Voice Caddie SL2

[dkoeller88]

Just released on the VC website, but I havent seen this in stores yet.  Anyone buy one?  Comparisons to the Garmin Z82?

[Willwinz]

I like the idea of the laser and the screen being separate. The touchscreen seems useful to, makes the GPS even more useful. I had a Garmin z80 and wasn’t a fan of the laser itself, somewhat slow and harder to use than my old Nikon. Not to mention the green slope feature looks great. Planning on ordering one

[Str8Putt]

Let's Play Thru on Youtube has a review up on it 

[BSTRONG1313]

I haven't used it but it seems really nice. I would prefer the screen and rangefinder separated like on the SL2 compared to the Z82. I have had the z82 for a year and it just takes too long to get a distance, the GPS can be off too often and I just don't ever feel confident in the number. If your deciding between the two I would give the SL2 a shot first. 

[Willwinz]

I bought one and find it far superior to the Garmin Z80. Much easier to use and faster. 

[JourdanM]

Anybody have any more feedback on this? I have it but can't seem to get a good lock on flags. I believe it's meant to have that functionality...

[m_w]

4 hours ago, JourdanM said:

Anybody have any more feedback on this? I have it but can't seem to get a good lock on flags. I believe it's meant to have that functionality...

• Very quick pin acquisition. Same yardages as the Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized i compared it to
• Clear optics, however the HUD overlay is pretty low brightness/contrast so its sometimes hard to see
• The small display has a bunch of functionality, front, mid, back distances to greens, the new green slope visual which is pretty cool, hole preview etc
• Battery life is so-so, one charge would last me approximately 4 rounds with varying usage

Overall i think its the best GPS/Rangefinder combo currently available. It lacks the "wow" from the Z82 of having the hole preview in the finder itself but the fast pin acquisition and responsive display makes up for it. If you are looking for an "all-in-one" solution as the only device you bring to the course, I would recommend the SL2. If you have a smart watch or phone on you any ways, I think you'll be better off with the regular laser.

 

I personally tried the SL2 for 6 rounds and I just don't use the features enough. If you play new courses that you don't know a lot, i think its worth its weight in gold, if you play a lot of the same courses, the value goes down pretty quick. However, if someone is buying a new rangefinder anyways, would I would the SL2 over say the Bushnell Pro XE or the Nikon Coolshot 2 Stab? Absolutely.

Edited April 18, 2022 by m_w

[BostonWRX]

On 4/18/2022 at 4:40 PM, m_w said:

• Very quick pin acquisition. Same yardages as the Nikon Coolshot Pro II Stabilized i compared it to
• Clear optics, however the HUD overlay is pretty low brightness/contrast so its sometimes hard to see
• The small display has a bunch of functionality, front, mid, back distances to greens, the new green slope visual which is pretty cool, hole preview etc
• Battery life is so-so, one charge would last me approximately 4 rounds with varying usage

Overall i think its the best GPS/Rangefinder combo currently available. It lacks the "wow" from the Z82 of having the hole preview in the finder itself but the fast pin acquisition and responsive display makes up for it. If you are looking for an "all-in-one" solution as the only device you bring to the course, I would recommend the SL2. If you have a smart watch or phone on you any ways, I think you'll be better off with the regular laser.

 

I personally tried the SL2 for 6 rounds and I just don't use the features enough. If you play new courses that you don't know a lot, i think its worth its weight in gold, if you play a lot of the same courses, the value goes down pretty quick. However, if someone is buying a new rangefinder anyways, would I would the SL2 over say the Bushnell Pro XE or the Nikon Coolshot 2 Stab? Absolutely.

Dumb question but I just got a SL2 to try. Does the power just automatically shut off or is there a way to power it off?

[m_w]

6 hours ago, BostonWRX said:

Dumb question but I just got a SL2 to try. Does the power just automatically shut off or is there a way to power it off?

Yes it does 

[Yuck]

Anyone figure out how to manually advance holes on these?  I walk, and will leave bag in a convenient place for the next tee,  but the auto-advance feature won’t recognize when I go to the next tee.  I am obviously too dense to figure out how to do this.  I have to exit golf mode, re-enter golf mode, select course and wait for it to recognize the hole I am on.  Is their an easier way?

 

[JourdanM]

3 hours ago, Yuck said:

Anyone figure out how to manually advance holes on these?  I walk, and will leave bag in a convenient place for the next tee,  but the auto-advance feature won’t recognize when I go to the next tee.  I am obviously too dense to figure out how to do this.  I have to exit golf mode, re-enter golf mode, select course and wait for it to recognize the hole I am on.  Is their an easier way?

 

I've noticed mine sometimes messes the holes up and I exit golf and restart, like you.  Hopefully someone can answer 

[Yuck]

On 4/24/2022 at 5:54 PM, JourdanM said:

I've noticed mine sometimes messes the holes up and I exit golf and restart, like you.  Hopefully someone can answer 

I wrote Customer service about manually advancing holes.  They responded same day.  While in golf mode, swipe up.  This will bring up golf settings.  You will see a line item for change hole. Swipe up or down to change the hole # and press the check mark.  I went out and tested it today and it worked.  Also, hole advance does not happen automatically when the unit never makes it near the green of the hole you are playing, which is normal for most GPS units.  

 

Also, my concern on battery drain was because I would just leave it in golf mode when the round was finished.  You should exit golf mode at the end of the round for auto shutdown to work in a timely manner.

[JourdanM]

38 minutes ago, Yuck said:

I wrote Customer service about manually advancing holes.  They responded same day.  While in golf mode, swipe up.  This will bring up golf settings.  You will see a line item for change hole. Swipe up or down to change the hole # and press the check mark.  I went out and tested it today and it worked.  Also, hole advance does not happen automatically when the unit never makes it near the green of the hole you are playing, which is normal for most GPS units.  

 

Also, my concern on battery drain was because I would just leave it in golf mode when the round was finished.  You should exit golf mode at the end of the round for auto shutdown to work in a timely manner.

Thanks for checking into it !

[Yuck]

Ok,

 

I have used the SL2 for about 4 rounds now, so I have a few thoughts.  I am a walker, usually use a push cart and historically have only carried a GPS device.  My wife had a range finder, and I would borrow it now and then and liked the additional accuracy when I could not tell where the pin placement was.  Problem was, I did not like dealing with 2 devices as a walker.  I liked the F/ M / B and hazard numbers from the GPS, but the laser was handy about 6 - 10 holes a round.

 

I decided to try the SL2 because it had both features, and could be had at a decent price.  It took me a couple rounds and some emails to customer service to figure everything out, but now I really like it.  If I only need F/ M/ B yardages or Hzd numbers I don’t even have to take it out of the case.  Laser works flawlessly, as do a lot of other brands.  I have not made use of the green undulations or slope features since I keep it in tournament mode.  The only downside I can think of is that it is “too pretty”.  Looks to me like a fancy old ladies Opera Glass case.   It looks well made and high quality, but more like jewelry than a tool.  It is holding up ok so far.  All in all, it is a keeper.

 

 

[JourdanM]

2 hours ago, Yuck said:

Ok,

 

I have used the SL2 for about 4 rounds now, so I have a few thoughts.  I am a walker, usually use a push cart and historically have only carried a GPS device.  My wife had a range finder, and I would borrow it now and then and liked the additional accuracy when I could not tell where the pin placement was.  Problem was, I did not like dealing with 2 devices as a walker.  I liked the F/ M / B and hazard numbers from the GPS, but the laser was handy about 6 - 10 holes a round.

 

I decided to try the SL2 because it had both features, and could be had at a decent price.  It took me a couple rounds and some emails to customer service to figure everything out, but now I really like it.  If I only need F/ M/ B yardages or Hzd numbers I don’t even have to take it out of the case.  Laser works flawlessly, as do a lot of other brands.  I have not made use of the green undulations or slope features since I keep it in tournament mode.  The only downside I can think of is that it is “too pretty”.  Looks to me like a fancy old ladies Opera Glass case.   It looks well made and high quality, but more like jewelry than a tool.  It is holding up ok so far.  All in all, it is a keeper.

 

 

I guess I need to watch a how to video. How are you getting the FMB numbers? Have you had trouble unlocking it at all? Seems like sometimes it's quick and sometimes it just doesn't want to unlock. My optics  were super faint tonight at league too, to the point where I could even read the number it s*** the pin at. 

[Yuck]

In golf mode the initial screen is F/M/B before you swipe right for the hole layout & green screens.  I assumed it was the default initial screen.  The OLED in the rangefinder lens has 6 brightness settings.  Hitting mode & power at the same time will toggle through those settings.  I know there is a night mode, but I never accessed it.  Could explain the dim settings.  I agree the owners manual is not really detailed enough.  I have not had trouble unlocking, but I think I have that setting “off”.    Good luck.  W

[Yuck]

For anyone interested,  Rock Bottom Golf is running their 20% one item promotion, one day only,  which can be applied to the SL2.  Free 2 day shipping and possibly no sales tax, depending on your State.  That is how I picked up mine last month.  Pretty good deal for an item that is hard to find on sale.

[BostonWRX]

I used mine today for the first time. Very impressed and happy with it.  Shooting the flag is as good if not better then any I have tried. And the gps worked pretty well on the course. It did stay stuck on 2 holes but was easy to fix