Nikon Coolshot Pro II - Flag Accuracy Terrible

[bioman]

Just picked on up, used to have a Bushnell V4 Jolt. 

 

I'm finding that I have trouble getting a flag lock with the Nikon. It often takes me a while to get the green circle and if I do it twice, I will often get 2 different yardage reading. It'll sometimes lock onto a person or tree and give me the wrong yardage. There are time where I'll press the range button for 10+ seconds, hover around the flag and it won't lock on. 

 

My old Bushnell used to lock on within a few seconds and give me the same flag yardage every time. 

Am I doing something wrong or do I have a bad unit?

[TheFatArmadillo]

I recently picked one up and have played one round with it.  I had some trouble getting the green circle to appear.  I’m assuming it’s user error at this point, but haven’t used it enough to be able to figure out what I’m doing wrong.

[NCDuffer]

I had Nikon’s first version for several years until I loaned it out and it was broken.  It’s not as fast as a Bushnell, but I did find it accurate when comparing to what a Bushnell shot.  My son had a Bushnell V3, later an XE or X3, so that’s what I’m comparing.  The green circle can lag, but I think it had more to do with my shaky hands.

[North Butte]

I've own Nikon stabilized rangefinders since just a couple months after the first version came out. Now I have the Pro II model (which works better than the 1st gen with polarized sunglasses, BTW). Both of mine have easily locked onto flagsticks first try, every time. Also easy to lock on a tree or a bunker lip or whatever. If the flags have reflectors it is easy to lock on from more than 500 yards.

 

But almost every time I've handed mine to someone else to use, they look through it for a while, punch the button a couple times and swear to me that it will not lock onto a flag. It's an abiding mystery to me. They'll hand it back to me, I shoot the flag and tell them the distance. They look at me like they don't believe me. It's weird.

I finally quit handing to people. If they want a yardage I give it to them.

 

Pretty crazy, eh?

[bioman]

50 minutes ago, North Butte said:

I've own Nikon stabilized rangefinders since just a couple months after the first version came out. Now I have the Pro II model (which works better than the 1st gen with polarized sunglasses, BTW). Both of mine have easily locked onto flagsticks first try, every time. Also easy to lock on a tree or a bunker lip or whatever. If the flags have reflectors it is easy to lock on from more than 500 yards.

 

But almost every time I've handed mine to someone else to use, they look through it for a while, punch the button a couple times and swear to me that it will not lock onto a flag. It's an abiding mystery to me. They'll hand it back to me, I shoot the flag and tell them the distance. They look at me like they don't believe me. It's weird.

I finally quit handing to people. If they want a yardage I give it to them.

 

Pretty crazy, eh?

 

Is there a certain part of the flag you always try to shoot?

 

I feel like I get a better lock if I try to shoot the bottom of the flag with the Nikon. With the Bushnell, the top of the flag is where I always aimed.

[North Butte]

I usually aim at the flag part, not the stick below the flag.

[larrybud]

Sounds like you boys needs to break out the user manual.

https://www.manuals.co.uk/nikon/coolshot-pro-ii-stabilized/manual?p=20

 

[Velcade]

On 4/26/2023 at 2:11 PM, bioman said:

I'll press the range button for 10+ seconds, hover around the flag and it won't lock on.

I just press the button once and it locks on and gives a reading.  Not sure why you're holding the button down.  

 

The Pro II is the easiest range finder I've ever used.  Love the stabilization. Flag lock works great, I always shoot the flag. 

[golfinbrad]

On my 2nd season and no complaints so far.  I have no issue.

[Marty86]

did you get a deferected model because I've had mine now for my 2nd year and I lock onto targets faster than all my friends do with their other brands.

[bioman]

4 hours ago, Velcade said:

I just press the button once and it locks on and gives a reading.  Not sure why you're holding the button down.  

 

The Pro II is the easiest range finder I've ever used.  Love the stabilization. Flag lock works great, I always shoot the flag. 

 

I didn't read up on how the priority function worked, thought it was similar to the Bushnell where it has both a vibration and beep when the flag is explicitly locked onto when holding. 

 

I've tried to hit the flag on the first try and I'm never quite sure, because I do it twice and it'll give me a different reading. Will try practicing a bit more on it and report back.

[Velcade]

14 hours ago, bioman said:

I didn't read up on how the priority function worked,

Ah, yeah that happens.  Report back on your next outing.  

[jmudo]

I have the same issue. I can’t get the green circle. Last round I don’t think I got it more than twice. I also have to take a lot more effort to look straight on to get a full view compared to my bushnell.  I actually just went outside and tested it. It works fine on street signs. I don’t know what the deal is. 

Edited May 10, 2023 by jmudo

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

Mine works just great, maybe call or email Nikon customer service?  I found them to be very responsive.

[bioman]

8 hours ago, jmudo said:

I have the same issue. I can’t get the green circle. Last round I don’t think I got it more than twice. I also have to take a lot more effort to look straight on to get a full view compared to my bushnell.  I actually just went outside and tested it. It works fine on street signs. I don’t know what the deal is. 

 

Based on the user manual, the green circle isn't for the flag. It's for identifying the closest object to you in the line of sight when there are two objects on that line(e.g. flag and a tree). 

Folks are saying just shoot the flag once and that number you get is the right one.

[TheFatArmadillo]

Got to use this again this weekend, performance was much better and locking into flags was quick.  Must just have been ‘getting to used to it’.

[BostonWRX]

I had same issue kept struggling to lock on flag and be confident it was the correct number. Ended up moving on into the  voice caddy tl1

[jacho22]

I haven't had any issues locking on the flag.  There is hardly any lag and it's very accurate.  Maybe just need to get used to it.

[Roc-A-Fella_1]

Now that these are a few years old, has anyone had trouble with theirs?

[North Butte]

I had one of the 1st-gen ones, almost from the time they were introduced. I never had any troubles except for it did not get along well with polarized sunglasses, which I always wear when I'm playing golf. 

 

So when the 2nd-gen Pro II came out I sold my 1st-gen and bought the new version which does work with polarized lenses. No issues at all and I use mine for 150+ rounds per year. Does pretty good on battery life, haven't kept track but maybe a little less than 100 rounds I'd guess. And I fire it 20+ times per round.

[Nard_S]

Just got Pro II from Santa and early indication is it locks fast. Use Nikon optical equipment in work and it's always been super solid, so I asked for the Nikon.

[Jeff58]

@Nard_S just IMO. Like any camera lens, the image stabilization takes 1-2 seconds for the gyros to spin up and stabilize the image. You can see this happening fairly easily. If you “hunt” for the flag before allowing it to stabilize, it will not be overly effective. I believe this instant flag gratification is the cause of much of the dissatisfaction with it.

[Nard_S]

Walked back nine yesterday, testing CSII, worked great. Do need a steady hand with it but it hits flags and bunker lips just fine. 

[bcjim]

RFs are very simple devices.  I think all these vibrations and colored circles and gyros are unnecessarily complicated.  I have a decade old,  unbranded,  probably Chinese,   ebay unit. Other than eating AAA batteries,  it works great.  It displays the distance to whatever it hits and anyone can tell if the number makes sense for the flag vs the trees behind the green. Even if I haven't played the course before.  

 

Edited January 1 by bcjim