FOGHORN
April 2022 Twobirds Flying Publications
HOLOSUN’S A.E.M.S. (RED)
Copyright 2022, Towbirds Flying Publications. All Rights Reserved.
HOLOSUN’S A.E.M.S. (RED)
HOLOSUN’S A.E.M.S. (RED) By: Sal Palma
The more I get to know HOLOSUN the more impressed I become with this young and hard charging company producing some outstanding red dot sights. First to integrate solar power with battery power, the company also achieved something sorely needed, they reduced the sight’s weight and footprint while increasing its field of view. One example of their achievement is the Advanced Enclosed Micro Sight (A.E.M.S.) red dot, introduced in September of 2021.
Everything about this sight is outstanding, mounting, a solar option to improve battery life, choice of reticles, the automatic light sensing
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feature, optical clarity, sleep mode and its overall construction merit a five-star rating. The red dot sight has become the de facto fire control system for the military, law enforcement, and in the commercial space, the modern sporting rifle; relegating iron sights to a backup role. A transition that was facilitated and accelerated by several companies entering the market offering quite a few competing sights. However, few offer the reliability and features incorporated in Holosun’s Advanced Enclosed Micro Sight (A.E.M.S.). The A.E.M.S. is a Picatinny compliant fully enclosed red dot sight. The housing is made from nicely anodized 7075 T6 aluminum. To describe it as being robust meets the definition of an understatement. It’s rugged and IPX8 rated. Holosun wanted to ensure that the internals are well protected. They’ve additionally protected the glass by including front and back removable see-through covers.
The A.E.M.S. features two modes of operation, automatic and manual. In automatic mode, reticle brightness is adjusted automatically. The Copyright 2022, Twobirds Flying Publications, All Rights
HOLOSUN’S A.E.M.S. (RED)
light sensing circuitry detects ambient lighting and adjusts reticle brightness accordingly. This makes transitioning from bright daylight to darkness a natural process without having to manually adjust reticle brightness. In manual mode, reticle brightness is controlled via the + and – buttons. In manual mode the operator has 12 brightness levels to choose from, 8 for daylight and 4 night vision capable.
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Windage and elevation adjustment is in 0.5 MOA per click. Optical clarity and field of vision through the A.E.M.S. is outstanding and distortion free edge to edge.
Changing from automatic modes to manual couldn’t be any simpler, just press the “+” button for three seconds, the reticle blinks once providing a visual indication. In addition to its two modes, the A.E.M.S. sight features “Shake Awake” technology. If it senses no motion for 10 minutes, the sight enters sleep mode shutting down the LED. The idle time setting is user programmable and can be set to one hour, twelve hours or disabled, the factory default is 10 minutes. As technically complex as the A.E.M.S. sight is, it couldn’t be any easier to operate. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) is at the heart of HOLOSUN’s design.
I want to dedicate some space to discuss the battery / solar integration which powers the sight.
HOLOSUN provides the operator with a choice of reticles, 65 MOA circle dot, 65 MOA circle, and a 2 MOA dot. The 2 MOA dot provides outstanding accuracy. You select reticles by pressing the ““button and holding it for three seconds. Reticle selection does impact battery life with circle and circle dot resulting in 20,000 hours of continuous use while dot only increases runtime to 50,000 hours.
The solar sensor located at the top of the A.E.M.S. sight does not charge a battery. It is Copyright 2022, Twobirds Flying Publications, All Rights
HOLOSUN’S A.E.M.S. (RED)
used only in automatic mode. When you’re in bright light and in automatic mode, the solar sensor powers the reticle, but as you move from bright light to a lower ambient light, powering the sight is shared, the internal CR2032 battery takes up the slack; eventually supplying the entire load as ambient light diminishes. In manual mode, reticle brightness is driven by the internal battery. Shooting Impressions I can’t bestow enough praise on the A.E.M.S. sight. Elevation and windage adjustments are as advertised with predictable point of impact movement. Turret tactile is as good as any reflex sight on the market. The panoramic field of view enhanced target acquisition and situational awareness, and there was not a hint of tunnel vision, common with many of HOLOSUN’S competitors.
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Manufacturer Specifications: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Multi-Reticle System (MRS) Yes Solar Failsafe Yes Shake Awake Technology Yes Memory Yes Light Source LED Wavelength 650nm Reticle Color: Red or Green models Reticle 2 MOA Dot & 65MOA Circle No Parallax Yes Unlimited Eye Relief Yes Magnification 1× Multi-Coatings (Lens) Yes Battery CR2032 Battery Life (Setting 6) 50,000 Hours Brightness Settings: 8 Daylight & 4NV Housing Material 7075 T6 Aluminum Surface Finish Anodized Housing Color Black Adjustment per Click 0.5 MOA W&E Travel Range ±50 MOA Storage Temperature -40℃~70℃ Working Temperature -30℃~60℃ Submersion IPX8 Vibration 1000G Window Size (in) 1.1×0.87 Dimension(in): Body Only 2.2×1.54×1.7 Weight (oz) Body Only 3.9 Central Height (in) W/ Mount 1.63 Weight (oz) W/ Mount 5.5″
The company was able to accomplish this level of performance while maintaining a small footprint and lightweight in a package that is as comfortable on your SBR as on your carbine. This relatively young company, like its sights, has a very bright future as they continue to innovate.
-SP Copyright 2022, Twobirds Flying Publications, All Rights