SHOTMAXX-2 Timer Range Review

[XD Niner]

The following are my observations comparing my new SHOTMAXX-2 timer after three practice sessions to the SHOTMAXX-1 timer that I owned for several years.  In general, the functions of the SHOTMAXX-2 closely mirror those of my CED 7000 timer which isn’t a surprise considering DAA and CED collaborated on this one.  You can download the SHOTMASS-2 user manual from the DAA - CED website if you want details on the various functions.         

 

Things I like about the new version:

 

1.      It keeps track of the last 9 strings of fire.  My CED 7000 does 10 but 9 is plenty.  I use this feature repeatedly during my practice sessions and it has also saved re-shoots during matches if a time was not entered for the previous shooter.

2.       The three buzzer tones are very distinctive.  The highest pitched one is similar to my CED 7000.  The mid-range one seems to be just slightly lower than a PACT timer.  The low pitched one is almost soothing, which is probably not what you want to feel when your run begins.  However, we have a couple of shooters who have poor hearing.  My suspicion is that they will be able to hear the low-pitched tone much better than those of other timers.

3.       The 7-level beeper volume adjustment works great.  For practice, I set it at level 3 and can hear it perfectly.  I had it set at level 7 on the mid-range tone when I was playing with it at the range the other day.  We had eight shooters under an overhead cover shooting together on an outside bay.  While I was playing with it I heard a “What is that beeping?” from a shooter six positions or about 30 feet away.  That while multiple people were firing away between us.  I was using the accelerometer function at the time.  As with my SHOTMAXX-1 timer, it worked perfectly recording only my shots and not those of the other seven shooters.

4.       I purchased the white face this time.  My SHOTMAXX-1 had the black face which was the only style available when I bought it.  The white face may be a bit easier to read when outside but truthfully, I have no problem with either.  I don’t shoot indoors very often but when I used the V1 with the black background I had no problem reading it.  The white face should be even easier to see in a darkened area or at twilight.

5.       The buttons are easily activated through the silicone skin.  I didn’t have one on my V1 so I can’t comment on whether this one is better.

6.       It fits in the protective case from my V1 although the fit is quite tight.

7.       The charging cable end is the same as used on my Samsung 6 cell phone.  This was true for the V1 too.  I don’t have to bring the second cable as a result.

8.       I used it for over four hours and it’s still showing 100% charge.  I think the next increment will be 75% but it appears that the battery in this version will take a much greater charge than the V1.

 

Things I don’t like (all minor issues for me):

 

1.       Aesthetically, the timer looks a bit like a hump backed whale mated with a Casio G-Shock watch.  Generating the louder beeper volume came with a compromise apparently.  I occasionally wore my V1 to lunch after a shooting session.  This one is pretty ugly so I doubt I’ll wear it off the range.  I bought it as a shooting timer and not a watch so this isn’t a big deal for me.

2.       One other odd aspect is that when the beeper goes off it generates a puff of air against your wrist by the timer.  The first two times it went off I thought a bug had landed on my wrist just as the beeper activated.  It didn’t bother me any more once I figured out what was happening.

3.       The Spy Mode delay doesn’t seem to be very useful.  It is intended to offset the reaction delay we all have upon hearing the buzzer and beginning our draw movement and is adjustable up to 0.50 seconds.  I tested the SHOTMAXX-2 on SPY using my CED 7000 to generate the actual start beep.  In theory, the difference between the two time readouts should have been reasonably consistent if my reaction time was about the same. They weren’t even though I focused on quick and consistent reaction times.  It made no difference if I started with my hands relaxed or in a surrender position. The good news is that if you’re using this at a match to check your transitions and splits all you really need is the “official” time and you can subtract the first shot time from the SPY reading.  The difference between the two times will be your true first shot time.  All the shot time splits after the first shot in SPY mode were perfectly in sync with those on the CED 7000.

4.       With the silicone skin installed, I have the buckle tang in the fourth from the last slot.  If I remove the protective skin, I pick up another slot position. My wrist circumference is probably in the typical range at a measured 6 7/8-inches.  If you have thick wrists the band may not fit.  Unfortunately, there isn’t any way to lengthen it.

5.       The plastic screen protector included was an absolute POS from China.  I think one piece of cover film that you remove during installation was missing.  Neither of the two protectors included worked.  Fortunately, I had a collection of protectors from old cell phones and simply cut one down to size and installed it.  Using this technique, I’ll have enough for the rest of my life or the timer’s, whichever comes first.

 

Overall, I’m quite happy with the new version and will use it routinely. I have no qualms about using this to RO shooters at a match in addition to my practice sessions. Only time will show if it exhibits any reliability issues like those many experienced with the original version.  Hopefully, the good folks at DAA have eliminated those gremlins.

 

BTW, I have no relationship with DAA or CED other than as a customer.

Edited February 27, 2017 by XD Niner

[Mountbkr]

I've been watching to see if you would post a thorough review of it, thanks. I'm in the market for a timer and have narrowed it down with the Shotmaxx still in the choices. Helpful review....thanks again.....

[AustinWolv]

Had the Shotmaxx1 and really liked it.  Until it died a speaker death, and the cost to repair was prohibitive.  Hopefully that'll change since they added customer support here in the States now.

 

Watching intently to see how your Shotmaxx2 holds up, as I'd like to get one given I really liked the utility of the original.

[Dirtchevy841]

Well I can tell you it's sucks lol. Just received mine today. For the money you would think you would get the wall charger for the cable. Pretty crappy I have to use my cell phone wall charge for the cable. Also no instructions included have to down load them. Also best of all it has to go back already. Waterproof o ring hanging out of the side. I own a lot of daa stuff and I can say this is pretty shitty. Don't know if it's because of the merge with CED or what but again for what I paid for this crap I am pretty disappointed. 

[XD Niner]

Sorry about the O ring.  I can understand how irritating that can be but I'm sure they'll send you another one.  That said, issues like you experienced shouldn't happen.

 

t have several wall transformers so that wasn't a problem for me.  The description clearly indicated that only the cable was included.  The V1 unit was the same way.  Because my normal charger/cable for my Samsung cell phone works with the SHOTMAXX, I actually consider this a desirable feature.

 

The box for my timer had a sticker that showed the web site address for downloading the manual.  In reality, the "quick start" is the only thing you need to get the timer to work and explore all the menus and features.  After using it a couple of times you don't even need that.

 

I've used it for half a dozen practice sessions now.  No problems at all and I like it.

[LB6]

On 9.3.2017 at 10:12 PM, XD Niner said:

I've used it for half a dozen practice sessions now.  No problems at all and I like it.

Hi, I hope you are still happy with your shotmaxx 2 timer. Are you?

[XD Niner]

Yes, I'm quite pleased with it.  I use it for every practice and occasionally for matches.  I've had no problems of any kind and the battery life is very good.  I only charge it once every two weeks or so and could stretch it further.

 

The accelerometer function really comes in handy when there are multiple people on a bay.  It works great with my PCC too.

Edited December 10, 2017 by XD Niner

[waktasz]

Hopefully it proves to be more reliable than the last gen version. I like my gen1, but I had to send my first one back because it died.

[XD Niner]

Yes, some folks did have problems with the Gen 1 models.  Mine was 100% reliable and never needed any repairs.  However, that wasn't true for all.

 

Has anyone out there required any warranty actions for their Gen 2 models?  If so, what was the issue and how was it addressed?

[noexcuses]

have the shotmaxx2 and ced7000, just trying to figure out which one I like best.

[tacomandood]

Looking for some more info on these, if anyone else has an additional opinion or review update in the last year now. Seems it would be nice to have a tiny package, adjustable volume/tone, and rechargeable battery. I currently have a Pact Club III and it's nice for its simplicity, but the tone is way too loud for use indoors and my wife is starting to hate me for dryfiring with it all the time in our ~900sqft house lol. I've also had several issues with it reading out ridiculously random numbers when reviewing my string, even after trying to adjust the sensitivity. Pair that with the issue of the "GO" button sticking all the time, and I'm just about over this thing and ready to throw it off a cliff. Accelerometer and string memory would be sweet to have since it's easy to forget my times when practicing without writing them down. The features mentioned before and pretty much everything about the Shotmaxx-2 is better, except for the tiny and minimalist display. I'm not old, though, so that's not as big of a problem for me.

 

My main concern is that I see very few people talking about it. There are just a few videos online, most of them from Double Alpha's marketing, and I haven't seen many reviews outside of their website either. Figured I'd come here to ask what you guys think. Here are my main questions:

• How have they held up for you folks in the time you've had them?
• Would you recommend the extended warranty? Is there anything that's broken easily in the time you've had it or had to make a warranty claim?
• Would anyone recommend just getting the CED7000 instead?

I've messed with the PocketPros at my local club and don't really like the way they function. Figure I should do more research instead of just going straight to DAA, but the portability and convenience of the Shotmaxx is what's really got me interested.

[Mcfoto]

I’ve had mine for almost a year (Christmas present last year). Perfect for dry fire at home as I can dial down the volume on the beep and dial up the sensitivity on the mic. My only complaint is setting up par time is cludgie. Having the timer on your wrist is a blessing and a curse. You’ll never loose it but awkward to run someone else. Also difficult maintaining muzzle control when self timing without a holster like when trying a friend’s blaster.

[XD Niner]

Mine still works 100% and I am very happy with it.  I use it for practice nearly universally and I practice at the range twice a week.  The accelerometer is great when there are others in the same bay.  I also have a CED 7000.  That's what I use the most often when I'm running others in a match.  If I'm running someone during a practice session, my SHOTMAXX-2 works perfectly. 

Edited December 20, 2018 by XD Niner

[alexmg]

You can also take a look into Commander from Amg Lab.

[jrdoran]

Mine still works 100% ; no issues and battery lasts quite long.   I use it for practice several times a week for dryfire and also at the using the accelerometer at the indoor range.

I like having it on my wrist for repeated strings and the microphone will even pick up dryfire first shot on my STI.  

[ClangClang]

Another general thumbs up vote for the Shotmaxx 2. I've had mine for 21 months and the features it offers are critical to me and my practice - I would not be able to use a "conventional" timer. I will mention that it has recently started picking up false positives with the accelerometer setting under very rapid hand movement (i.e. registering the first shot off the buzzer at .73 seconds, even though I've never actually been able to break .96), despite being set to minimum sensitivity. However, it has not proven to be an impediment because it's easy to know what's real and what isn't.  I bought the 2 year warranty on a whim (I normally never buy extended warranties) so I'll be contacting DAA shortly. Based on my prior interactions with them, I have no doubt that they'll address the issue promptly and satisfactorily, but if not, I'll certainly share that with the forum.

[tacomandood]

Looks like I'm going for the Shotmaxx-2 then! Watched some overviews on the Pocket Pro and they seem pretty decent, but the portability just can't be beat.

On 12/19/2018 at 9:10 PM, Mcfoto said:

My only complaint is setting up par time is cludgie. Having the timer on your wrist is a blessing and a curse. You’ll never loose it but awkward to run someone else. 

 

I can see how that would be a bit annoying, but something I'm willing to work around. As far as timing others, I'm sure you could just crank up the sensitivity a little and do your own thing, right? That's usually what I do when I'm out shooting with others anyway lol. Now I just gotta get rid of this Pact and use the money from that toward the Shotmaxx.

[jrdoran]

Someone who is technically challenged asked me that they were wondering if they can clear all the  strings stored before starting each day.   I searched the online manual but found no way to clear out history.   Any ideas ? 

[XD Niner]

I know of no way to erase all the strings.  You can, however, scroll through the strings and stop on the first one you want to overwrite.  From then on, the next string will overwrite the next string.

[Nevadazielmeister]

24 minutes ago, jrdoran said:

Someone who is technically challenged asked me that they were wondering if they can clear all the  strings stored before starting each day.   I searched the online manual but found no way to clear out history.   Any ideas ? 

 

I have a question: Why would anyone want to clear their strings?

[jrdoran]

I had the same question.  Basically they seem to get confused and end up cycling back into the prior strings.  Goes to the lack of tech savy;    I don't see myself ever wanting this, but thought there might be a 'hotkey' sequence to clear it out;

[cconnection]

I got one for Christmas, I'm excited to try it out.  Glad to see others are enjoying it.  

[tacomandood]

Update:

After everyone's suggestions, I picked one up about a month ago now and this thing is awesome! I can get so many more reps in for dryfire now with only having to reach across my wrist to start the timer. Setting par times is super easy once you figure it out, and the volume control and sensitivity adjustments have worked great for me both indoors and out. I've used it for dryfire roughly 4 days a week and live fire about 4 times now and the battery is still reading at 50%. Obviously, that's plus or minus 25%, but still damn good considering I haven't had to charge it once since buying yet. Dryfire sessions are usually about 40-50 minutes, and live fire between an hour to an hour and a half, for reference of use. I also love the 3 and 5-minute timers while dryfiring. They keep me from sticking to one drill too long, and also help me keep a good pace when dryfiring as I have a better idea of how long I've actually been practicing and how many drills I'm going through.

 

Me and @Nevadazielmeister were showing ours off at a club match at the beginning of this month. I haven't had a chance to try it in "Spy Mode" yet, but he was saying that it was showing splits and times pretty accurately. Only gripes I have is that it can sometimes record bumps as shots when I'm either reloading or even drawing, though it's easy to spot those weird shot times and pick out the real ones. As far as using it to time someone else, I've had to crank up the sensitivity significantly if I'm not following close behind them. Regardless, I bought the thing primarily for myself, so the other guys I've shot with can go buy their own shot timers lol. The last kinda "eh" thing, is that, say I set a par time of 1.3s, and I take a shot at almost exactly 1.3, it won't record the shot. I think it has something to do with momentarily turning off the mic so it doesn't confuse the beep with a shot (since they're so close), but I still am able to tell whether or not I'm hitting the par time. I've seen shots recorded as close as .03s from the set par time, though, so I'm guessing it's only unable to record shots right at that window. This has only happened maybe 3 or 4 times in live fire so far, so I'm not too concerned about it. 

 

If anyone else is debating, you should definitely buy it if you want to get the most out of your dryfire in the shortest amount of time. $150 may seem steep, but most other timers are pretty close to price and don't have quite as many features in such a small and portable package. Having something right on your wrist during live fire is nice too, especially when working on moving drills or high-rep/low round count drills (doubles, bill drill, etc.) where you're constantly starting the timer. Also, I recommend buying the hard carry case. It'll keep buttons from accidentally getting pushed while in your bag and needlessly draining the battery, plus it fits much better and it's easier to find when sitting inside your range bag.

 

[YVK]

My second Shotmaxx, S-2, died last week. I don't exactly remember how long I had it for, maybe 3 years? The first one died after moisture got into it. This one stopped beeping although it still records shots. 

Personally I continue to think of it as a mediocre timer with only one redeeming quality of an accelerometer option for public indoors range use. I think the watch and stop watch are useless, buttons are too easy to engage on accident, the spy mode never worked for me, and it did get false counts at times. I won't hurry to pick up a third one.

Edited January 30, 2019 by YVK

[BigEar]

My son is a teenager with small and tiny arms. Will this shotmaxx 2 fit his hands with the smallest band hole's setting?