ENTS,

    My brand new Nikon Forestry 550 arrived this morning and I just completed going through all its features. I give the instrument two solid thumbs up. It is a real hypsometer that c an compete with the LaserTech TruPulse 200 for half the price. The 550  doesn't compete with the TruPulse 360, which has added functionality .

     I am thrilled to report that t he Forestry 550 does the math right. It has a single point mode and a double point mode. In the single point mode, you shoot a target and the 550 returns the linear distance of the point, vertical distance (height) of the point, horizontal distance of the point, and angle of the point. The double point mode measures the full height of the target tree. You shoot the crown an then t he base  (or vice versa) and the 550 returns the full height (vertical separation of the two points) and several other returns and shows them in an external LED that is easy to read.

      The 550 has two target acquisition  modes: 1st target accessed and fartherest target accessed. The latter mode is appropriate to shooting to the top of a tree with a cluster of branches. It is easy to switch between the modes.

      Distances can be displayed in yards, meters, or feet. Angles are always in degrees. Sweet! This is the instrument for measurers who don't want to fuss with the math, but who want the internal process to produce the right answer in contrast the manufacters who mindlessly program in the tangent method for tree height determination, when they could have just as easily done it right .

      I'll provide more information over the next few days, but as of this point my $350.00 hypsometer is a very, very good buy. Nikon or their Chinese manufacturers must have been paying attention to ENTS. Better late than never.

Bob