Re: SWFA Super Sniper 5-20X50HD
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SWFA</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Bad news guys.
Actually only the center dot is supposed to illuminate. Illumination is achieved by shooting light through the edge of the reticle and anything that is etched will refract the light passing through the glass and illuminate. The reason you are seeing what appears to be the entire reticle illuminating is due to the fact that the rest of the reticle is laid on top of the glass and the light is hitting the edge of a raised surface of the actual reticle pattern. The circuit board in the prototype was adjusted to be brighter than necessary making the issue more pronounced than it should be. This only happens when the illumination is turned up in a low light setting and to avoid it you simply turn the illumination down to a lower level.
There are many limitation involved when designing an illuminated reticle that keep us from doing many of the things that people are suggesting. Parts of the reticle that are to be illuminated have a different set of rules applied to them than non illuminated portions and getting both to blend is challenging. There are also manufacturing challenges involved with FFP reticles that limit the design and execution of the reticle pattern that SFP reticles do not have to worry about. The largest limiting factor however is the fact that the minimum width of illuminated portions is quite a bit larger than the minimum width of non illuminated portions and there has to be a sizeable gap between illuminated and non illuminated portions.
We tried many variations in regards to what was illuminated and they all drastically changed the dynamic of the reticle. We are working on new techniques that will allow us to do more in the future. </div></div>
Wow, bummer to hear this, and hopefully you can figure it out soon. I'm assuming the manner in which other companies illuminate their reticle is a "company secret," with each company using their own technique? I only ask because there are other FFP scopes (such as the PST) where the entire reticle is illuminated.
That's not to say that I wouldn't jump on the bandwagon for the group buy when it happens, as everything else sounds peachy (provided the rumor of a ZS model being in the works). As a recreational shooter, I don't see a HUGE need for illumination (unless the zombie apocalypse happens sooner than expected, LOL), as the vasy majority of my shooting is done in daylight anyway. But having that option would be a huge plus...
