Pushing the limits of optic runtimes.

Naturally, as battery technology innovates, optic manufacturing evolves. When batteries become smaller and more efficient, so do optics.
Against contemporaries, most modern optics are superior in every conceivable aspect, but none more so than battery life.
Many modern optics boast hundreds, if not thousands of hours of run-time off a single tiny battery. However, there are a couple of contributing factors at play, in addition to advances in modern battery technology that determine run-time.
Intensity
A battery stores a finite amount of energy. Powering a simple reflex-style red dot optic, for example, doesn’t require much energy, at all.
However, the brightness of the optic’s output directly correlates to the amount of energy it pulls from the battery. Two identical optics, if set to different brightness settings, won’t stay running for the same amount of time.
Think of it like a gas tank; although different cars may have the same size tank, they likely consume gasoline at different rates. While one car may get 30 miles per gallon, the other may only get 25. Multiplied over, say, 10-gallons, that’s a difference of 50 miles per tank.
Battery consumption of a particular optic, considering intensity, works in a similar sense.
Many reputable manufacturers advertise run-times based off of a single battery’s life cycle on a particular listed brightness setting, while others do not.
Assume any run-time number not accompanied by an actual brightness setting to be associated with the lowest possible brightness setting the optic allows.
Generally, an optic that runs for 20,000 hours on setting 5 of 10 is more energy efficient than an optic that runs 30,000 hours on setting 1 of 10, for example.
Industry attempts to improve run-time
Although brightness is the major factor, many manufacturers have introduced various innovations in effort to extend the run-time of their optics, such as shake awake, solar back-up and lower refresh rates, among others.
However, many of these innovations do not actually improve battery life much, if at all, outside of an artificially inflated run-time to use in promotional advertisements.
Shake Awake, for example, logically improves battery life by shutting the optic off when not in use, right?
Right?
So, like on a backpack gun?
In a static backpack?
Oh, so like on a hunting gun?
That you carry in your hands?
Hmm, so like, on an EDC?
That lives in your waist, under a shirt, full-time?
Well, how about a safe queen?
After unlocking the safe?
Unlocking a safe is quicker than turning an optic on?
Ah, finally, found it; on a home defense, bedside gun!
Cause that never gets bumped, ever!
The optic moves in all of these examples, sans safe queen, which requires you to physically unlock a safe, first, most of the time.
Therefore, logically, most of the time the firearm is accessible, the optic is on and drawing power from the battery.
Some shake awake technologies are so sensitive a bathroom door shutting can trigger them, let alone heavy footsteps.
At best, shake awake provides a marginal amount of “off” time to offset the amount of continuous run-time a single battery provides.
Basically, the battery may need to be replaced Thursday night instead of Thursday morning.
(Change the battery on Monday, silly!)
Additionally, the sensitivity of shake awake technologies leave the feature more prone to failure. Shake awake is the least durable aspect of many modern optics that feature it.
Think about it, it’s a meter that measures sensitive movement…attached to a firearm that explodes ammunition in a semi-automatic (or fully automatic, if you’re nasty) fashion…
It’s practically abuse.
Solar back-up is another popular feature among a number of modern optics.
In theory, solar back-up seems like a viable way to improve a run-time…
But, again, when?
Tucked in the waistband? On the nightstand? In a forest?
Notoriously bright places with tons of natural light…
Ah, during competition splits!
Yes, save .12 cents on batteries while shooting $230 worth of hand reloads…makes sense, somewhere…
Moreover, to have any possibility of capturing an adequate amount of sunlight, solar cells must be positioned on the top of the hood of the optic.
Optics only have hoods to protect the glass and emitter from damage from impact.
So, inlaying a transparent solar cell on an impact-prone surface in effort of collecting enough power to run a calculator from the 80s is obviously a tremendous aid to increasing the run-time of a modern optic.
Obviously.
Run-time is based on brightness and the efficiency in which an optic draws power, not on a gimmicky solution to a non-problem.
Additionally, modern firearm furniture and accessories allow for easy and accessible battery storage specifically to address the paranoia of getting stuck with a dead optic at an inopportune time.
If a battery dying is the issue, a dozen compact batteries can be stored for later access.
Although, with most modern optics boasting run-times of years, not hours, minimizes the actual legitimacy of most spare battery concerns.
If you get stuck in the wilderness for 25,000 consecutive hours, a spare CR123A for an optic is the least of your concerns, respectfully…
With inflated advertised battery life stats and the risks of shake to wake optics not “waking” in the off chance of damage, our engineers came up with Aura wake technology to get the best of both worlds for red dot optic battery life for our Promethean LP-1. This partial shake to wake system ties the accelerometer ONLY to the 65 MOA ring! After 5 minutes of non use, the LP-1’s outer CQB ring will “sleep,” yet maintain the 2MOA dot on at all times. This provides a constant, action-ready aiming reference that cannot be interfered with upon accelerometer failure, while significantly increasing runtime! Learn more about our line of optics with tested runtimes on a realistic brightness setting for everyday use and Aurawake technology.

