Rangefinders
Rangefinders are anything that can give the distance between a user and a specific visible point. Whether you’re golfing, hunting, conducting a forestry survey, or on vacation, knowing the right distance is essential. Rangefinders may make use of technologies such as sonar or lasers, or may use basic mathematics to determine the distance based on objects in the field of view.
The most popular form of a rangefinders today is the laser range finder. Laser rangefinders are also often referred to as LIDAR, or Light Detection And Ranging. Laser rangefinders works by sending a narrow laser beam at the target and measuring the time it takes for the beam to bounce back.
Inaccuracies in the distance given by rangefinders can occur even with a tight beam as a laser will tend to spread out if shone over great distances. This inaccuracies in the distance given by the range finder is caused by parts of the laser beam being reflected off of objects not being shot and bounce back earlier than the object being shot. Higher-quality laser rangefinders will be able to take into account multiple targets and provide all the measurements in a graph so that one can determine the distance to the actual target.
Both radar and sonar can operate as a range finder in a similar fashion to laser rangefinders. With radar, radio waves are sent out instead of a laser beam, and as they strike objects they bounce back to the transmitter. The time between emission and reception can be measured, and the distance determined. Sonar utilizes the same principle, but uses a burst of sound, referred to as a ping, to locate objects and to find their distance. Radar is most often used to find the distance of flying objects or ships, while sonar is usually used to find the distance to underwater objects. Sonar may also be used as a specific type of range finder known as a depth-finder, using echo sounding to map the distance to the seabed.
Different types of a rangefinders have different applications, often determined by the type of material that is being measured. While radar is excellent at determining the range to metal objects, such as aircraft, it is much less effective with rocks and organic material, which may not reflect radio waves at all, and therefore provide no visible signal. Laser rangefinders, in contrast, are able to measure the distance to a much wider range of objects. Organic materials, rocks, and meteorological phenomena all have a large enough reflective footprint to show up clearly using a laser range finder. Some surfaces naturally absorb lasers, however, and various militaries have developed special laser-absorbent paints with which to coat vehicles, making them effectively invisible to laser rangefinders. Visit our Rangefinders Store by clicking the link.
A few of the different types of rangefinders are discussed below:
 
Alvin DG10275 Laser Targeting Rangefinder |
Laser Targeting Rangefinder are ideal for anyone who needs fast measurements. They usually have a sleek design that fits into your pocket. The laser targeting rangefinders have a high visibility laser that shows where you are aiming while an ultrasonic beam takes the instant measurement. They have a easy-to-read LCD that displays the measurement in feet, inches, and fraction of an inch, usually down to ¼ of a inch. They also usually have the ability to convert between feet, meters, or yards. Also the ability to add or subtract linear measurements and easily computes the area and volume. easily recalls last five measurements. A great laser targeting range finder is the Alvin DG10275 laser targeting range finder shown on the left side. Click on the image on the left or the link below for more information or to purchase your own Alvin Laser Targeting Rangefinder. Our online sale price is $43.28.
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General Purpose Rangefinder are used for hunting, sailing, foresty surveys, or visiting ruins while on vacation. They have a high-quality 6x monocular with multilayer coating for bright, clear images which is used to locate your target in the field of view. They are normally easy-to-use and features a distant target priority mode specifically designed for hunting. A really great general purpose range finder is the Nikon ProStaff Rangefinder 550, Green as shown on the right. Click on the image on the right or the link below for more information or to purchase your own Nikon ProStaff Laser Rangefinder. Our online sale price is $219.95.
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Nikon ProStaff Rangefinder 550, Green |
Nikon Laser Rangefinder Laser 800 Monarch |
Dual Mode Rangefinder have two measurement priority modes. The first target priority mode displays the range to the nearest target among multiple results obtained with a single measurement - useful when measuring the distance to a pin on a green with woods in the background. The second distant target priority mode displays the range to the farthest target among multiple results obtained with a single measurement - useful when hunting in heavily wooded areas. They can be used for hunting, sailing, foresty surveys, golfing or caddying, or visiting ruins. One of the best dual mode rangefinders is the Nikon Laser Rangefinder Laser 800 Monarch that is shown on the right. Click on the image on the left or the link below for more information. or to purchase your own Nikon Monarch Laser Rangefinder. Our online sale price is $349.95.
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High Quality Dual Mode Rangefinder have two measurement priority modes. They have the same dual mode system as explained above. The high quality mode has a higher-quality 7x monocular with multilayer coating for bright, clear images. They have a back lighted LCD and can take longer measurements with a shorter step distance. They can be used for hunting, sailing, foresty surveys, golfing or caddying, or visiting ruins. One of the best dual mode rangefinders is the Nikon Laser Rangefinder Laser 1200 Team Realtree that is shown on the right. Click on the image on the right or the link below for more information or to purchase your own Nikon Realtree Laser Rangefinder. Our online sale price is $499.95.
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Nikon Laser Rangefinder Laser 1200 Team Realtree |
Rangefinder may be used for a number of uses other than simply calculating the distance to an object. Mapping both the earth and the seabed without the interference of forest cover or other distractions, examining the interiors of clouds and calculating probabilities of rain and other meteorological events, and discerning the density of trees and vegetation in an area are other uses of rangefinders.