What is a rangefinder and how does it work?
A rangefinder is a device dedicated to professional distance measurement. Rangefinders can be used in various industries such as construction, forestry or shooting. They work well both for professional use by the military and for recreational shooting with air rifles or abow.From the following guide you will learn what types of rangefinders there are, how a rangefinder works and which models to choose.
Rangefinder types
Rangefinders can be divided into 3 types:
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Optical rangefinder
Composed of a near-parallel lens system. Measurement in an optical rangefinder is made by measuring the parallax angle of the optical axes from the two lenses. At one time these models were used primarily by the military, mainly the navy. Today they are used in cameras for focusing.
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Ultrasonic rangefinder
These models are otherwise known as electromagnetic models. Their operation is based on a radio wave transmitter and receiver having a specific frequency. The radio wave transmitter sends radio waves to the object to which the distance is to be measured, and the waves then reflect and return to the receiver. Distance is measured by measuring the time between the emission and reception of the radio waves. Ultrasonic rangefinders are used primarily in radionavigation, radiolocation and also in the construction industry, e.g. to measure the surface area of rooms.
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Laser rangefinder
The most popular type of rangefinder, which has gained its popularity mainly due to the speed and accuracy of its measurements. It is this type of rangefinder that you will find in the offer of our shop, additionally enriched with an optical system enabling easy finding of the object with possible magnification..
How does a laser rangefinder work?
The laser rangefinder works on a similar principle to the ultrasonic rangefinder described above. With laser models, the RF beam is replaced by a laser beam. The rangefinder sends a laser beam to the object under observation. Responsible for the emission, reception and analysis of such a signal is an opto-electronic circuit that measures the time between sending and receiving the reflected laser beam from the target being measured and converts this into a distance, ultimately showing it on an LCD screen.
Laser rangefinders have much better efficiency, precision and maximum measuring range than electromagnetic and ultrasonic models. In addition, they work flawlessly in difficult terrain with obstacles. Therefore, laser rangefinders are successfully replacing them today in almost every industry.
Laser rangefinder - which one to choose?
Dalmierze dzielą się dodatkowo w zależności od ich zastosowania. Mogą być proste, stosunkowo niedrogie dalmierze dedykowane do mierzenia odległości i powierzchni na dystansie do 50-60 metrów, które stosuje się z powodzeniem w branży budowlanej. Other models are specialised laser rangefinders with effective ranges of even more than 1,000 metres, which are dedicated, for example, to soldiers or shooting enthusiasts. It is the latter type of equipment that you will find in our range.
In the picture, a rangefinder Bushnell Prime 1700
When deciding which laser rangefinder to buy, it is worth paying attention to the quality of the housing, the maximum range of distance measurement, as well as the image magnification offered and additional technologies that may facilitate the use of the rangefinder (information about such technologies can be found in the product descriptions in our shop). Most of the devices available in our range have a measurement accuracy of +/- 0.5-1 metre.
Maximum measurement range of laser rangefinders
For most users, the maximum distance of effective measurements is of the greatest importance. When looking for the right model, bear in mind that the effective measurement range will depend on two factors: the quality of the device and the size of the object being observed. Most manufacturers provide an estimated maximum range when observing a large (house), medium (tree, large boulder) and small (animal) object. For the model selected from our range, these distances may be as follows:
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Range when measuring the distance to a large object (e.g. house or car) - 1646 metres
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Range when measuring distance to medium object (tree) - 914 metres.
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Range when measuring distance to small object (animal) - 640 metres.
The discrepancy is considerable, so make sure you know what you need the rangefinder for and what objects you will usually be measuring distance to before you buy. Laser rangefinders also have the option to show distances in metres and yards - you can change the units in the device settings..
Example of target grid with distance in yards
Zoom and housing quality of rangefinders
Knowing what distances you want to measure, still make sure the rangefinder is made of good materials and offers a magnification that is suitable for you. Aspects such as water resistance and additional rubber coatings for a better, more stable grip are worth looking out for. As for magnification - the longer the viewing distance and the smaller the object, the higher the magnification the rangefinder should have, such as 6x for models with a long measuring range.
ARC as an essential accessory for shooters
ARC, or Angle Range Compensation, is an essential rangefinder accessory for any shooter, especially with a bow, who will use the device on varied terrain when talking about the elevation of the shooter and the target. ARC technology allows to measure the angle of the observed object from -90 to +90 degrees.
Judging distance on level ground is relatively easy, but things can get complicated when the shooter is standing higher or lower than the target, for example. Then accurate shooting becomes more difficult due to gravity and the trajectory of the arrow. The ARC system helps to compensate for just the levels of the shooter's height relative to the target and maintain higher accuracy.
Rangefinders offer at Militaria.pl
Once you know what features of laser rangefinders to look out for, we invite you to take a look at the offer of our Militaria.pl shop. You will find models in different price ranges, with different levels of technology and from a variety of reputable manufacturers who are recognised in the market in the field of optics. We also have rangefinders built into binoculars, so you can have 2 devices in one.
If, after reading this guide, you are still not convinced about which laser rangefinder to choose, please contact us and our specialists will advise you in your selection.
