One of my buddies wants me to figure out how to use his zeus so that I can show him how to do it.

I see there are a lot of videos on contrast and setting it up so I think I will have no problem learning it between youtube and the manual.

My question is how many range trips will it take me before I am able to function and understand a few of the major features. Will I need to dedicate 2 or 3 range trips or will I be able to figure it out semi quickly in one day?

Buttons + Menus = added complexity

When tech started showing up in scopes the game changed, it's a perishable skill meaning if you don't use the scope often you'll forget and regress to basic user status.

All I'm saying is you can show your buddy and he may be able to copy your instruction but if he uses it infrequently he will not remember the basic functions and furthermore contrast and brightness settings will need to be changed as environment and terrain changes so there isn't really a set it and forget it aspect to these types of scopes.

That's my thoughts

He is like me. He can retain it. He is just a workaholic. It looks like the you tube videos will help especially on the contrast changes which seems to be the most important feature for crisp and excellent pictures. I am sure I can practice that and most of the features at home and then probably one trip to the range to sight his gun in.

Does that sound like the normal learning curve?

Zeus menu is pretty simple & should only take one trip. Environmental adjustments come with time and experience. I typically don't mess with it unless it's humid.

He needs to just sit down on the couch with it some night and just go through all the menus and the various button push combinations. It's never retained when you're going out to hunt or shoot and you're in a hurry.

If his has the most recent firmware, it'll have some adjustments for gain, contrast, smart scene etc. He just needs to be familiar with kind of what these things do and where to find them. Then when he's out hunting, he can adjust for the best quality image.

The Zeus is one of the simpler thermals nowadays.

I watched a few videos and it seems extremely simple. Texas lawman puts out a good video describing how to adjust your contrast and other settings and the other stuff is even easier.

He just doesnt get tine to play with it so he wants me to learn it also I guess so when we go hunting he feels like he wont miss out.

Plus he knows I drool over this kind of pig hunting stuff that I cant afford so he wants me to have fun with it also. Most likely this will be the final straw for me and I will have to go get a photon for my AR unless I can convince him to give me his zeus and he get another one.

Now I have to talk him in to some kind of monocular which we will need also.

Might see if you can borrow it and just sit around a play with it a bit. That way you can quickly help adjust when ya'll are out hunting.

A thermal mono is definitely helpful. Lifting the rifle to scan or trying to scan from a truck is kinda tough.

Don't really need a mono. Just get a good return to zero mount. I scan with my scope and it only takes a few seconds to put it back on the gun.

That money would be better spent on a backup scope.

I am picking it up in a few days so I can zero his rifle in for him and learn it before we go to the lease in July. I am hoping he has a quick detach on it so he can also use it as a mono. That is a good idea but he still needs a monocular to do it right.

I am not sure if he has the DVR yet but he will want to take videos also. It looks fairly easy with the remote control. Im getting really excited!! what I have been preparing myself for the last few years is almost here

Wow, to make that all happen for a new owner is going to involve a steep learning curve to get it all right.

Like anything experience and making mistakes is how you learn. Time to start getting some experience.

He has it mounted on a 20 inch barrel (sniper AR) so now I need to convince him he needs to switch it to a 16' AR or one of his SBR's. Then go pick it up and get it working.

I dont think I can shoot his SBR if he is not there. Not sure of laws on that. But the gun he has it mounted on is not a hog hunting rifle.

Tell me again why it is that he can't learn how to use his own scope. And why does he need to switch to a shorter barreled gun?

I guess he wants me to play with his toys since he never has the time. He knows I drool over your videos every day and how I dream of slaying hogs but never get the chance.

Here is what he put it on. Why not convince him to stick it on one of his 3 or 4 16 inch barrells with CTR stocks or one of his SBR rifles. They are much easier to manipulate when driving around the ranch at night looking and stalking up on hogs. This is a sniper rifle for shooting from some cozy table or blind in my opinion.

I would agree with a rack full of guns behind you, there's probably something shorter that would be easier to manage. My suppressed M&P 10 is more than a little to manage getting in and out of my Pioneer with at night. I was giving serious thought to a KelTec RFB before my helmet/monocular walked off, for that very reason. The RFB was going to be the ride around gun with the M&P being kept in the stand

OK guys Ive got this thing in hand and I was watching videos and playing with it for hours last night.

At this time my only question is about the default settings. Texas Lawman puts out a good video on settings but when I go to my menu it is totally different. My menu doesnt have several of the things he has. For example Enhancements

Should I stay with the default settings? I dont see how to change them either.

You have an older Zeus. Armasight used to do free upgrades to the firmware that included features like in TLM's video, but I don't know if that is still going on after they were taken over by FLIR. You could call and find out.

Stay with the default so long as the default looks good. Otherwise, adjust the contrast and brightness to find the best image. They can be changed. They are in the menu system and can be selected with the menu button.

It does look good so I will stay with the default options then. Very easy to use so far. We will see what happens in the field. Any and all advice is appreciated on using this unit.

thanks

After you zero the scope, be sure to write down and save the zero #s. It is just a good safety precaution in case something happens and the scope resets.