TecTecTec KLYR Review

[georgep]

TecTecTec has a new rangefinder that not only gives you quick, accurate yardage to any flag or vertical object on the course, but it also lets you keep it close at hand and secure. This versatile, pocket-size rangefinder comes with a built-in magnet, target-lock vibration, slope capabilities, a belt clip, ball marker, case a two-year warranty.

Features

The first thing about TecTecTec’s KLYR Rangefinder that caught my attention (other than the optional, bright yellow color), was its size. Having not so long ago lugged an aging Pinseeker 1600 around, the thought of having a rangefinder as small as a deck of cards sounded great.  In height and width, the KLYR lives up to that promise. Depthwise, it has a way to go. But still, this is a very compact unit that you should have no trouble finding room for, even in the smallest carry bags. In fact, you can clip it on the outside if you don’t have a pocket for it.

Honestly, I wasn’t all that excited about having a magnet on the rangefinder. I always worried about sticking an expensive rangefinder to the cart, fearing that a bumpy path or tree root might send the rangefinder crashing to the ground. But the magnet on the KLYR is reassuringly strong and securely holds the rangefinder wherever you put it.  When I take a couple clubs to a walk-back tee box with the rangefinder, I get the distance and then stick the rangefinder to whichever club I’m not using. It makes leaving a club or the rangefinder behind less likely (the hi-viz yellow color is also a plus).

The case provides hard-shell protection for the KLYR.  I really liked that the case has an insert in one half that the rangefinder’s magnet can attach to, locking it in place. There’s also a metal knob on one side that allows the case to be bungeed for quick access during a round, if you are not using the magnet to keep it always at hand.

The KLYR comes in three colors: black, white and hi-vis yellow. 

The belt clip works fine.  Personally, I probably won’t ever use it quite as intended though it would seem to work fine. I do use it to attach the rangefinder magnetically to my golf bag.

The yellow on black paint scheme on the ball mark will make it hard to miss on most greens, and so will its size. It’s thicker and a little larger than a poker chip overall.  I don’t see it fitting in well with my routine and the kind of ball marks I prefer, but you may feel differently.

Finally, if you prefer to see distances in meters, the KLYR can do that, as well.

Optics

The KLYR is well named. I’ve tried some inexpensive lasers in the past few years that made the course look like I had slept in my contacts. Trying to locate a flag through a foggy viewfinder can be very frustrating.

Happily, the KLYR provides an excellent view of targets. It can measure the distance to flagsticks and other targets up to 800 yards away. The KLYR provides 6x magnification, which comes in handy when trying to lock in on a distant flagstick. The distance measurement has an accuracy of +/- 1 yard. 

On Course Performance

Obviously, the number one feature of a laser rangefinder is its ability to deliver accurate yardages so we can select the proper club for approach and layup shots.

The measurements I get from the KLYR line up pretty accurately with the distances I had been getting from my aging Leopold GX-3. That is, when the KLYR gave me a distance that called for an 8-iron, the club got me pin high (or reasonably close) excluding mishits. Distances on par 3s aligned with the scorecard stated yardage (again, not exactly but reasonably so).

On interesting thing that I noticed when comparing distances between the KLYR and the GX-3 is that they were typically within a yard of each other. The Leopold was generally a little shorter, which might be attributed to the fact that the Leopold measures to the tenth of a yard (or meter) and the TecTecTec rounds off to the nearest integer. While a tenth of a yard might (and I emphasize “might”) be useful to a tour pro playing a course like Augusta National where landing zones are sometimes only a few square yards to get the ball close to a pin, for the vast majority of us (99.9%) +/- two feet one way or the other isn’t going to matter (and most of us can substitute “yards” for “feet” in that sentence).

The target lock vibration feature is very helpful in letting you know when you’ve locked onto the pin (or occasionally another vertical object behind it). I know that I aim high with rangefinders. If I try to shoot the top of the pin, I sometimes get the trees behind. The target lock vibration still goes off (you could be trying to get layup yardage off a tree for instance), but the distance could be well off.  I get around this tendency by shooting the middle of pins whenever possible. I would not purchase a rangefinder anymore without vibration and target lock.

Another feature that I didn’t think I’d use that much is the Slope Calculation.  Shoot a target and the KLYR takes into account the angle of your aim to calculate the distance that the shot is actually playing including the rise or fall of terrain. It’s nice to finally have confirmation (and an accurate value) that certain holes at my home course, which have always seemed to play a half to a full club long, really do rise from tee or fairway to green. It’s not legal for all events, but all you have to do is toggle the slide button on the side to shift to a legal distance-only (no slope calculation) reading.

The KLYR has a number of modes that can be toggled on and off by using the Mode button on the top front of the unit and how long you hold the power button when targeting a pin or other object. 

• Normal Mode: Switch to M1 with the Mode button, aim at your target and press the power button once. The display will show the distance after briefly taking the measurement. Press the power button again to switch to a new target.
• Scan Mode: With M1 still displayed hold the power button down for eight seconds while sweeping the rangefinder from object to object. The display will show the continuous distance measurement, which can be useful if you are trying to pick up the distance to relatively shallow bunkers or other “difficult to hit” targets.
• Pin Seek + Vibration Mode: Use the mode button to switch to M2. Target an object behind the flag, hold the power button and slowly pan across the flagstick. The rangefinder will lock onto the nearest target (the flag) and display the distance.
• Slope + Vibration Mode: Slide the slope switch on (color showing). Aim at the target and press the power button. The display will show a flag symbol and the slope indicator. Press the power button and aim at the target. The KLYR will display the adjusted distance in yards and the actual distance will show at the bottom of the display.  The slope to the target displays in degrees below the adjusted yardage.

While I like having the different modes to play with, on the course I tend to simply use the Pin Normal or Slope + Vibration mode.

Price and Conclusion

If you have balked in the past at paying $400 for a laser, we have good news for you. The TecTecTec KLYR comes in at a budget friendly $199 price point.  You can find a few lasers for less out there, but it will be a challenge to find one with optics this clear and so many useful features.  It’s a well thought out product that will meet the needs of most golfers.

If you prefer GPS to laser technology, TecTecTec can still help you out. See these products, as well as the company’s other golf and hunting lasers, by visiting the TecTecTec website.

[Steve TTT]

Thank you for reviewing our product! If you or any of the forum members have any questions about the KLYR or any of our products, please let me know. 

[georgep]

Thanks for the availability, Steve! I have to say that the KLYR is so feature reach that I overlooked the bungee for quite some time. It's a simple touch, but during a round it is very convenient and several beats faster than using the zipper on the case.  I love this kind of foresight in a product!

So, one question I have is about laser rangefinders in general. One thing that I have noticed is that when our group comes up to a par three tee (where at least two of us typically check the yardage), we rarely get the exact same reading. I've seen this with my (really) old Bushnell, my Leopold and the KLYR. While a yard or two difference could be contributed to angle or not quite standing even with the tee marker, we are sometimes 3-4 yards apart. This does underscore the advantage of clubbing off a consistent source, for sure. I'm guessing that manufacturers have slightly different calculations that create the discrepancies, but that's only a guess. Why can't we seem to get the same number?

[Zippo]

59 minutes ago, georgep said:

Thanks for the availability, Steve! I have to say that the KLYR is so feature reach that I overlooked the bungee for quite some time. It's a simple touch, but during a round it is very convenient and several beats faster than using the zipper on the case.  I love this kind of foresight in a product!

So, one question I have is about laser rangefinders in general. One thing that I have noticed is that when our group comes up to a par three tee (where at least two of us typically check the yardage), we rarely get the exact same reading. I've seen this with my (really) old Bushnell, my Leopold and the KLYR. While a yard or two difference could be contributed to angle or not quite standing even with the tee marker, we are sometimes 3-4 yards apart. This does underscore the advantage of clubbing off a consistent source, for sure. I'm guessing that manufacturers have slightly different calculations that create the discrepancies, but that's only a guess. Why can't we seem to get the same number?

I’ve noticed that some rangefinders give readings that are off when the battery gets low. Also, a 3 or 4 yard difference isn’t going to matter with my dispersion. 

[Phil McGleno]

2 hours ago, georgep said:

Thanks for the availability, Steve! I have to say that the KLYR is so feature reach that I overlooked the bungee for quite some time. It's a simple touch, but during a round it is very convenient and several beats faster than using the zipper on the case.  I love this kind of foresight in a product!

Do you mean the little elastic loop that comes on almost every range-finder case?-I am glad you like it but it is not a novel thing.

You get what you pay for-And while I do not think you have to pay for a Bushnell these kinds of range finders are flakier for sure.-I like how bright it is.

[Steve TTT]

17 hours ago, georgep said:

Thanks for the availability, Steve! I have to say that the KLYR is so feature reach that I overlooked the bungee for quite some time. It's a simple touch, but during a round it is very convenient and several beats faster than using the zipper on the case.  I love this kind of foresight in a product!

So, one question I have is about laser rangefinders in general. One thing that I have noticed is that when our group comes up to a par three tee (where at least two of us typically check the yardage), we rarely get the exact same reading. I've seen this with my (really) old Bushnell, my Leopold and the KLYR. While a yard or two difference could be contributed to angle or not quite standing even with the tee marker, we are sometimes 3-4 yards apart. This does underscore the advantage of clubbing off a consistent source, for sure. I'm guessing that manufacturers have slightly different calculations that create the discrepancies, but that's only a guess. Why can't we seem to get the same number?

Hi George, you are correct in mentioning the angle and location from where you shoot the yardage. If you and your playing partner stand in the exact same spot, at the exact same height, you should get the exact same yardage, or likely within 1-2 yards. I mentioned within 1-2 yards because with any manufactured product, there are tolerances. A 1% tolerance for yardage is pretty tight as an industry standard. The fact is that no rangefinder or GPS device will ever be as accurate as good old fashioned measurements (tape measure, yardstick, etc.). Rangefinders and GPS units were mainly created to speed up the game and provide a "quick estimate" for yardage. This solved the problem that required every golfer to find a sprinkler head or yardage marker and "walk it off". Hope that helps 😉