Reticle problem with a year old Sightron IIl 10-50x60 scope

[dayjd]

I have three Sightron of which I purchased my first one from the special order my friend Hector arranged. Came with a 16x mark and 10-50x60 Model 25018 FTIRMOA-H The reticle is a chrismas tree with an arrangement of dots, lines, and numbers that turn red when the ir is turned on. Never a reticle problem and for as long as I have owned it. I have only changed the batteries two times. I estimate I have owned for 8 + years. Life goes by fast now a days so it could be longer. Since then I have purchased two other Sightron lll and had Sightron put 16x marks on them to be legal for HFT. These two have the lines both Horizontal and Vertical in mildot fashion. They came with the center dot ir only. 25018 10-50x60 FTIRMOA-2 reticle. These will light up on the highest power Ok but as you turn from the 11 mark back to 10 and all the way back to 6 it gets dimmer and dimmer to the point at 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 I can not see the center dot ir. The batteries were not lasting that long either and I'm talking only 2 or 3 hours with new batteries. I thought it might be a batch of bad batteries that I purchased new. I tried both Sony and Panasonic with similiar results. So I sent it back to Sightron to be checked out. About two weeks after they received it I gave them a call to find out if they had looked at it and when could I expect it back. I was told that they checked it out and could not find any problems with it. They said the batteries tested ok and they compared the brightness on two similiar scopes they had in stock and as far as the IR brightness they also went dim or out below the 6 designation. I told them about how well the Hector model has held up with the full xmas tree IR. They said that was a different reticle. I would of thought a small center dot would last much longer than it has for me, and why even use the numbers 1 the 5 if what they are manufacturing won't work on those power levels. After they made me feel I it was me I told them to ship it back and i would try it again. It is important to also reveal my testing was done with the Sightron Front lens cap on so the FOV was totally dark. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how did they resolve it. I'm not trying to bad mouth Sightron for other than the single center dot reticle they work fine, although I only purchased them looking for that holy grail Sightron that would range better at 16x for the shots over 45 yards. In that respect I have been sadly disappointed but I will say they are the best HFT scopes that I have ever tried, but sure they are not $700 better than the Sidewinder or the Falcon I have tried along with many Centerpoints, ect.

 

[Airgunmann]

I know some scopes barely can see the illumination on lower settings for night hunting on a full moon so they don't wash out the whole reticle to the point you can't see it other expensive scopes do the same really really dim on the lowest settings in a dark room you can just see them but battery life should be a lot long than what your getting that's for sure I would think at least 8 hours on a battery