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reliability of noptel and scatt

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 11:29 pm
by tonyv138
Please share your experiences with ether. I am trying to understand hardware relaibility/complexity. I know tech support is not the greatest for ether, I am learning, this forum is the best place for specific info.
Thanks

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 1:34 am
by Sawyer
I've used a Noptel for almost 8 years, with great success. I like it a great deal. Just started using Scatt in my club as well, and it has a couple of nice features. The zeroing sequence seems pretty good on it. I have so little experience thus far that I can't really speak to it, but I'm sure others will chime in here in short order. One vote for the Noptel purely out of familiarity. It has been robust and very reliable for me.

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 1:56 am
by RobStubbs
I use scatt a lot and it's a tool we also use a lot in our squad coaching sessions. I like the way scatt presents everything and once you find out how to interpret the outputs I think it's very useful. With regards reliability I've experienced no problems - scatt serial interface and scatt USB. I have used and shot on rika and noptel but my experience is far more limited on them so I can't really comment.

Rob.

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 8:42 am
by Sawyer
One nice thing about the Noptel is that the target is not hard-wire connected. It returns the signal via reflective prisms around the bull. Thus, you can put it at any distance, up to 600 meters supposedly. Up to 50m requires no additional prisms on the face. I have not used it beyond 10m though.

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:18 am
by Freepistol
Sawyer wrote:One nice thing about the Noptel is that the target is not hard-wire connected. It returns the signal via reflective prisms around the bull. Thus, you can put it at any distance, up to 600 meters supposedly. Up to 50m requires no additional prisms on the face. I have not used it beyond 10m though.
The standard reflectors that come with the Noptel unit will not work beyond 10m.

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 8:28 pm
by Sawyer
That could very well be. I thought they worked out to 50m, but you are probably right.

Noptel passed 10m

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 12:27 pm
by bruce
The retroreflective tape, used for the 10m targets supplied by Noptel doesn't work much passed the 10m mark.

Being Scottish, rather than spend money on Noptel's own corner cube retroreflectors, we experimented with tape in an attempt to get the system to work out at 20yds. We couldn't make it work.

We did however, manage to source CCR's online for around $12 each plus p&p, and mounted four of them with epoxy, into a Tupperware type box.

This setup works fine out at 50m.

Re: Noptel passed 10m

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 1:23 pm
by Freepistol
bruce wrote:The retroreflective tape, used for the 10m targets supplied by Noptel doesn't work much passed the 10m mark.

Being Scottish, rather than spend money on Noptel's own corner cube retroreflectors, we experimented with tape in an attempt to get the system to work out at 20yds. We couldn't make it work.

We did however, manage to source CCR's online for around $12 each plus p&p, and mounted four of them with epoxy, into a Tupperware type box.

This setup works fine out at 50m.
Bruce, will you post a link where you found CCRs? I looked and couldn't find the right stuff. Maybe I searched incorrectly.
I asked the dealer to get a price on the larger reflectors and all I was told is that they are expensive.
Thanks!
Ben

Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:54 pm
by bruce
My training buddy obtained the reflectors, I'll have to get the details from him.

retroreflectors

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:41 am
by bruce
Ben, we bought our CCR's from Surplus Shed but they don't seem to have anything similar in stock.

Another possible supplier is Meredith Instruments who have 2.7" reflectors available at $39

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 9:10 am
by Freepistol
Thanks, Bruce!

Too bad the Surplus Shed no longer has the reflectors. They are within a 2 hour drive of me. I think I will call them anyhow and maybe they can modify something to work.
Ben