Everything was okay until I stumbled across the GG&G ad in the "Dillon Blue Press" (my greatest source of inspiration/temptation after Brownell's). GG&G has developed some "why didn't Eotech do that in the first place" accessories. Here's the setup, right out of the box:
The first item was the one I was most interested in, the lens caps. It was only after I opened the bag that I realized the caps were part of a single rubber piece that went between the "roll bar" and the sight itself. It required removing four Torx screws to get the roll bar enough. Then a couple of minutes of pushing the flexible assembly inside the roll cage, and then rotating it until it was in the correct position. It may not be easy to see, since everything is black, but here it is inside the roll cage:
Here's the project two-thirds done, with the lens caps and the throw lever installed. Installation of the throw lever was so easy, there's nothing worth commenting about it.
GG&G was also thoughtful enough to include a stick-on rubber bumper for the top of the roll cage, to muffle the sound of hard plastic against aluminum when the rear cap is opened. Elapsed time so far, about 15 minutes.
Then came the smallest, and most difficult, item, the "improved" battery box latch. As you can see from the picture above, the latch compresses the battery box against a thick rubber gasket, sealing everything shut. With batteries in place, it takes quite a bit of effort to snap it shut. Due to the mechanical disadvantage of the closed lever, opening it takes even more work. Even if you can get a fingernail under the lever, you still need a screwdriver blade to give you enough leverage to open it.
GG&G's improved latch has a slight bend in the latch, to let you get your fingernail underneath it.
This part of the project took about 15 minutes, because I was working with a roll pin that holds the lever in place. Even with roll pin tools (everyone who works on guns should have them), it was a four-handed job to hold everything steady while knocking the pin in and out.
Unfortunately for me, I still need the strength of a gorilla to defeat the mechanical disadvantage I'm working against. Part of the problem, I think, is the short lever length you're working with on the N-size battery box. If you have an Eotech that uses AA batteries, the box is longer, and so is the lever. That gives you more of a torque moment to work with. It's not a total loss for me, because it's easier to get that screwdriver under the tab now. But it sure isn't the one-hand-no-tools-needed solution. But at $7, I'm not complaining (much). You just can't beat the laws of mechanical advantage.
Here's the completed project, all buttoned up:
And open for business. I really like those lens caps, even if they're not totally waterproof.
As an experiment, I tried to see if I could photograph the holographic reticle image, and got this:
The reticle is fuzzy because it's a holographic image set out at infinity, while the camera's auto-focus got the rear of the sight, instead. Looking through the sight, you see a nice, sharp red ring and dot, complete with the usual laser specular effects.
Thirty minutes of mostly-pleasant, non-cussing work, and the Eotech is closer to perfection with this upgrade. If you have one of these sights, I rate the lens caps as a "must", and rate the throw lever very highly. With the "improved" battery box arm, your mileage may vary, but it's the cheapest item in the lot.