Here’s a neat little gadget I picked up for this year’s boating season. It’s the Vortex Triumph HD 850 laser rangefinder. It’s very compact and perfect for anchoring the boat. We use it to measure exactly how far we are from shore or other boats because distances over water can be really deceptive. You can set it for yards or meters, look through the 5x optical lens, point it at your target, and press the button for an instant reading. It even scans continuously if you hold the button down.
I really like the features on it. It comes with a nice protective case, adjustable focus, great optics, and an LCD display that only lights up when you need it. The unit is waterproof and shockproof, has a quality feel, and runs on a simple CR2 battery that should last a long time. Vortex even offers a lifetime unconditional warranty with no registration required. I tested the range, and it easily picked up boats at 400 to 500 meters, though we mostly use it within 50 to 100 meters. It works great in normal mode for our needs, and I can even use it as a little telescope for spotting birds. Thumbs up from me.