Vortex StrikeFire - Broken?

[Oh Shoot]

My first red dot, grabbed it for $120 delivered from Cabela's, red/green model, with 2x magnifier, too. Great deal, 'cept it sucks; I hope it sucks because it's broken, though.

 

Directions say to "bump" switches up and down for 10 levels of  brightness. Each "bump" ("click") does nothing, sometimes maybe the 20th or 30th click switches to what I guess is full brightness, which is still quite pale in daylight. If I simply hold down on the bright or dim button, I do get minimum and maximum brightness, but doesn't seem to be in any kind of even increments, just sorta suddenly goes quite a bit brighter or dimmer at some point.

 

Worse, though, the dot isn't a dot, Is like 3-4 small separate irregular tiny dots making an irregular looking bumpy whole, and have little spider web light streaks emanating out around the center, with one long bright streak emanating backward at angle toward the eye. That's the red, and switching to green is the same except more intense, looks rather like a sort of bumpy irregular "v" shape.

 

Surely this isn't the way the thing is supposed to work? You folks that have one, you get a nice precise sharp dot, etc?

 

Dunno whether to send back to Cabela's for exchange or contact Vortex first, or what. 'Course, if this is what it's supposed to do, guess I don't want it at all.

 

Appreciate any feedback,

 

- OS

Edited December 28, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[jcj]

As far as the switches go, no idea... Sounds broken, but I haven't used a Strikefire. As for the dot, do you happen to have an astigmatism? Sometimes red dots don't play nicely if you do.. Can cause the dot to show up like you describe. Then again, it could be broken. If you have a phone that takes pics, try to snap a clear pic of the dot. If it's perfectly clear in the photo then it's eye related and even a properly working red dot is gonna look weird.

[Erik88]

Damn Mac...sounds like your're eyes are going out on ya... :wave:

[Oh Shoot]

As far as the switches go, no idea... Sounds broken, but I haven't used a Strikefire. As for the dot, do you happen to have an astigmatism? Sometimes red dots don't play nicely if you do.. Can cause the dot to show up like you describe. Then again, it could be broken. If you have a phone that takes pics, try to snap a clear pic of the dot. If it's perfectly clear in the photo then it's eye related and even a properly working red dot is gonna look weird.

 

I'm out of town, had thing sent here to Mom's. I'll do the pic thing when I get back Sunday.

 

But AFAIK, I just have normal old fart farsightedness, wear reading glasses is all. Everything cept that okay as of about a year ago when I had eye exam.

 

- OS

[TrickyNicky]

Mine changes brightness settings with each click. Its a little subtle on some of the smaller/dimmer settings. I'd say it's really more like 6-7 setting realistically. The dot on mine is not the sharpest out there by a long shot but I wouldn't describe it like that at all.

Is this all only outside in full daylight or is this inside as well? I will admit that only the brightest settings really work outside in daylight for me, but indoors they are are all visible.

I can see the dot being made up of smaller dots on the largest/brightest settings, but it doesn't seem so noticeable as to be a problem for me, it seems like more of a line, not a V and the dots mostly overlap, makes it more of an oval-ish shape. Don't have the spider web streaks unless you mean the reflection off the walls of the tube that you can see when your moving around. I can only see them on the green dot, and only when its on its brightest setting. In fact the only issues seem to be with the brightest green settings.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Sounds like the switch is messed up anyway. MAYBE exercising it a little can help sometimes.

 

Maybe get some other folks to look at the dot, to see if everybody sees the non-round bumpy dot.

 

I recall when I started getting the cataract some years ago-- The first symptom was that lit traffic lights were in a triad, overlapping equally spaced triangle. Got a new glasses Rx that fixed it. Then later traffic lights became arranged in a pentangle of overlapping lights. Yet another stronger glasses Rx fixed that for awhile as well. But eventually vision was changing too quickly to keep getting new lenses, so I got the cataract operation and since then vision is better than it has ever been with the "bionic lens" that got installed. At least until the retina starts crapping out on me. :)

Edited December 28, 2013 by Lester Weevils

[Oh Shoot]

Well, I dunno guys, I'll try a pic and see if I can get some other folks to look through it.

 

Brightness clicker as per Tricky can't be right, as I can click it 30 times and it might or might not do anything.

 

Looks same to me in dim interior and in full daylight, only diff is intensity of dot (s).

 

I will say I've looked through several red dot scopes in the past, and even the cheap ones did indeed look like a frigging single dot. You know, like perfectly round on the edges.

 

- OS

Edited December 28, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[Smith]

You sure you didn't hit the NV button? Easy to do and you will get what you are describing.  If not call Vortex and they will make it right. Great customer service.

[mikegideon]

Well, I dunno guys, I'll try a pic and see if I can get some other folks to look through it.

 

Brightness clicker as per Tricky can't be right, as I can click it 30 times and it might or might not do anything.

 

Looks same to me in dim interior and in full daylight, only diff is intensity of dot (s).

 

I will say I've looked through several red dot scopes in the past, and even the cheap ones did indeed look like a frigging single dot. You know, like perfectly round on the edges.

 

- OS

 

Use this opportunity to switch to the bright red version. The red/green version sucks. It's not bright enough. 

[Dustbuster]

Well crap mike, mine just came in today, red green model,the dot looks comparable to some others I have as far as brightness goes. ill give it a whirl I guess and see if it holds. Just sent a sig dot back cause it was going dark after every round I was running through a 762 rifle hopefully I don't have a repeat performance...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

[TripleDigitRide]

Yeah, something doesn't sound right with yours. I have the red/green version, and it seems more than bright enough to me.

[Oh Shoot]

You sure you didn't hit the NV button? Easy to do and you will get what you are describing.  If not call Vortex and they will make it right. Great customer service.

 

NV button simply makes dot almost disappear entirely, can barely see something is there at highest intensity, you'd only see it full blown with the NV attachment, eh?

 

And btw, as faint as it is with the NV on, can still tell it's not an actual single round circular dot.

 

- OS

Edited December 28, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[hipower]

Well crap mike, mine just came in today, red green model,the dot looks comparable to some others I have as far as brightness goes. ill give it a whirl I guess and see if it holds. Just sent a sig dot back cause it was going dark after every round I was running through a 762 rifle hopefully I don't have a repeat performance...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

 

Was that the CP1 you sent back? I got one that I haven't mounted yet. Seems ok just playing around with it.

[mikegideon]

Well crap mike, mine just came in today, red green model,the dot looks comparable to some others I have as far as brightness goes. ill give it a whirl I guess and see if it holds. Just sent a sig dot back cause it was going dark after every round I was running through a 762 rifle hopefully I don't have a repeat performance...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

 

Last time I was at the range, I was sighting in my Blackout, and my friend's new 5.56 build. He had the red/green Vortex, and I have an Aimppoint. It was a sunny day, and I almost couldn't get the Vortex sighted in. Couldn't see the damn dot. I think we wound up having to switch it to green. There's a reason they make a "bright" red model.

[Dustbuster]

Was that the CP1 you sent back? I got one that I haven't mounted yet. Seems ok just playing around with it.

It was,they sent back a sp 81 in a new style box
Hers some pics:





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

[hipower]

Crap. Well, I guess I better mount it and find out if it has similar issues.

 

Thanks.

[Dustbuster]

Actually meant STS 081, on a side note I have a UTG green/red dot which is holding up well but it's heavy and bulky on an already heavy ass 556R.... Shooting 762 39 123 grain. The sig dot started going dark w every other shot. I changed the battery checked the battery compartment, same failure. Got an rma from sig. After waiting for a month I emailed sig last Thursday new sight showed up yesterday. Love sig cust svc ! Edited December 28, 2013 by Dustbuster

[Lumber_Jack]

Mac, I would check the battery and make sure it's good. If your certain it's not the NV being activated just call Vortex they will replace it. It should be bright enough to see even in the lowest setting

[Oh Shoot]

Mac, I would check the battery and make sure it's good. If your certain it's not the NV being activated just call Vortex they will replace it. It should be bright enough to see even in the lowest setting

 

Neil, it's not the brightness, although setting it is squirrely. Well, maybe maximum  brightness isn't bright enough, not sure, plenty bright except in full outdoor sun, but maybe that's as bright as it gets, dunno.

 

It's  that main complaint is that it's not a "dot" at all, but a messy looking patchwork thing. It's not even one solid shape. It's now actually changed shape (s) into something a bit different that it was before.

 

I'll do photos and post Sunday night, need them to show Vortex probably anyway.

 

- OS

Edited December 28, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[Lumber_Jack]

[quote name="Oh Shoot" post="1085213" timestamp="1388201923"]Neil, it's not the brightness, although setting it is squirrely. Well, maybe maximum brightness isn't bright enough, not sure, plenty bright except in full outdoor sun, but maybe that's as bright as it gets, dunno. It's that main complaint is that it's not a "dot" at all, but a messy looking patchwork thing. It's not even one solid shape. It's now actually changed shape (s) into something a bit different that it was before. I'll do photos and post Sunday night, need them to show Vortex probably anyway. - OS[/quote] Yeah that's not normal. Mine is a definitive circle except on super bright it can get blown out a little.

[will_reed]

I agree with everyone else, mine is nothing like what you described. I do prefer the red only model after owning both. Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk

[R1100R]

I have been through several red dots.  They are not all created equal. Especially if you have aging eyes. I ended up with a Eotech on the expensive end. The Bushnell TRS-25 on the cheaper end.  All other dots look blurry to me as OS has described. Make sure you hold it at arms length to check it out.  New prescription eyeglasses helped also.

[Oh Shoot]

....  All other dots look blurry to me as OS has described. ..

 

Mine is not really "blurry", quite sharp really. It's just not a circular dot, doesn't even resemble one.

 

- OS

Edited December 29, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[midtennchip]

Mine is not really "blurry", quite sharp really. It's just not a circular dot, doesn't even resemble one.

- OS

Contact Vortex. They have great customer service. If there is something wrong with it, they can typically pinpoint the issue. Over the phone. If you end up having to send it to them, I a sure they will take care of you. Edited December 29, 2013 by midtennchip

[Oh Shoot]

Well, dunno what to think, folks.

 

Talked to Vortex, had me do a couple of things they mention on their troubleshooting section, like rotate whole unit to see if what I see stays same (it does). Sounds like the gal I talked to pretty much thinks it's pretty much astigmatism on my part.

 

Okay, maybe it is, dunno. Took online tests for I found on several sites, doesn't show I have any (I know, not very scientific). Had eye test about a year ago, all good cept for the farsightedness I've had since about 45 when I started toting reading glasses (yes, things could have changed). Did eye test to get CDL renewed in June, showed 20/20 and 20/25 without any glasses of course (yes, I know that's not a fair test of astigmatism).

 

Sooo, tried for over an hour to get a sharp picture of the red and green dots. Failure. No matter how I cheat things manually,  I can't get an actual pixel sharp shot of the dot area, as it "blooms". And of course, being a spherical camera lens, it blooms into a nice circle too. Unsharp, but a circle. And yes, I see it as a circle through the camera, which indicates I'm only seeing it as the lens does. I suppose I could mount a camera on the AR in front of the scope and use it that way, at least I'd see a circle dot. :)

 

They also said that yes, you have to hold down up and down brightness buttons rather than punch them (unlike one response here) but they seem to be very sluggish and finally "jump" to full brightness or dimness (and not even sure the bright is what it should be, fairly pale in full daylight).

 

Anyway, I honestly don't know what to think. I guess I'm gonna have to just let a couple of my Knoxville compadres who know red dots simply look through the damn thang and tell me. I'll make some calls tomorrow, see who I can catch free before they start tilting the elbow too much for New Years. :)

 

- OS

Edited December 31, 2013 by Oh Shoot