ELEMENT HELIX 1500 Ballistic Laser Rangefinder User Manual

ELEMENT HELIX 1500 Ballistic Laser Rangefinder

INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW

The HELIX 1500 is not just any rangefinder. Despite its ultralightweight & compact form, this unit will present you with an accurate firing solution out to 1500 Meters, harnessing the full power of the integrated Ballistics Chip to factor in weather conditions,
incline, spin drift and more. Create a ballistic profile on an app, send it across in seconds, and have the relevant data displayed on a crisp T-OLED Display.!

BATTERY INSTALLATION

The HELIX 1500 uses a CR2 Battery. This comes pre-installed from the factory, but has a protective film that needs to be removed. To open the battery compartment:

1. Lift up the finger tab (Fig 1.1)
2. Twist the cap anti-clockwise to unscrew (Fig 1.2)
3. Remove the protective film from the top of the battery, and refit battery cap.

ALWAYS install battery with the flat side (negative) facing DOWN, and positive side facing up as shown in Fig 1.3

OBTAINING A CLEAR IMAGE

As with all optical devices, the HELIX 1500 will need to be adjusted to your eye.

1. To start, hold the unit up to your eye and look through the eyepiece towards a featureless background.
2. Then, switch on the display by pressing the red RANGE button (Fig 2.1) and turn the diopter (Fig 2.2) until the display appears sharply in focus.

3. Display Brightness can be adjusted by holding in the RANGE button and then pressing the black MODE button (Fig 2.3) to cycle through the 6 brightness settings.

DISPLAY ORIENTATION

The HELIX 1500 has a Dual-Colour Transparent OLED (T-OLED) Display. It is important to understand what each icon means before continuing.

1. LASER RETICLE: Hold this on the object you want to range.
2. LASER ACTIVITY INDICATORS: These 4 Green lines illuminate when a laser beam is being emitted.
3. INCLINOMETER: Indicates the angle (degrees) of the target being ranged.
4. DISTANCE TO TARGET: Displayed in METERS (M) or YARDS (Y). To switch between M and Y, Double-Tap the black MODE button.
5. RANGING MODE:
6. LOS (LINE OF SIGHT): Direct distance to target
7. HCD (HORIZONTAL COMPONENT DISTANCE): The angle-compensated distance to your target, useful when referencing a bullet drop chart for given distances.
8. BAL.C (BALLISTIC CALCULATOR): Direct Target Distance shown, but additionally, Elevation & Windage data also displayed.
9. TARGET PRIORITY MODE:
10. FIRST: The processor prioritises the signal from the closest target detected. Useful when ranging an object in an open field.
11. LAST: The processor prioritises the signal from the closest target detected. Useful when ranging through vegetation.
12. NONE (BEST): The processor prioritises the strongest signal returned.
13. SCAN MODE can be activated by holding in the RANGE button. This gives a continuous distance readout.
14. LOW BATTERY INDICATOR: It’s time to plug me in.
15. ELEVATION: Shown as a numerical value and U (up) or D (down).
16. BALLISTIC SOLUTION UNIT: Shown as MRAD or MOA (more on Page 9)
17. DEVICE CONNECTED: Displayed when the HELIX 1500 is paired to the Element Ballistics App or a HYPR Riflescope.
18. WINDAGE: Shown as a numerical value and L (left) or R (Right). More information on Page 9.

RANGING & TARGETING MODES

The HELIX 1500 features a number of different ranging and targeting modes, making it easier to obtain an accurate reading in challenging conditions.

RANGING MODES
By changing Ranging Modes, you allow the processor to change the way it reads out the data it has measured. As demonstrated in the below graphic, LOS mode gives you the direct distance to the target you have ranged, while HCD mode gives you the horizontal component of that distance, i.e. the actual distance multiplied by the cosine of the angle. Since gravity only acts vertically, the HCD more accurately predict how much bullet drop you need to account for.

TARGET PRIORITY MODES
No matter how powerful the laser system in a rangefinder is, a returning laser signal still has to be read and processed. The processor may receive multiple return signals from different objects downrange, and needs to predict which one is the one you want a reading for. By changing modes, you can instruct the processor to focus on specific data, giving you a better chance of obtaining the reading you want. These modes are summarised in PAGE 5.

To switch between Target Priority Modes, hold in the black MODE button for 3 Seconds.

The HELIX 1500 also has a SCAN function which can be used in any mode. To activate, simply hold in the red RANGE button. This will give a continuous reading for a few seconds. This feature is useful when trying to obtain a reading off a small target – By scanning past the target and watching the readout, you may be able to detect a sudden change in the range value, possibly indicating a return signal from the small target as the beam passes by.

PAIRING WITH EXTERNAL DEVICES

The HELIX 1500 is compatible with a number of external Bluetooth devices, including the Element HYPR-7 and, most importantly, the Element Ballistics mobile app, from which you can create & send ballistic profiles and change preferences.

HYPR-7
The HELIX 1500 will automatically pair with the HYPR-7 when in range, displaying the “device connected” icon:
When paired, the rangefinder transmits range & incline data to the riflescope, providing an instant firing solution with no need for manual input. Note that when in BAL.C mode, the HELIX 1500 will display ballistic data from the HYPR-7, bypassing its own ballistic chip. This means that a spotter/shooter pair will always be working with the same data.

ELEMENT BALLISTICS APP
The Element Ballistics App is available for free on the Apple and Android app stores. Before using the Ballistic Calculator function on the HELIX 1500, you will need to install the app and create a profile for your rifle.

Once downloaded and installed, the following steps should be followed:

1. SELECT UNIT PREFERENCES. Click on the “UNITS” tab on the bottom left of the home screen (Fig.3D, pg.10) and select the units you feel most comfortable with. These will be needed when creating profiles, but more importantly for us, the ANGLE UNITS selection (Fig.4A) will determine how data within the ballistic display area of the rangefinder will be shown. If MRAD or MOA are selected, the rangefinder will display this unit preference in screen. If any other unit is selected, the rangefinder will display a click value only.
2. CREATE PROFILE. Select a profile tab (Fig.3A) and begin to enter all required data (Bullet, Scope Height, Zero Distance, Muzzle Velocity, etc). You can also update weather data and input wind conditions (Fig.3B)
3. CONNECT TO YOUR HELIX 1500. Ensure your bluetooth is activated and range finder switched on. You will see a tab on the home screen indicating that the HELIX 1500 is within range (Fig.3C). Tap on this tab, and the device will pair.
4. SET SCREEN TIMEOUT & UPLOAD PROFILE. Select your preferred screen timeout on the configuration screen (Fig.5A) and choose a profile you’d like to upload (Fig.5B). Ensure that you send the correct profile, as the HELIX 1500 can only store one at a time.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

As shooters, we know that there is nothing worse than being let down by your equipment. We have made every effort to build a rugged, reliable product that will not break under any normal circumstances, and have implemented some of the strictest quality control measures in the industry. However, we know that things can go wrong, and therefore we back our electro-optics with a 3 year warranty, which is fully transferable. This warranty requires proof of purchase.

For full terms and information, visit element-optics.com/warranty or scan the QR code below.

The Element Optics 3 Year Warranty applies to Electro Optics only and does not cover accessories purchased separately. Theft, loss, deliberate damage and cosmetic damage that does not hinder the operation of the riflescope is not covered. If your product can not be repaired and a replacement model is no longer in production, a model of equal value will be substituted.

SPEC SHEET

www.element-optics.com

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