[Xlegionaire]

I am getting ready to buy either an Trijicon reflex or an Eoctech 553 for my PS90. Now I probably don't know as much about these as some of you so what are the pros and cons to these or what else is on the market that is comparable. I have an ACOG on my FS2000 and have been very happy with it! I tend to be VERY brand faithful but would give serious consideration to any quality product out there.

 

[Tomac]

I've owned & used various Aimpoints, the Trijicon Reflex & Tripower & Eotechs.
1) The Reflex suffers from two major problems: reticle washout & impacts to the body of the unit are absorbed directly by the windage/elevation adjustment mechanisms leading to stripping of the mechanisms (been there, done that). The polarizing filter helps w/reticle washout but not enough, IMHO.
2) The latest Tripower is a big improvement over the Reflex (again, IMHO) as you have battery backup illumination for those situations where the tritium or ambient light are insufficient to provide adequate reticle contrast and impacts to the unit are not absorbed by the windage/elevation adjustment mechanisms. However, the tritium is extremely dim (supposedly for better compatibility w/NVG), it's not as KISS as the Reflex as you have the battery backup buttons to use, the fiber optics to cover/uncover (they glow at night from the battery backup illumination and from the tritium to a much lesser extent) and the main battery lead inside the battery compartment is easy to bend/damage rendering the battery backup DOA.
3) The Eotech is combat-proven and provides the fastest "on target" reticle for me (YMMV) w/its greater perceived FOV. On the PS90 the bottom of the circle portion of the reticle can be used for accurate close-in aiming due to the PS90's sight height above bore. However, it does sit significantly higher than the tube-style sights, the buttons aren't as quick/easy to use as, say, the Aimpoint's rotary switch, battery life isn't anywhere near as long as the Aimpoints (appx 1,100 hrs w/the AA versions vs 50,000-80,000hrs for the latest Aimpoints), the low-battery warning doesn't work w/all types of batteries, some find the dot-circle reticle "too busy" (again, YMMV) and the Eotech has more reported problems than the Aimpoints (usually involving bad batteries or getting the electronics to reset).
4) The Aimpoints, like the Eotechs, are combat-proven and known for extreme ruggedness, reliability & battery life. The Aimpoint's are very KISS as well since you can leave them on 24/7 literally for years. However, some find the dot reticle a tad slower to use than, say, the Eotech's dot-circle reticle or the Tripower's inverted chevron and the Aimpoints cost significantly more.
My personal choices in order of preference are:
Aimpoint for KISS/ruggedness/reliability
Eotech for speed on-target
Tripower
Reflex
I'd be happy w/either an AA Eotech or Aimpoint ML3/M4 but I suggest you try them out if possible then choose the one that best suits your particular needs & budget. HTH...
Tomac

 

[Xlegionaire]

Much Thanks that was some really great infromation and is greatly appriciated!!!

 

[Promoted Pawn]

Get the Eotech. I have both and the Tripower doesn't light up bright enough in some situations. Also, it kills the batteries if left on- even though it says it automatically shuts off after so long. Lastly, the ARMS mount ($80) for the tripower doesn't mount very tightly anymore because the little piece of sheet metal that locks slides against the rail has bent.

I like the tripower reticle and the idea that batteries aren't need, but in terms of performance the Eotech wins.

 

[lightfighter]

my preference is for the eotech.i had the 551, 552 and ended up with the 3, cuz the batteries are shared with my tac light. it is mounted on my commando, and has never failed me. i change the batteries every time i change shifts, (4 months) and put them in a surefire flashlight, and they last the same as the new ones in the light.

but heres the rub... the choice will boil down to preference. i would suggest you try em all if you can find peeps who have them, and try them in the lighting conditions you expect to use them in. and light, from extreme AZ bright sun, to "OMG its dark", is why i prefer the eotech. dont let anyone sell you the line of crap about having to adjust it. if you are in a ps90/red dot optics kinda gun fight, you went there on purpose.

sorry to ramble

 

[jimboutilier]

I am getting ready to buy either an Trijicon reflex or an Eoctech 553 for my PS90. Now I probably don't know as much about these as some of you so what are the pros and cons to these or what else is on the market that is comparable. I have an ACOG on my FS2000 and have been very happy with it! I tend to be VERY brand faithful but would give serious consideration to any quality product out there.

Don't forget Murphy's law.

Most holigraphic and red dot sights I've encountered rely solely on batteries and electronics to illuminate the sight and make it useable. And I have yet to encounter a battery operated device that I did not try to use at some point only to find the batteries dead. Even devices like sights that I always tried to keep the batteries fresh in and had ridiculously long battery life to begin with.

Most reflex sights I've encountered rely largely on ambient light to illuminate the sight and make it useable. The good ones also use Tritium thats great for dim light. But there are still ambient lighting conditions that these sights are useless in. No better than a holographic sight or red dot sight with a dead battery.

So the lesson is, get an optical sight with an etched reticle if you can. Then the sight is useable even if its illumination system is failing you. Get an optical sight with an electrical and a non electrical illumination system if you can. Best of all, get a sight that offers both of these if you can. And of course in a pinch there is always backup iron sights its noce to have.

Some of my favorites that I don't hesitate to use for serious purposes are:
a) Trijicon ACOG's. Never had one fail me in any lighting conditions even though it has no electrical backup. Offers ambient and Tritium illumination and an etched reticle. By far the best illuminated sight I've encountered bar none. They are expensive, and magnified though. A compact ACOG in 1.5x is nice on the PS-90.
b) Trijicon TriPower. Amoung the best reflex sights but there are still lighting conditions they fail in. Offers battery powered illumination for those relatively rare conditions. Wish they would etch the reticle though.
c) Leupold Mk4 CQ/T. Variable power, etched reticle, battery powered illumination. A bit big an heavy but reliable.

I've had many other products that I've tried and liked. Aimpoint, Eotech, Bushnell, Zeis, Dr Optic, Trijicon, Leupold, and a number of inexpensive off brands. But I've always come back to the three models above for something that could potentially save my life some day.

So, don't forget Murphy, and be safe.

 

[Promoted Pawn]

So the lesson is, get an optical sight with an etched reticle if you can.

I think this is very good advice.
And I really wish the Tripower was etched. Sometimes the battery power and the fiber optics together don't cut it.

I'm curious about the performance of modified Eotechs that have solar panels for recharging the batteries. What's the life expectancy of one of these batteries? Are there limits on performance at extreme (cold) temperatures?

 

[Tomac]

So the lesson is, get an optical sight with an etched reticle if you can.

I think this is very good advice.
And I really wish the Tripower was etched. Sometimes the battery power and the fiber optics together don't cut it.

I'm curious about the performance of modified Eotechs that have solar panels for recharging the batteries. What's the life expectancy of one of these batteries? Are there limits on performance at extreme (cold) temperatures?

The Russian PK-AS-W for appx $200 has an etched circle-dot reticle w/adjustable battery backup illumination w/superior FOV/SA as the body of the unit ghosts almost perfectly: http://tantal.kalashnikov.guns.ru/pkasw.html It's biggest drawback (IMHO) is that it sits so high.
Regarding the Solar-modded Eotechs, using Eneloop hybrid rechargeables (still retain 85% of their charge after 1yr) expect comparable runtime & cold weather performance to lithiums (plus the trickle charging warms the batteries slightly, thus improving cold weather performance). Since it trickle charges at a minimum of 3x the Eotech's max draw rate (in good light) it doesn't take much to keep the Eotech running & charged. While new, the hybrid rechargeables are expected to last for at least 1,000 recharges. HTH...
Tomac