Need Help with Zeiss Illuminated Reticle

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.

 

Thanks

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. 

Edited by RifleDude - December/16/2008 at 08:59

So if I have a new battery in it and I can not see the reticle lit in broad daylight I am ok?

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.

When you complete the in-closet test, feel free to announce to the world that you are, "coming out of the closet", those around will find humor in it - and such should be your goal in life.

in my office with the door closed and the lights out it is a very dim red crosshair.

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.

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.

emrisg wrote: in my office with the door closed and the lights out it is a very dim red crosshair.

mine is not that bright. I went and looked at a brand new one today and it is a lot brighter.

Rotate the rheostat and see if that works.

I have tried a new battery and have rotated the knob. At full power it is very dim.

Send it to Zeiss, it appears your switch has malfunctioned.
Good luck.

emrisg wrote: I have tried a new battery and have rotated the knob. At full power it is very dim.

Edited by RifleDude - 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.