ATA consists of 2 caps and 2 discs.
Having
owned numerous Aimpoint T1s since 2007, and later, T2, we're quite fond
of these small, tough, and fully enclosed dot sights. Our only gripe
has always been the elevation and windage adjustment arrangement. If
you're a T1/H1/T2, or Comp M5 user, you probably share our frustration,
and have lost a cap or two over the years.
On a
T1/H1/T2, to adjust either the elevation or windage, the user unscrews
the cap, flips it 180 degrees, mates the two dots/protrusions with the
two indentations on the sight adjustment, and rotates the cap, which in
turn rotates the adjustment dial.
As often
is the case, adjustment isn't done in a single step. The user makes
the estimated adjustment, fires to verify the zero, and repeats if
necessary. The caps are rather short and small, and get lost easily.
Such is the diminutive size of the caps it's not easy to dummy wire
them. In any case, the sight itself is small and lacks much usable
space for the tethering wire to loop onto.
ATA
(Adjustable Turret cap, Aimpoint Micro) is a simple and
robust solution. ATA gives the user the ability to make adjustments to
either the windage or elevation without removing the caps.
ATA
consists of a pair of 17-4 SS billet machined cap with internal O ring,
and a 17-4 SS rotating disc with an externally accessible top slot.
The disc has two dots/protrusions that mate perfectly with the two
indentations of the adjustment dial on the sight. To make adjustments
to either the windage or elevation, the user uses the rim of a cartridge
(.223, .308, .45 ACP, and 9mm were
tested) or a coin to rotate the externally accessible disc of the ATA.
ATA's
caps are serrated to assist in its installation. There are 12
serrations total, matching the tick marks on the inside of the factory
T1 cap.
The internal O ring prevents undue
moisture from entering the ATA. In water immersion testing, ATA's
ability to keep out water is on par with the single piece factory cap,
to the depth of 77ft. To wit, T1 and T2 windage and elevation
adjustments are water resistant even without the caps, they can't be
taken to Aimpoint specified depths without the caps on, Aimpoint only
warranties the sights to the advertised depths with the caps installed.
When installing the ATA, please do not remove the O rings already
present on the sight.
ATA is billet
machined in 17-4 stainless steel, and QPQ treated. ATA is shipped
partially assembled (O ring is installed inside the cap, the disc is not
installed inside the cap). It is far faster and easier to install the
ATA on the sight with the cap and disc separated (instructions are
provided on the back of the card).
In place of
the factory marking UP/R with a counter clockwise arrow, ATA's discs
have the counter clockwise arrow, but individual caps for UP and R. As
much as it may seem common sense that the elevation adjustment is always
on top, and the windage adjustment is always on the side, the marking
UP/R can be confusing to new shooters. At the risk of being redundant,
the ATA disc with the UP engraving is installed on top (for elevation),
the disc with R engraving is installed on the right side (for windage).
ATA is shipped as a pair of caps and
discs (one with UP and a counter clockwise pointing arrow engraved, and
another with R and a counter clock wise pointing arrow engraved). QPQ
black caps can be paired with either polished or the more discreet bead
blasted stainless steel discs for improved contrast with the black
caps. ATA caps ship with lubricated O rings installed.
ATA is proudly made in USA. Patent pending.
NOTE:
The adjustment caps on the T1/T2 are NOT interchangeable with those on the M5. ATA M5 will be released later in 2020.
ATA
is shipped with the internal O ring already installed. It is a good
idea to keep the O rings (both the O rings on the base of the
adjustments, and ATA's internal O rings) lubricated with silicon based
lubrication. In a pinch, petroleum jelly can be
used as a substitute, but we recommend using the correct lube (silicon
based O ring lube) for the ATA.
ATA caps should remain stationary when the discs are rotated, though it is acceptable for the ATA caps to
rotate 90 degrees in either direction as long as the caps still apply
pressure on the O ring on the base of the adjustment. When there is
excessive cap movement (i.e. the caps easily moves in unison with the
disc while making adjustment), silicon based O ring lubricant should be
applied to ATA's internal O
ring.
ATA disc's engravings are small, as the discs are small. For better visibility, white crayon or Laquer-stik (on Amazon) can be used to fill in the engraving. 