anyone have an old Shooting Chrony F1? quick question

[guy_with_boolits]

A generous forum member sent me a broken one because I want to try fixing them and I feel bad about bugging them about this so I'm asking here.

Normally when you turn it on, it does not just display numbers or 0000 immediately right? The videos I've seen seem to show it go -AL- or something like that.

But this one looks like it might be from 80's or 90's so not sure if its the same.

Its a red box, no jack for the menu, only a switch. Shooting Chrony F1 (not beta, alpha, or master)

Before I dig into it I want to make sure its actually malfunctioning because he wasn't sure how broken it really was and maybe it works!

[metricmonkeywrench]

Got the same one, shoot me a pm and I’ll send you a copy of the owners manual and some pdf’s of the sunscreen/holder pieces.

The company hasn’t supported that model for a long time

[metricmonkeywrench]

If my brain cells connect I’ll check it later. You can “shoot” a rubber band across it to see if it reads

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?346273-Vintage-Shooting-Chrony-help&referrerid=44130

[guy_with_boolits]

If my brain cells connect I’ll check it later. You can “shoot” a rubber band across it to see if it reads

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?346273-Vintage-Shooting-Chrony-help&referrerid=44130

nice thread thanks

I may make some of those box diffusers

[Kraschenbirn]

As I recall, the red Chronys may be a later generation. I know for a fact that the green one I sent you was purchased in the late 1980s and I've had the red Chrony I'm currently using since 2005-2006.

Bill

[guy_with_boolits]

As I recall, the red Chronys may be a later generation. I know for a fact that the green one I sent you was purchased in the late 1980s and I've had the red Chrony I'm currently using since 2005-2006.

Bill

Thanks Bill

Is your Red Chrony an F1 (not beta, alpha, master etc..) and if so what does it do when you first turn it on? -AL- or something? It doesnt just show numbers right?

I'm hoping I can do some part swaps and fix the Green chrony you sent me with some parts from the Red Chrony another member sent me

[quilbilly]

It's good to know they don't support the older Chrony's. I have the green box one that has served me well so I better be careful of it. Thanks for the information!

[Gone_rabid]

Rumors on another forum state they may have went under. I’ve seen many of the products on midway are/were discontinued.

[fcvan]

A generous forum member sent me a broken one because I want to try fixing them and I feel bad about bugging them about this so I'm asking here.

Normally when you turn it on, it does not just display numbers or 0000 immediately right? The videos I've seen seem to show it go -AL- or something like that.

But this one looks like it might be from 80's or 90's so not sure if its the same.

Its a red box, no jack for the menu, only a switch. Shooting Chrony F1 (not beta, alpha, or master)

Before I dig into it I want to make sure its actually malfunctioning because he wasn't sure how broken it really was and maybe it works!

I purchased mine new in late 1988, didn't have much luck with the cardboard and plastic sky screens so It sat on a shelf. One of my kids moved off a shelf and onto the floor where it became rusty. Back on the shelf for a few more decades. I pulled it out a few years back and found out the darned thing still works, without screens on a foggy day or in the shade.

I just turned mine on indoors, and it went straight to the numbers running fast. I swiped my hand over it and it registered 84 fps, pretty close to what it usually does. If I remember correctly, AL means an error, try again. Some times I get that when testing black powder of shotgun loads.

A few years back, I bought a newer Chrony for my brother's birthday. His will take the remote plug-in reader and such. At the time, I could have sent mine in for a refurbish for $50 which would turn mine into a current model with the plug-in and upgraded sky screens. I didn't, but will probably just refinish mine by taking a fire brush to it and powder coating it or rattle can paint. It does appear they are no longer in business

Funny, my brother's newer Chrony with the upgraded sky screens didn't work any better than mine. It does quite well in the shade and where we shoot there is plenty of that. On the range, a tripod with an umbrella works fine. Good luck with your Chrony

Edit and update: I just watched a video where a guy modified an F1 to have the other feature of newer models for a few bucks. Link below. When he fired up his Chrony, it went to A before he fired his first shot. You may not be broken at all. My listed test below may have been skew due to being indoors, in my hands, and light varying. I took mine out on the porch, overcast sky, it went straight to the numbers. Anyway, check out the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlss1wC_P_Y

Edit and update #2: I finished watching the video and found my Chrony is so old t does not have the phone jack so I can't make and add the remote push button without some further investigation. Anyway, the guy in the video did have a jack, his did go to AL straight away. Good luck

[Kraschenbirn]

Thanks Bill

Is your Red Chrony an F1 (not beta, alpha, master etc..) and if so what does it do when you first turn it on? -AL- or something? It doesnt just show numbers right?

I'm hoping I can do some part swaps and fix the Green chrony you sent me with some parts from the Red Chrony another member sent me

Just looked at my red Chrony. It's an 'Alpha Master' purchased in Dec. of 2006...found manual, sales receipt, and all accompanying papers in bottom of carrying case...and it does briefly display 'AL' when first turned on.

Bill

[farmbif]

my old green one says -AL- when turned on then screen jumps between ERR1. EER2 and flashes some other stuff, put the diffusers up and shoot something across it and it gives a numerical reading. it tracks pretty close when compared loads to load manual

[metricmonkeywrench]

One thing I learned with these old models is to take them outside, sometimes lightbulbs and Florescent lights make them do weird things.

Edit** went out tonight and switched mine on, it went straight to 0000***

[skeettx]

https://www.bbb.org/ca/on/mississauga/profile/gunsmiths/shooting-chrony-inc-0107-1067262

[TyGuy]

I got one of these in a box of gun stuff that I bought from a friend at work. It had a nasty old 9v battery in it that had one post come off when I disconnected it. I recently cleaned it up and got it working. It also gives the -AL- on the screen on start up.

This is my first chronograph and it doesn’t seem to be the most consistent. To be fair, everything I’ve shot through it at this point has been mixed brass and super cheapo bullets. The first shot of a string is noticeably faster than the rest. I wonder if that could be residual oil in the barrel. I should really load up some matched brass, weighed bullet, and hand measured charges to see how it does.

[guy_with_boolits]

thanks everyone I think the one I have here may be functional...a kind forum member sent me a manual and I dont see a mention of -AL- in it, so some models may have that and some may not

I'll try mine outside when its hazy and see if its just works

[ukrifleman]

I have a `green` chrony F1 and it shows -AL- when it starts up.

I compared the readout for a string of 7.5 Swiss ammunition against my clubs lab radar and it was on the money for fps.

I agree that indoor lighting can affect performance.

ukrifleman

[charlie b]

Almost every chronograph that uses light sensors will mess up with indoor lighting. There are some that offer special lighted screens for use indoors just for that reason.

Indoor lights 'flicker' at 60 cycles per second (or 50 if you are in most other countries). That flicker is seen as a bullet passing the sensor.

[Kraschenbirn]

For indoor, you can eliminate the "60-cycle flicker" with a DC light source such as an LED lamp. I use an old 12V "tensor" draftsman's lamp that I picked off a garage sale for $5.

Bill

[charlie b]

Yes, if you have a lamp that is run off of DC converter it will not flicker. I was surprised to see that my LED strip lights in the garage have the 60hz flicker.