Review of Summit's Hot Dot sight
09-28-2007, 05:00 PM
#53
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location:
Posts: 1
RE: Review of Summit's Hot Dot sight
Hi, I just bought one based on this review and saved the receipt "just in case". I have only used one pendulum site before and did not like it. I wanted this site for the low light capabilities and to see if I could get rid of what I call fiber optic halo- when you focus on the target and your pin is this bright fuzzy thing instead of a "point".
Well after setting this up I decided to try this pendulum part, because if it works then that is great- one pin to 32 yards perfect. So I set it up for 30 yards on the flats and went to my target range and put out a 10 yard and a 25 yard- I only had about 5 minutes before work to try it. It did take some tweeking of the site because it was shooting slightly low and to the right even in "fast" mode but once reset it was nice, and there is minimum halo due to the adjustablity of brightness. I do want to play with it some more to see where it will drop off in distance where I will have to compensate.
Here are some observations for those that have not tried or seen one in real life
1) The canting sensor- I like it- it lets you know when you have tilted it too far (and it is a ways, more than slightly) it goes blank BUT it turns back on INSTANTLY when you tilt it back. If you had a bubble level you would spend more time taking your eyes off your site to look at and adjust the bubble than this.
I do agree that you should be able to turn this feature off though, some people just don't care about form.
2) The battery plate is a poor design, livable since the batterys last so long but they should just have a battery size disk door that you can use a coin or something flat to unscrew the disk.
3) the brightness dial (on the bottom) should have ridges or something to make it easier to turn with bare hands
4) It is a misconception ( I did not understan it either) that you adjust the red LED's . This is how it works.
There are 16 fixed LED's in a verticle line:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
well you get the point. What you are doing to sight it in (non pendulum mode) is telling which led to turn on for whatever "pin" you want. So, you can turn on the top one called pin 1 and sight that in for 20 yards and then find out what other led will be on target for 30 yards such as the fourth one down, and if that one is not it then pick the next one until you have your 30 yard one on target . The only time (other than slight tweeking) you need to loosen and move the site around is the first/top "pin" sight in.
I decided to just use the pendulum setting and just site in at 30 yds.
5) Camo would be nice in a $160 site, and as mentioned bu someone else here it is the small details that would make this site worth $160 like marks on the adjustment bars to tell how much you moved it, and a set up dvd would be nice. (maybe different color led's or is that too much)
I did let this sit in the rain for 20 minutes to see what it would look like with water on the screen- still works nice
overall I am happy with this and think it will help a lot for a quick accurate shot
Jason
Well after setting this up I decided to try this pendulum part, because if it works then that is great- one pin to 32 yards perfect. So I set it up for 30 yards on the flats and went to my target range and put out a 10 yard and a 25 yard- I only had about 5 minutes before work to try it. It did take some tweeking of the site because it was shooting slightly low and to the right even in "fast" mode but once reset it was nice, and there is minimum halo due to the adjustablity of brightness. I do want to play with it some more to see where it will drop off in distance where I will have to compensate.
Here are some observations for those that have not tried or seen one in real life
1) The canting sensor- I like it- it lets you know when you have tilted it too far (and it is a ways, more than slightly) it goes blank BUT it turns back on INSTANTLY when you tilt it back. If you had a bubble level you would spend more time taking your eyes off your site to look at and adjust the bubble than this.
I do agree that you should be able to turn this feature off though, some people just don't care about form.
2) The battery plate is a poor design, livable since the batterys last so long but they should just have a battery size disk door that you can use a coin or something flat to unscrew the disk.
3) the brightness dial (on the bottom) should have ridges or something to make it easier to turn with bare hands
4) It is a misconception ( I did not understan it either) that you adjust the red LED's . This is how it works.
There are 16 fixed LED's in a verticle line:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
well you get the point. What you are doing to sight it in (non pendulum mode) is telling which led to turn on for whatever "pin" you want. So, you can turn on the top one called pin 1 and sight that in for 20 yards and then find out what other led will be on target for 30 yards such as the fourth one down, and if that one is not it then pick the next one until you have your 30 yard one on target . The only time (other than slight tweeking) you need to loosen and move the site around is the first/top "pin" sight in.
I decided to just use the pendulum setting and just site in at 30 yds.
5) Camo would be nice in a $160 site, and as mentioned bu someone else here it is the small details that would make this site worth $160 like marks on the adjustment bars to tell how much you moved it, and a set up dvd would be nice. (maybe different color led's or is that too much)
I did let this sit in the rain for 20 minutes to see what it would look like with water on the screen- still works nice
overall I am happy with this and think it will help a lot for a quick accurate shot
Jason
09-28-2007, 08:16 PM
#54
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Jackson, Missouri
Posts: 7,051
RE: Review of Summit's Hot Dot sight
That's good to hear, Jason... Glad I didn't lead you too far astray! 
Wise move to save the receipt though, as not everyone likes what other people like.. 
You posted an accurate description of turning on and off different LEDs to sight in, as well -- that was a nice clarification on your part.
I agree whole-heartedly with the assessment of needing some nicer "small touches"... that was me by the way who pointed out that the dovetail bars needed laser-engraved etching with white painted marks a la Spot Hogg's sights to give the user reference marks when making adjustments. I think I also mentioned somewhere that I found it best to remove the thumb screws and use the Allen screws found underneath in a more traditional manner to move the sight for gang adjustments.
Still, for the "average hunter", I think the pendulum feature is first-rate, as I tried to point out initially. It was sure eye-opening to shoot two arrows from two different ranges without so much as attempting to guess the yardage, and to hear my second arrow make contact with my first, as seen on page 1... worried that I'd just ruined a new ACC, but eye-opening none the less.
Wise move to save the receipt though, as not everyone likes what other people like.. You posted an accurate description of turning on and off different LEDs to sight in, as well -- that was a nice clarification on your part.
I agree whole-heartedly with the assessment of needing some nicer "small touches"... that was me by the way who pointed out that the dovetail bars needed laser-engraved etching with white painted marks a la Spot Hogg's sights to give the user reference marks when making adjustments. I think I also mentioned somewhere that I found it best to remove the thumb screws and use the Allen screws found underneath in a more traditional manner to move the sight for gang adjustments.
Still, for the "average hunter", I think the pendulum feature is first-rate, as I tried to point out initially. It was sure eye-opening to shoot two arrows from two different ranges without so much as attempting to guess the yardage, and to hear my second arrow make contact with my first, as seen on page 1... worried that I'd just ruined a new ACC, but eye-opening none the less.
10-02-2007, 05:41 PM
#55
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2
RE: Review of Summit's Hot Dot sight
I recentlypurchased a Delux Hot Dot bow sight by Sumitt. I wanted to combine the ease of the pendullem sight and have longer shot pin capability. The sight is designed to use a string of (16) LEDs as pins. I shoot right handed, am right eye dominant and look with my right eye thru my peep sight. However, the LEDs on my Hot Dot bow sight project towardmy left eye. So, with my left eye open I can see the pins, but when I close my left eye the pins disapear from the peep sight. Shooting with both eyes open is like having double vision, half the time I hit the bulls eye and the other half I miss the target by three feet. Got any suggestions?
10-03-2007, 12:02 AM
#56
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 59
RE: Review of Summit's Hot Dot sight
Gregg you always seem to have the skinny on things, do you know if Summit is planning on incorporating some of the suggestions posted here and elsewhere on the Hot Dot?
The site works well there is no denying it but the shortfalls are an annoyance. The advantage to the pendulum feature outweighs the shortfalls, however those shortfalls could easily be fixed.
BTW I have also noticed that with the sun to my back the dots can be washed out. Under hunting conditions this isn't an issue but on the range it can be annoying.
The site works well there is no denying it but the shortfalls are an annoyance. The advantage to the pendulum feature outweighs the shortfalls, however those shortfalls could easily be fixed.
BTW I have also noticed that with the sun to my back the dots can be washed out. Under hunting conditions this isn't an issue but on the range it can be annoying.
10-03-2007, 07:58 PM
#57
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Jackson, Missouri
Posts: 7,051
RE: Review of Summit's Hot Dot sight
sigfla, I can tell you that the feedback is being noted, and there will be some updates incorporated into the '08 line... from what I've heard, it's very promising!!
10-05-2007, 09:48 AM
#59
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Delavan, WI
Posts: 78
RE: Review of Summit's Hot Dot sight
I purchased the deluxe model this summer and the cross bar for the sight adjustment was stripped. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get it to stay put. I called them and had another one in two days but in the mean time put in a through bolt and like it better as the sight won't come loose now. I think they should insert some type of nut on the other end to replace threading the aluminum cross pieces for more strength. But the support was excellant.
Ido love the pendulum on this sight as it has been dead on up to 35 yards without having to think about adjusting for distance.
Ido love the pendulum on this sight as it has been dead on up to 35 yards without having to think about adjusting for distance.
10-13-2007, 09:35 PM
#60
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: North Central Arkansas
Posts: 57
RE: Review of Summit's Hot Dot sight
Just got my Deluxe model sighted in today. I was very impressed. I was able to shoot up to 35 yds from my treestand with the pendulum and be right on the money. It took quite a bit of tinkering though. I assumed that my bow (Trykon XL) set at 70lbs would be a fast bow. I shot from the treestand in fast, medium, and slow modes and the slow is the one that worked the best. Anyway, I used Sigfla's post to sight in the fixed pins so as not to have to adjust the gang and it worked great. Although I believe that the fixed pin that is used to sight the pendulum is Pin #4 LED 6 (Summit's tech support confirmed that for me). I'll definitely be using this sight until something breaks on it. I think that its very inovative but could use some improvements that have already been posted.