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Ares Tavor Tar 21 Review


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Well, I fixed the dot size/brighness issue. Opened the MARS (it is easy, but takes patience). The LED is covered with very thin plate with supersmall opening on it. The opening forms the dot, reflected. I removed the small plate (in the process I had to take apart some parts of the mechanism). Now the dot was far too big, but visible even in bright sunlight. I made a small hole in the plate using needle, approximately 1mm in diameter. Put it all back and the dot is now round, of normal size and bright, it actually beats all my other red dots at maximum brightness.

 

Then I noticed the LED stays on even when I turn off the MARS. Some of it was cured by tightening the lever screw, from the outside. Lever play was lost, it is now stiffer, but the LED still stays on (although very dim). I decided not to fiddle with it at the moment, will take battery out when I don't use it, at least for now.

 

The biggest issue for me is the uselessness of the sight in actual aiming, due to the dot not staying on target. I put the lens in some 5-6cm in front of the LED and it was better, the dot now stayed in place, more or less. Hmm, I am not a physicist, but something tells me one would need either a set of mirrors, prism or perhaps a different lens. I tried a lens from my busted ACM ACOG red dot, no joy, the dot still doesn't stay on target. Good news is that lens is glass, quite thick and won't get easily broken by a BB. Given the angle of the lens, it will probably hold up to a lot. And even if it does shatter, you can buy an ACM ACOG and replace it, instead of probably paying a small fortune for another MARS. Also, ACM ACOG lens does not distort the image, unlike this MARS replica lens. Go figure.

 

I'm inclined to believe the lens focal length is off. Did they just copy the lens from an Aimpoint or ACOG red dot ? Notu sure though, can someone confirm this ?

180px-Red_dot_sight_principle.png

 

 

EDIT: Googled it somewhat, it seems this sight suffers from serious parallax issues. Probably the lens should be more concave, but that's just my guess.

Edited by Hristo
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Thanks for the brutally honest impressions, Hristo. Have you taken it out to shoot it yet?

 

Sorry, didn't shoot it yet, I have no desire for it until I fix the glaring problemw with MARS. After that I'll put the MOSFET and move on to curing the barrel wobble.

 

Still can't believe they came out with such a halfproduct, MARS that is. Reflex sight in form of MARS can be done, it is very similar to Eotech clones internally. Lens is problematic, I feel it is not matched with this sight at all. Whoever they tasked with developing this sight must be fired, but not before he/she sends out replacement lenses to all who bought this AEG. It would be fair.

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Also been looking at the ARES Tavor recently. Thanks for the clarification on the MARS sight being able to be removed... I wouldn't want it to get shot out in a skirmish. But the sight itself isn't very bright, eh? That's disappointing, if not a bit unsurprising, as the STAR (now ARES) dual optic G36 carry handle also wasn't too great. Hmm, much more consideration will have to be done before I decide to drop $500+ on one of these babies... :mellow:

 

I'd rather ARES make ppl pay for a good money for a decent MARS than throw in one that is not usable. At lease, there's a choice.

 

However, in the case of the SUSAT, one still has to pay good money for an unusable scope (very poor eye relief). Nice for hanging on the wall though.

 

Erik

Edited by Erik Cartman
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One ARES MARS issue can be corrected easily (size and brightness of the dot).

 

Only the other serious issue remains. The reflective lens seems to be taken from ACOG/Aimpoint red dot replicas, which have significantly longer distance from LED to lens (about 5cm, compared to less than 3cm on the MARS). This means that LED is out of focal point of the lens, which results in serious parallax, rendering the sight practically unusable. Please not that I have only superficial understanding of optics, but this seems logical after examining all three lenses (MARS, ACOG red dot, Aimpoint) and measuring distances.

 

So one has to find a lens with focal length of 25-30mm, concave, non magnifying, with reflective coating for red, some 30mm in diameter, and 3-4mm thick. Simple, eh ? ;)

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Every reflex sight has it, technically. Just depends how much, and most have very little. This one has it 100%, so to speak.

 

Here's how it should be:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAcCDMwN8Z0

Dot stays on target even if you tilt your head, and even on a cheap refles sight.

 

Eotech, same thing, but even less parallax:

 

Well, ARES MARS doesn't do that at all, tilt your head even slightly, at any range of target, and your aim is off.

Something like this:

(nevermind this particular video, ARES MARS has huge error compared to this)

Edited by Hristo
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Here's the actual video of my ARES MARS, compared to an Eotech.

 

 

I agree the mars sight is poor and I feel that allot of the online store selling this gun do not giving the customer good information on it. I would say the price should be £350 not £ 450 I'm going to keep my gun as there will not be many of them around but other than that its nothing special. ARES if you look at these posts take note sort out the design problems and the Mars sight.

 

Thanks for the movie show the problem and the laser is usless as well.

 

 

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Small update: Just cured the potentiometer so the MARS can actually be shut off. Until now you couldn't not really turn it off, because circuit was not opened (pardon my English). You don't see it until you enlarge the LED opening (needed to see the red dot in daylight). I put a layer of superglue over end of potentiometer track, so it effectively stops the current flow, now I can actually turn it off ;).

 

As for Eotech, yes, it can be done. I would recommend ECOS-L rail replica, but you'll have to drill holes in it and use screws. Also, ACOG wouldn't be a bad idea. Didn't go that way though, I still hope to find the correct lens and try it (IMHO, with a proper focal length lens MARS will work as any other reflex sight). How's that for a 500 dollar gun ;).

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Anoher update: Managed to cure some of the parallax by moving the LED away from reflective (front) lens. I simply glued it below its original place, which increased the distance by some 10mm. I also used my ACM ACOG red dot lens which seems to be more curved than MARS lens, bringing the LED closer to focus. Result is better than original MARS, but still suffering from bad parallax :(.

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It's really a shame that Ares dared to sell this voor 500 USD! I hope they'll correct their mistake and send replacement parts to people who bought it, well i guess it's wishfull thinking!

 

Just read on the French forum, someone recieved his tavor, which was actually a 500usd LEMON! totally unacceptable. he hed to take it appart and lubricate the trigger rod.

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I know the sight can be removed but how easy is it to replace with an Eot or something?

 

Is there a 20mm rail?

 

 

Greg.

 

 

There is no rail below the MARS. Insted, ther are two screws which hold it in place. One could put a rail on those screws (fairly simple task if you are handy with tools). After that you could put anything on thart rail, ACOG red dot would be my choice (never seen a Tavor with an Eotech).

 

 

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For that Lens idea; wouldn't it be wise to go and see an optician, someone who makes glasses? And maybe have a custom made lens, well depending on the price of course. They have the equipment and the knowloedge to do it.

 

 

Tried it at several places. Lens is not a problem, but reflective coating might be. In any case, not so cheap. Better option would be to buy short rail, fix it to the rifle and use an red dot ACOG. Not as cool as MARS, but at least it would work ;).

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There is no rail below the MARS. Insted, ther are two screws which hold it in place. One could put a rail on those screws (fairly simple task if you are handy with tools). After that you could put anything on thart rail, ACOG red dot would be my choice (never seen a Tavor with an Eotech).

with eotech:

https://www.dlaskarms.com/images/P1010983%201.JPG

 

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