Nightvisionary
New member
TLDR Summary: Optic lacks always on feature, motion sensing auto on/off feature does not work, optic shuts down after 30 min even if the rifle is being handled or fired, major difficulties encountered with DI Optics customer service.
When I first learned of DI Optics red dot sights hitting the US market I was pretty excited. DI Optics is a South Korean company that advertises that it supplies optical sights to the South Korean military. My initial research on the optics appeared promising. Most specifically passing MIL-STD 810 for shock and extreme environmental conditions, positive customer reviews (although somewhat limited at this time), and mid $200-$300 price tag made it a very promising possible alternative to Aimpoint, Eotech, and Trijicon red dot sights.
I originally planned on ordering the DI Optics RV-1. It has an adjustable dial with several day and night vision settings with a 20,000 hour battery life. The RV-1 retails around $229. Unfortunately, at the time, I could not find one in stock.
I did find a DI Optics RV-2 in stock for $269 from an Amazon retailer. I ordered that and it arrived in early February. It is a slightly more sophisticated model than the RV-1. It too is advertised as offering a 20,000 hour battery life with a single lithium AA battery. The battery life was a major deciding factor for me as I wanted to be able to leave the optic on 24/7. The RV-2 has three rubber push button controls on the left side for night vision, and up and down daytime brightness controls. It features 7 daylight settings and 7 night vision settings. It includes a built it QD mount with a round knob that can be hand tightened. It also includes plastic flip up lens covers, lens cleaning cloth, sight adjustment tool, and Allen wrench.
My initial impression was it appeared to be a very robust well-made optic. The lenses have a slight blue tint. I would have liked to seen a raised guard of some sort surrounding the controls. Since the controls are on the left side I can envision them being inadvertently operated or damaged by making contact with gear when the rifle is carried in a two point sling. It is most likely a minor issue. The lens covers are made of a semi-pliable plastic. They do not have hinges. Instead the plastic bends slightly when in the raised position. It seems that these would eventually crack with long term use but that is just a guess. I did not experience any issues with the lens covers during my limited testing.
I mounted the RV-2 on an AR carbine. Initial zeroing was very simple. The adjustments were tactile and the 1.5 MOA dot was precise and easy to use. Once zeroed I fired a few more rounds then took a break for a range cease fire. When I started to shoot again the optic was off. I had used a new lithium battery so I was a bit perplexed. If I had carefully read through the entire manual I would have understood why this happened. I will get to that later. I detached and reattached the optic to see if the mount would return to zero. I gave the knob a decent amount of torque with my thumb and forefinger then fired 5 shots. The optic returned to the initial precise zero.
I read through the manual again and confirmed the RV-2, at least according to the manual has a motion sensing automatic-on and off feature. It should shut itself off when no motion is detected for a certain amount of time then turn itself back on to the last setting used once motion is detected by the optic. That means there is no always on setting to take full advantage of the 20,000 hour battery life. I was a bit disappointed but I figured as long as it turns on automatically as stated in the manual then that would work just fine. I have a Leupold Delta Point MRDS with this feature and it has worked very well.
I cased the rifle then forgot about the optic until I went to the range the next week. During the next range session I took the rifle and RV-2 out of the case and observed that it did not turn on automatically. I pushed the UP button to turn it on and started shooting. The dot was easy to work with. I managed a few 1 to 1.5 MOA 5 shot groups at 100 yards from the bench with relative ease. I set the rifle down for a while. When I picked it back up the sight was turned off again. I moved the rifle around, then shook it, nothing happened. I had to turn it back on using the UP button.
On the drive home I turned the RV-2 on again then checked the clock. I figured the constant motion from the drive should keep it on. Just before I arrived home I checked it at the 32 minute mark and found it had turned off again. That night I tested it several times shaking it every 5 minutes and even moving it constantly. In spite of this the RV-2 would shut itself off every time between 27 and 32 minutes, requiring I physically push the UP button to turn it back on. I swapped batteries to see if that was the problem but received the same result.
I grabbed my PVS-14 to test the 7 night vision settings. I turned the RV-2 on with the UP button the hit the NV button for night vision mode. It turned to night vision mode. I tested it for about 5 minutes and Im very confident I used the UP and DN button to cycle through the 7 night vision settings. When I did it would switch back to the daylight setting and create a large bloom through the PVS-14. During several attempts I had the same result which is it appeared to have only one night vision setting. In fairness I repeated this test a few days later and found it cycled through all 7 night vision settings. I guess it’s possible I had a brain fart over 5 minutes during the first test but I am 99% certain I operated the optic in the same manner.
The next afternoon on Friday I called the number listed in the manual for DI Optics USA customer service. When the person answered I thought I had called the wrong number because I could not understand a single word the person said. The person’s accent was so heavy I honestly thought they were speaking a foreign language. I asked if I had reached DI Optics. After 3 or 4 attempts I was able to understand that I had reached DI Optics but the customer service number had changed. I was given a different number for a man named Phillip and told to call back on Monday because Phillip had left for the day.
On Monday I called the number and spoke with someone who I could understand only slightly better. I asked if this was Phillip in customer service. I was told it was not but he transferred me to Phillip. Phillip answered and I told him I had recently purchased an RV-2 and the auto ON-OFF function was not working. I explained that the unit would shut itself off after 27 to 32 minutes even with constant motion and would not turn on without the controls being physically manipulated. I told him I would like an RMA so I could send it in under the 3 year warranty. Phillip replied that the optic doesn’t have an auto ON-OFF function as it is controlled by a dial. I replied, “That’s the RV-1, I have the RV-2”. He said something along the lines of, “How do know it’s supposed to have that feature, I am not aware of it having that feature”. I told him I was reading straight out of the DI Optics RV-2 manual and the manual specifically states that is has that feature. I told him I purchased the optic because it was advertised as having a 20,000 battery life but I cannot leave it on, it won’t stay on for more than about a half hour and won’t turn back on unless I physically turn it on. He replied, “Well maybe that’s a misprint”. I replied, “It’s not a misprint its 3 full sentences in the manual describing the function. It’s not useable as is, I just need it fixed”. He said something like, “I can’t let you send it in under warranty because I don’t even know that it has that feature”. I replied,” So you are telling me you are not going to fix this”. He again said he didn’t know that the optic was supposed to have that feature.
At this point I was getting a little frustrated so I remained polite but became very assertive. I told him that not only was my RV-2 under warranty but DI Optics was legally obligated under California Uniform Commercial Code (Almost all states are signatories to the UCC) to provide the buyer with a product that meets the description advertised. I said, “I need you to take care of this. If you don’t I will communicate my experience with the product on every forum available to me”. Phillip didn’t appreciate that and stated since I was making threats he was not going to help me. I told him I wasn’t making threats I was telling him that if his company did not honor their obligations I would communicate my experience as a DI Optics customer to other potential customers. Phillip said he would look at a manual to see if the RV-2 had the auto ON-OFF feature.
After reading through the RV-2 manual Phillip stated that he thought it was a misprint but was unsure. He said he would need to contact the factory in South Korea to determine whether it had that feature. He said if it did they would have to send my RV-2 to South Korea for evaluation and repair. I was dismayed, I asked, “You have to send this to South Korea? How long will that take?” He wasn’t sure. I told him I didn’t understand why he didn’t know this information and I didn’t understand why he as a customer service rep had to read the manual or confer with the factory in South Korea to know the basic features of the product. I told him it did not seem like he was able or willing to help me so I asked to speak to his manager. Phillip replied that he was the customer service manager and there was no one else I could talk to. Phillip told me he would speak with the factory the next day and contact me within two days. The conversation ended there.
Phillip called the next day and explained that DI factory engineers told him that the auto ON motion detecting feature was removed from the optic to extend the battery life but they had forgotten to revise the manual. He said that my scope was malfunctioning because it should stay on for 4 hours before shutting down. He explained that he had a conference call scheduled with the engineers in South Korea later that day and would discuss my issues during the meeting and get back to me with a possible solution. I was told if I wanted an optic that could be left on all the time I could exchange the RV-2 for an RV-1. I said I wasn’t opposed to that but the RV-2 was a more expensive optic so a straight exchange would leave me $40-$50 out of pocket. He didn’t have a solution other than to tell me $40-$50 wasn’t that much money.
Phillip was very good over the next few days about keeping me updated via email. He stated engineers were working on a solution and they could probably modify my RV-2 so the motion activated auto ON feature was enabled. I wasn’t told what effect that would have on battery life. I told him I had until Monday before my 30 return period expired through Amazon. He wrote it would likely take at least a few weeks so he could not provide a solution or definite answer before Monday. In addition he would be out of the office for a couple of weeks on business. I wondered who that would leave at DI Optics to handle customer service, warranty, and technical questions from customers.
I decided to send it back to the retailer on Monday. I closely read through the manual on Monday and it specifically states the RV-2 has a 30 minute auto shut off if no motion is detected, not 4 hours as stated by Phillip. Now I wonder if the motion sensing feature hasn’t been completely deactivated for both on and off functions in the RV-2. Phillip emailed that he did test some RV-2’s in his office and confirmed the auto-on feature does not work but said they stayed on for more than an hour. As is the 20,000 hour battery life of the RV-2 is a useless selling point because you cannot leave it on and it shuts down after 30 minutes (which in my case was 27-32 minutes) requiring the user to manually turn it on each time? When this occurs it turns on at the highest brightness setting so the user may also have to manipulate the DN button to reduce the brightness in low light settings.
I really wanted to like this optic. If it worked as advertised it would be a great lower priced alternative to higher priced RDS’ without having to resort to the sub $200 budget optics available. On Monday I even considered ordering an RV-1 for $229 from Primary Arms now that they are in stock but I am soured from the whole experience. I can accept the possibility that I may have had the misfortune to get a bad optic that slipped through quality control. That happens to even the best manufacturers with great quality assurance programs. What I cannot accept is customer service that knows less about the product than a new customer and is so resistant to acknowledge that a problem even exists. That is just not worth the lower price tag to me. Hopefully DI Optics will get all of these problems ironed out because they have what is potentially a great line of new products for the U.S. market. Unless and until that happens I will have to look to other manufacturers for rifle optics.
When I first learned of DI Optics red dot sights hitting the US market I was pretty excited. DI Optics is a South Korean company that advertises that it supplies optical sights to the South Korean military. My initial research on the optics appeared promising. Most specifically passing MIL-STD 810 for shock and extreme environmental conditions, positive customer reviews (although somewhat limited at this time), and mid $200-$300 price tag made it a very promising possible alternative to Aimpoint, Eotech, and Trijicon red dot sights.
I originally planned on ordering the DI Optics RV-1. It has an adjustable dial with several day and night vision settings with a 20,000 hour battery life. The RV-1 retails around $229. Unfortunately, at the time, I could not find one in stock.
I did find a DI Optics RV-2 in stock for $269 from an Amazon retailer. I ordered that and it arrived in early February. It is a slightly more sophisticated model than the RV-1. It too is advertised as offering a 20,000 hour battery life with a single lithium AA battery. The battery life was a major deciding factor for me as I wanted to be able to leave the optic on 24/7. The RV-2 has three rubber push button controls on the left side for night vision, and up and down daytime brightness controls. It features 7 daylight settings and 7 night vision settings. It includes a built it QD mount with a round knob that can be hand tightened. It also includes plastic flip up lens covers, lens cleaning cloth, sight adjustment tool, and Allen wrench.
My initial impression was it appeared to be a very robust well-made optic. The lenses have a slight blue tint. I would have liked to seen a raised guard of some sort surrounding the controls. Since the controls are on the left side I can envision them being inadvertently operated or damaged by making contact with gear when the rifle is carried in a two point sling. It is most likely a minor issue. The lens covers are made of a semi-pliable plastic. They do not have hinges. Instead the plastic bends slightly when in the raised position. It seems that these would eventually crack with long term use but that is just a guess. I did not experience any issues with the lens covers during my limited testing.
I mounted the RV-2 on an AR carbine. Initial zeroing was very simple. The adjustments were tactile and the 1.5 MOA dot was precise and easy to use. Once zeroed I fired a few more rounds then took a break for a range cease fire. When I started to shoot again the optic was off. I had used a new lithium battery so I was a bit perplexed. If I had carefully read through the entire manual I would have understood why this happened. I will get to that later. I detached and reattached the optic to see if the mount would return to zero. I gave the knob a decent amount of torque with my thumb and forefinger then fired 5 shots. The optic returned to the initial precise zero.
I read through the manual again and confirmed the RV-2, at least according to the manual has a motion sensing automatic-on and off feature. It should shut itself off when no motion is detected for a certain amount of time then turn itself back on to the last setting used once motion is detected by the optic. That means there is no always on setting to take full advantage of the 20,000 hour battery life. I was a bit disappointed but I figured as long as it turns on automatically as stated in the manual then that would work just fine. I have a Leupold Delta Point MRDS with this feature and it has worked very well.
I cased the rifle then forgot about the optic until I went to the range the next week. During the next range session I took the rifle and RV-2 out of the case and observed that it did not turn on automatically. I pushed the UP button to turn it on and started shooting. The dot was easy to work with. I managed a few 1 to 1.5 MOA 5 shot groups at 100 yards from the bench with relative ease. I set the rifle down for a while. When I picked it back up the sight was turned off again. I moved the rifle around, then shook it, nothing happened. I had to turn it back on using the UP button.
On the drive home I turned the RV-2 on again then checked the clock. I figured the constant motion from the drive should keep it on. Just before I arrived home I checked it at the 32 minute mark and found it had turned off again. That night I tested it several times shaking it every 5 minutes and even moving it constantly. In spite of this the RV-2 would shut itself off every time between 27 and 32 minutes, requiring I physically push the UP button to turn it back on. I swapped batteries to see if that was the problem but received the same result.
I grabbed my PVS-14 to test the 7 night vision settings. I turned the RV-2 on with the UP button the hit the NV button for night vision mode. It turned to night vision mode. I tested it for about 5 minutes and Im very confident I used the UP and DN button to cycle through the 7 night vision settings. When I did it would switch back to the daylight setting and create a large bloom through the PVS-14. During several attempts I had the same result which is it appeared to have only one night vision setting. In fairness I repeated this test a few days later and found it cycled through all 7 night vision settings. I guess it’s possible I had a brain fart over 5 minutes during the first test but I am 99% certain I operated the optic in the same manner.
The next afternoon on Friday I called the number listed in the manual for DI Optics USA customer service. When the person answered I thought I had called the wrong number because I could not understand a single word the person said. The person’s accent was so heavy I honestly thought they were speaking a foreign language. I asked if I had reached DI Optics. After 3 or 4 attempts I was able to understand that I had reached DI Optics but the customer service number had changed. I was given a different number for a man named Phillip and told to call back on Monday because Phillip had left for the day.
On Monday I called the number and spoke with someone who I could understand only slightly better. I asked if this was Phillip in customer service. I was told it was not but he transferred me to Phillip. Phillip answered and I told him I had recently purchased an RV-2 and the auto ON-OFF function was not working. I explained that the unit would shut itself off after 27 to 32 minutes even with constant motion and would not turn on without the controls being physically manipulated. I told him I would like an RMA so I could send it in under the 3 year warranty. Phillip replied that the optic doesn’t have an auto ON-OFF function as it is controlled by a dial. I replied, “That’s the RV-1, I have the RV-2”. He said something along the lines of, “How do know it’s supposed to have that feature, I am not aware of it having that feature”. I told him I was reading straight out of the DI Optics RV-2 manual and the manual specifically states that is has that feature. I told him I purchased the optic because it was advertised as having a 20,000 battery life but I cannot leave it on, it won’t stay on for more than about a half hour and won’t turn back on unless I physically turn it on. He replied, “Well maybe that’s a misprint”. I replied, “It’s not a misprint its 3 full sentences in the manual describing the function. It’s not useable as is, I just need it fixed”. He said something like, “I can’t let you send it in under warranty because I don’t even know that it has that feature”. I replied,” So you are telling me you are not going to fix this”. He again said he didn’t know that the optic was supposed to have that feature.
At this point I was getting a little frustrated so I remained polite but became very assertive. I told him that not only was my RV-2 under warranty but DI Optics was legally obligated under California Uniform Commercial Code (Almost all states are signatories to the UCC) to provide the buyer with a product that meets the description advertised. I said, “I need you to take care of this. If you don’t I will communicate my experience with the product on every forum available to me”. Phillip didn’t appreciate that and stated since I was making threats he was not going to help me. I told him I wasn’t making threats I was telling him that if his company did not honor their obligations I would communicate my experience as a DI Optics customer to other potential customers. Phillip said he would look at a manual to see if the RV-2 had the auto ON-OFF feature.
After reading through the RV-2 manual Phillip stated that he thought it was a misprint but was unsure. He said he would need to contact the factory in South Korea to determine whether it had that feature. He said if it did they would have to send my RV-2 to South Korea for evaluation and repair. I was dismayed, I asked, “You have to send this to South Korea? How long will that take?” He wasn’t sure. I told him I didn’t understand why he didn’t know this information and I didn’t understand why he as a customer service rep had to read the manual or confer with the factory in South Korea to know the basic features of the product. I told him it did not seem like he was able or willing to help me so I asked to speak to his manager. Phillip replied that he was the customer service manager and there was no one else I could talk to. Phillip told me he would speak with the factory the next day and contact me within two days. The conversation ended there.
Phillip called the next day and explained that DI factory engineers told him that the auto ON motion detecting feature was removed from the optic to extend the battery life but they had forgotten to revise the manual. He said that my scope was malfunctioning because it should stay on for 4 hours before shutting down. He explained that he had a conference call scheduled with the engineers in South Korea later that day and would discuss my issues during the meeting and get back to me with a possible solution. I was told if I wanted an optic that could be left on all the time I could exchange the RV-2 for an RV-1. I said I wasn’t opposed to that but the RV-2 was a more expensive optic so a straight exchange would leave me $40-$50 out of pocket. He didn’t have a solution other than to tell me $40-$50 wasn’t that much money.
Phillip was very good over the next few days about keeping me updated via email. He stated engineers were working on a solution and they could probably modify my RV-2 so the motion activated auto ON feature was enabled. I wasn’t told what effect that would have on battery life. I told him I had until Monday before my 30 return period expired through Amazon. He wrote it would likely take at least a few weeks so he could not provide a solution or definite answer before Monday. In addition he would be out of the office for a couple of weeks on business. I wondered who that would leave at DI Optics to handle customer service, warranty, and technical questions from customers.
I decided to send it back to the retailer on Monday. I closely read through the manual on Monday and it specifically states the RV-2 has a 30 minute auto shut off if no motion is detected, not 4 hours as stated by Phillip. Now I wonder if the motion sensing feature hasn’t been completely deactivated for both on and off functions in the RV-2. Phillip emailed that he did test some RV-2’s in his office and confirmed the auto-on feature does not work but said they stayed on for more than an hour. As is the 20,000 hour battery life of the RV-2 is a useless selling point because you cannot leave it on and it shuts down after 30 minutes (which in my case was 27-32 minutes) requiring the user to manually turn it on each time? When this occurs it turns on at the highest brightness setting so the user may also have to manipulate the DN button to reduce the brightness in low light settings.
I really wanted to like this optic. If it worked as advertised it would be a great lower priced alternative to higher priced RDS’ without having to resort to the sub $200 budget optics available. On Monday I even considered ordering an RV-1 for $229 from Primary Arms now that they are in stock but I am soured from the whole experience. I can accept the possibility that I may have had the misfortune to get a bad optic that slipped through quality control. That happens to even the best manufacturers with great quality assurance programs. What I cannot accept is customer service that knows less about the product than a new customer and is so resistant to acknowledge that a problem even exists. That is just not worth the lower price tag to me. Hopefully DI Optics will get all of these problems ironed out because they have what is potentially a great line of new products for the U.S. market. Unless and until that happens I will have to look to other manufacturers for rifle optics.