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Question on Photon and daytime use

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    Question on Photon and daytime use

    So, I have a 6.5x50L Photon, have had it for a couple months now. Shooting at night it seems to hold zero fine. Shooting in the daytime I struggle with maintaining a hard zero.

    Basically when the cap is open it does fine. But when the cap is shut and seeing through the pinhole is when I have trouble with it. I know this thing doesn't have parallax the way I am used to thinking about it, but it seems when I am really trying to get my eye against the cup to shut out all ambient light, and probably jacking with my form/eye placement trying to do that, is when my zero will shift. Anyone else have any crazy issues like that?

    #2
    Maybe Jason aka Outdoor Legacy will chime in.
    He's a sponsor, I think, he sells NV.

    How do you like it so far?
    I've been turn between the Photon and the ATN....

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      #3
      Well you are basically looking at a little screen, so I don't see how that could affect you like a regular scope. Unless it is affecting your shooting form. Does the 6.5 not have a retical and image focus like the 4.6?

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        #4
        I have used my Photon a lot during the day and have never experienced any kind of zero shift. I popped out the little circular piece of plastic in the objective cover that contains "pin hole" and use the scope day or night with the objective cover closed and looking through the larger hole in the objective cover. You do need an external IR source at night if using the scope cover this way, but the picture is much clearer and easier to focus.

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          #5
          Originally posted by Scoobyh View Post
          Well you are basically looking at a little screen, so I don't see how that could affect you like a regular scope. Unless it is affecting your shooting form. Does the 6.5 not have a retical and image focus like the 4.6?
          I agree. I didn't see any way there could be a parallax issue or anything like that.

          I have heard about an issue where basically the screws that hold the camera body to the scope part get loose and cause a zero problem, and supposedly it is an easy fix.

          My cover doesn't have an insert that pops out, I don't think. I think it is the newer one that is one piece. Maybe, I will have to look at it to be sure.

          As far as using and shooting the Photon, I really like it for the most part. It has a good picture in it, and I have been pretty surprised at how well it does with no IR illumination, as long as there is some kind of ambient light. Light direction is pretty critical, but when you think about it that makes perfect sense. Shooting into a pre-dawn sun is not so good. Put that same pre-dawn sun behind you, and it is a whole different story.

          On board illumination is not so great. I got the L thinking it was more powerful, and maybe it is. But the light from it is very grainy. It seems lots of folks actually prefer the S model because the light is cleaner and crisper. But I really don't use the on board illuminator. I bought a cheap T-20 off Ebay for like $20, and sent it to High Teck Redneck for conversion. For $50 he put a high intensity bulb in it and replaced the click tailcap with a continuously variable rheostat. For $75 I have a lightweight, powerful light I am really happy with.

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            #6
            Ok, so several updates here.

            First, my cover DOES have the circle that pops out, and shooting with it out is much better during the day. With just the pinhole the image was not focused very good, and the focus ring would not focus the image (but it would at night with the cover open). With the plug out the image is much better. I can now adjust both daytime intensity and focus. That helps a bunch.

            Next, I talked to a guy on the Predator Tips and Tactics FB page that works on these things quite a bit. He suggested to check a couple sets of screws (he walked me through what and where), he has found several of the Photons with loose screws. And yes, mine were loose. So I tightened them up. Seems it is a known potential issue with a simple fix.

            Next, he said that technically the Photon should not exhibit any POI shift from night to day, and he used to believe and tell people that. Since then though, he has seen that issue exhibited a time or two when using just the pinhole, and he has had to change his opinion on it. He said he has no explanation for it, and it is not common, but can happen. Shooting with the plug removed usually eliminates the problem. He says he shoots his with the cover closed and though the open plug hole BOTH DAY AND NIGHT. He says it takes more light if you are using external, but the image is lots crisper.

            So, I have tightened my screws and gone to shooting open plug hole, and will test that thoroughly. I feel like I probably have my issue fixed, and it is good to know I was not just imagining things, that it wasn't just in my mind.

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              #7
              Is there any chance that you can post the info about tightening the screws?

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                #8
                Originally posted by RingSteel View Post
                Is there any chance that you can post the info about tightening the screws?
                X2

                Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

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