NIB Elcan battery cover stuck

Boombb

Boombb

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Hey all...

Took advantage of the elcan sale and bought a spectre 1/4...

So open the box yestersay and for crap sakes i can not get the battery cover off... managed to make a few marks on my new toy aswell...

Anyone else encounter this?

Retailer closed till monday but thats where im at

Cheers.

B
 
I've never had a problem getting mine off, but mine has the older type of battery cover. I take it that yours is the newer type (with the slot for a coin or flathead screwdriver?) In any case, it should be as simple as holding the reticle brightness adjustment knob with the fingers on one hand (to apply resistance), and then applying counter-clockwise torque to the battery cap. The fact that it's not coming off suggests that something might be damaged. I wonder if someone at Raytheon or the retail outlet overtightened the cap and damaged the threads (which are very fine)? Overtightening would be pretty easy to do if the cap has the slot for a flathead screwdriver.
 
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I recall mine being tighter than a nun's... well you get the idea. But mine is also the older style, not the coin slot.
Why anybody thinks a coin is a suitable tool to remove anything is beyond me.
 
I had the same issue and contacted Armament, they replied:

They are on there really tight. If you happen to have a screwdriver with a large tip (or another tool) that would fit the slot it would be OK to apply some torque to get it off. You could also use an elastic band over a screwdriver tip to made a more snug fit.
Click to expand...
 
So after using much more force than one should be comfortable using on a nearly 3k scope (2200 on sale)... im in.

But crap.. now my battery cover is all marked up. Perhaps elcan QC guy was in the head
 
I marked mine up as well.. have you notice that replacement covers are available via retail channels? I was wondering why before I bought it... Glad you were able to unscrew it though, I had to use similar amounts of force.
 
Glad to hear you got it off. There's nothing worse than getting a new toy, and finding out that it has issues (especially one in that price range).
 
Boombb said:
Hey all...

Took advantage of the elcan sale and bought a spectre 1/4...

So open the box yestersay and for crap sakes i can not get the battery cover off... managed to make a few marks on my new toy aswell...

Anyone else encounter this?

Retailer closed till monday but thats where im at

Cheers.

B
Click to expand...

Encountered the same issue. Bought a new Spectre DR 1.5/6X last week from Calgary Shooring Centre through their ELCAN sale price match offer ($2285) and struggled to remove the battery cap it was on so tight. Ended up covering a large slot screwdriver in a couple layers of electrical tape to minimize battery cap damage and removed it.

The instructions say to replace the cap after battery installation and tighten it “finger tight”, which I did and then some. I turn on the scope and the illuminated dot was only visible at the first and fourth intensity setting. WTF? This scope is brand new. Then when I start moving the scope around the illuminated dot flickers on/off inconsistently.

I am thinking bad battery? So I go get another new coin cell and install that one. Same problems. Now I am thinking short circuit and crappy QC from Elcan.

So I call Armament Technology Tech support for the ELCAN product line. The tech tells me to reef the battery cover as tight as when it was shipped. I managed to get another 1/8 turn tighter with the electrical tape covered slot screwdriver. Problem solved.

Turns out the battery cover “tightness” is a military torque spec designed for battlefield operations and zero chance of battery cover loss through impact/shock/vibration/recoil.....whatever.
 
Thanks for that piece of information, makes sense to me.. though they should build the covers out of a sturdier material.
 
Ha!

Interesting thank you.... that would be a good caution sticker for the manufacturer ...makes sense but still i had to put the scope in a vice to get enough purchase to turn my screwdriver.

To the range tomorrow.
 
Good seeing this tread before my ELCAN 1x4 gets here tomorrow or the next day, I also took advantage of the ELCAN sale....

In my experience with slotted caps, it is very important that the fit of the tool or coin you use it tight. Any looseness in the fit of the tool will result in damaging the slot. So I usually make a tool out of a metal washer, that is a tight fit to the slot .....My Trijicon MRO has the same slotted cap on the top, same deal with that one and a few other devices I have with slotted caps

Flat blade screw driver is not idea because most slots are cut into the cap concave, so a flat blade does not sit deep enough into the concave slot and slips out and causes damage, That is why a coin or washer can fit better as the outer roundness can allow it to fit the concave better for maxim contact

Just a quick look and its exactly as I suspected. slot is concave into the cap, a flat bottomed tool is not going to get enough purchase on the cap, the edges will slip out and mangle that slot
new-style-specter-dr-battery-cover-black24521756.jpg


My Aimpoint came with a tool specific to removing those caps, it has convex shaped sides that fit those slots concave
here you can see it beside a metal tool, also with the correct convex shape to fit those slotted caps properly
Comabt_Optic_Tool008.jpg
 
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FYI for anyone in the future, I just got my optic (A week and a half late, thanks CanadaPost!) and after reading this post and also a lot of comments on the battery cap being tight and people causing damage trying to remove it to install the battery, I was a little worried Id also damage my cap

Well I tired using my Aimpoint tool, and it is a perfect fit! And the cap came off really easily using it

So I highly suggest everyone either buy this tool or borrow one from someone, its a perfect fit for this.

tHfGWno.jpg


https://imgur.com/a/nLTNcg4
 
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