Non golf specific rangefinder?

[Will82]

How do they work compared to golf specific?  

I asked for gift cards to Golf Galaxy this year for Christmas so I could buy a rangefinder.  It turns out my best friend bought me a rangefinder off Amazon.  Problem is it's not golf specific.  Very kind of her to do this for me, but obviously it's not what I had in mind.  And I'm sure she had no idea about golf specific vs non golf specific.  

It's a Nikon 8397 Aculon..   Reviews on Amazon seem very mixed for golf.  Any idea what I can expect?  I'd feel horrible asking her to return it.  

[SavvySwede]

Hardware is the same but the software is not. A golf rangefinder will pick up small objects like the pin while a hunting type one would filter it out. (Think trying to scope a deer through light foliage) I would opt for a golf specific device.

[Patch]

Golf specific is the way to go all things considered. Then again, for the past 10-12 years I have been using a 1000 yard Bushnell hunting device. It has never let me down as yet. I think I paid $79 for the critter. I also have a GPS gizmo, but rarely ever use it. 

[SavvySwede]

1 hour ago, Patch said:

Golf specific is the way to go all things considered. Then again, for the past 10-12 years I have been using a 1000 yard Bushnell hunting device. It has never let me down as yet. I think I paid $79 for the critter. I also have a GPS gizmo, but rarely ever use it. 

It picks up pins okay? Perhaps Bushnell's "pin seeker technology" is mostly marketing.

[Lihu]

2 hours ago, Will82 said:

How do they work compared to golf specific?  

I asked for gift cards to Golf Galaxy this year for Christmas so I could buy a rangefinder.  It turns out my best friend bought me a rangefinder off Amazon.  Problem is it's not golf specific.  Very kind of her to do this for me, but obviously it's not what I had in mind.  And I'm sure she had no idea about golf specific vs non golf specific.  

It's a Nikon 8397 Aculon..   Reviews on Amazon seem very mixed for golf.  Any idea what I can expect?  I'd feel horrible asking her to return it.  

I see the same thing as the review below, but get about 140-170 yards pretty readily. I have a Bushnell Camo style rangefinder used for archery and a cheap Bushnell made for golf.

The hunting one seems to work up to a point, but beyond that it doesn't work as well. It's good to about 140-150 yards or so?

It's really tough to range past 170 yards no matter what you use anyway. One of my playing partners had a $600+ Leupold something or another, and could barely target anything past 170 just like my super cheap Bushnell. He got a flag out to 430 one time with the expensive rangefinder, but it was extremely difficult and I think he hit one of the golfers on the green? My Bushnells had no hope.

Test it and see if you can range to roughly 170 yards?

Here's a review of your rangefinder that seems to indicate similar issues. . .

Quote

Most helpful critical review

See all 46 critical reviews›

16 of 23 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars

just very difficult to lock onto something like a flag stick past 100 yards or so

By Seattle johnon July 6, 2014

Difficult to lock on to an item A challenge for golfers, but would work well for hunting. Very clear optics, just very difficult to lock onto something like a flag stick past 100 yards or so. Does work at a range where the sticks have a wide colored flag. Can pick up the edge of a bunker.

 

 

26 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

It picks up pins okay? Perhaps Bushnell's "pin seeker technology" is mostly marketing.

I think it's the laser optics. They might have a better or narrower field of view lens (or tighter field of view as you mentioned in an earlier post) on the "pin seeker"? Not sure, even though I've taken a few of them apart and "analyzed" them for work. . .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_rangefinder

 

[TN94z]

I would opt for the golf specific one as well. I would think the Pin seeker technology would be of great benefit, but as stated above...could just be marketing??

[Lihu]

8 minutes ago, TN94z said:

I would opt for the golf specific one as well. I would think the Pin seeker technology would be of great benefit, but as stated above...could just be marketing??

Thinking about it a bit, it could also be an optimum centering of the laser? They might just "optimize" it for 150 yards to 300 yards.

There's a transmitter (laser) and a "receiver" (PIN Photodiode or GaAs or some faster response technology) and there is an optimum angle between them to "center" the outgoing "laser beam". Maybe the "pin seeker" is centered at the 150 yard and 300 yard ranges?

I'm not convinced it's just marketing hype?

[dkolo]

9 minutes ago, TN94z said:

I would opt for the golf specific one as well. I would think the Pin seeker technology would be of great benefit, but as stated above...could just be marketing??

I think that tech only works if the course installs prisms in their flag sticks. I've only seen them installed on one course I've played so far, and that one was fairly high end.

[TN94z]

4 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Thinking about it a bit, it could also be an optimum centering of the laser? They might just "optimize" it for 150 yards to 300 yards.

There's a transmitter (laser) and a "receiver" (PIN Photodiode or GaAs or some faster response technology) and there is an optimum angle between them to "center" the outgoing "laser beam". Maybe the "pin seeker" is centered at the 150 yard and 300 yard ranges?

I'm not convinced it's just marketing hype?

I agree. I honestly don't think it is hype, but haven't really read enough to make that decision.

[Lihu]

5 minutes ago, dkolo said:

I think that tech only works if the course installs prisms in their flag sticks. I've only seen them installed on one course I've played so far, and that one was fairly high end.

It seems like only expensive private or semi-private courses can afford these. Public courses wear out their flags very quickly.

With the prisms installed I think most of the rangefinders can get close to their rated yardages. Although, there is rarely line of site to the pin from any tee box, so once you rate the yardage limit past 500 yards it's pretty much just a "power output" or "sensitivity" marketing specification or something like that. . .

 

5 minutes ago, TN94z said:

I agree. I honestly don't think it is hype, but haven't really read enough to make that decision.

Yeah, it's probably just a small optimization, and not perfect like anything else in engineering. . .

[Patch]

43 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

It picks up pins okay? Perhaps Bushnell's "pin seeker technology" is mostly marketing.

It does not pick up pins easily. What does best is pick up larger objects like back edges of bunkers, trees, mounds, buildings, posts..etc. Like I posted earlier. Golf specific is the way to go. Mine gives me what I want to know when I do use it. 

[Will82]

I appreciate the replies.  Like I said, i wanted a golf specific rangefinder..  I was going to pick it out.  My best friend surprised me with one and she had no idea there were differences.  She problem read the Amazon reviews (4.5 stars) and saw a few that mentioned golf and thought she was getting me a great gift.

I'm very particular about what I want.  It's why I ask for gift cards.  I understand some people think that takes the thought out of it.  That's not something I'm hung up on though.  I'd rather make sure I'm not wasting my money..  

Edited December 17, 2015 by Will82

[iacas]

http://www.paraide.com/ParAideProducts/GreenArea/Flagsticks/tabid/186/p/pinsite-reflector/Default.aspx

The prism flag toppers are pretty inexpensive, really. The ones built into the flag sticks themselves tend to cost a little more. They do help speed things up a little bit, but are largely unnecessary IME.

[SavvySwede]

3 minutes ago, iacas said:

http://www.paraide.com/ParAideProducts/GreenArea/Flagsticks/tabid/186/p/pinsite-reflector/Default.aspx

The prism flag toppers are pretty inexpensive, really. The ones built into the flag sticks themselves tend to cost a little more. They do help speed things up a little bit, but are largely unnecessary IME.

Yep, you only really need the prisms for the older tech range finders that were designed to work with them.

[Club Rat]

Reflective tape works well.

Prisms fallout often, mostly to guys dropping the flagstick.

That along with the plastic is brittle during cold temps.

[SavvySwede]

16 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

Reflective tape works well.

Prisms fallout often, mostly to guys dropping the flagstick.

That along with the plastic is brittle during cold temps.

We have the extra sturdy pins with the prisms built in and they get broken all the time. I watched a guy blade one from 80 yards out and smash a prism. I might suggest they try out the tape or something next year.

[Club Rat]

Home Depot probably has reflective tape.

Looks like 3M has diamond grade products which may work.

Here's a few ideas.

http://www.reflectivelyyours.com/generic140.html.

   http://shop.vinylguardgolf.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RK-5000.                     

DO-IT-YOURSELF RANGEFINDER REFLECTIVITY KITS FOR 1/2” FLAGSTICKS

VinylGuard’s High-Performance 360º Distance Measurement System with Laser-Loc® Reflectivity
Add high-intensity, 3M Diamond-Grade, prismatic, reflective tape to ½” flagsticks
Then cover, protect and prevent tape ‘peel off’ and damage with Crystal-Clear VinylGuard

RK-5000 for ½” Flagsticks
Packaging – 1 Kit per Box

The Do-It-Yourself Rangefinder Reflectivity Kit for ½” Flagsticks Contains:
• 10 pre-cut 6” lengths of White or Yellow 3M Diamond-Grade high-intensity, prismatic, reflective tape
• 10 pre-cut lengths of Crystal-Clear VinylGuard shrink-wrap
• Instructions for applying the prismatic tape and VinylGuard shrink-wrap
• Quick and easy to apply - Works with all laser rangefinders

http://www.creativesafetysupply.com/reflect-all-spray/   This spray can be sprayed onto almost any surface and provide high visibility at night and in low-light situations.

 

[Lihu]

Even this retail reflector is less than $10 per pin. That's $280 for my home course to upgrade both courses? Seems cheap enough. . .

https://www.pinreflector.com/Order.aspx