Consistent Chrony lighting

[newton]

Has anyone tried putting a chrony in a box of sorts, and adding LED lighting, to use whether it is full sun or full shade? Would this work as long as it puts the sensors in the shade completely?

[Vann]

Never tried the LED lights. Usually if it it's sunny outside I'll fold a sheet of white poster board over the top. This really seems to help if it's really bright or if you are working under trees which I always am.

I just got my set of IR screens so I'm thinking about building a box and making a sensor guard to save my sensors from stray wads.

[Doc Highwall]

I know what you mean about the light not being perfect for using the chronograph which is why I purchased a LabRadar that works off Doppler Radar so light is not required.

http://www.mylabradar.com/

And a link as to how easy it is to set up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4a37bqY1SM

[Bzcraig]

I know what you mean about the light not being perfect for using the chronograph which is why I purchased a LabRadar that works off Doppler Radar so light is not required.

http://www.mylabradar.com/

And a link as to how easy it is to set up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4a37bqY1SM

Will this work at the range with someone shooting next to you?

[Jim_P]

I wonder if a piece of that foam core poster board that you can get from the big box office supply places will help. It's real light, but very stiff from the foam core. Since it's white, it should cause a good bit of diffusion of available light.

Could even make a box like you describe with it. Just an idea....

[Jim_P]

I know what you mean about the light not being perfect for using the chronograph which is why I purchased a LabRadar that works off Doppler Radar so light is not required.

http://www.mylabradar.com/

And a link as to how easy it is to set up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4a37bqY1SM

If you can get one! Been near 'vaporware' for a while now. Just starting to ship to those on the waiting list....

[country gent]

I called the US distributor for Lab radars unit a couple weeks ago aout my order. I did receive the e-mail stating december shipment so was curious. ( I placed my order for one early August). The back ordered part had not yet arrived nd was told to expect January delivery now.

[Doc Highwall]

(Bzcraig (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?26768-Bzcraig)) "Will this work at the range with someone shooting next to you?"

There is a trigger level that can be set, under settings to take care of shooters that are next to you. Here is a link to setting it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFfGp3CYAr8

[triggerhappy243]

I made replacement sky screens out of white lexan plastic. works great. I also saw somewhere someone rigged up florescent lights overhead.

[Bullwolf]

Has anyone tried putting a chrony in a box of sorts, and adding LED lighting, to use whether it is full sun or full shade? Would this work as long as it puts the sensors in the shade completely?

I have.

There was another thread about this a while back. Link Below
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?280646-Chronograph-snafu


To recap. I bought a pair of inexpensive LED Lights from Amazon, like the two below. Mounted the lights on the screens over the sensors on my F1 Shooting Chrony.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31JuDfiflIL.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31JuDfiflIL.jpg

By "mounted" I mean I use some duct tape to attach the lights over the sensors. Then place the chronograph in the shade, or inside the barn. Under the shade of a tree works well for me, like in the picture below.


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=118442&d=1412654744
Note: The -09- in the picture is my camera flash reading as shot #9 in this string, I often forget the chronograph reads the "flash" as a shot, which eventually registers as an error (a user error in this case) after a second or so.

Well, I get no more angled sunlight, or other weird lighting errors with the LED lights. They also fit inside of the chronograph housing when it's folded closed, so I always have them with me now. Many a scheduled chronograph session didn't turn out the way I had planned BEFORE the addition of the LED lights.

Here's a somewhat rare picture of my F1 Shooting Chrony actually working in the sunlight, while checking the FPS of some factory ammunition *22LR, 38Spl, 357Mag and 44Mag* with no LED lights. (and no camera flash this time)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=105260&d=1400393571

Later that same day, my F1 Shooting Chrony consistently wouldn't read about half of my hand loads in the sunlight. Just the most important ones of course, despite my moving closer, much farther away, shooting right over the sensors, or higher or lower. I even tried coloring a few boolits with a black sharpie out of desperation - but no luck.

I no longer mess around with natural sunlight and my chronograph. I go right to the shade and the LED lights. It's more comfortable (cooler) and less frustrating this way, and actually works.

Factory ammunition gives me the same FPS readings in sunlight (when it reads) as I get with the LED lights in the shade, without the errors of course.





- Bullwolf

[newton]

Thanks Bullwolf. Do you have to be in the shade with the lights though? Sometimes it's shady, sometimes not, etc. wonder if I can just put them on, leave them on, and shoot no matter what the light conditions or if I would have to shade it for when the sun does peak out.

[ndnchf]

I was wondering the same thing. My range has fixed positions, so I can't move around to a convenient shady spot.

[Bullwolf]

Thanks Bullwolf. Do you have to be in the shade with the lights though? Sometimes it's shady, sometimes not, etc. wonder if I can just put them on, leave them on, and shoot no matter what the light conditions or if I would have to shade it for when the sun does peak out.



The shooter can be in the direct sunlight, but I do try to somewhat shade the Chronograph from direct or angled sunlight.

I have not tried leaving the LED lights on with the chronograph placed in direct sunlight. I learned to avoid placing it in direct sunlight after I figured out that's where my errors were coming from. It may work though, as my chronograph is almost never placed in total and complete shade.

If I had to shoot with the chronograph placed in direct sunlight, and experienced any problems doing so... I'd probably just turn my diffuser into a sort of shade awning with wood, cardboard, Lexan, or whatever else I had on hand, and only use the lights.

Normally I just place my chronograph underneath some branches - like in the image below.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=118442&d=1412654744

It also helps that I have a backyard range, and shoot on the farm in an unincorporated area. The few times I've brought my chronograph to a public range without lights, my results were pretty random.

The LED lights mounted over the sensors removed all of my mystery errors, chronograph repositioning, and unread velocities. The majority of my F1 Shooting Chrony readings problems turned out to be related to angled sunlight, or non diffused sunlight over the sensors. Unfortunately this took me a good while to figure out.

When I was not using the LED lights, my most consistently successful readings occurred on foggy, or overcast days, or during certain times of the day.

While shooting inside my barn (Where I first got the whole artificial lighting idea) there's still some background ambient lighting coming through the clear skylight panels on the roof.



- Bullwolf

[Bullwolf]

I feel like I should mention that a higher quality chronograph, or even one with a better diffuser setup than mine may not experience the same problems as I have encountered.

My last 2 chronographs, both an older Competition Electronics Pro Chrono, and this F1 Shooting Chrony were budget under $100 models. Both were somewhat fussy about the angle and quantity of diffused sunlight.

I have overhead florescent shop lights installed in my barn, and I used to shoot inside the barn on rainy days. One time when my older Competition Electronics chronograph was giving me fits, I placed it inside the barn under the florescent lights which solved all of my error and readings problems. Unfortunately I promptly forgot all about the solution.

A not so good friend accidentally murdered my Competition Electronics chronograph (R.I.P) and did not have the courtesy to offer to replace it. He got uninvited to shoot with me after that, and I promptly forgot about the whole artificial lighting solving my chronograph reading problem.

The next time I went to work up a load, I had to purchase a brand new chronograph. I figured that a chronograph is something of an expendable item (due to previous experience) and bought a lesser expensive model that would hopefully be easy on the wallet if I had to replace it again.

I'm embarrassed to admit I had most of the same problems with the F1 Shooting Chrony, as I had with the Competition Electronics Chronograph. It took me far to long to remember the previous Barn artificial lighting solution. Fortunately, while trying to figure out why I was getting all of these lighting and reading errors I stumbled across someone else on the internet having similar problems. They fixed their problems by adding LED lights to their F1 Shooting Chrony.

An imaginary light bulb came on over my head, and I managed to put everything together. My current LED lighting set up on the F1 shooting Chrony was the result.



- Bullwolf

[Hick]

My Caldwell has IR light bars, and I use them most of the time instead of the white screens. I realize that some of the time the sun's angle is OK and I'm just wasting the batteries on the IR lights, but it gives me consistency regardless of the sun angle.

[ndnchf]

Thanks Bullwolf, great info. I have a Shooting Chrony, but have had few issues with natural light. But the use of LEDs would seem to eliminate another variable.

[bangerjim]

I am researching the Magneto Sporter chrono presently. No light needed. Mounts on the front of a loooong barrel revolver or a rifle barrel. Reports are good. I cannot use the "alien rabbit ears" set-up at a indoor range for many reasons, so this thing looks like the answer for me. And, from reports from the maker and users, it works with cast and FMJ's.

Looking for it under the Christmas tree from the Jolly Olde Elf.

banger

[newton]

My Caldwell has IR light bars, and I use them most of the time instead of the white screens. I realize that some of the time the sun's angle is OK and I'm just wasting the batteries on the IR lights, but it gives me consistency regardless of the sun angle.


This is kind of what I am curious about. It would not matter to me if i was wasting batteries. I shoot mainly at my house, so i could even run a cord and have powered lights. My main issue is sometimes it can go from very bright to very dark quickly. I don't want to just be tied to shooting at specific times, and I don't want to have to constantly adjust during the course of shooting.

I will try the LED lights. Maybe rig up a sun shade over the whole thing to try and keep a constant. the only downside I can think of is wind catching it, but that is the one time I try to avoid shooting unless I really have the itch too.

[Mal Paso]

This was my solution prior to Bullwolf's. 2 sheets of black plastic keep light from washing out the bullet shadow as it crosses the sensors. This will work in full sun. Shooting Chrony Beta Master with 1/4" steel front plate.

[c1skout]

Would those little round stick on led lights work? They seem pretty bright but probably not as bright as the ones you have.

[Bullwolf]

Would those little round stick on led lights work? They seem pretty bright but probably not as bright as the ones you have.

Like the adhesive ones you can mount in a dark closet to help see?

Maybe, I don't really know for sure. I briefly considered them, but used the brighter ones instead. You would have to try em and see.



- Bullwolf