Which chrono?

[LoneWolf]

Well it looks like my next investment should be a chronograph - any suggestions ? Has anyone used the Pact IV that Brian sells ? Which models are the most portable ? Also I don't have the luxury of an outdoor range so I would be using it mostly at an indoor range .

Thanks , Doug

[tightloop]

There are several on the market. The Pact timer from Brian is a good choice. I don't know how it would do indoor, but I'm sure someone here has that information. You will find that you depend on the chrony more than you thought you might. Mine is old as the hills, but I wouldn't take a gold bar for it. Good decision.

[jhgtyre]

I think the Pact that Brian sells is the deal. I have a Shooting Chrony Master Beta (that is what they call it ) and a CED Timer, which combined cost more than the package deal from Brian, and I don't think either is as nice as the Pact.

-ld

[chp5]

I concur on the Pact IV from BE. It's a first rate timer and chrono all in one for a great price.

The only chrono I've use inside had two light bulbs rigged on each sky screen to make sure there's enough light to register the passing of the bullet. I don't know any chrono that has built in lights for indoor use.

You may just try using it without the sky screens to get more light. You don't need them - they just provide a guide to shoot through.

[D.Hayden]

Look at Shooting Chrony (http://Chrony.ca). I figured I don't use it that often, and they have many models with as few or many features as you could want. I bought the Re-conditioned one ~ $50. It has worked great as long as it's placed far enough away from the muzzle (too close gives invalid readings - probably true for all chronys). About 6-8 feet seems to be good for me. And I don't use the sky screens either, I do put the rods in for alignment (I saw a good idea somewhere, to use bright colored drinking straws instead; just in case)

I only use it outdoors, under an awning

Next I'll buy the smaller Pact timer from Brian, together it adds up to the PACT IV. This owkrs for m, since I think the Club timer is better suited for me.

Any doubts about the timer, if you're going to get one anyway, and like the Pact IV, well... you're done.

[Larry White]

Buy it from Brian and maybe you can get him to stand beside the crono and hold flashlites while you shoot. Larry

[LoneWolf]

I see I learned something new again - I didn't know that the sky screens weren't needed ! I also didn't know about keeping the unit 6 feet away. I asked Brian and he said only if you supply the flashlight ! Thanks to all of you for the help !

[2cats]

I only have experience with my CED, but I'll say that I'm very happy with it, and I've also gotten some fantastic customer service from them.

[D.Hayden]

I see I learned something new again - I didn't know that the sky screens weren't needed ! I also didn't know about keeping the unit 6 feet away. I asked Brian and he said only if you supply the flashlight ! Thanks to all of you for the help !

Which ever one you buy, should give you guidelines. It's further away for rifles than pistols. This from Chrony:

>>

Chronographs should be at least 10 feet (3 m) from the muzzle of a high-powered rifle, but can be closer to guns with a lesser blast. Five feet (1.5 m) is about right for .22 rimfire firearms

<<

I started maybe 4-5 feet (of course not reading the instructions). I placed it there so it didn't seem to be way out in the range. With TiteGroup that close, I was getting wildly different results (for 45 ACP anywhere from 125fps to 8,000fps). The powder was affecting the chrony. Unique no problem, no consitantly back at 6+, no problems.

[Flexmoney]

The Pact Mk-IV is always the first thing that I steer people toward.

However, mine didn't work well indoors (the one, and only, time I tried it).

There is a unit (CED?) that has it's own light source.

[TRG65]

I got the base model shooting chrony and the accompaning indoor lighting set-up. The indoor set-up was about an extra 30 bucks. Once I figured out where to aim, it works great. Readings are very consistent and comparable to what I get outdoors, or with other chronos. The indoor set-up was well worth the money.

I did try to rig something up for a friend's PACT indoors and it refused to work. That was before I bought my chrony. So when I was shopping around one of the requirements was the system had to have an indoor set-up designed and tested by the manufacturer. Chrony did and the base unit was really cheap. That fit the bill.

[shred]

Most indoor ranges use flourescent lights. Those flicker on and off very rapidly, which completely confuses chrono skyscreens (note, you DO need skyscreens. You don't necessarily need the surrounding plastic 'awnings', depending on light and sky conditions). If you have to chrono indoors, you need incandescent lights or lighted skyscreens.

[diehli]

For indoors I'd say you NEED the CED Millennium chronograph with infrared setup... takes the visible light variable out of the equation. Dillon advertises it in the Blue Press for $179 for the chrono and $89 for the IR upgrade.

[DogmaDog]

I got the PACT MkIV for Christmas last year (asked the wife to go to Brian's site and buy me a shooting timer ).

If you read the directions, they explain that the sensors actually see the sky darken as the bullet passes overhead. If the sky isn't bright enough, the sky screens (a white background) might help. PACT also says the chrony doesn't like fluorescent light, and that you should use incandescent lights to illuminate the "sky" over the chrony when shooting indoors. Another problem occurs if the bullet is brighter than the sky, because light is reflecting off of it from below, for e.g. The bullet should be in the artificial shade of the sky screen when it passes over the sensors.

Anyway, $200 for a first rate timer and a chronograph can't be beat, except by a free one for Christmas.

DogmaDog

[snokid]

I have tha pact chrono timer

and I use it indoor all the time.

here's my trick to use it indoor

first dim the lights over the sensors

then put a couple of 25-40 watt light bulbs shining over the screens, it take some practice to know where over the screens to place the lights.

if you don't have the luxury of turning off the lights, take a cardboard box and cover the chrono and then light it from above the box.

anyways it's a great product and Brian is top notch you won't be disappointed.

Bob

[Duane Thomas]

I have the CED Millennium with infrared set-up. No need to dim the range lights indoors, no need to bring in other lights and fool around getting them just right. The infrared panels replace the normal skyscreens, that's it. They work.

[LoneWolf]

Duane all you have to do is replace the skyscreens with infrared skyscreens and it will work indoors under flourescent lamps ? If this is correct it sounds like the way to go ! Thanks

[Duane Thomas]

Duane all you have to do is replace the skyscreens with infrared skyscreens and it will work indoors under flourescent lamps ?

Yes, indeed. Well, and you need an electrical outlet to plug them in, of course.

[Flexmoney]

...or, they can be battery powered.

Provides up to 8 hours of continuous field use for the Infrared Screen Set. Ideal for locations where no AC electrical connections are available. The "no-memory" Battery Pack, can be recharged 500 to 1,000 times. Comes with complete battery pack, AC Charger, and connection cables. Instruction manual included.

[LoneWolf]

Thanks for all your help - I'm going to contact CED and find out the specifics (dealers,prices,etc.). Thanks again ! Doug

[Duane Thomas]

...or, they can be battery powered.

Provides up to 8 hours of continuous field use for the Infrared Screen Set. Ideal for locations where no AC electrical connections are available. The "no-memory" Battery Pack, can be recharged 500 to 1,000 times. Comes with complete battery pack, AC Charger, and connection cables. Instruction manual included.

Yep, that's an option. It just costs extra money to buy that particular option.

[LoneWolf]

Well I figured I would keep you updated. I tried to get CED via the phone (two seperate days) with no luck. I e-mailed them about a week ago to find out if the infrared would work under flourescents indoors and still have no response. CED is not building customer confidence in me so far.

[2cats]

I should have amplified my first post.

LoneWolf, I encourage you to be a little patient and not give up. I spoke with CED on Monday, and they were once again very responsive and helpful.

I got the CED in large part because of its represented ease in indoor applications (got it with the battery pack). This turned out to be the case, and in paricular I chrono indoors on a range with (only) fluorescent light. The IR screens work perfectly.

Well, why am I calling CED and getting great customer service again? For the second time in about 2 years, the chrono died on me (failed to register any shots, regardless of the screens used). It comes down to the main unit or one of the sensors; this can be determined by a simple test at home. In my first case one of the sensors was bad. This was replaced for free, out of waranty, no questions asked, and done very quickly as he was about to travel, and I wanted a working chrono right then.

Perhaps this guy travels frequently and you have missed him. They indicate that on the answering machine.

If it turns out that I have another bad sensor, it will probably be due to some light guage cable problems that they had at that time, and I'll bet that both sensors come back replaced with newer, thicker cables. I'll update.

In general, I've never heard of people documenting reliability problems with these things, and I think I've either got a lemon, or, more likely, am involved in what is being represented as a temporary, past, cable supply problem. I like the unit, when it works it works great, and I've had good interactions with customer service. I'll continue to be a happy customer if this is the end of my problems.

Best of luck,

2cats

[LoneWolf]

That's great and I hope that the problem is solved. All I know is I tried calling and got a busy signal. I tried again and left a message. The next day I left another message. The third day I sent an e-mail. As I said that was about a week ago. I'll try again this week ! So the infrared screens work indoor and under the flourescents without the need for anything else ?

[Duane Thomas]

You don't really need to call up CED to ask if the chrono with infrared panels works indoors under fluorescent lights. No offense - really - but that's kind of like calling up Goodyear because you need to ask them if their tires will really hold the car off the road. The answer will be, "Of course, that's what they're designed to do." I can tell you from personal experience that the CED with infrared panels works perfectly on an indoor range lighted with fluorescents. The entire concept of the infrared panels is that ambient light, either artificial or natural, isn't what's providing the light that allows the chrono to operate. The infrared panels are. Really, you could take the CED with infrared panels, fire rounds over the sensors in a totally dark room, and the chrono would still work.

If getting the company instantly on the phone is of such importance to you, why not buy the chrono from Dillon. They sell the CED and infrared panels, and have an 800 number that's constantly staffed during business hours: 1-800-223-4570.