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I have heard that John Harmon can arrange to have repair work done on a DistoX2. Is that true? If so, How can I contact him?

I have a DistoX2 with a laser assembly that is badly out of alignment. It will take short shots but gives various "INFO" messages on shots over about 15 feet long.

Thanks - Bill Gee

A week has passed and ..... Crickets!

If you are the person who installed the mod kit into this, then you know how to open up the case, and it isn't hard to figure out where the optical head is. It is possible that it might be visually mis-aligned. If that is the case, then maybe it can be wiggled and shimmed back into place. It is also possible that something is broken inside the optical head. In that case, you may be better off in purchasing a new Leica and swapping the optical head units. So far, we don't know whether the problem is in the laser transmit side or the receiver side. In the current state, you can't hurt it too much by wiggling parts.

I am the person who built the DistoX2. The problem with this one started with my own mistake. I thought that ALL of the screws inside the Leica had to be replaced with non-magnetic. After I removed all of them, I discovered that Beat's kit did not include that many replacements. Thinking that some screws had been left out, I sent Beat an email. He replied that the two screws holding the laser assembly were to be left as-is since they hold the laser in alignment with its optics.

Drat, says I! When I got everything put back together, it was obvious that the laser was pointing to one side. It was not a spot, either, especially at a distance. At about 20 feet the dot was nearly an inch across. I have fiddled and messed and jiggered, and it is now fairly close. It will usually get a distance reading up to about 15 or 20 feet.. I bought another Leica which I have never opened, and used it to try and make the lasers parallel. That board is VERY sensitive to position.

Right now my hypothesis is that the laser is not pointing where the receiver is looking. It might also be too diffuse to get a good reflection. Both should be correctable by aligning the laser module with the optics.

My hope is that someone has a jig they can use to get a proper alignment on the laser board. I cobbled a jig out of some glue and popsicle sticks, but it is only a bit better than nothing. Merely tightening the screws will move the board enough to throw it out.

The untouched Leica will get good distance readings at over 70 feet against a wooden fence, so I am fairly confident that it is good. Both Leicas were bought used on eBay. It is possible that the bad one has a weak laser, though I cannot tell merely by looking at the spot it makes.

Bill Gee

KsCaver22 wrote:I have heard that John Harmon can arrange to have repair work done on a DistoX2. Is that true? If so, How can I contact him?

I have a DistoX2 with a laser assembly that is badly out of alignment. It will take short shots but gives various "INFO" messages on shots over about 15 feet long.

Thanks - Bill Gee

Hi Bill:
You can contact him on Facebook.
If that doesn't work, try contacting him through West Virginia Underground. https://wvunderground.net/

Trogman

Hi Trogman -

I sent John Harman an email over a week ago, but no reply yet. When I was working, I was a computer professional. FaceBook is one of the worst places there is on the Internet, and I refuse to have anything to do with them.

As it turns out, I was able to make other arrangements. I found another caver who has a DistoX2 with a bad keyboard. We arranged for him to purchase (for cheap!) my Leica with the mis-aligned laser. I took the DistoX board out before sending him the Leica, and will install it to another Leica.

Bill Gee

Wow! A secondary market for Leica and DistoX2 parts. I'm impressed.

I just got onto this forum... wish I'd seen your post sooner. I have started to manufacture "new" DistoX2 units using the hardware info Beet Heab has made available. My collection of "parts" is starting to grow, so I may be able to help you out.

Eric Steinberg
VPI 477
NSS 70320