New RF bino from Vectronix!!! Vector X

[DocUSMCRetired]

Something better coming?

I have no idea.

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

LIDAR based wind measuring for 999$ ?

No, at that price its fairly useless with ranges of like 400 yards.

you're absolutely pouring gasoline on my baseless Garmin theories

I don't play with fire, I control it in a finely tuned precision manner. Much like our missile on missile ballistics etc.

 

[Covertnoob5]

Something better coming?

 

[117D-RTO]

There is always something better coming...it's just down to how long you want to wait and how many times you want to buy close to the same thing.

 

[kingston]

Being reticle designer and proud member of project team, I am happy to tell that your concerns too were considered very carefully.

As FinnAccuracy original MSR / MSR2 riflescope reticles, Vector X MSR-DMR is designed with absolute guideline of fundamental binocular use: Reticle has to be non obstructive, clear and simple for any observing use - while offering precision and versatility when mil references are needed.
Reticle design notes:

- Upper 50% of FOV is perfectly clean for any observing use
- When display is not on, wide lower center part of reticle is clean without any etched structures
- Uaers will get full reticle functionality with both basic and range enhancer use
- "T" elements blend nicely with display, are kept very close to it for multiple reasons
- Outside "T" hairlines, reticle extensions are subtle dots and also toward outer areas of FOV. Dot weights are balanced so that they are not effecting general clear feel. Still, If wider or taller reference size than T is needed, eye catches on them immediately.
- Dot-grids can be used as layover mil reference on top of target. They are most obstructive elements of reticle, but are also located in outer FOV area. Grid element weights are light, for precision and daytime use.
- Center area cross is 1x1 mrad, with 1mrad stepped dot extensions. Center cross area is compact but still useful refence for many needs, calling shot corrections based on impact signature for instance.

For those who appreciate good optical quality, I can confirm that it is good! Rather early prototype Vector X test mule I benchmarked against Zeiss Victory RF 45mm objective version was already preforming same, if not slightly better than Zeiss. But Vector X optical system was still improved after that, so final version is even better. Image also remains good when pushed up to 17x with range enhancers. This includes other than bright daytime use, enhancer quality is also very good.

Edit - P.S.
Photo taken with 12x42 and mobile phone, no range enhancers. Reticle feel is very different against practical backgrounds - black&white reticle drawing changes its appearance to very highlighted. Only elements eye catches immediately in real life are center cross and compact mil-T:s, rest are there if needed and when eye concentrates on it. Bit hard to explain, but functionality and "real-life feel" on practical use is based on dimensioning, weights and locations on FOV as combination.

Phone adapters were also considered when eyepiece was designed, so almost any cheap Amazon phone adapter will work very nicely. Also display refresh rate matters and was taken into account, display won't flicker annoyingly when Vector X owners want to capture photos or video. Eyepiece is also very easy to remove for cleaning, very useful but rather rare feature in binoculars.

I was hoping you might be able to answer a couple reticle related questions for me. How thick are the reticle lines? How much of the target will the reticle obscure? I'm concerned with ranging small targets (woodchucks) at extreme ranges. The reticle documentation on your site does not include line thicknesses. Did the design team consider leaving the center of the main crosshairs open, this would have been preferable. Thank you!

 

[4O6shootist]

I was hoping you might be able to answer a couple reticle related questions for me. How thick are the reticle lines? How much of the target will the reticle obscure? I'm concerned with ranging small targets (woodchucks) at extreme ranges. The reticle documentation on your site does not include line thicknesses. Did the design team consider leaving the center of the main crosshairs open, this would have been preferable. Thank you!

So you want to use the reticle to range the chucks? Or the actual LRF?

 

[kingston]

I want to use the LRF to range the chucks, but if the ranging reticle is too large it will obscure (completely cover) the target. This is why an open center reticle would have been an advantage. As range increases, target decreases in size. Depending on the thickness of the crosshairs' lines, at a certain range the reticle will completely cover the target.

 

[jwramp]

Being a binocular system, wouldn't the non-reticle eye help you see "through" the other one pretty well?

 

[4O6shootist]

I want to use the LRF to range the chucks, but if the ranging reticle is too large it will obscure (completely cover) the target. This is why an open center reticle would have been an advantage. As range increases, target decreases in size. Depending on the thickness of the crosshairs' lines, at a certain range the reticle will completely cover the target.

Beam divergence will likely be a larger concern than the reticle over lap. Judging from the photos of center cross hair VS the milling grid, center cross appears to be 0.1-0.15 mil, so at 1k yards, it'd cover 3.6-6" target. Rock chucks standing upright are roughly 6" wide, sure some are chunkier. However trying to laze that small a target is difficult at long distances. The beam is only 0.1 mil tall x 1.5 mil wide, so the beam will likely pass by the sides of the chuck and possibly send a range back from a more substantial reflective target behind or next to the chuck. I have never run a terrapin, maybe the vectronix laser is capable, but my sig 10k atop a tripod have a tough time hitting silhouetted plates that are 2 moa, I have to lase the base, or I'll return a range behind the target.

 

[JR1200W3]

I haven't come across a LRF yet that will lase a 6" plate reliably at distance. My experience has been PLRFs, the old terrapin, the Terrapin X, Wilcox Raptor, and an Insight RULR. Most of the time I don't even bother trying to hit a plate, I just lase the feet.

Pro tip: If you purposely load ammo for a massive velocity ES, your vertical "cone" of fire will make up for bad ranges. ... kidding

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

I haven't come across a LRF yet that will lase a 6" plate reliably at distance. My experience has been PLRFs, the old terrapin, the Terrapin X, Wilcox Raptor, and an Insight RULR. Most of the time I don't even bother trying to hit a plate, I just lase the feet.

Pro tip: If you purposely load ammo for a massive velocity ES, your vertical "cone" of fire will make up for bad ranges. ... kidding

This depends a lot of understanding how LRFs work as well. 905 and low power lasers use a series of pulses. That is then run through an algorithm in order to try to predict what the software thinks you are looking at.

The reason the RAPTAR-S, PLRF and others do this better. Is because with the 1550 and other high power lasers you send one single pulse. And hope they are steady on target.

 

[CoryT]

I haven't come across a LRF yet that will lase a 6" plate reliably at distance. My experience has been PLRFs, the old terrapin, the Terrapin X, Wilcox Raptor, and an Insight RULR. Most of the time I don't even bother trying to hit a plate, I just lase the feet.

Pro tip: If you purposely load ammo for a massive velocity ES, your vertical "cone" of fire will make up for bad ranges. ... kidding

As a rule, you want 50% or more of the laser on the target. So for my 21, with a .3 x .7 beam, to 1000 a 10x25 inch target is covered, a 5 x 12 target is 50% coverage, anything smaller is not likely to return a good range.

 

[Stangs55]

First review I’ve seen.
@Euro.Connor When are we thinking first units are shipping?

 

[R_A_W]

Not really fair to judge these from a video, but they don't look as warm or like they have as much contrast as the Geovid Pro AB+... but that's a given due to the difference in display arrays

I think those are the Geovid Pro AB+ greyed out @ the 4:44 mark

 

[NoLegs24]

First review I’ve seen.
@Euro.Connor When are we thinking first units are shipping?

Haven’t watched the full video. So I don’t know if it’s was mentioned, but those are pre-production model.
So they’re going to change some things for the production model that should be getting to those few folks/ influencers in the industry by now, before we all get a crack at them.

 

[Stangs55]

Area 419 has posted their second video now with a LRF Bino shootout

@Euro.Connor Any updated on ETA for shipping first units?

 

[Snapper314]

These videos by Area 419 were very well done!
QUESTION: When the VectorX is communicating with a Kestrel, is there an indicator confirming that connection shown on the HUD?

 

[Philip_at_Vectronix]

These videos by Area 419 were very well done!
QUESTION: When the VectorX is communicating with a Kestrel, is there an indicator confirming that connection shown on the HUD?

Yes, it displays "KSTL" on the upper left corner

 

[Sika64]

Production models have started to roll into T&E. They look great!

T&E ? Website please

 

[Covertnoob5]

T&E ? Website please

Test and evaluation, so far only Area419 has posted a review about them.

 

[parshal]

I can't seem to find this anywhere but maybe it's been answered and I missed it? How is wind input for the target? The 10K gen 2 has a single button for speed/direction. How many steps will it take to change wind on a target with these?

 

[R_A_W]

I looked for that last night after seeing Sig's new functionality & also couldn't find it

 

[4O6shootist]

I can't seem to find this anywhere but maybe it's been answered and I missed it? How is wind input for the target? The 10K gen 2 has a single button for speed/direction. How many steps will it take to change wind on a target with these?

Unfortunately, nobody has done a work flow video yet, to my knowledge. A419 was super vague on their video reviews to process, basically it's good glass lots of tech, love the features, we're selling them so buy em. Perhaps their being quiet at request of manufacturers until official public release for sale.

Kilo 10k actually has decent glass, now the tint is gone, and more tech and quick wind, it's a good option! I just feel they should have set it up with a ws1 and ws2 like a kestrel so you can bracket winds.

 

[giumau1]

MHO is that most of this will boil around whether you want to keep the kestrel in the process or not. Most of these multi functional binos vendors want to step up in the chain and in my view compete with the kestrel but I feel them hesitant because everyone knows nearly all the serious competitive shooters willing to spend big on a bino LRF have a Kestrel Elite in their pocket already and do most of the match preparation with it even more now that we have sectors and such. On the other side I also feel that a 'seamless' kestrel - LRF bino integration does not exhist due to the raising competition as per above and the fact that Kestrel itself is ot interested in stepping into optics arena, and this seems perflectly reasonable. Moreover, I think also that marine technology able to measure wind through ultrasounds is mature enough to provide efficient autonomous wind vector reading replacing the impeller as the sensor and the shooter sensibilty as the aiming tool. I would like not to see Kestrel going down the Labradar path and being hit by an incoming 'Xero' out of the blue, because again intimacy with your equipment and your process is the other name of the game, but resistance to change will not slow down progress, if it is really there...

 

[NLivingston]

Unfortunately, nobody has done a work flow video yet, to my knowledge. A419 was super vague on their video reviews to process, basically it's good glass lots of tech, love the features, we're selling them so buy em. Perhaps their being quiet at request of manufacturers until official public release for sale.

Kilo 10k actually has decent glass, now the tint is gone, and more tech and quick wind, it's a good option! I just feel they should have set it up with a ws1 and ws2 like a kestrel so you can bracket winds.

Hold menu button for 2 seconds, you get to a very user friendly wind screen, really bad phone pic:

 

[R_A_W]

Hold menu button for 2 seconds, you get to a very user friendly wind screen, really bad phone pic:
View attachment 8414069

so it looks like you preset 2 wind brackets & then set the direction by holding menu, then left or right on the D pad

 

[parshal]

I mostly shoot NRL Hunter matches now and having a Kestrel in the mix gets cumbersome and is another place for the process to break down. So, I don't use the Kestrel or binos for wind calls. I've seen folks using 10K's for wind and they are quite good at it, though. Having wind at your fingertip on the gen 2 looks real nice if you need it and I could potentially see testing that. Having to go into the menu as shown above on the Vectronix wouldn't be useful for me in a match situation, though.

 

[4O6shootist]

I'd prefer to be able to set a wind direction from true north, then have the wind holds calculated based upon target azimuth like you can do with a kestrel. Perhaps this is possible, idk. The sensors are in there, you'd just need to perform some sort of wind capture of send it to the bino though Bluetooth connection. Perhaps there is a way? Idk.......technology is making us dumb and lazy, but it's sure sweet! Good time to be in the LRF bino market.

 

[R_A_W]

Having to go into the menu as shown above on the Vectronix wouldn't be useful for me in a match situation, though.

It looks almost like exactly like the gen2 10ks, but instead of a wind button you hold the menu button, then you’re immediately on the wind input. Looks like it will be easier to make a mistake though, e.g accidentally hit up or down on the D pad & move off the wind input. I could be wrong though, so I’m still holding off

I'd prefer to be able to set a wind direction from true north, then have the wind holds calculated based upon target azimuth like you can do with a kestrel.

If I’m understanding you correctly, the Fury’s work this way. I imagine Vortex will carry this over to their next line of LRF binos

 

[Kiba]

If I’m understanding you correctly, the Fury’s work this way. I imagine Vortex will carry this over to their next line of LRF binos

With the fury, you can manually specify a simple crosswind speed, or you can switch to bearing mode in which you point the binos into the wind, capture the wind direction with the internal compass, then input the wind speed with the wind speed buttons, and then it will compute the wind component for the azimuth of your ranged target vs the azimuth of the wind direction you captured earlier. It's simple and quick with no having to dive into the menus to switch between crosswind entry mode vs wind direction mode, a long press on the wind direction capture button switches between the two modes.

 

[lead ƒarmer]

Hold menu button for 2 seconds, you get to a very user friendly wind screen, really bad phone pic:
View attachment 8414069

I believe I saw somewhere (probably your youtube bino comparison) that the Vector can have "_:30" wind direction? On the Sig you have to choose between 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock wind but we really need the option for 10:30 in precision shooting. I'm hoping the Vector allows this.

 

[NLivingston]

I believe I saw somewhere (probably your youtube bino comparison) that the Vector can have "_:30" wind direction? On the Sig you have to choose between 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock wind but we really need the option for 10:30 in precision shooting. I'm hoping the Vector allows this.

this will do 10:30/3:30 etc.

 

[cfulback32]

I'd prefer to be able to set a wind direction from true north, then have the wind holds calculated based upon target azimuth like you can do with a kestrel.

If I’m understanding you correctly, the Fury’s work this way. I imagine Vortex will carry this over to their next line of LRF binos

@Philip_at_Vectronix Do the Vector X have this functionality? To my knowledge, only Vortex has this on binos currently. With the onboard compass of the Vector X, it seems like the hardware is there.

This feature is especially useful in NRL or Team Safari matches where targets can be 90 degrees away from each other and I am on the clock trying to figure out wind holds. I currently use Sig 10k, and previously the Vortex Fury AB. The Vector X seems like the best option now, but would really seal the deal with that feature.

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

@Philip_at_Vectronix Do the Vector X have this functionality? To my knowledge, only Vortex has this on binos currently. With the onboard compass of the Vector X, it seems like the hardware is there.

This feature is especially useful in NRL or Team Safari matches where targets can be 90 degrees away from each other and I am on the clock trying to figure out wind holds. I currently use Sig 10k, and previously the Vortex Fury AB. The Vector X seems like the best option now, but would really seal the deal with that feature.

Their is a really cool adapter coming for this soon.

 

[R_A_W]

@Philip_at_Vectronix Do the Vector X have this functionality? To my knowledge, only Vortex has this on binos currently. With the onboard compass of the Vector X, it seems like the hardware is there.

This feature is especially useful in NRL or Team Safari matches where targets can be 90 degrees away from each other and I am on the clock trying to figure out wind holds. I currently use Sig 10k, and previously the Vortex Fury AB. The Vector X seems like the best option now, but would really seal the deal with that feature.

99% sure the wind bearing capture mode is or is being patented by Vortex

A comparably efficient input will probably require an auxiliary device like a kestrel or calypso

 

[CSTactical]

We are taking a list on our site to calculate how many we need for pre-order for nothing down for now

VECTRONIX VECTOR X Rangefinding Binocular

CS Tactical - High Quality Optics including Zero Compromise Optics, ZCO, Zcompoptic, MRAD, 20 MOA. See our selection and get expert advice on the perfect scope for you.

cstactical.com

 

[ratton]

FYI: In my research the only Manufacturer that has an unlimited warranty for their range finders and/or binocular rangefinders (to include the electronics) is Maven and Vortex. All others only warranty the electronics are 3 years.

 

[b6graham]

FYI: In my research the only Manufacturer that has an unlimited warranty for their range finders and/or binocular rangefinders (to include the electronics) is Maven and Vortex. All others only warranty the electronics are 3-5 years.

and supposedly sig with the 10k gen2

 

[R_A_W]

and supposedly sig with the 10k gen2

I read that in the 10kgen2 thread, but their website still says 5 years from manufacturing date for electronics. Have you read something from Sig?

I'm holding out on any purchase until Kestrel makes their announcement

 

[ratton]

I read that in the 10kgen2 thread, but their website still says 5 years from manufacturing date for electronics. Have you read something from Sig?

I'm holding out on any purchase until Kestrel makes their announcement

I believe you're correct. Just read the newest Sig warranty on electronic is 5 yrs. I updated my post. Be advised Sig warranty states from Date of Manufacture.

 

[Terry Cross]

We are taking a list on our site to calculate how many we need for pre-order for nothing down for now

VECTRONIX VECTOR X Rangefinding Binocular

CS Tactical - High Quality Optics including Zero Compromise Optics, ZCO, Zcompoptic, MRAD, 20 MOA. See our selection and get expert advice on the perfect scope for you.

cstactical.com

Any clue if the extender add-on will be shipping to you at the same time? Could they be pre-ordered at the same time?

 

[CSTactical]

Any clue if the extender add-on will be shipping to you at the same time? Could they be pre-ordered at the same time?

Good question, I'll ask my Web guy to add those on the site

Richard

 

[CSTactical]

Good question, I'll ask my Web guy to add those on the site

Richard

He will get those added today

 

[Glassaholic]

I'm holding out on any purchase until Kestrel makes their announcement

Just crawled out from under my rock, what announcement is Kestrel making?
... crawling back under my rock (I like my rock).

 

[LeftyJason]

Just crawled out from under my rock, what announcement is Kestrel making?
... crawling back under my rock (I like my rock).

What geology of rock?

 

[R_A_W]

They're releasing a time machine or premium wind flags or something

I really don't know, but a couple months ago I started hearing about a new device & new app, but the app could have been confusion w/ the new AB app

 

[Glassaholic]

What geology of rock?

Petrified dinosaur dung...

 

[R_A_W]

It's an air fryer, you heard it here first

 

[J_D]

Any more recent news on these other than hopefully we're a few weeks away from shipping?

 

[sao18]

Does anyone know if they can use the custom curve models inside of AB elite?

Does it have onboard environmentals? Temperature, pressure, compass, ...etc?