Telrad troubles

[Ceramus]

Dusted off an old Telrad from storage, fitted new batteries, switched on and ...nothing happens. No light coming from the LED to  light the circles. Pot and switch seem OK as far as I can tell, but the housing of the LED is sealed, so how does one fit a new LED and where can it be got?

Suggestions please.

[zacrobmer]

Arguably an LED should not "burn out", at least not like a filament bulb will. Do you have a multi-meter to check that there is power coming from the battery pack? I would guess that a connection is loose or the pot failed before I would look at the LED being bad. Good luck with trouble shooting!

[Charic]

Just checked my newest (third) TELRAD.

From within the battery compartment, after sliding off the lid, you should  see the red reticules as their intensity is raised when you power up to full level.

If your not seeing any illumination at all, then I would suggest check again the batteries, for enough voltage, but more importantly their correct installation +/-.

Failing all that, yes the LED may have gone, but LED's are quite unique with regards their reliability and longevity.

 

 

[Louis D]

I had corroded batteries in mine after a long storage period.  Fitted a new battery holder, checked that the voltage was fine at the pot and still nothing lit up.  I ended up buying a used one with a worn pot (basically full on or off) for $20 and chalked it up to experience.

[Sunshine]

I once asked my local scope shop owner about a similar problem, couldn't light up the reticle, turned out one of the flimsy  battery cable solder contacts came loose from the battery holder moving around inside.

I use a small piece of foam squeezed between the lid and battery holder to keep the batteries from moving around, never had the same issue again.

[Ceramus]

Thanks for the suggestions, problem sorted... it was lighting up, albeit quite faint in daylight. When the pot was turned fully up I could see  the circles at night!

[Charic]

Good news.

If the three rear adjusters are tweaked out of collimation ( by another! ) the Bulls-eye reticules may not be seen if their well off axis.
Also, had  it  been a brand new TELRAD your suggestion of just being too dim will catch some  folk out.

I've still yet to test my 'new' TELRAD which is fitted with the Pulser Mod. In fact just going to nip out right now and try it.................

 

Edit: Seems to work perfectly well, the Pulser does what its supposed to do, pulse, but still allows you to see faint targets between each pulse of light. 

I also did a drop test from 5 feet, and everything still works perfectly well.
 

I drove back to my house about an hour ago from my local seaside town, which is quite elevated and the Moon looked brilliant through the windscreen, quite high too. If only I could see the Moon when I get back home, maybe the scope could come out.

Nah! the tree line is far too high, as is my house which blocks the whole of the Southern skyline, and if I do peek around the side, street light hits me from right across the road. If only the situation was different. A decent lottery win will change all that.

You didn't really believe I did a drop test did you?
Fact is, Yes I did, though it was NOT my intention!
I tilted the TELRAD in order to test the enclosed mirror inside the dew shield, like a RACI setup, only my temporary bungee cord slipped allowing the TELRAD to crash to the ground. " #### it" I said, before it had even touched the ground, during that slow-mo period when you just know this is going to hurt?

There's the slightest  indentation mark on one corner of the base mount, and I've searched all over and cant see anything further  by  way of a scratch or damage............I was lucky, very lucky.

 

 

Damn, is the missing expletive from above, but some of you may have thought otherwise? Lol.