You know, I shouldn't be surprised that people didn't read my entire post. So for those that didn't here's the gist.

A - I don't work for ATN. Stop trying to take stabs at me just because I disagree with you. It's childish.
B - New tech stuff never works right in the beginning. Never. NE-VER. There's always bugs. If you don't understand that, go back to the stone age. Seriously.
C - Marketing is designed to sell stuff. If you fell for it, and now you're mad, complaining and jabbing at other customers who aren't as mad as you is also childish.
D - Caveat Emptor - Let the buyer beware. You didn't follow this axiom.
E - I cannot afford anything more than $500-600 for a scope, and that's a one-time purchase. As such, I had to choose carefully, because there would be no second chances.
F - I have very bad astigmatism. Traditional glass scopes are very difficult for me to use effectively at range. Electronic screens are easier for me to see.

I come from Missouri, and we're not called the "Show Me" state for nothing. We don't believe everything we're told. We're skeptics. We're especially skeptical about marketing claims, because they're almost universally exaggerated. We prefer to see something in person, before giving away our money. Video is next best thing. If we cannot, it's a risk, and we understand that if that risk doesn't pay off, WE are to blame, first and foremost.

Whining about the marketing claims just proves that the marketing hype WORKED on you. You were naive about what you would be getting, and you were too impatient to do the research, or wait and see how it turned out before buying. No one is to blame for THAT, but yourself.

I am a customer. I plunked down a YEARS worth of savings (plus my tax return), to pre-order the X-Sight. I did 3 months of daily research, combing the entire internet for any and every scrap of information I could get. Even after all that, I still knew it was a risk, and I was a little apprehensive about pre-ordering something I couldn't see. Still, I knew that if it didn't work out, *I* would bear the blame. *I* would be the one explaining to the Mrs why it didn't work out :P. Do you think SHE would care, if I told her "but the marketing said it would do all these wonderful things!". Nope. She'd call me an idiot for not checking it out first, and she'd be right. I made the decision, I spent our money, and I bear the responsibility. She's come to expect that level of responsibility from me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My unit so happens to work fairly well. It has flaws, but so what?. It's core functionality is intact. It gives me Night Vision to 100-200 yards, which is what I wanted. It has crosshairs that zero (albeit pretty far off center, till I rework the mount and firmware is updated), but the bullet hits where the crosshairs are aiming. I can see out to ranges I could not do with Irons, and do so clearly and focus in despite my astigmatism. High resolution images make it easy to see further and pick out detail that would otherwise be a blur to me. All of that is what I wanted, and that's what it does.

Having just returned from one this past Sunday, I say go, now.

Disagree. Missing the mark this much is negligent, and quite possibly borderline ILLEGAL. There are protections for the consumer against these kinds of things, and ATN threw caution to the wind and disregarded many of these. Aren't you just a little bit nervous at even a minimal possibility that they are simply incapable of shipping the working product, and what that might mean for repairs, parts, and support in the future? Does that color your approach to these discussions? Did you buy the scope with zero expectations? Had it come out of the box made of terra cotta and would only power up for 45 minutes, would you still be saying "Your bad for falling for the marketing"? See what I mean? Where does it end? Where is your line, and why does it need to be in the same place as the next guy's?

Here's the bottom line, Mo: they outright SURRENDERED their claim to the benefit of doubt, and again, they have stopped answering questions. EVERY time they do that, they are screwing up on top of other screw-ups.

Poor Mr. Sachal, bless his heart...............

All I'd like to know: Is the flicker something which can be fixed via firmware or do I need to send my X-Sight back for repair? I opened two cases via ATN's web based support system, and placed at least forty phone calls to ATN. I used different phones to make certain that wasn't an issue, a landline and a cell phone. I still have had no reply to my open cases, and I don't have another entire afternoon to dedicate to redialing ATN over and over only to hear a bot, being placed on hold, and then having the call terminated, repeat, repeat, etc.

Mr. Sachal, if you ever return to the string here, can you please anwer? A "yes, no, or I don't know" would satisfy me as any of these would be an honest answer.

I could have purchased any NV scope, funds were not an issue. I was exposed to X-Sight via an amigos neighbor, it was daylight. I went to a retailer and watched the video at the marketing display. My retailer stated "these are awesome". ATN has a good reputation.

I like the X-Sight. The vids posted showing flicker don't reflect how bad this problem is though. Once the eye adjusts to darkness, the initial burst of light during the flicker cycle constricts the pupil so that the brief interludes between flicker have the contrast washed out. Focusing becomes very challenging while enduring the flicker. I'm browsing thermal scopes now. I've been infected.

With prices for decent thermal scopes as they are, this peasant is going to have to have solid customer/technical support standing behind that purchase.

Cheers

I must just have a different experience than most. After mounting my one piece rail on my Bmag today and mounting the scope to it I took it too the range. (After receiving the scope yesterday I used blue loctite to reset the base screws and bed the base)

First shot @ 100 yards with x = 0 Y = 0

After zeroing @ 200

X = 11 Y = 8

The reticle barely moves @ full zoom. This is with 228 firmware. I can't wait to hunt with this thing. Any other improvements will simply be a bonus for me. Image stabilization would be awesome.

Yes man...you got a good set up for sure!

So this tells me that the product CAN deliver! Reaffirms that there is a quality control issue.

For me getting rid of the flicker was simple.

Start up your X-Sight
Hit Enter twice
Hit right arrow key until MENU is highlighted
press Enter
Scroll down one to Display
press Enter
Scroll down to Day/Night mode
Press Right Arrow
Scroll down to Light Amplification
Press Enter
Scroll up one from Low to Medium
Press Enter
Press Left Arrow 3 times to back out to normal use.

No More Flicker.

Here is my 5x-18 watching some bunnies when I was out hog hunting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9m46USQgvo&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4_X2dTlvZ4&feature=youtu.be

Yeah fr3 you came in at a later point in the ongoing development of the x-sight which is fine but acknowledge the feelings of frustration that others have with a bit more tact than " I must just have a different experience than most ".

Future users of the x-sight will look back on threads such as this and will either take away that we helped each other through it 0R bickered like an old married couple...

Happy Hunting

Finally broke down and called about returning the scope for the new version that has the shade. If you are wanting to get the new one it looks like the only way to get some kind of communication from ATN is by calling. They also issued me a shipping slip to ship it back to them. Again the wait time is still at least 45 days out. From what they told me there is no way for them to notify me when new scopes come in and to just call in a few weeks. Sorry did not mean to hijack the thread here but as hunttx said we're here to help each other.

No, I'm not nervous. Core functionality works, the hardware works, and the problems are mostly software and QC issues. All very fixable with software updates and warranty work. ATN has fixed the MAJOR function issues via product swaps. All seems perfectly normal to me.



If by coloring my approach, you mean I'm not "chicken little" and think the sky is falling, then yes. I guess thinking everything is normal does color my approach.



I expected it to hold zero. It does. I expected the night vision to work with IR. It does. I expected it to work under recoil. It does. Those are 3 expectations, and so far they are met.



Well, it's not Terra cotta, it's sturdy. If it were flimsy, sure I'd bitch. But it isn't.

If it only powered on for 45 minutes, I'd assume the power efficiency problem being caused by bad software, and expect firmware revisions to fix it. Now if it just died - that'd be a warranty problem.



Since I expect technology to fail (I work in tech support after all), I guess I don't.



When core functionality (hold zero, night vision, recoil) doesn't work. Everything else is icing.



See above statement. Other people's "line" can be somewhat different, but if you expect first-production-run electronics to work perfectly, at this price point, then you just don't understand the reality of the high tech world. Period. Go back to glass scopes, IIT, or Thermal, and spend thousands of dollars, if you have to have it working perfectly right now.

That's not my opinion, that's just reality.

EDIT: One exception is the Photon XT line. That might serve better, if you don't need the extra features, and don't care about lower resolution, and have to have it right now.

I've had two of the 3x models at this point. The first one (with a lower serial number) had a crooked mount and required some crazy values to get sighted in. The second one (ordered from Amazon) has a higher serial number with a smaller print and was right on the money out of the box.

Sounds good to me Garbs. They'll work these issues out, I'm sure. Just sounds like typical QC growing pains, to me.

DUPLICATE

I can absolutely understand the frustration of having a poorly functioning unit as I already returned a 3-12 that I couldn't get to focus and required the crosshair to almost exit low left at full zoom.

I don't quite understand how my statement was "untactful" as I didn't direct it at anyone at all, simply saying this new unit seems to be acceptable. We'll be glad when they get all the bugs worked out. We just all wish it would be sooner than later.

No one has said they expected it to work perfectly. NO ONE.

"Core functionality" as defined as what, exactly? What the box says, or what you think?

No one has said the sky is falling. They have questioned the legality of selling a product that differs in reality than its package claims. I happen to think, frankly, you are defending the product because you think in doing so, you are somehow encouraging the company to make yours better. Fine. Others are handling that differently. Fine.

Obviously it's not terra cotta, but during your preorder period, had you considered that it could be? Did you buy the scope because you, in your heart, knew it would run for more than 45 minutes? Doesn't that mean you fell for the hype?

These problems are exacerbated by continuously-announced-then-missed release dates, and then long, unexplained cold spells with no communication. State facts. State opinions. Maybe you should figure out how to live with the ones that are at odds with your own.

So confused. 'Cause... asking me questions I've already answered. Asking me to post things I've already posted in the quoted post (redundancy of statement intended).

The logic loop is real.

What do you think folks: troll, or fanboi?

You just can't quite figure out that some of us aren't exactly you, can you? You like yours. FINE. Others don't, and can't accept, among other things, the disappearing act that keeps happening in spite of promises made by the very same company rep. Can't that be FINE too? If not, why not? Aren't you being just as redundant as the posters you have been critical of?

Neither. I refer to the quote in my signature for details.

"The only truth comes from me" - You

For those who have had enough:

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1

Wanna get the ball rolling again? If enough people submit the contact form there, I think you'll see it start rolling again pretty darn quick.

Here. I'll even help you.

BBB.org - American Technologies Network

Feel free. See where it goes.

I have your permission to feel free? Thanks! I will...because of that.

And how about those of us who have had enough of you and your personal assaults, insults, sarcasm, and whining, s6275? How do we off-load you from this thread?

When you figure it out, I am sure I will be the first to know!

Let me guess...FANBOI!

I will be back to share MORE opinions in defense of the people who have been left blowing in the wind by this company EVERY SINGLE TIME they drop the ball...and I will magically, instantaneously become their Grade A Huge No. 1 fan the moment they figure out that you can't both claim the new firmware is the greatest thing since sliced bread AND fall off the face of the earth without posting said-greatest-thing.