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Chronograph Doesn't Work Most of the Time
03lover
Member Posts: 67 ✭✭
The chronograph I am using is ridiculously fussy about the sky conditions for proper operation. It seems to be triggered by just about everything. Muzzle blast is one and I was told to put sand bags on the cables to cover the plugs to the computer. I have been told to turn the sky screens to about a 45 degree angle left or right, that may work. I'm tired of trying everything but tip this thing upside down.
This chronograph has the diffusers mounted over them, supposedly for better performance and less failure to operate properly. It has cables that connect to the computer/display box that also will run a printer. When I bought this chronograph, the person I talked to said, "don't buy one of those silly little boxes that you set out in front of you, they don't print out, they can't be read from the shooting bench and so on". Buy this set up and you will be in business just like the pro's.
About the only time this professional piece of junk wants to work is with a bright overcast sky. On days when the sky is blue or mostly blue, you may just as well leave the thing in the box. I have talked to the manufacturer so many times we are on a first name basis. I have tried every suggestion given to me and it is still hit or miss. More miss. I figure I fire about (100) ROUNDS OF AMMO FOR EVERY (10) rounds that are actually clocked by the chronograph. I learned long ago to never set the chronograph up and start firing your test loads. Now I always fire a similar load enough times to be sure the darn thing will work.
I also get the impression it is working at times, at least it gives me readings for each shot that look to be in the proper range, but I am not sure that is always true. For example, on a day when things seemed to be going good I ran ten rounds of 185gr, cast SWC with 4.5gr. of Win 231 through my Dan Wesson 1911A1. I got an average velocity of 794.1 fps. That seemed about right. Two weeks later I believed the unit was working OK and ran that same load through my Smith & Wesson model 25 target revolver using Auto Rim brass. I fired ten rounds and I always expect to see a little drop in velocity due to the barrel cylinder gap. Well, figure this one out. The average velocity was 1191.8fps. The 1-3/8 additional inches of barrel on the S&W can't account for that difference. To make matters worse the SD was only 3.4 and the ES was only 12.8. It doesn't get much better than that.
I am very close to using the two sky screens and the computer for target practice. I would like to ring the neck of the idiot that sold me on this thing and condemned the Crony. I have seen a number of Chrony's in operation and they don't seem to be particularly fussy. They work when mine won't.
What the heck is going on with my chronograph? Are there Chronographs out there that actually work when you take them to the range without checking to see if you have that one sky condition that occurs about once every two weeks?
Any help or suggestions for a chronograph manufactured by who ever that actually works without praying to the sun god.and waiting for weeks to get an answer, will be appreciated. I am not mentioning my brand of chronograph, I don't believe in publicly insulting the manufacturer
This chronograph has the diffusers mounted over them, supposedly for better performance and less failure to operate properly. It has cables that connect to the computer/display box that also will run a printer. When I bought this chronograph, the person I talked to said, "don't buy one of those silly little boxes that you set out in front of you, they don't print out, they can't be read from the shooting bench and so on". Buy this set up and you will be in business just like the pro's.
About the only time this professional piece of junk wants to work is with a bright overcast sky. On days when the sky is blue or mostly blue, you may just as well leave the thing in the box. I have talked to the manufacturer so many times we are on a first name basis. I have tried every suggestion given to me and it is still hit or miss. More miss. I figure I fire about (100) ROUNDS OF AMMO FOR EVERY (10) rounds that are actually clocked by the chronograph. I learned long ago to never set the chronograph up and start firing your test loads. Now I always fire a similar load enough times to be sure the darn thing will work.
I also get the impression it is working at times, at least it gives me readings for each shot that look to be in the proper range, but I am not sure that is always true. For example, on a day when things seemed to be going good I ran ten rounds of 185gr, cast SWC with 4.5gr. of Win 231 through my Dan Wesson 1911A1. I got an average velocity of 794.1 fps. That seemed about right. Two weeks later I believed the unit was working OK and ran that same load through my Smith & Wesson model 25 target revolver using Auto Rim brass. I fired ten rounds and I always expect to see a little drop in velocity due to the barrel cylinder gap. Well, figure this one out. The average velocity was 1191.8fps. The 1-3/8 additional inches of barrel on the S&W can't account for that difference. To make matters worse the SD was only 3.4 and the ES was only 12.8. It doesn't get much better than that.
I am very close to using the two sky screens and the computer for target practice. I would like to ring the neck of the idiot that sold me on this thing and condemned the Crony. I have seen a number of Chrony's in operation and they don't seem to be particularly fussy. They work when mine won't.
What the heck is going on with my chronograph? Are there Chronographs out there that actually work when you take them to the range without checking to see if you have that one sky condition that occurs about once every two weeks?
Any help or suggestions for a chronograph manufactured by who ever that actually works without praying to the sun god.and waiting for weeks to get an answer, will be appreciated. I am not mentioning my brand of chronograph, I don't believe in publicly insulting the manufacturer
Comments
take the screens off, their not needed unless you are in the mentioned conditions
Tim
What is the brand/ model of your problem child????
My Chrony can be a pain but I do have some tricks that stop the nonsense.
Then I bought the infrared illuminators and almost all the problems went away. If you don't want to pay for those, you can build your own artificial illuminators with those long tubular incandescent bulbs as used in store showcases... if you have ac at the range.
You are among friends here.....
What is the brand/ model of your problem child????
My Chrony can be a pain but I do have some tricks that stop the nonsense.
I have a "PACT".
The only time I had any trouble with it, I had the screens on and was getting ready to test some 300 Win Mag rounds.
Following the recommendations, I placed the setup 12' away from the end of the muzzle, and blew both screens about 40yds downrange.
I have since discontinued use of the screens, and find that on a bright, sunny day; if you place the chrony perpendicular to the direction of the Sun, it works very well.
I've also discovered that it doesn't like anything but Duracell batteries.
I'm surprised that Pact didn't offer to check your unit out after all your calls; they've been great with my BBK scale(having sent it back twice for strain gauge replacement since '97) and hints for the chrono as well.
I cut the bag at the seam and taped it over the top of the screens and the south side of the unit, it seems to be a perfect diffuser for bright sun [:)]. Now even in full sun it reads every bullet fired [:D]. It may look a bit ugly but it works.
Before you reluctantly admitted that you owned a PACT (Should be POS) product, I would have bet the farm on it. I sadly own one of their scales and have hopefully dissuaded many people from purchasing any of their products simply by showing them the crappy performance of it. I have never spoken badly of their line of gear and have never had to. I just set it up and watch in delight as the same bullet changes weight each time it is placed on the scale. (MAGIC?) Send it back to the factory? I made that mistake once. Got it back worse than before with a bill for $10.00. I can offer no advice but a hearty GOOD LUCK.[:(]
Interesting. Friday 5/18/07 I received a Pact Powder Scale and Dispenser. The box was smashed in a bit at one corner. Inspection of the contents didn't show a physical damage to the scale or dispenser.
I set the scale up and went through the calibration process. It went well, but, I noticed every time my hand was within a couple of inches or less of the scale, the numbers started running all over the place. Wow, I didn't know I had that sort of power. I didn't even touch the darn thing. Then I checked the scale with the 20.0 gram weight, it was right on the money. I went to my Lyman scale weight check set and was surprised to see that everything from 1.0 grains to 10.0 and all weight combinations up to 60.5 grains were running 0.2 to 0.4 tenths of a grain light.
I checked the Lyman weights on two balance beam sacles and they were all right on the money.
Instead of returning this Pact unit for replacement, I have now requested a return for refund.
I see Lyman and RCBS offer similar powder scale and dispenser systems. Is there a chance that one of these will actually work correctly? I would like to hear from those of you that are using powder scale and dispensing systems to learn which brands are reliable.
I've not heard how good or bad a pact is. But the amount of times you have had to call the company I would have sent it back. I have a chony F-1, with the remote that sits up on your bench with you while the actual chonograph is ten feet downrange. It hardly ever gets an error message where I have to reset it. The screens for this one have been a little problematic but I just went to the two pieces of plastic instead of the three per screen and that problem is solved. I have to use them in all light conditions. But I don't have to turn the chrony or anything like that. I sometimes doubt what I see on the chrony but for the most part it is very right on when I get the velocity then compare drops betwen 100-300 yds then go home and run that on a calculator with given conditions that day and find it is all right in the ballpark of what I expected...or better than I expected.
We were having a very difficult time getting out Crony cronograph to work until one day a guy turned off the Electric fence. Turns out, The electric fence was causing interference with the cronograph.
How close was the electric fench to the Chrony?
quote:Originally posted by fire for effect
We were having a very difficult time getting out Crony cronograph to work until one day a guy turned off the Electric fence. Turns out, The electric fence was causing interference with the cronograph.
How close was the electric fench to the Chrony?
The Electric fence Battery and Electronics package was probably 6' to 10'away, while the electric fence itself was twenty feet away..
Combat Vet VN
D.A.V Life Member
Fotunately a close friend had had the same problem with the exact same machine several years earlier and had discovered that the screens could be triggered by the muzzle flash/muzzle blast. His cure? I glued a small piece of balsa wood to each of the metal rods used for the plastic "sky screen" covers and then, using common push pins, I put two wedge shaped pieces of construction paper in front of each sky screen slot. Left off the covers and damn! The thing has worked right every time all the time! Distance from muzzle to Chrony has to be a minimum of 12 feet!
I always check it when I first set it up by firing a 22 pistol across it with standard velocity ammo. This should give you numbers in the 900 FPS range. If you get to high a reading somethings triggering the screen early.[8D]