First Night Out; iRay Rico MK1 640 50mm & ILR 1000. AKA Rico Trainwreck

Originally Posted By: skinneyOriginally Posted By: P&YWell for anyone following this fiasco I finally got around to getting an RMA for this POS. Plan on listing it in once returned.

Hopefully iRay follows the disposable program like Pulsar and send me a new one. Either way I will be transparent and take my losses on the resale.

Are you going to get the NVision XRF?


Can't speak for P&Y but thats the direction I'm heading...
 
Originally Posted By: skinneyOriginally Posted By: P&YWell for anyone following this fiasco I finally got around to getting an RMA for this POS. Plan on listing it in once returned.

Hopefully iRay follows the disposable program like Pulsar and send me a new one. Either way I will be transparent and take my losses on the resale.

Are you going to get the NVision XRF?

No sir, I had an XRF. Waited 6 months and paid overnight shipping to get it for my year's hunting trip. Broke right away and the lrf never did work - not a fan!

I really don't know what I'm going to do. I go back and forth, getting out of night calling is a serious consideration. Disgusted, never experienced such poor quality across the board in any line of products.
 
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iRay responded to my RMA request. They said my poor image issue was most likely using image enhancer in cold weather (which is how I typically had it)..

I'll humor them any try it without that setting. Rep said it will be a huge improvement yada, yada. Frankly we both saw through the stall tactic. I would have respected calling a spade a spade more.
 
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They used to say Craigslist was a den of thieves. The NV/Thermal industry, from manufacturer to distributor makes Craigslist look like a church bazaar.
 
Originally Posted By: cmateraThey used to say Craigslist was a den of thieves. The NV/Thermal industry, from manufacturer to distributor makes Craigslist look like a church bazaar.

Truth
 
Originally Posted By: P&YOriginally Posted By: skinneyOriginally Posted By: P&YWell for anyone following this fiasco I finally got around to getting an RMA for this POS. Plan on listing it in once returned.

Hopefully iRay follows the disposable program like Pulsar and send me a new one. Either way I will be transparent and take my losses on the resale.

Are you going to get the NVision XRF?

No sir, I had an XRF. Waited 6 months and paid overnight shipping to get it for my year's hunting trip. Broke right away and the lrf never did work - not a fan!

I really don't know what I'm going to do. I go back and forth, getting out of night calling is a serious consideration. Disgusted, never experienced such poor quality across the board in any line of products.

You could go with something without all the bells and whistles like the Trijicon Reap or Hunter, and not rig it up to record. Those have been a pretty fail safe product for me other than the BAE not being optimal in higher humidity like the iray Matrix is. If you ever need to chat or want help just DM me or call anytime, I'll give it my best.
 
Appreciate the offer Skinney.
My criteria has always been;

Reliable
3x minimum base mag
Good, safe image
Lrf

I don't believe such a creature exists.
 
..I'll second the Trijicons...especially the Hunter line. We've never had issues with them...and the precision has been outstanding.

I occasionally record through my Trail XP50 that I use as a scanner. Recording is nice to go back and watch the yotes movements and reactions.

....really not sure why the drooling over LRFs when most are shot at under well 200 yards.

*And DON'T get out of night hunting...really like your posts.
 
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The lrf for me is mostly about enjoyment. Just love snapping distances, not just on targets. I like the extra layer of situational awareness really adds to the experience for me.

Limbhanger I am glad someone enjoys my posts, unfortunately they are usually bawhumbug..

On a positive note I upgraded to some lrf daytime binoculars, they are stunning! Totally happy with them. Now that i think of it, Swarovski needs to get into thermal! I'd gamble one more time on them.
 
Originally Posted By: P&YThe lrf for me is mostly about enjoyment. Just love snapping distances, not just on targets. I like the extra layer of situational awareness really adds to the experience for me.

Limbhanger I am glad someone enjoys my posts, unfortunately they are usually bawhumbug..

On a positive note I upgraded to some lrf daytime binoculars, they are stunning! Totally happy with them. Now that i think of it, Swarovski needs to get into thermal! I'd gamble one more time on them.


Same story with the Vortex Furry binos I bought a few yrs ago. For less than the difference between LRF and Non-LRF thermal models, I got a suppurb pair of binos with a LRF that has a range the thermal stuff can't even dream about.

We shot 30-40 dogs last year that were beyond 200yds, several at 400+. We still get a bunch that come charging, but a lot of them are starting to hang up. We'd loose a lot of dogs without LRF's.
 
P&Y, I know the you got burnt on the trail right along with everybody else but might be worth giving a Thermion a try. Looks like funds aren't an issue but it might give you a few years of trouble free hunting. Better than setting on the couch getting fat all winter.
 
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Good points Dark moon

I know Pulsar has improved but boy it'd be difficult to go back with any confidence.
I will say my friend got a Trail 2 XQ50 last winter and it out performed my Rico every night hands down.

Riddle me this 380 pixel 17 um beats a 640 pixel 12 um, it just doesn't add up.

I warned my friend about Pulsar then he never had an issue or even had to adjust zero!
 
The Pulsar Apex xq38 has been flawless for me. How they got it right and messed up others blows my mind. I feel like I won the lottery after reading others experiences.

Of coarse they discontinued it. lol
 
Originally Posted By: P&YGood points Dark moon

I know Pulsar has improved but boy it'd be difficult to go back with any confidence.
I will say my friend got a Trail 2 XQ50 last winter and it out performed my Rico every night hands down.

Riddle me this 380 pixel 17 um beats a 640 pixel 12 um, it just doesn't add up.




That doesn't add up, I've ran both side by side, literally ZERO comparison in visual performance during the mildly extreme to moderately extreme nights.
 
iRay's position is it was due to having image enhancer enabled in a cold environment..

I have a Pulsar Helion scanner it's easily better than the Rico under any conditions but that is 640 vs 640.

I did read where a guy thought the RL was better than the RH because it didn't suffer the overcontrast issue.
 
I have a trail 2 xp50 lrf. knock on wood it"s been flawless also. I think I'll be getting the same thermal for my wife also after seeing all the negative on other stuff.
 
My Pulsar Trail 2 XP50 LRF has been flawless also. I used it to load develop and have it shooting really well. I had missed a few times prior to actually getting my rifle to shoot straight.

I believe that the rifle has to shoot consistently straight before assuming it is anything else. Once you get good groups, then you can move your POI and any shift can be ruled out.
 
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