Athlon Helos With Stiff Illumination Dial

[Buck Wilde]

Got myself an Athlon Helos 2-12x42. The illumination dial was so tight out of the box, I thought it was stuck permanently. I can manage to turn it very slowly with both hands if I really try.

Has anyone else had this problem? I'm going to see if I can keep turning it until I loosen up, but it's so stiff, it won't be long before I get blisters.

 

[Taylorbok]

I'd talk to your dealer and see if they'll swap it out for you and they can send that one back for warranty.

 

[Buck Wilde]

Thanks for the reply.

I got a dishrag to protect my fingers, and I kept turning it. It is now possible to use the dial without pliers. Maybe it will keep loosening up.

I think if I were Athlon, I'd be checking this on the way out of the factory.

 

[Taylorbok]

Thanks for the reply.

I got a dishrag to protect my fingers, and I kept turning it. It is now possible to use the dial without pliers. Maybe it will keep loosening up.

I think if I were Athlon, I'd be checking this on the way out of the factory.

I'd guess those scopes are produced by another mfg in China. QC checks are typically a process you can opt in or out of when creating the build with a Chinese mfg. I'd guess that they skipped some or most of the checks on these scopes in favor of cost savings/ price point.

More expensive scopes will have more attention paid to them, if that's what you desire it's gonna cost you some extra cash.

 

[Buck Wilde]

At this point, I don't think it's a defect. I guess they expect you to work it loose yourself since you're not paying for a Nightforce.

Good enough! I would rather have the money. My other Athlons seem perfectly fine, so I'm sure this one will be, too. If not, they have a good reputation for backing up their product.

I wouldn't have considered it a problem if it had just been a little stiff, but it probably took me 20 minutes to get it to move at all, so I was afraid it never would.