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Posted: 10/9/2010 9:29:09 PM EDT
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I've tried searching the internet for an answer to this, but to no avail.
I normally consider myself a die-hard Aimpoint fan, but this rebate for the XPS really has me thinking. I do really like the nice open view of the Holosight window, the nice reticle design, and the new redesigned battery compartment. While the battery like is improved, it's still nowhere near the insane Aimpoint battery life. That being said, I did notice that the specs say that the EoTech will flash the reticle when you turn it on and the battery power is low, which will pretty-much neutralize the battery issue for me (when it flashes, replace the battery -> doh!). I have also read, however, that lithium battery editions of the holosights do NOT flash the reticle when battery is low, and that this feature only works on alkaline batteries. The specs on the L3 website say the reticle flashes on the XPS2-0 page, but I wanted confirmation from someone who owns one and has seen it, because of this conflicting info. Can anyone here confirm if the reticle flashes when the battery is low on the new XPS? Thanks! |
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Yes, it flashes.
It did not take long for it to die afterwards even though it was just sitting around and not being used much. They seem to have the same parasitic drain issues as the other sights and there does not seem to be any consistency between them as to how long it takes to kill a battery. Some do it in months some don't seem to do it much at all. Keep a couple spare US made cr123's nearby and be happy. I like the XPS2's overall. They recently changed them a little bit. They use a wire to hold the battery cap instead of a plastic keeper. |
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Quoted: Yes, it flashes. It did not take long for it to die afterwards even though it was just sitting around and not being used much. They seem to have the same parasitic drain issues as the other sights and there does not seem to be any consistency between them as to how long it takes to kill a battery. Some do it in months some don't seem to do it much at all. Keep a couple spare US made cr123's nearby and be happy. I like the XPS2's overall. They recently changed them a little bit. They use a wire to hold the battery cap instead of a plastic keeper. Are you kidding me? I thought all of those issues were resolved. Gosh darn't. .... |
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Yes, it flashes. It did not take long for it to die afterwards even though it was just sitting around and not being used much. They seem to have the same parasitic drain issues as the other sights and there does not seem to be any consistency between them as to how long it takes to kill a battery. Some do it in months some don't seem to do it much at all. Keep a couple spare US made cr123's nearby and be happy. I like the XPS2's overall. They recently changed them a little bit. They use a wire to hold the battery cap instead of a plastic keeper. Thanks for the info, and the honest 1st-hand experience. Great! But crap . . . I really hate that they haven't fixed the battery drain issues in this model. This is the first I've read about this on the new models. I googled to see if anyone had reported drain issues in the XPS series, and didn't find any, so I figured they had done their homework on this one and it was "all fixed". All the info I found talked about the "evil" N-battery models being the culprit, then the "battery orientation" being the culprit. I guess there are still problems to work out. Can you give me any more details on your experience with the battery drain? |
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Um, I don't agree with the battery drain issue. I've had my XPS2 since they first came out (what, almost 2 years ago?) and I'm still on the original battery! Probably 30-40 range trips later it's still going. Explain that. There is NO drain issue with mine. I would have seen this by now for sure.
Also, this is the first I've heard of this from an XPS2 user. Let's not create FUD here folks. |
I don't agree with the battery drain issues either!!! The XPS are one our biggest sellers and no issues with any of the XPS we use and no issues reported back to us! My next question would be if your reticle is flashing, which means it's telling you to change the batteries, wouldn't you change them immediately rather then waiting for them to go completey dead!?! Kinda like hearing your home fire detectors chirp for months and then complaining because your home burnt down!!  If I misunderstood your post I apologize and I'm not trying to be an ass. If it flashes change the batteries!!! Anyone who uses a battery powered optic should be changhing their batteries (depending on useage) at least once per year! Your life may depend on it!
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Just because a person owns ONE unit and HIS works, does not mean others cannot have issues...That statement always cracks me up.. Someone reports a problem and tens guys all chime in with there ONE unit and call BS because they have not had the same issue with there's.
And the XPS is not as prevalent out there as you probably think... nothing earth shattering that as more units are out there and get use that folks might start having issues.....  The heavy endusers are going to see issues long before the weekend Hobby shooter who keeps his in a glass case lined with velvet will have with his.
Is it a problem??? Don't know, but I do no know L3's track record for having issues and waiting until there is a large uproar before they address it...That's already been proven as fact... Time will tell.... |
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I haven't seen any EoTechs outside of the older models and N battery models have the battery drain issue. I have three 517s and they are all two years old with the original batteries and only one had need to be changed within the last two months with moderate usage. I do use the Lithium AA batteries and that seems to help it hold its charge longer than the standard AA batteries.
My 516 with CR123 batteries is still on its first set of batteres after two years as well. I have a lot of friends with various EOTech models as well, and they haven't had any battery drain problems either. I am not saying it is impossible, but the newer models since the side adjustments came around) have been good on batter longevity under light to normal use. |
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Yes, it flashes. It did not take long for it to die afterwards even though it was just sitting around and not being used much. They seem to have the same parasitic drain issues as the other sights and there does not seem to be any consistency between them as to how long it takes to kill a battery. Some do it in months some don't seem to do it much at all. Keep a couple spare US made cr123's nearby and be happy. I like the XPS2's overall. They recently changed them a little bit. They use a wire to hold the battery cap instead of a plastic keeper. Are you kidding me? I thought all of those issues were resolved. Gosh darn't. .... If there is not a hard switch to off power in an electronic device there is a parasitic drain. EoTechs have an electronic off/on switch. It is not like a light switch where there is an actual break in the circuit. EoTechs seem to vary from unit to unit as to how much drain there is. I had one flash after just sitting on the shelf for 6 months and another that I pulled out of the box that was made in the spring of last year that was still going strong. Lithium batteries take small drains much better than alkaline batteries and that is what some of the improvement in in the battery drain issues has been from. On top of the parasitic drain of the device, alkaline batteries also self discharge at a much greater rate than lithium batteries and Ncells have it the worst due to their small initial capacity. I am not bashing EoTechs. I like them and sell them. They are fast to use, fairly rugged and relatively inexpensive but they are not perfect. I would rather apprise a customer of what they may run into and have them have spares rather than for it to surprise them when they need the optic and not have any extras on hand. I am willing to bet those of you who have changed the battery in an XPS2 had no where near the 600 hours of claimed run time on the battery you swapped out. |
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I wouldn't go that far. I have four EOTechs and a number of Aimpoints. I like the Aimpoints better and the warranty and battery life of the aimpoint is far superior. But I do like the EOTechs as well.
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No battery drain here (EXPS2). Don't believe the kool-aid drinkers. I swear people on this site just LOVE hating on Eotechs, but you know what...they are the best red dot out there. |
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Sorry guys. Didn't mean for this to degenerate into another "E vs A" discussion. There are a lot of followers in both camps, and they all have a point.
I do appreciate everyone chiming in with their experiences. It is helpful. I do like the EoTechs for their superior reticle, larger rectangular window, and battery warning. I do like Aimpoints for their "to hell and back" reliability and incredible battery life. I guess it's like everything - balance the pros and cons and decide what's right for you. I have noticed that very few people have reported an XPS battery drain issue, which I think is an improvement, which may be biased by the number of units in use out there. I hear some stories about the problems with the EoTechs and the issues in the past with their other models and it doesn't give me a very comfortable feeling with their engineering quality. It's too bad, because I think they've got some cool tech on their hands. Give me the 65 moa circle with 1 moa dot + 50,000 battery life off a single AA battery with built-in zoom up to 10x weighing 5 oz and I'll be a happy guy. Oh, and throw in some lock-on heat-seeking projectiles with a 2-mile range and I'd be REALLY happy. |
| I don't think this thread has turned into an EOTech vs Aimpoint either. It's simply numerous users who are sharing their experiences...both positive and negative. My personal experience, which is heavy use / LE applications, has never seen a single battery drainer. I've personally used 512's, 516, 517, 553 and XPS. I run lithium batteries in everything just because the exposure to extreme heat and extreme cold has little effect on lithium batteries. I have sold probably upwards of 100 EOTech optics and mostly to LE and never had a single complaint other than a battery compartment issue which was an easy fix. EOTechs like Aimpoints like Trijicons are mechanical and all things mechanical WILL at some point experience some issues (minor or major). So I don't think its fair to always say EOTech are an inferior optic to an Aimpoint. We carry both and both are solid. I would feel comfortable deploying with either. My personal preference is just for the 65MOA ring and 1 MOA aiming dot! For CQB work that is what works best for me! |
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No probs with my 2 year old XPS 2-0 on my patrol rifle. I usually keep the XPS turned on during my 12 hr. shift (one less thing to do when deploying it). I'll have to replace the battery about every three months. The reticle does flash when the battery is low and i have not noticed any drain issues.
It is awesome to have my optic and my lights (handheld, pistol, shotgun and rifle) all use the same cr123 batteries! I'm also a Patrol Rifle Instructor, so I get alot of trigger time and I have not have any durability issues with the XPS. Like some previous posters, I've had experience with older EOTechs, the 512A65/1 model. Using lithium AA batteries in the 512 gave it a great runtime and any drain issues disappeared. I handled a few warranty issues with our issued 512's (they were mounted M-16 Commandos) and EOTech's warranty department was great. Buy the XPS - you will not regret it! |
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yekimak: I'm curious if the one you had problems with came with a bum battery. I had the drain issue with my original 511, but haven't had any issues after sending it in for warranty repair, nor the 512 I replaced it with. It would really be surprising if they hadn't fixed this yet. |
| In regards to what batteries EOTech supplies...all of the models that run off of a AA battery come with standard alkaline batteries. I'm not sure why EOTech hasn't just included lithium batteries for better performnce in harsher conditions (cold / hot) but they haven't. Lithiums will make a noticeable difference in longer run times. The XPS do come with lithiums but like everything else sometimes you get a lemon. If a new 123 battery did not solve the issue I would be sending it back to EOTech for a more detailed look. |
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I have an older 512 that runs AA batteries and the instructions are correct. The first set of batteries I put in it were standard alkaline and it did blink as the power was getting low. I honestly don't remember how long that first set of batteries lasted but I have been using lithium ever since and have never experienced battery drain issues. Mine has sat in a safe for as long as a year and worked when I took it out.
I also prefer the reticle to the Aimpoint, but my CompM2 is much lighter than my EOTech 512. The standard ARFCOM answer is to buy both! 
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yekimak: I'm curious if the one you had problems with came with a bum battery. I had the drain issue with my original 511, but haven't had any issues after sending it in for warranty repair, nor the 512 I replaced it with. It would really be surprising if they hadn't fixed this yet. I don't see too many messed up cr123 batteries. They generally have pretty good QC or else they go boom. Like I said, if a device does not have a hard switch then it is going to have a slight drain. Out of that batch I had 4 others that seemed to hold their charge just fine. I kept the one that died as a shop mule for a while until a frequent customer who knew it's history wanted it. That unit was taken out of the box in March or April to be on display after being received in January and started flashing in June and died completely about a week later. I put it to the side until I received the SOT at the end of July and used it for a month or so on the shop mule. I likely turned it on 1-2 times a week showing it to folks between April and June. Most of the time I shut it off before putting it back in the case. It had some hours on it but no where near the 600 hours of claimed run time. I have not received any feedback from people who purchased others from that batch. The new owner of the one that went dead is happy as can be that he got a slightly used EoTech for a really good deal. I have been through 12 units or so this year. Most have been XPS2-0's with a 512 and XPS2-1 and some 2-2's as well. I used to own a 512 and it's batteries lasted a year before flashing. I never really got along with it. I use a CompM2 on my personal AR now but I think if I were to have had a XPS2 back then I may have never felt the need to make the switch. The size and better battery compartment seem to cure most of the gripes I had vs the 512. To be fair, I bought a LaRue Aimpoint mount specifically so I could have a spare battery compartment for my CompM2. I try and keep spare batteries for everything. Here's the Mule with said EoTech on it: 
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I've had a 512 for about a year. Probably had 12-15 range trips with that rifle. I left the dang thing on until it went off on it's own I don't know how many times. I'm still on the same set of batteries. I do use the lithium ion batteries though. I have both an Aimpoint and an Eotech and both have there valid good points and bad. Really though, what type of class of optic do they fall in. They are basically a quick accusition optic. Meaning they help you get on target quicker and still have the ability to see out of your off eye to see what's going on around. Basically shooting with both eyes open and still being able to stay on target. I have a harder time doing this with the aimpoint. It tends to make me have tunnel vision and want to close my off eye and shoot like it's a scope. The eotech doesn't do me this way. It's like the body of the eotech vanishes and all thats's left is the 65 moa circle with the 1 moa dot.
That's another thing I like. You can be more accurate at distance with the 1 moa dot of the eotech but still at very close ranges be quicker than the aimpoint because of the 65 moa circle. However the battery life could become an issue if I used it as my job but carrying spares could cure this especially since there AA in the 512 I use and easily found unlike the batteries in the aimpoint if and when they do run out. The aimpoint is much lighter than my 512 and one of the reasons I have it on the rifle I have it on. It's my lightweight rifle. I think the aimpoint is 7 ounces while the eotech is almost a pound. Each have there own uses. Each have there good points and bad. Argueing one is better than the other is exactly like comparing apples and oranges. |
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