A little chronograph buying help

[Mudcat]

Oh yeah, if you can get your hands on the Oehler 35P, get one! Buddy has one and its excellent, but it is a PITA to set up. After they announced they wouldnt be making them any more I bought him a full set of screens and sensors just in case...and, well, I put enough rounds thru them over the years that I thought I owed him something...and if I shoot them too much more, they arent going to work!
John

[Mike_Mills]

I own a PACT Professional. It has given me many headaches over the decade I've owned it. On a recent trip to the range for load development testing, it crapped out half way through the most important testing and I lost all chronograph data. The next day, back at home, it began to operate fine. This is just one example of the infuriatingly intermittent operation this unit has exhibited over the years.

I decided to to replace the unit rather than repair it. I bought a CED M2, not an updated PACT. Time will tell, time will tell,...

If I can get it to work, I will keep this PACT unit for its timer functions. I may try to use it as a redundant chronograph, a "proof channel", like the old Oehler used to have - two chronographs timing the same bullet as it passes overhead. <-- this is the best possible use. If it works, great. If it decides to stop operating, I still have the data from the CED unit.

[Mudcat]

Mike,

or just do what I did with my Pact Pro....run over it with a truck! Perfect use for it!

I too have the M2...love it.

John

[Curt]

Just ordered a M2, thanks guys

[Mike_Mills]

So, now I am very frustrated. I took my brand spanking new CED M2 to the range today and tried to get data. The wind was blowing and I was having trouble keeping the tripod upright. At one point, the two sand bags were not enough. Winds were blowing at up to 25 mph, with sustained winds of 3-5 mph. Above this base, it was very gusty. The wind never went below about 3 mph.

Even when the wind was calm, say under 5 mph, the skyscreens were wobbling all over the place. They are very large, very heavy and shake a lot in event he lightest little breeze. I suspect this was preventing the acquisition of good data.

Do I need to build a tunnel to house the chronograph? Do I need to stabilize the skyscreen in some way?

[MEHavey]

I use an Oehler35, Mike, and I'm afraid Skyscreen = Sail is the operative equation for both of us. If we anchor the tripod *too* much, that wind will also put a lot of stress on where the screen mounting rails fit into the sensor housing. Bad juju for plastic.

So when it starts shakin' I just hang it up for the day unless your range would allow placing a wind "shield" a bit upwind of the Chrono.

`Course then you have a BIG sail to contend with. :-(

[Mudcat]

Yep...wind sucks when youre trying to use a chrono! I tend to pull it off the tripod and I rigged a little base with a 1 x 4 and two bricks and shoot off the ground. I then park the UTV to the side of the contraption to limit wind effects. WHen all that still doesnt keep it from tipping over or blowing around enough I am afraid the sails...er, I mean skyscreens, might break, I just give up on using it for the day. Sucks, but thats just the way it is....brand means nothing on these days!

John

[Mike_Mills]

I should have taken the skyscreens off and tried that. I bet it would have worked. I'm frustrated because I've been up there twice in two weeks to no avail.

Two trips to the range = my entire shooting season last year.

Okay, so he's a bit of good news. Even though the chronograph did not display a velocity, even though it ws showing an error cose associated with a missed stop sensor,... it still recorded the data into memory. That data also looks pretty good. I found this out only because I wanted to play with the software and did a download from the chrono to the PC. It downloaded flawlessly - very cool!