Laser Rangefinders

[guest]

Who out there is using a laser rangefinder for determining object hight? What kind of LRF are you using? How well does it work? How much was it and where did you get it?

Just looking to start a discussion and get some info on LRFs for all of us who are shopping for one.

Don't you have one, Wes?

Thanks,

Erich598

[guest]

I have a Bushnell YP600C. I like it lots. The thing is super accurate (I tested it on the ground with a tape measure), and is able to get readings off an amazing variety of surfaces.

Features I wish I had include 1) a lighted display (it's sometimes hard to read the numbers against a dark background or in twilight), and 2) a display in feet (mine is in yards), since I tend to think in feet and don't like the conversions (I imagine it would be even worse for someone outside the U.S. who hasn't ever had to use yards at all).

I'd also like it if the thing were smaller (say, the size of a pack of cigarettes, rather than medium sized binoculars--but you can't have everything).

Here's a link to the place I got mine:

http://www.bearbasin.com/rangefinder.htm

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@ucdavis.edu

[guest]

Thanks, Erich, for bringing this up. I'm currently in the market for one too.

Thanks to all for your input. Tis really appreciated!

532

[guest]

Hey Erich,
How are you doing? Haven't seen you since Quincy. Braving the cold to flick anything?

I have a yardage pro 600 (range is 1800 ft). Reads in yards, but I've never found multiplying by 3 to be too difficult. Bought it through Cabela's which lists it at $300. I've found it very accurate and very easy to get a hit on the top beacon of a tower. Accurate to within a yard. Difficult to use at night on an unlit object due to the reticle being invisible, but you can still get it to lock the reading in and then read it against a lighter background.

I've found the the easiest and most accurate readings are obtained by standing some distance from the base of an antenna. Then take a range to the base and a range to the top beacon. Calculate the antenna hight via pythagorean theorem. It is difficult to stand right at the base and get a line of sight to the very top.

cya,
Chris

[guest]

I got a Bushnell Yardage Pro Compact 600 (best price from www.bhphotovideo.com) It is great. I researched these things pretty well and found this to be the most accurate and smallest and cheapest for the quality you are getting. This model uses both feet and meters.

One drawback is the lack of backlight in the finder, as mentioned above. I found that using a small little red light you get on keychains works well when flashed in the vicinity of the viewfinder, you will get the hang of it.

The best and most accurate results are when I take a reading to the base of the object and then to the top of the object. stand a good distance away from the object to get a better result, and take readings off numerous points on the object to get a good average. Using the theorem you find the height.
a2 = b2 + c2

example:

distance to building is 60 yards,
distance to top is 140 yards.

(140 x 140) - (60 x 60) = 16000
take the square root of that = 126.4911 yards
multiply times 3 to get it in feet = 379.4 feet.

I have been known to walk around the city with my range finder and calculator, and of course a naughty smile.

c-ya