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Need Help with Zeiss Illuminated Reticle

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emrisg View Drop Down
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    Posted: December/16/2008 at 08:40

I am looking at buying a 2 year old Zeiss 3-12-56 illuminated reticle from a good friend. I got the scope and put a new battery in it but the cross hairs are not very bright. In the daytime, you can hardly see them at all. Is this normal for these scopes? The other illuminated reticles I have seen have been a lot brighter.

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 08:58
Yes, this is completely normal for this particular scope.  For that matter, most standard illuminated scopes are not designed for lit reticle use in the daytime.  The standard Zeiss Diavari illuminated reticle model is for low light use only, so reticle illumination is only visible in poor light.  In poor light, you don't want a brightly lit reticle, because too much light inside the scope will temporarily hamper your night vision and impair your view of the target in the scope.  For best visibility, a well-designed lit reticle system should allow you to set just enough illumination that you can see the reticle in the current light conditions, nothing more.  Bring your scope into a dark room or take it outside at dawn / dusk and turn the reticle on.  You should be able to adjust the reticle so it is more than visible enough to use in low light.  If not, then it's possible you may have a defective unit that needs to be repaired.  If the price is good on the scope, then it's still worthwhile to buy it and send it to Zeiss for repair. 
 
There are a few illuminated scopes that are designed for the lit reticle to be used in both midday and low light.  If you want a Zeiss illuminated scope intended for use in all light conditions, you would need to get one of the Varipoint models.  The Varipoint rheostat has a broader intensity range so the reticle can be used in lit mode in all light conditions.


Edited by RifleDude - December/16/2008 at 08:59
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emrisg View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote emrisg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 09:01
So if I have a new battery in it and I can not see the reticle lit in broad daylight I am ok?
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 09:06
Take the rifle into your closet (unloaded of course) and try the illumination there. In the dark, if no illumination, there is a problem.

To my limited knowledge, there is little or no need for an illuminated reticule in bright ambient light.  That it does not work well in sunlight is no problem, that is why the reticule is black in the light - so you can see without electrical illumination.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote emrisg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 09:09
in my office with the door closed and the lights out it is a very dim red crosshair.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote brodeur272 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 10:52
Wait til you're out in the field at dusk.  That "dim" crosshair will be perfect for any animal that crosses your path.  They were designed for nite hunting in Europe.  Same with the early Swarovskis and Kahles.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote opticsmike Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 12:40

I too have experienced exactly what you describe. I had also initially wondered if there were a problem with my illumination but I have really come to like the  illumination. It is able to maintain reticle identification under various lighting as you pan a scene at night without washing out the dark areas of the scene. From what I understand, having the reticle in the 2nd focal plane also helps to reduce illumination wash out in dark areas.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 15:35
Originally posted by emrisg emrisg wrote:

in my office with the door closed and the lights out it is a very dim red crosshair.
 
Did you rotate the rheostat knob in both directions to check the illumination intensity?  You should have an adjustment range from "just barely visible" to "almost too bright to use at the last legal light."
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote emrisg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 15:36
mine is not that bright. I went and looked at a brand new one today and it is a lot brighter.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 15:41
Rotate the rheostat and see if that works.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote emrisg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 15:42
I have tried a new battery and have rotated the knob. At full power it is very dim.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 15:43
Send it to Zeiss, it appears your switch has malfunctioned.
Good luck.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 15:45
Originally posted by emrisg emrisg wrote:

I have tried a new battery and have rotated the knob. At full power it is very dim.
 
Without looking at the scope, it's hard for me to say whether or not the illumination is working properly.  What you and I consider "very dim" may be entirely different.  I set mine so I can barely see the reticle in low light so the illumination doesn't mess up my night vision.  As such, I prefer it to be "very dim."
 
However, by your description, it does sound like the rheostat isn't working properly, because in a dark room, it should actually get fairly bright, comparatively speaking.


Edited by RifleDude - December/16/2008 at 15:47
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2008 at 15:47
That is the way I keep my Kahles, set dim. It is nice having the electronic switch that returns to the last setting when turned on, BTW.
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