How It Works: TecTecTec’s ULT-X Rangefinder will leave you with no excuses

Tour pros and hackers have one skill in common: namely, making excuses. Mudball! (Sorry, Bubba.) Spike mark! (Never mind that you can now tamp them down.)

So maybe it’s a mixed blessing that laser rangefinders from stalwarts like Nikon, Bushnell and Leupold—and this ULT-X ($250) from TecTecTec—have gotten so precise, leaving us with one less defense when our shot fails to find its mark. “That yardage plate is wrong” just won’t cut it anymore, not when you can suss out distances to 300 yards within a range of +/-0.3 yards, and the range to a flagstick up to 400 yards. If only our ballstriking were so accurate.

Here is everything you need to know about all the tech in TecTecTec’s newest offering:

MODE BUTTON

Like all TecTecTec rangefinders, the ULT-X has three distinct modes: “Normal,” which helps read distances to hazards; “Scan,” for continuous measurements; and “Target Priority,” which displays the distance to the closest object, useful for zeroing in on the flagstick even against vexing backdrops such as a stand of trees. The mode button lets you move easily between this trio.

OPTICS SYSTEM

Ten distinct pieces of glass comprise the optics system, which lets the ULT-X magnify things to 6x.

LCD

By connecting to the optics system on one side and to the main circuit board on the other, the LCD displays the readings as you look through the monocular.

VISIBLE SLOPE SWITCH

The ULT-X’s slope mode lets you find elevation-adjusted distances when calculating your upcoming shot—a great feature for
casual rounds but verboten during USGA-conforming competitions. This bright yellow faceplate means that slope mode is on; when closed it’s off, and the device is okay to use for competition.

LASER RECEIVER

Upon securing the laser reflected from the target, this data goes to the main circuit board, which calculates the distance, using—as you may recall from high school—the d=st formula, where d is distance, s is speed and t is time.

MAIN CIRCUIT BOARD

The brains of the operation. Containing the central processing unit (CPU) and all other chips, this board controls the entire distance finding and calculating system.

LASER EMISSIONS TUBE

This tube sends out an eye-safe laser beam that, when it hits any target, gets reflected back and is captured by the laser receiver.

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