Stupid question, I convinced my father to buy an Aimpoint PRO last year for his Colt, well the battery went dead on setting 7 in about 10 months. I’ve chalked this up to a bad battery, however my father’s confidence in Aimpoint battery life seems to be shaken and now that I bought him a bunch of spare batteries, he insists on keeping the Aimpoint turned off when not in use.
Is there any potential pitfalls to keeping an Aimpoint off? I thought I remember reading a while ago the battery could potentially drain quicker on the offsetting is this true? I tried to get him to compromise by leaving it on setting 5 or 6 but he doesn’t seem interested in doing this? I own a T-1 & T-2 both on their first battery, T-1 has been on for at least 2 years.
I’ve heard a few things… 1. An Aimpoint isn’t truly OFF. The circuit is still complete, and it’s just dialed down to not visible, and… 2. Dialing it down doesn’t really extend the life.
Rather than going to the senseless step of leaving it off, I’d buy him/yourself a ZTS battery tester and check it every few months. The battery tester is priceless for general living as well.
I have a Comp ML-3 that’s still on its first battery after 3+ years, most of that time being “off” but battery in the optic. So the “off” setting can’t drain too much battery life. (The left-on battery life is supposed to be 50k hours, and I guess I’ve had a battery installed in this optic for 30k+ with a mix of off and on time.)
I’ve also read many people’s thoughts that the factory shipped batteries in electronics are often compromised or weak for whatever reason.
I’ve heard the same thing. I really DGAF about battery life because having spares (and a battery tester) is no big deal. My only initial concern when I got my first aimpoint was LED life. I never got a really straightforward answer but I don’t think about it anymore. Would suck if it “burnt out” in 10 years but wouldn’t be the end of the world.
I just looked these up, great call and I’ll be buying their MBT-1, however I don’t believe it will test the oddball DL 1/3N Aimpoint PRO battery, but pretty much every other battery under the sun it will test.
Mine is off and in the trunk of my patrol car. The reason for this is simple… I left it on for 5 months on setting 7. I got my rifle out of my trunk in a critical incident in which I needed a rifle ASAP and the red dot was dead. Murphys law, right? Maybe it was a bad battery, who knows. I’m working on getting an H-1 soon so I don’t have to worry as much about it.
Mine is now off. I took a paint pen and marked my optimal setting so under stress it’s super easy to get it to where I need it to be.
I bought my PRO in 2011 at a Primary Arms sale, and I have simply made it a point to change the battery every two years on that holiday. I’ve never really had to change them, as they are always still working, but I consider it preventative maintenance as it’s on my primary HD weapon. Love the battery life on the PRO!
I have two Aimpoints that take the 1/3N batteries, a Comp M2 and a PRO. The Comp M2 stays turned off most of the time with 3 battery changes in 6 years, no issues. The PRO has been on since purchase, about 2 years with no noticeable dimming. So both on and off in my experience has yielded about the same 2+ year battery life
All the PROs I have had direct contact with have lasted a year at setting 7 of 10. These are guns that sit in a non-climate controlled patrol car most of the time. Some will show some signs of dimming in a year.
The Aimpoint does NOT draw power when off. That’s the competitors optic that does that.
Full disclosure: I work for Aimpoint as a Pro Staff member.
My experience has been similar to Joe’s. I have a few PROs and have recommended them to a lot of other officers. Batteries are fairly inexpensive and should be swapped out annually in patrol/defensive rifles, even if they appear to be still going strong.
I have a pair of M4’s an M2 @ home and two Pros at work. They’re all Off. I Had an H2 with a dead battery after 2-3 months. I’m sure I left it on too high and a Pro With a dead battery after six months. Both were on work guns. The H2 was sold. I needed a 2MOA dot! It is a confidence issue with me. I’m more comfortable with them turned off.
Should have got a m4. In my personal experience I left an m4 on setting 8 for 2 years, before giving it to the next guy. That rifle saw everything from -5 to left sitting in the sun for most of the day in the middle of August in Afghanistan. The AA batteries are probably better than the N.
Or just explain to your father that batteries are a consumable and should be checked and replaced as necessary. (Probably the best option)
I toss new ones in my PRO once a year…new years day when Im licking my wounds from a long night of Tom Foolerly and debauchery. I also take all my guns down for a detailed clean.
Hangover, football and guns…pretty ****ing American.
My recommendation is that you change ALL of your red dot batteries once a year (yes even in the M4). If that battery leaks and corrodes the contacts it is not good. Changing the batteries once a year is cheap insurance. Pick a day, New Years, your Birthday, the day you got divorced…you get the picture.