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So on your website there is the “STEINER/TNVC TOR-MINI IR VPC (VARIABLE POWER CONTROL) (V)2” and there are several other (bigger and more expensive” lasers(STEINER OTAL CLASS 1 IR LASER). What are the advantages of the more expensive units? Could I simply Mount one of the smaller cheaper tor mini units on a rifle rail and call It good?
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Thanks for reaching out!
The OTAL is an older (but still effective) device compared to the TOR-MINI. The main difference is that it is compatible with pressure pads (one is included with it) and it is 0.7mW only, which generally will require an illuminator to reduce the bloom.
The TOR-MINI is better suited for weapon applications such as PCC’s with little to no rail space and also pistols. The 0.2mW low setting is very useful when used without an illuminator, which may be missing from these weapon applications due to space. It also has medium 0.4mW and high 0.7mW settings. It isn’t compatible with pressure pads.
Other lasers such as the DBAL A3, ATPIAL-C, and MAWL, have built in IR illuminators in addition to the IR pointer and a visible pointer that is slaved to the IR pointer. They allow you to activate the illuminator and pointer simultaneously with one press. The slaved pointers are useful for zeroing both pointers during daylight using the visible pointer.
The TOR-MINI will work fine on a rifle platform and an illuminator is recommended for further distances when using the 0.7mW setting. However for serious work you should select a unit with an onboard illuminator such as the 3 listed above that can be activated simultaneously with the pointer.