Monday, May 14, 2012

Why Use a Golf Laser Range Finder?

Golf Laser Range Finders basically send a safe laser beam to your intended target, once it sees the target, be it a flag on the green or some hazard you wish to find the distance of, the laser beam bounces off the target and back to your range finder. The time it takes for this action is measured and the result shown in seconds, on a through the lens LCD display. Usually referred to as an "in-view LCD display".
What are Golf Laser Range Finders like to use, are they as good as the Advertising suggests? Which one is the best for the ordinary guy or gal? I can tell you there is no argument to be had, they all do different things, and it depends on what you want your device to do that determines which one you choose.
For instance if you want to use a device just to play a round of golf with your friends and colleagues, it does not matter which device you choose. Laser Range Finders can measure the distance of most targets on a golf course, except it will not read round corners, they can only read distances of what you can see. There are some devices that will read the contours of the fairways and greens for you.
If you want an all singing all dancing device, then you will pay an all singing all dancing price for your chosen unit. And there is nothing wrong with that, it is your call. However most of us cannot afford to keep buying the latest unit. If you are like me, you need to do some research before you purchase. So the information in this article should help a bit.
Here are a few features you should look out for in a decent Laser Range Finder.
* Your Laser Rangefinder should include built-in technology for determining distances.
* It should also be able to calculate distance to pin or objects on the course within plus-or-minus 1 meter
* You will need an easy-to-read, in-view LCD display showing the range in your choice of yards or meters
* Most will have at least 4x magnification and 20mm objective diameter; offering ranges of 5 to 1,000 yards.
By rule of thumb if you intend to play official competition, that is to play in your local golf course team, you will have to play a variety of courses around your area. Now the rules state that you can only use a device to assist your golf game that measures distance only, if your device is capable of anything more than that, then you are not allowed to use it. And believe me almost every official knows what each device can do, so you will not be able to hoodwink them, it's not worth the risk of disqualification.
So the best thing to do is, if you have an all singing and all dancing device, go round the golf course pre your tournament as the professionals do, find out all you can about the course you are about to play and you stay inside the rules of golf. Another option is to find out if the course you are about to play allow distance only devices, then you will be allowed to take a Laser Range Finder on the course. These devices can be purchased to read only distances and very accurately too. They work straight out of the box, no satellite problems, no down loading of courses, no monthly fees.
If you take this device down to the golf range when you go to practice, you can measure your shots for each club in your bag, taking into account strength of swing. By doing this you will improve your game immensely, knowing which club you need for each shot depending on swing speed is massive.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4657697

GPS Or Laser Range Finder Review

There are two types of range finders to help the golfer find his distance to the hole, we will start this review with the GPS range finder.

The GPS range finders are becoming increasingly common amongst golfers of all abilities, they use a global positioning system to track where the golfer is relative to the hole he or she is playing. The one big advantage of GPS is that they can give you yardages to the front, middle, and back of the green, however they cannot give you pin point yardages to the pin, this is up to you to know whether the pin is at the front, middle, or back of the green.

The one thing you will have to do before you start using your GPS is download the course details where you are going to play, this can be done easily by going on the Internet and downloading the course details to your GPS system. There can be a small charge involved with this process, therefore you should take this in to consideration when deciding which type is best for you.

They can be very accurate providing you know where the pin positions are located, the only downside to a GPS is that if the weather turns really bad it could have an affect on the signal coming from the satellite to your unit. Although to be perfectly honest if the weather gets that bad with electrical storms you should not be playing golf anyway, in my opinion the GPS system is probably the easiest one to use to get excellent yardages to three areas on the green.

There are different makes of GPS on the market today and with more appearing all the time helps to bring the price down to an affordable level, the skycaddie seems to be a very popular model amongst the different golfers i see playing and could be worthy of consideration when looking for a range finder.

The laser range finders are totally different in design and application, they use a laser beam to pin point a target which then bounces back to the unit giving a reading on how far it is away. These however can be a bit awkward when you start to use them, you have to have a reasonably steady hand to pick out the flag when aiming the beam.

But after a while of using the laser range finders you will soon get the hang of picking out the flag and not some other objects like a tree or post, this type can be very accurate in getting you your yardages to the pin and can also be used to check yardages from hazards so you know how much club to take to clear the trouble.

If you are the type of golfer who requires extremely accurate information on yardages then the laser range finder could be your choice of range finder, I see a lot of golfers using the bushnell v2 tour pinseeker nowadays which can only be a good endorsement of the product. In my own golf game i do use the bushnell v2 and find It very easy to use once you get the hang of it, it gives extremely accurate yardages which i am looking for in a range finder and is very compact making it is easy to store away in my golf bag.

So it is down to your own personal choice which finder would suit your game, but in my opinion the laser range finders just egde out the GPS systems on the market today. The one thing that every golfer should know before they purchase a range finder is how far they hit each club on average, it wont do you any good knowing the yardage if you dont know how far you hit each club.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5085439

Advice on Golf GPS Range-Finder and Laser Range-Finders

Almost every golfer knows that they would play better golf if they had their own caddy, but unfortunately caddies do not come cheap these days. The good news is that there are two alternatives for the amateur golfer, you can have a GPS style range finder or a laser type range finder, both types have been granted as legal for amateurs to use in competition by the USGA and the R&A. In this article I will explain what the differences are among the two types, you can then make an informed decision on which type would suit you best.

GPS RANGE FINDERS

The GPS range finders work via a satellite, you download a map of the courses you are going to play for which there is a fee involved when downloading these maps. With some types you have to make a yearly payment to receive the maps or you can get them as pay as you go if you prefer, you should remember that this payment is on top of your purchase price of the unit this might work out expensive if you intend on playing different courses.

When you arrive at the first tee you should make sure the GPS unit is switched on, the satellite then starts tracking your position when you are on the golf course, when you are ready to play your approach shot the GPS will give you three different yardages. One will be to the front of the green and one to the middle of the green and one to the back of the green, it will not give the exact distance to the pin as accurately as a laser range finder would, this could be a slight problem if you are looking for pin point accuracy in your shots. Some GPS units have a map on the screen that lets you know where the hazards are located on each hole you play, this could be an option you might look for when purchasing your range finder. One problem you might come across when using this system is the weather, on occasions in bad weather it could block the unit from receiving the satellite signal, but if the weather is that bad then you probably should be in the clubhouse any way.

LASER RANGE FINDERS

Laser range finders are a hand-held device that uses a laser to rebound of an object and back into the unit, this then gives you an accurate reading from the flag to your ball, you will need a reasonably steady hand for this operation as you might be picking up a target other than the flag. When you look through the viewer and focus on the flag a small circle appears around the flag on the screen, this means you have locked the laser on to the flag and it will give you a very accurate yardage reading to the pin. When you are looking to purchase this type of unit make sure it has this option installed on it, this makes sure the laser is hitting the flag and not a different target.

One big advantage of this type of unit is that you can aim the laser at different hazards on the course to give you the yardage to help you make your decision on what club to take, this is really helpful when you are playing the golf course for the first time. The range finders also help you to complete your round in a reasonable time, as it removes the task of walking up and down the fairway looking for yardage markers to get your distance to the pin. This is probably one of the reasons that the USGA and R&A decided to make them legal for amateur competitions.

There is one very important factor you should know before you buy your range finder, you must know how far you hit your clubs, it is no good knowing the yardage to the pin if you do not know how far you hit a certain club. The easy way for you to check this is go to the practice ground and hit 30 balls with your eight iron, then pace from the tee to roughly where the center of the balls lie this will give you your average for your eight iron. Then all you have to do is just add or minus ten yards for each club you are going to use, for example, if your eight iron average is 150 yards then your seven iron would be good for a shot of 160 yard distance, you will need to know this before purchasing a GPS or laser range finder.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3559120

Best Golf Laser Range Finders

There are many golf laser range finders available on the market today. But which one do you think is a good one to invest in?

Well, if you are not sure, let's find in this article the golf laser range finder that has proven to be most useful.

If you are a new golfer, Knowing the distance to the golf pin from where you are on the course is one of the most difficult things. But you don't need to worry these days. Because you can buy a golf range finder to help you calculate the exact distance to the flag every single time.

Normally these range finders are available in a binocular model and use a laser beam to calculate the distance to the flagstick. So if you are unsure of yourself or so terrible at guessing distances, a good golf range finder is a productive investment.

Well, though there are many golf range finders, Newcon Laser Range Finders offer advanced Laser Range Finder systems. These can provide instant distance measurements accurately. Newcon Laser Range Finders are waterproof and shockproof. Many Newcon Laser Range Finders have built in speed detectors too.

You can prefer Newcon 7x25 LRF Monocular - 1500 Yards - Speed Detector. Its brilliant optics allows you to have a sharp and clear image under all conditions. This laser range finder beats any other product in its category. Some best features and specifications of this product are as follows:

Features:

    Speed measurement function (KMH, MPH)
    Last 10 readings recall
    Laser active indicator
    Reticle selection (cross or rectangular)
    Target quality indicator (optional)
    Units of measurement (Yards, Meters )
    Instant and accurate distance measurement

Specifications:

    Weight, kg - 0.420
    Dimensions, mm - 120x122x60
    Accuracy, meters - ± 1
    Objective lens - 25mm
    Speed Detection - Yes
    Field of view - 8°
    Battery - 9 V
    Magnification - 7x
    Measuring range, meters - 20 -1500

The game of golf may be meant to be fun but at the same time have a right laser range finder to meet the challenge too. Hopefully this Newcon 7x25 LRF Monocular - 1500 Yards - Speed Detector will help you to be a winner.

On the other hand if you don't like this golf laser rangefinder there are tons of others on the market which you can find by doing a quick Google search.

Laser Range Finders Give Accurate Distance Measurements

Lasers can be used to determine the distance from an object, and this is the idea behind using a laser range finder. Such range finders are used in the military, forestry, sports and even as an alternative to measuring tapes.

How Do Laser Range Finders Work

The basic principle behind such laser range finders is the one of time of flight. A laser pulse is sent to the object whose distance from a point is to be measured, and gets reflected back to the point of origin. The time taken for the pulse to return is measured. Most such pulses are coded, so that they have a unique identity that cannot be jammed. Precision can be limited to millimeters depending on the speed of the measuring detector and the sharpness of the laser pulse. The calculation of the distance is a simple mathematical one that is linked to the speed of light. This requires timing measurements that are measured in nanoseconds, and thus needs fairly sophisticated circuitry.

Likely Problems in Laser Range Finders

While laser range finders can be largely depended on for fairly accurate results, they are sometimes affected by atmospheric distortions and likely divergence of the beam itself. The narrowness of the beam is affected by air and diverges as the object distance increases. This obscures the beam on its return and can result in errors. Wind and temperature can also affect laser beams, and thus the results from a laser range finder. Heat tends to bend laser beams, and in case the beam passes any source of heat it can go off target.

Technologies Used

The most common of these is the measurement of the time taken by the laser to travel to the object and back. Most laser range finders will fire a number of pulses in sequence and then work out the average time taken for the pulse to travel back. This is then averaged out to be converted into distance using the speed of light for the calculations. Other laser range finders measure the shift of the phases from multiple frequencies caused by the reflection and this generates a number of simultaneous equations that need to be solved to arrive at an answer. Interferometry is another technique in use for laser range finders.

Choosing the Right Laser Range Finder

A number of things need to be considered when you are contemplating buying a laser range finder. Besides the obvious price restraint, it is necessary to consider the magnification required, the range for which it is needed and any compensation features for accurate readings.

When you operate a laser range finder, you basically first need to pinpoint the object whose range you need to find. This can be done through magnification devices that bring the object into close view so that they are correctly targeted. Magnification of between four and eight are considered ideal for hunters, golfers and archery athletes.

Effective range can be the one in which you will get fairly accurate results. If the targets are larger, this maximum range can increase substantially. So the objects that are normally to be targeted have to be determined before you decide on effective range. Targeting an animal can be different from targeting large buildings or structures as surveyors would.

Angle compensation features come into play when the target is at a very steep angle from the viewing position. Under normal circumstances, such angle compensation may not be necessary for normal use.