Armament Technology introduced the new generation of their popular ELCAN Specter DR combat optics at SHOT Show 2017. The biggest change is the new illumination system upgrade. For those that are not familiar with ELCAN Specter DR series, it’s known as the SU-230 in service with the US and NATO militaries and it offers a switchable 1x or 4x magnification with a flip of the zoom lever on the left side. The upgraded illumination system will be available in both the 1x/4x and the 1.5x/6x ELCAN Specter DR models.

The reticle illumination is now powered by a common CR2032 lithium battery in the new ELCAN Specter DR models. There’s more than just the battery size change, the battery life has also doubled with the new illumination system. Which mean a single CR2032 will provide 600+ hours of daylight bright illumination of the center dot, or 6000 hours of the whole reticle at low light. Also that the DL 1/3N battery used in the older ELCAN are typically costs $4 each and could be hard to find, while the CR2032 battery is 25 cents to 50 cents each and available in just about every drug store, super market or even IKEA.

The use of the DL 1/3N lithium battery on the previous ELCAN Specter DR models was probably forced upon by the U.S. Army when they adopted the battery powered version of the ELCAN M145 machine gun optic. At the time, the DL 1/3N lithium battery was used in the original M68 Aimpoint red-dot sight (based on Aimpoint Comp M/Comp M2/Comp M3) in service with the US Army as the major user. However, by the time the Specter DR went into service with the US military. The US Army already started to replacing the original M68 with the newer M68 model that are based on the Aimpoint Comp M4 which uses the AA size battery.

Much slimmer side profile of the battery container/illumination turret due to the use of the thinner CR2032 lithium battery. For the owners of the previous generation of the Specter DR 1x/4x or 1.5x/6x models, Armament Technology said they could retro fit the new illumination system to units that are produced within the last five years. The upgrade cost is $100 if your Specter DR is made in the last year, and $200 for the rest of the five years. Those Specter DR models that are older than 5 years can’t be upgraded due to there’s major difference in the internals. Contact Armament Technology for more detail.

Also introduced with the new illumination system are the upgraded accessories for the ELCAN Specter DR series. Those include the new Tenebraex flip-up lens covers that doesn’t requires the use of a killFLASH filter, clear see-through and amber see-through versions of the Tenebraex flip-up lens cover, and more killFLASH anti-reflection device options. Starting in 2017, a set of solid black Tenebraex flip-up lens covers like those in the picture above will be included with every new ELCAN Specter DR.

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