onboard GeoBallistics solver? Are there other sensors or aspects of the device that would be adversely affected by mounting at such an angle? Can the display orientation be manually set so that it isn't perhaps jumping back and forth between the horizontal and vertical orientations?
In this same vein, if mounted on the right hand side offset position at 1:30, as close as possible to the barrel nut and or on the upper receiver itself, do the ejecting cases from a semi auto AR style gas gun present a hazard or issue to the device, and or do the ejecting gasses foul the readout?
On the left hand side, offset angle mounted at 10:30, is it possible to still fire the LRF while the left side support hand is downrange of the unit, perhaps in a typical C clamp position, or does that support hand block the beam?
What about these two questions regarding ejecting cases, fouling, and blocking of the beam for the 3 o clock and 9 o clock purely vertical orientation mounting options?
Thank you!!
Max
I am interested in using the Impact 4000 on an AR style gas gun, both small and large frame. I also would prefer to maintain the top noon position of the scope mount rings for a piggybacked red dot for closer range engagements, but more importantly for passive NVG aiming. Forward of the scope at the noon position of the rail is already spoken for real estate for a COTI unit. This leaves the sides at 3 and 9 o'clock, or the offset positions at 1:30 and 10:30 for the right and left hand side respectively.
My first question is, assuming rigid rails, rigid mounting, and correct zero procedure, can the Impact 4000 operate at a roughly 45 degree angle, mounted on an offset mount at the 1:30 or 10:30 position? The only sensors I can think of that might be affected by this change of orientation are the magnetometer compass and what are presumably MEMS based inclinometers. Do these sensors still provide accurate data for the onboard GeoBallistics solver? Are there other sensors or aspects of the device that would be adversely affected by mounting at such an angle? Can the display orientation be manually set so that it isn't perhaps jumping back and forth between the horizontal and vertical orientations?
In this same vein, if mounted on the right hand side offset position at 1:30, as close as possible to the barrel nut and or on the upper receiver itself, do the ejecting cases from a semi auto AR style gas gun present a hazard or issue to the device, and or do the ejecting gasses foul the readout?
On the left hand side, offset angle mounted at 10:30, is it possible to still fire the LRF while the left side support hand is downrange of the unit, perhaps in a typical C clamp position, or does that support hand block the beam?
What about these two questions regarding ejecting cases, fouling, and blocking of the beam for the 3 o clock and 9 o clock purely vertical orientation mounting options?
Thank you!!
Max
Yeah ring cap diving board is definitely plan A but for some reason I keep buying NV and thermal that’s too tall for even the “high” diving boards to see over, or scopes mounted too low, so the side works ok as a plan B
Yes, it actually ends up working pretty decent at a 45. The screen may flip everyonce in a while, but its not bad at all in my experience. The screen, however is always in auto rotate. There is no way to lock the orientation. As far as brass hitting is cocerned, the only worry is hitting the display or the glass cover plate over the ranging module. That being said, we cover that under our warranty if it damages the unit to a point that it affects performance.
If I were to mount on a 45 I would mount it on the left side. I say this for a couple of reasons. I am right handed, so this just makes sense to be able to see the screen when behind the gun. The other, less obvious reason is because of the laser beam shape and orientation. The laser beam is oblong (2 x .2 mrad). When the Impact is on a diving board the laser beam orientaion is 10:30 to 4:30. So, when mounted at a 45 on the left side of the gun the laser beam will be orientated 9:00 to 3:00.
Hopefully some of that helps and makes sense.
-Scott
Thank you for continuing to post here w/ helpful, technical details. Just a couple days ago, I was considering a 45 degree left side mount on a rifle due to some peculiar geometries on that gun. This was insightful as always.
@Scott_at_Vortex do you happen to have any idea what is causing this to happen? Forth battery yesterday I tried, paired, ranged a few times, then the remote refused to turn back on.
Is the remote still flashing. If so, what color is the light flashing?
Is it still showing that its connected to the impact in the "number of devices" bubble on the impact display? This is the round bubble with a number in it on the top edge of the display. If just the impact is on the bubble will have a 1 in it, if the bubble has a 2 the impact is connected to another device (ie: remote or phone app), if its a 3 it is connected to two other devices(ie: phone app and remote) and so on.....
If you dont have a bubble at all and the display just shows a bluetooth symbol then the network hasnt been connected to anything in the past OR the user has deleted that network in the settings and would need to connect devices like it were brand new out of the box.
Hopefully some of this info will help. One other thing, this probably isnt the problem, if you have a voltmeter you may want to check the batteries. I have seen multiple instances of whole blister packs of 2032 batteries being bad right out of the package. This certainly isnt the norm, but I have seen it more than once with 2032's.
The quickest easiest solution may be to give us a call with the impact and remote in hand so we can troubleshoot and get this figured out for you.
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I love that you guys help your customers like you do. Makes me feel good inside man.
I'll check in the morning. Pretty sure it's not the battery issue, mainly because it's from three different lots of batteries at this point.
Thanks for the help, truly appreciate it!
Is it possible for a firmware update or a new remote that can turn the unit on from the remote?
Been enjoying my side mount 9 o'clock mounted Impact 4000 on my 14.5" 5.56 SPR
Easy quick hits out to 800 yards.
Any chance for a release of a smaller remote that is just a single button to turn the unit on and then fire it? The included remote is just a bit too large for the side of an AR-15 magwell in my opinion. Also firmware update for more brightness settings and perhaps a few more auto off timeout times?
But overall this is one of the most innovative well executed pieces of kit I have ever used! Definitely liking it.
Easy quick hits out to 800 yards.
Any chance for a release of a smaller remote that is just a single button to turn the unit on and then fire it? The included remote is just a bit too large for the side of an AR-15 magwell in my opinion. Also firmware update for more brightness settings and perhaps a few more auto off timeout times?
But overall this is one of the most innovative well executed pieces of kit I have ever used! Definitely liking it.
What kind of LRF mount is that? And who makes those beefy-ass rings? Wow
In think there are too many buttons on this thing for it I be there but I'm tempted to try it still
a set of area 419 match rings or their one piece mounts will let you mount the impact infront of your parallax knob to make it easier to get to. i had my impact side mounted for a while , first with their match rings and the accessory 1913 rail then swapped over to their one piece mount for some added height. i had the impact mounted to a unity tactical riser with an adm qd lever so i was able to take it off and remount it easily
looks like a nice place to shoot , good looking rifle also
Looks like a PRI ring with pic mount for the LRF: https://www.precisionreflex.com/scope-rings/695-mini-rail-for-30mm-scope.html
That side mount kicks ass. I was worried about mine being too tall, but not a problem. I’ve got an ARC M-Brace to mount it on.
@TheOE800 for the win!
And I think the beefy rings are also PRI
30mm Extra High Aluminum Rings
30mm Tactical Aluminum rings designed to withstand heavy recoil and extreme service. ENTER CODE: RINGS10% AND RECIEVE ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT
www.precisionreflex.com
Ooohh that’s interesting. So you added one of these to the sidea set of area 419 match rings or their one piece mounts will let you mount the impact infront of your parallax knob to make it easier to get to. i had my impact side mounted for a while , first with their match rings and the accessory 1913 rail then swapped over to their one piece mount for some added height. i had the impact mounted to a unity tactical riser with an adm qd lever so i was able to take it off and remount it easily
looks like a nice place to shoot , good looking rifle also
MATCH Scope Ring Picatinny Accessory Rail
Dope Card? Level? Timer? Thumb Stop? IR Illum? Red Dot? Another Scope? Doesn’t matter. This short picatinny section is made to attach to either side of your Area 419 Match Scope Rings and attach whatever your heart desires. Milled from billet 7075 aluminum in our Ohio facility, it’s a well done...
www.area419.com
Then attached this to the above 419 pic rail
And then attached the Impact to the unity?
Sounds like it stays zeroed?
Nice thing about your solution is that one can dismount the phat impact to fit the gun into a soft case.
yes those are the parts i used. the pic rail attaches to the lower ring on the 419's so that was nice to take the weight off of the top ring. with the impact torqued to the unity mount there were no tools needed to mount or dismount it. i didn't shoot it much in that configuration before i moved to a one piece mount and diving board but it seemed to hold zero fine , especially for the number of times it was removed and reinstalled. the adm qd lever's are my favorite qd for rtzOoohh that’s interesting. So you added one of these to the side
MATCH Scope Ring Picatinny Accessory Rail
Dope Card? Level? Timer? Thumb Stop? IR Illum? Red Dot? Another Scope? Doesn’t matter. This short picatinny section is made to attach to either side of your Area 419 Match Scope Rings and attach whatever your heart desires. Milled from billet 7075 aluminum in our Ohio facility, it’s a well done...
Then attached this to the above 419 pic rail
And then attached the Impact to the unity?
Sounds like it stays zeroed?
Nice thing about your solution is that one can dismount the phat impact to fit the gun into a soft case.
it was really nice to have it on a qd for a handful of reasons with it mounted at the 9 o'clock position
Dumb question: there’s no reason why that same setup (minus the pic rail and using the 419 diving board) doesn’t work at 12 o’clock, right?yes those are the parts i used. the pic rail attaches to the lower ring on the 419's so that was nice to take the weight off of the top ring. with the impact torqued to the unity mount there were no tools needed to mount or dismount it. i didn't shoot it much in that configuration before i moved to a one piece mount and diving board but it seemed to hold zero fine , especially for the number of times it was removed and reinstalled. the adm qd lever's are my favorite qd for rtz
it was really nice to have it on a qd for a handful of reasons with it mounted at the 9 o'clock position
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Does the side mount have the same level of stability as the top diving board mount? It looks like it has a different attachment style so the diving board can’t be mounted on the side, but the side appears to still have more than just the screws holding it to zero
it should work on any pic rail , but it does raise the overall height. i believe adm has a picatinny to picatinny qd that is lower if you don't need the added height or forward cant of the eotech riser. it would probably be the lowest solution to make the impact "qd"
at 9 o'clock the added height and cant was nice as it allowed the screen and backlight button to clear the parallax knob
Wait it has cant. Guess not a big deal just more adjustment when going to other platforms
sorry , bad wording
the rail doesn't have any cant built in. i meant it has a forward bias , the rail extends forward past the mount like a diving board
i would say the one piece mount with the top attachment is defiantly the more stable , it has a press like friction fit. the match rigs don't have the ability to top mount but the pic rail attached to the lower ring is still a pretty stout platform to mount to. it has a pretty robust "peg into a hole" interface that acts like a huge recoil lug
Are you referencing one of these adm mounts?
Picatinny Riser Mount
The AD-170-VPG provides a QD solution for a picatinny rail, offering a .60" or 1.2" (TALL) rise above the mounting surface. Overall length is 2.3". It accepts all VPG bolt on rails that come in both 3 lug and 5 lug variations. It is precision machined from 6061 T6 aluminum and finished in hard...
www.admmfg.com
AD-SF-R Riser
The AD-SF-R Riser is the perfect mounting solution for small red dots such as the Bushnell TRS-25 or red dot magnifiers. The mount is 1.35” long and sits .48” above the rail. This is a Low mount for these optics. It will not co-witness with AR-15 iron sights. It is precision machined from 6061...
www.admmfg.com
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yes the adm170 , you can get 3 slot , 5 slot , or 13 slot pic rails that attach to it. the 5 slot would probably be best for the impact , i don't think 3 slots is enough. the sf riser is a littler lower but i think it's only available with 3 slotsAre you referencing the other of these adm mounts?
Picatinny Riser Mount
The AD-170-VPG provides a QD solution for a picatinny rail, offering a .60" or 1.2" (TALL) rise above the mounting surface. Overall length is 2.3". It accepts all VPG bolt on rails that come in both 3 lug and 5 lug variations. It is precision machined from 6061 T6 aluminum and finished in hard...www.admmfg.com
Might as well ask what’s the best QR / QD (whatever you want to call it) repeatable system out there for a WMLRF?AD-SF-R Riser
The AD-SF-R Riser is the perfect mounting solution for small red dots such as the Bushnell TRS-25 or red dot magnifiers. The mount is 1.35” long and sits .48” above the rail. This is a Low mount for these optics. It will not co-witness with AR-15 iron sights. It is precision machined from 6061...www.admmfg.com
