Vortex SPARC field expedient "repair"

ronl · June 2, 2013, 07:18 PM

How many of you have tried this red-dot? I got one yesterday and it looks pretty good, but I certainly do not like the odd sized battery. I fixed that problem in short order. I used a CR 2032, a piece of plastic, and a nickle and the thing worked perfectly. I took an adequately thick piece of plastic from a plastic jug and trimmed it to the thickness of the 2032 and installed it around the bottom of the battery compartment, which holds the battery securely in place. I found that a nickle placed on top of the 2032 works out perfectly height wise and just dropped it on top of the battery and screwed the cap down. Thing worked like a charm. Just thought I'd share this with you guys here just in case. The 2032's you can find just about anywhere and it is a 3V battery, so this might help you out if your battery dies and one is not readily available.

sailskidrive · June 2, 2013, 09:13 PM

What battery type is it supposed to use?

Double Naught Spy · June 3, 2013, 12:40 AM

When it came time to replace, I used a smaller battery with a rare earth magnet on it. I had several of the smaller batteries to use and just grabbed the magnet off the 'fridge.

moose fat · June 7, 2013, 03:14 AM

The SPARC uses a cr2354. I have been using it on my CMMG .22 upper for almost a year and have yet to replace the battery.
ymmv

Double Naught Spy · June 7, 2013, 08:45 AM

I had to replace mine because it the unit kept getting turned on in the rifle case. I really think they installed a switch with backward settings. It turns on easy, but you have to press and hold several seconds to turn off. The logic, as I understand it, is that you don't want it accidently being turned off in a crisis. The Sparc isn't exactly a battle optic, however.

KyJim · June 9, 2013, 03:11 PM

Thinking of getting one in the future and have seen the complaint about the easy switch in various places. One solution is to take out the battery if its not on a rifle to be used for immediate defense. Nice to know about the "field repair" though.

johnnydollar · June 22, 2013, 06:12 PM

I don't think the switch on the Sparc optic is "easy" to turn on. Rather, when the battery is low, it will stay on. The Sparc uses an LED for illumination, and battery-operated LED tail-lights (for bicycles, say) often come on and stay on when the batteries are low. I would pick up my rifle and look thru the Sparc only to discover it was on. I would turn it off, lay down the rifle, and when I picked it up again it was on again. I eventually discovered that upon turning it off, the LED dot would disappear for a brief second, only to come right back on. The solution was to install a new battery.

June 2, 2013, 07:18 PM	#1
ronl Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Posts: 1,100	Vortex SPARC field expedient "repair" How many of you have tried this red-dot? I got one yesterday and it looks pretty good, but I certainly do not like the odd sized battery. I fixed that problem in short order. I used a CR 2032, a piece of plastic, and a nickle and the thing worked perfectly. I took an adequately thick piece of plastic from a plastic jug and trimmed it to the thickness of the 2032 and installed it around the bottom of the battery compartment, which holds the battery securely in place. I found that a nickle placed on top of the 2032 works out perfectly height wise and just dropped it on top of the battery and screwed the cap down. Thing worked like a charm. Just thought I'd share this with you guys here just in case. The 2032's you can find just about anywhere and it is a 3V battery, so this might help you out if your battery dies and one is not readily available.

June 2, 2013, 09:13 PM	#2
sailskidrive Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2008 Posts: 726	What battery type is it supposed to use? __________________ SailSkiDrive Hk USP 45 Expert, USP 40, USP 9, SIG P226, S&W M&P9, Hk 4, Makarov, Desert Eagle 40, Beretta FS92 Centurion, Kimber TLEII 1911A1, Glock 22, SIG P225, 1943 Rem Rand 1911A1, S&W mod 64, Walther PPQ, SIG P229, Browning BDA 45 (SIG P220), Hk45, SIG P230

June 3, 2013, 12:40 AM	#3
Double Naught Spy Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX Posts: 12,716	When it came time to replace, I used a smaller battery with a rare earth magnet on it. I had several of the smaller batteries to use and just grabbed the magnet off the 'fridge. __________________ "If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011 My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

June 7, 2013, 08:45 AM	#5
Double Naught Spy Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX Posts: 12,716	I had to replace mine because it the unit kept getting turned on in the rifle case. I really think they installed a switch with backward settings. It turns on easy, but you have to press and hold several seconds to turn off. The logic, as I understand it, is that you don't want it accidently being turned off in a crisis. The Sparc isn't exactly a battle optic, however. __________________ "If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011 My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

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June 7, 2013, 03:14 AM	#4
moose fat Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Alaska, Yukon R. delta Posts: 421	The SPARC uses a cr2354. I have been using it on my CMMG .22 upper for almost a year and have yet to replace the battery. ymmv

June 9, 2013, 03:11 PM	#6
KyJim Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2005 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 9,142	Thinking of getting one in the future and have seen the complaint about the easy switch in various places. One solution is to take out the battery if its not on a rifle to be used for immediate defense. Nice to know about the "field repair" though.

June 22, 2013, 06:12 PM	#7
johnnydollar Member Join Date: September 9, 2012 Posts: 52	I don't think the switch on the Sparc optic is "easy" to turn on. Rather, when the battery is low, it will stay on. The Sparc uses an LED for illumination, and battery-operated LED tail-lights (for bicycles, say) often come on and stay on when the batteries are low. I would pick up my rifle and look thru the Sparc only to discover it was on. I would turn it off, lay down the rifle, and when I picked it up again it was on again. I eventually discovered that upon turning it off, the LED dot would disappear for a brief second, only to come right back on. The solution was to install a new battery.