Mistery 7-14 x 25 pocket zoomable monocular

We have to start this review saying that mistery is the brand of the monocular, nothing misterious about it.

The monocular is made of rubber with glass coated lenses, there are two rings as controls. One of the rings controls the monocular focus and the other controls the magnification factor from 7 to 14 times.

The image quality is good and the focus is easy to set, the bigger the magnification factor the more narrow the area where you can obtain focus in 7x the image is clear and the details can be observed very well in 14x the image is still clear but not as clear as in optical instruments of higher quality.

The lenses are fine but do not capture enough light for the diameter they have, probably due to a suboptimal coating or the lens construction itself, this means that the monocular won't operate very well in dark environments and won't be able to pick many details after sunset.

The monocular is 5.5 inches long, slightly bigger than the regular pocket monoculars but this one is zoomable and the others are not so the extra size is easy to explain. The construction is solid and the monocular seems to be well made for its price.

A good product that works well in both 7x and 14x but don't expect extraordinary images.

You can order for $17 from DealExtreme.

Illuminated 60x to 100x zoom pocket microscope

This is a very economic microscope that includes a small led light and can be zoomed from 60x to 100x magnification.

To use it you have to insert 1 AAA battery, turn the light on and then point the microscope to the object you want to examine almost touching it with the base of the scope. One of the knobs at the side controls the zoom and the other one the focus. The knobs are cheap but getting a good focus is still easy, magnification is very good and besides having a very small field of view the details are there and while cheap the microscope really works.

Among the small minuses the zoom knob is very loose in our unit so when you are in 100x sometimes it just slides down to 60x for this reason and the wider field of view we preferred to use it only in 60x mode.

Images are good and the LED is fine to illuminate what you want to see, we could inspect mineral traces in rocks, terrible things in our fingers and played CSI for a while without anything revealing. A fun toy, not a professional microscope but it works and it is very small and pocketable.

You can order for $8.63 from DealExtreme.

Brunton Echo Pocket Scope

Brought to fame for being Jack Bauer's monocular in TV series 24 the Brunton Echo Pocket scope is a nice compact monocular for EDC carry.

The monocular is only 3.3'' long and the diameter is only 1.3'', it weights just 1.8oz. The exit pupil is 2.6mm and it has a nice 181 ft field of view at 1000 yards. It can focus in objects as near as 1 feet and as far as thousands of yards.

The optics are multi-coated the construction makes the focusing easy, just rotate the bezel while holding the monocular with the other hand, it turns smoothly so you can get the focus you need for what you are viewing.

The Echo has a very nice field of view and the opctics maginification works very well, the small aperture means the total light reflected will not be a lot so this is ideal for day activities and will not perform very well after the sun goes down.

For its size the Echo is really pocketable and comes with a neck lanyard and a pouch, it is very practical to hang from a backpack or slide into a pocket to be used when needed in hiking, golf, reading signs or why not espionage, after all it is Jack's Bauer monococular. The construction is strong so unless something hits the lens badly it will be fine for use outside without a lot of care.

You can read more and order for $30 from Brunton.

Star Flash Signal Mirror

Signal mirrors are the ultimate device for daytime signaling, in good conditions a good quality mirror can signal very easily up to 30 to 40 miles and can be seen from 100 miles.

The Star Flash is a high quality mirror issued to the Air Force and NASA astronauts, it is made of Lexan Polycarbonate with a vacuum deposited mineral mirror. The center has a retro-reflective mesh and an aiming star.

To use it you point the mirror near the sun but not looking directly at it, you then move it until you see a glowing ball in the retroreflective mesh, that ball is the direction where the mirror is reflecting the sunlight. You then move the mirror towards your target and make the glowing ball hit the target with small movements to make sure you are seen.

Always practice because when you really need it you are probably going to have 30 seconds or so to signal a plane or helicopter if you need help. Don't practice aiming to planes or helicopters, you can always find a friend to help you practice without putting anyone in danger.

The mirror can be used for emergency signaling and for silent communications in daytime. Being a mirror it can also be used to put contact lenses, applying camouflage, makeup etc.

The Star Flash weights just 19 grams (0.7 oz) and is 2x3 inches long (5.1 x 7.6 cm), it is almost indestructible and if dropped to the water will float. The retroreflective mesh and aiming star work very well and after a little training the mirror will be easy to use. The difference with very cheap mirrors is how you can really aim with the mesh, it may seem simple to reflect the light of a mirror in a wall or tree but if you have to aim to a little airplane that is miles away from you then the task is not so simple and the difference between a good quality mirror and the cheap one is greater.

A must-have component in any survival kit and probably a must-have item for any outdoor activity.

You can check more information from UltimateSurvival's website, the manufacturers of this mirror and you can order for $7 from this site.

10x21 pocket monocoluar by CountyComm

These monoculars are a copy of the German monoculars that you can find in some optic shops. The monocular is very small and produces sharp clear images, the maginifcation factor is not enormous so I find it better to magnify close objects than to identify distant ones. For example it is great to check buildings, cars etc across a street, they provide a very good level of detail.

These version has a rubber focusing ring and can be folded and unfolded for transportation. A handy item if you need to play spying games.
You can get it from CountyComm they go out of stock often so keep an eye.