Quote History Originally Posted By spork:
How do these compare to the Wilcox RAPTAR?
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Just for clarification, the Wilcox RAPTAR is more or less analogous to the MARS, which is a "full-up" multi-function rangerfinding unit with IR aiming laser and illuminator in addition to the rangefinding function and visible boresighting laser, while the MARS-L and -Lc are more analogous to the Wilcox MRF-Xe, which like the MARS-L has only the rangefinding and boresighting laser capabilities:
https://tnvc.com/shop/wilcox-mrf-xe-micro-range-finder-enhanced-eye-safe/(Yes, it's the same SR25 lower and S&B scope with a different upper--this photograph is also from about two years ago.
)
Regardless, in terms of comparison, needless to say, both the Wilcox RAPTAR and MRF-Xe are excellent products, with the RAPTAR in particular having an extremely distinguished service history (the MRF-Xe is being used as well, but it is much newer compared to the long shadow cast by the RAPTAR as effectively the gold-standard for precision rangefinders), and the RAPTAR will soon be getting an "Xe"-Series upgrade.
That being said, right off the bat, the Envision MARS and MARS-Lc (they're the same dimensions / footprint with only minor differences in controls reflecting the additional functions of the MARS versus the MARS-Light) is smaller and lighter either the MRF-Xe (compare the amount of real estate the MRF occupies in the above photograph, with the size and footprint of the MARS with remote switch attached on the exact same Nightforce RAMP) or RAPTAR-Xe will be, and significantly smaller and lighter than the legacy RAPTAR. This is not a "dig" at the size of Wilcox's Xe line, both the MRF and upcoming RAPTAR-Xe are pretty compact devices, however, the Envision MARS and MARS-Lc are frankly
tiny and roughly the same size as the LA-23/PEQ -- A.K.A., NGAL:
MARS / MARS-L: <3.9"(L) x 2.6"(W) x 1.5"(H)
LA-23/PEQ: 3.6″(L) x 2.0″(W) x 1.25″(H)
Beyond that, capabilities-wise again, they're all excellent products, however, IMHO the Envision MARS family wins hands-down in terms of human factors engineering and ergonomics, which to be fair, while I love Wilcox's products in general, I do think they sometimes struggle with, often cramming so many features and functions into a device that the interfaces can get a little complex as well.
I've stated many times in many contexts on here, both before and since joining TNVC, that in my opinion, ergonomics and switchology can be just as--or in some cases, even more important than actual performance, because it doesn't matter what a laser or other force-multiplier device
can theoretically do, if you can't get it to do what you want it to in the dark, by touch-only, while under stress.
To that point, I do truly feel that the Envision system is an absolute gem in the HFE / ergonomics / switchology department, and IMHO you can see (and feel) very clearly that the MARS was either designed by, or with significant input from someone who was not only extremely good at building and engineering lasers and laser rangefinders, but also someone (or someones) that has likely spent a significant amount of time behind a multitude of different lasers, and truly understands how end-users not only use them, but also how they mount them, maintain them, and carry them.
Most MFALs and LRFs are honestly quite often "lumpy" affairs, even my beloved ATPIALs--we talk about many of them being a "box" format, but really, they're a box... with all sorts of stuff sticking out: battery cap here, knobs there, remote switch connector there, and as anyone who has spent some time trying to configure a laser or LRF to a rifle realizes that it's actually a lot more complicated than simply finding a space where the laser itself will clamp on: "Can I put this here? Will this block that? But will I be able to get to this adjustment?"
One of my favorite thing to do with other people's marketing photographs is to try to find setups that are cobbled together in more or less "impossible" to use configurations like batteries that cannot be changed or replaced or other accessories blocking the laser adjustments, etc., whether it was done out of haste or simply unfamiliarity and inexperience. While I cannot and will not claim that even we have 100% never been guilty of this, especially when there are large groups of personnel, multiple guns that need to be configured and re-configured, etc., (to a certain extent, this is just the nature of how media and marketing shoots work sometimes), it generally is something that we take special diligence in when asked to participate in events like that, and I've been asked more than once: "Augee, why are you going around trying to unscrew everyone's battery caps?"
The MARS and MARS-L, however, truly are about as close to a "box" format as you can get, while still having distinct, usable, and tactile controls--even the offset, side-mount, snap-on Optics1 connector for the remote switch is almost completely contained within the footprint of the device and the overall "box" dimensions.
Again, to me at least, pretty much everything about the design and layout of the controls and interfaces on the MARS family demonstrates the intense focus not only on the capabilities, the engineering, or the features--but the actual humans who use them. And again, none of this is to say that their Wilcox counterparts suck and are impossible to use--it's just that the MARS family just absolutely knocks it out of the park in this regard.
It may seem that I gush excessively about ergonomics and HFE, however I've wasted a lot of training and shooting hours staring at people fumble with their devices in the dark, staring with their NODs pointed at their laser trying to look at it, when I 100% know exactly what they're seeing, which is at best an ill-defined gray smudge and maybe an indicator light at that focal distance, just trying to go from AIM LOW to DUAL HIGH, just so they can confirm zero at range. And yes, some of that is a training issue--however some of it is also non-intuitive design and interfaces.
~Augee