Yesterday i asked if chrono is needed. Now i want to know if to buy FX, Caldwell or something else and why?

[nervoustrig]

I have multiple chronographs including an FX and a ProChrono but the little $30 clamp-on type linked earlier in the thread is what I end up using most of the time.

Amazon.com

Pros
1. Agrees well with my ProChrono. Either it’s accurate or they are both wrong together.
2. Has its own infrared light source. Works in any lighting and even in the dark. No fussy or time-consuming setup with screens or lights.
3. Never misses a reading. Never ever. That alone makes it worth the price of admission if you’ve ever waited hours to check the speed of the first shot, only to have the chronograph fail to get it.

Cons
1. No means to electronically retrieve the string. If you want to keep it, you have to manually copy it to a spreadsheet. I don’t frequently save long strings so that doesn’t weigh heavily for me.
2. Stores only 40 shots.
3. The one I have is older and has only integer meter resolution…meaning roughly +1.5fps resolution. People have reported newer ones show fps.

 

[BillR]

I have multiple chronographs including an FX and a ProChrono but the little $30 clamp-on type linked earlier in the thread is what I end up using most of the time.

Amazon.com

Pros
1. Agrees well with my ProChrono. Either it’s accurate or they are both wrong together.
2. Has its own infrared light source. Works in any lighting and even in the dark. No fussy or time-consuming setup with screens or lights.
3. Never misses a reading. Never ever. That alone makes it worth the price of admission if you’ve ever waited hours to check the speed of the first shot, only to have the chronograph fail to get it.

Cons
1. No means to electronically retrieve the string. If you want to keep it, you have to manually copy it to a spreadsheet. I don’t frequently save long strings so that doesn’t weigh heavily for me.
2. Stores only 40 shots.
3. The one I have is older and has only integer meter resolution…meaning roughly +1.5fps resolution. People have reported newer ones show fps.

Thank you very much. For the last 2 weeks, I've been looking for a chrono to occasionally check my pellet velocity for fine tuning. The forums say the FX and "sun shade" models are fussy and time consuming to set up. I'm going to buy this one. Thanks again! Bill R

 

[BillR]

Thank you very much. For the last 2 weeks, I've been looking for a chrono to occasionally check my pellet velocity for fine tuning. The forums say the FX and "sun shade" models are fussy and time consuming to set up. I'm going to buy this one. Thanks again! Bill R

Thank you very much. For the last 2 weeks, I've been looking for a chrono to occasionally check my pellet velocity for fine tuning. The forums say the FX and "sun shade" models are fussy and time consuming to set up. I'm going to buy this one. Thanks again! Bill R

What do you clamp the chrono to? My 1.5 in diameter moderator? Or remove the moderator and clamp it to the 1.25 ins shroud? Or remove the moderator & shroud and clamp to the barrel??

 

[BillR]

Thank you very much. For the last 2 weeks, I've been looking for a chrono to occasionally check my pellet velocity for fine tuning. The forums say the FX and "sun shade" models are fussy and time consuming to set up. I'm going to buy this one. Thanks again! Bill R

Thank you very much. For the last 2 weeks, I've been looking for a chrono to occasionally check my pellet velocity for fine tuning. The forums say the FX and "sun shade" models are fussy and time consuming to set up. I'm going to buy this one. Thanks again! Bill R

What do you clamp the chrono to? My 1.5 in diameter moderator? Or remove the moderator and clamp it to the 1.25 ins shroud? Or remove the moderator & shroud and clamp to the barrel??

 

[nervoustrig]

What do you clamp the chrono to?

The rigid clamping plate accommodates barrels up just shy of 1" dia, and the hoop accommodates up to 1.5" dia.

 

[BobW]

I have a LabRadar and use it for airguns and powder burners. Works well for both. It needed to go in for service after about 6 years of service. Other than that it’s been great. I like it’s ability to figure BC on odd bullets.

 

[BackStop]

Amazon.com

Pros
1. Agrees well with my ProChrono. Either it’s accurate or they are both wrong together.
2. Has its own infrared light source. Works in any lighting and even in the dark. No fussy or time-consuming setup with screens or lights.
3. Never misses a reading. Never ever. That alone makes it worth the price of admission if you’ve ever waited hours to check the speed of the first shot, only to have the chronograph fail to get it.

Cons
1. No means to electronically retrieve the string. If you want to keep it, you have to manually copy it to a spreadsheet. I don’t frequently save long strings so that doesn’t weigh heavily for me.
2. Stores only 40 shots.
3. The one I have is older and has only integer meter resolution…meaning roughly +1.5fps resolution. People have reported newer ones show fps.

The stand alone version does offer tenths of a meter resolution, but the clamp on model still only offers meters per second, not tenths of a meter. However, it is much more reliable, IMHO.

I have used the clamp on model with 1" PVC DIY slip-on suppressor, however, I don't think it would be very hard to make a clamp to support up to 1.5 inches or more which *may* only be a matter of longer screws/bolts and a different top plate. The included clamp might even be able to be modified to fit 1.5 inches.

Oh well... although I am no good at working on my PCP's when it comes to leaks, I can make these cheap "muzzle velocity meters" work with little trouble. (smile)

 

[karl_h]

Well I have a LabRadar, by time I get the Tripod, Battery connected, microphone, aimed, it's a solid 5 minutes. Great data, saved to a Micro Card for later plotting. Depending on how well I've placed the Mic, it will miss a shot. The mic needs to be in front and off to one side to "hear" the shot and start the counter. You can look at the individual shots every 0.001 second if you'd like. Changing Pellet weight is menu driven as well as setting distances to calculated the data.

If I had to do it over, I think I would have bought a less expensive unit.

Smitty

Since someone else already resurrected this thread, thought I'd jump in.

My personal opinion with the LabRadar is a recoil trigger is a necessity, not a nice to have if you shoot 22lr or quieter. The other two needed items are a USB battery bank, mine has never even had the battery compartment opened, and an absolutely accurate repeatable fast way to aim it. I did some testing on aiming using my Uragan, the sweet spot for the LabRadar to pick up the best radar return is extremely small. A 2 foot difference in aimpoint at just over 110 yards makes a massive difference in the quality of the radar return. Only testing will tell you where your unit is truly aimed, it will be hit your head on a brick wall obvious looking at SNR on the individual tracks when you find the center of your LabRadar's beam. Recoil triggers are extremely easy and very cheap to make yourself. I had mine made before my LabRadar was delivered. The only time I used the microphone on my LabRadar was 10 minutes or so after it was delivered. I had it on the front deck ready to go and tried the built in microphone first just for fun. Worked great on the 3 PB centerfire handguns(38, 41 mag, 44 mag), missed like 7 out of 10 shots on my 10/22 with standard velocity CCI. That was with the muzzle perfectly placed according to directions. Plugged in my recoil trigger and I have never once missed a shot from my as tuned 22 ft-lb Uragan to my 325 WSM and everything in between. I have had it for well over 2 years now. I can go from my house to shooting on the deck in way less than 5 minutes if I want to, I keep the Labradar mounted to a decent tripod all the time in spare bedroom(I have an arca mount on the LabRadar to mount to my tripod, beats the heck out of a 1/4-20 screw). Being able to shoot from your own front deck is great and doesn't take any time at all.

 

[damageINC]

I just got an LMBR and really like it.

 

[Jandy123]

I own , FX, Caldwell and Magnetospeed V3 . Fx is my pick for sure

 

[ralbertina]

Been looking for my 1st outdoor chrony - I only want to know a pellets muzzle velocity.
After reading a lot of reviews, seems all the sun shield ones are finicky outdoors and a pain to setup.
FX is not the magic chrony, that can do everything every time.
Magnet and Radar Lab are very expensive when used once or twice a month.

You seem satisfied with an under $50 chrony.
Can you give me their names, and which one you like best.
Thanks, Bill R

Bill, if you have yet to purchase a chronograph, the Vikka on Amazon works very well. Mine came with English instructions, and I've found it very easy to set up and use,,,,and like others have stated, it does not miss a shot. The newer Vikka's will display either mps or fps. to display fps, turn on the device when the screen shows "---" press the button again and it will be in fps mode. I also have a Caldwell and have compared readings and have found the Vikka is consistently within 3 fps of my caldwell unit. I nolonger use the caldwell becuase of the setup and take down times, It's much easier to strap the Vikka to the barrel and begin shooting.

 

[JimD]

I used to have a conventional chronograph but I shot it one too many times and it doesn't work now. I mainly use a tripod type chinese chrony I got from Alliexpress. I have not seen them on Amazon, only the clamp on. I have a clamp on too but I don't like it as well because it doesn't work well for me if I want to shoot groups at the same time. I don't actually put the tripod type on a tripod, I just put it on a block of wood on the handrail of the porch I shoot from. It's window to shoot through is not huge and I've shot the supports a couple times but even after that it works great. Both of these inexpensive ~$30 chronographs have rechargeable batteries so you do not have that expense either. I have no desire for a "better" chronograph.

 

[2L8]

Yesterdays post:

How important is it to own chronograph if you tune your gun? And why?

And is FX chrono good?

www.airgunnation.com

Seems @Wosku has dropped off the planet. No input or conclusion to his OP... Or his other OP

Patrick

 

[.SevenSeven]

I have a Caldwell. I don’t think it is all that light picky. If it’s sunny out stick the shades on it. If it’s cloudy I run it bare. I don’t think it misses any more shots than the fx. I don’t own an fx but they miss shots all the time on YouTube gun review vids.

My Caldwell has taken two shots from a 30 fpe .22 darn close to the digital readout at 75yds and it's still ticking... I intend to do the same to the ProChrono as soon as my secret Santa gets with the program...

 

[Smitty911]

Since someone else already resurrected this thread, thought I'd jump in.

My personal opinion with the LabRadar is a recoil trigger is a necessity, not a nice to have if you shoot 22lr or quieter. The other two needed items are a USB battery bank, mine has never even had the battery compartment opened, and an absolutely accurate repeatable fast way to aim it. I did some testing on aiming using my Uragan, the sweet spot for the LabRadar to pick up the best radar return is extremely small. A 2 foot difference in aimpoint at just over 110 yards makes a massive difference in the quality of the radar return. Only testing will tell you where your unit is truly aimed, it will be hit your head on a brick wall obvious looking at SNR on the individual tracks when you find the center of your LabRadar's beam. Recoil triggers are extremely easy and very cheap to make yourself. I had mine made before my LabRadar was delivered. The only time I used the microphone on my LabRadar was 10 minutes or so after it was delivered. I had it on the front deck ready to go and tried the built in microphone first just for fun. Worked great on the 3 PB centerfire handguns(38, 41 mag, 44 mag), missed like 7 out of 10 shots on my 10/22 with standard velocity CCI. That was with the muzzle perfectly placed according to directions. Plugged in my recoil trigger and I have never once missed a shot from my as tuned 22 ft-lb Uragan to my 325 WSM and everything in between. I have had it for well over 2 years now. I can go from my house to shooting on the deck in way less than 5 minutes if I want to, I keep the Labradar mounted to a decent tripod all the time in spare bedroom(I have an arca mount on the LabRadar to mount to my tripod, beats the heck out of a 1/4-20 screw). Being able to shoot from your own front deck is great and doesn't take any time at all.

Recoil Trigger? I'll assume it's something you wired up? Advice?

Smitty

 

[karl_h]

Recoil Trigger? I'll assume it's something you wired up? Advice?

Smitty

I'll try to remember to fire up my old laptop and get the instructions off it. It is very simple and cheap, unless you don't have a soldering iron. If you don't have one already, it doesn't make sense to buy one just for one use. Just buy a pre-made recoil trigger, there are a few out there. Cost me less than 10 dollars a few years ago to make mine, and retail ones were over 50.

 

[karl_h]

Got my old laptop fired up and found some of my files from setting up my labradar.
You need a vibration switch, SW18010P, and a 3.5 mm headphone extension cord of whatever length you choose, I had a 10 ft unused one already so I did not have to buy one. The switch is a very sensitive switch, you want that and not the next one in the series which is not as sensitive. I went one step further and soldered the switch into a 3.5mm jack so its plug and play instead of cutting the headphone extension cord and soldering switch directly to it. All the switch does is complete a circuit when it is shocked. When soldering, use flux and make it fast. Too much heat getting into switch will ruin it, my first attempt I did not use flux and it too a little too long to get a good solder connection. Afterwards, the switch was just a closed circuit(assuming everyone has a multimeter) in the trash it went and learned my lesson. Use flux and the soldering is nearly instant.

as far as how sensitive the Labradar is to having a very fine accurate and repeatable way of aiming it, this is how small the "perfect" zone for aiming is.

 

[karl_h]

Forgot to mention, I just attach it with velcro to whatever I am shooting, or if a handgun, I just hold it in off hand. When shooting high power PB's if using the plug and play thing I did, the orientation of the trigger needs to be such that recoil impulse wont unplug the sensor from end of cable, totally unnecessary with air rifles.

 

[Smitty911]

Forgot to mention, I just attach it with velcro to whatever I am shooting, or if a handgun, I just hold it in off hand. When shooting high power PB's if using the plug and play thing I did, the orientation of the trigger needs to be such that recoil impulse wont unplug the sensor from end of cable, totally unnecessary with air rifles.

Karl,
Thanks, I'll bust out the soldering iron and get one of those switches made up to test. Thanks for the aiming tips. I may add a red laser pointer to mine to help the aim points.
Smitty

 

[gbikerman]

I have an FX chrono and never shoot without it. I dial elevation constantly while out in the field and need to verify that fps are in line with the turret tapes I make. Environmental changes make a big enough difference that I often need to adjust speeds It is simple, accurate enough and very portable. Also I recently purchased a Pica-tinny mount from Midwest Elite Airguns that is great. Same location on gun every time and no barrel mount. Chrono is invaluable/necessary when tuning.