I had it shut off, and every time I got to use it i manually have to adjust the brightness....
There are still several elite military groups using the EOTech.
Just save your pennies and eventually you will be able to afford the real deal, you will not be upset. Like others have said, you can sometimes find used for around $300.
If you absolutely cannot wait, then I would just look at getting a cheaper red dot. I would stay clear of the EOTech clones as the technology is no where near the same thing - they just look like EOTechs on the outside.