Review on FD20 Green Receiver Detector by Firecore by Robert Xayamonty

I received this after purchasing a Cigman 360° laser level and realizing I couldn't see the level line from more than a short distance in daylight - even on a cloudy day. See my separate review of this device. Although this detector says it only works with a specific brand and model of laser level, it also worked great with Cigman. The first photo shows Cigman's green laser dot detector directly over its center, about 10 m away. He found the laser up to 60m away on a cloudy morning. I was impressed. The device also survived a 1 meter drop onto a hard sheet with a grazing impact on the edge of the deck on the way down. However, hitting the top surface of the device (with a spirit level) caused the battery to "dent" the metal spring contacts and initially not turn on. A little work with a flat head screwdriver to gently pry the contacts out solved the problem. This unit would benefit from a set of positive battery clamps rather than relying on its current system. Just understand that if you drop it and it won't turn back on, that could be the cause and not actual damage. ADVANTAGES - Easy to use. Just turn it on. You can turn the beep on or off - it's pretty loud and persistent. - Detects a laser at a distance of 60 m (200 ft) on a cloudy day. I haven't tried running on a sunny day for a long time - A handy clip for a dipstick. I used a 5' aluminum ruler about 1/8" (3mm) thick. Clamp adjusts to 2x4 width. Spirit levels and bubble levels help to stay level and plumb when measuring for accurate work. Front LED indicators, rear and to one side (away from the clip) make it easy to see from any orientation - Includes 9V battery - Turns off after 5 minutes of non-use to save battery - 9V battery is both a plus as well as a minus, this is a plus because if you rarely use the device you can just pop in the battery when you need it without worrying about the device running too long between charges and destroying the battery .at least reasonably durable, according to my story above CONS - Battery contacts compress if dropped A welcome redesign would be to use clamps instead of spring pins - Cannot control tone volume There are no annunciations instructions. But again, it was easy to figure out. - Maybe? NOTES: Before the detector is recognized, you must position the detector approximately 50 mm (2 inches) from the level line height. This can be a little tricky at a distance over mixed terrain. I found that it was easier to gradually move away from the laser and detect along the way, as well as move the detector up or down the pole, than walk a long way and then try to find a marker. The detector is extremely sensitive to altitude. I found myself moving it 1/32 inch (1mm) or even less between "too high", "level", and "too low". or good. I was stupid when I measured for these photos: I mounted the detector on the measuring stick so that the measurements point towards the laser. With the measurements facing the face, it's easier to see the laser, but also measure quickly without looking at the "front of " Rod.Spirit.USE- I turned the level on in self-leveling mode, then switched it to pulsed laser mode. - I installed the Detector on the grade rod and placed it next to the plane to determine the height of the base plane.- Then I move around my project and determine the height at the desired points by moving the detector up or down until indicating the elevation at the point was less than my baseline, I subtracted the new elevation from the baseline to determine how much higher the baseline t the new point was; I did the opposite if the elevation was greater than the baseline .