Thougts on chronographs?

[Bocomomark]

Been wanting one for awhile now.  Just wanted to see what others were using and liking, before I made the final decision (thinking about a Chrony Alpha Master)

[HappyHunter]

I have the basic F1 chrony and like it very much.  It doesn't have all the bells and whistles (ie- printer, remote screen, longer shot string memory etc...) but does have the jacks if I decide to add them at a later date. For what I use it for (mainly checking fps after each mod) it does just fine. 

[RetatCDude]

Todd is right.
I have three (now) chronographs (I did have have four).
I have a PACT Model 1, Pact Professional an recently bought a red Chrony F1.
I had a PACT Model IV but my son stole it.
The Model 1 is a basic chrono.
It does everything (No printing) the others do, just slower.
The professional well, it does everything and prints it out. It is really made for PB though and has  a built in data base of bullets.
I wanted something very mobile that I could easily take to the range and use without a tripod.
I also didn't want to shoot it up so I bought the F1 with remote screen.
The basic red chrony with built in screen would have been fine but I have seen them distroyed with one errant shot.

[WyoMan]

I have the basic F-1....don't bother with the light kits, instead do something like this:

Then you can flood it with light indoors (hang a light directly over it) and direct sunlight outside is ok too
If you don't completely cover the top it can read up to 100 fps high in direct sunlight or from a really bright indoor light
hth....don't shoot it 

[1377x]

i have a green f-1 chrony and the chrony connect cable which allows my computer to be the screen and records all my shots. it graphs my shots as well
as long as the lighting is correct the chrony will perform flawlessly as long as you keep your shots above the sensors
the only time i get an error is if i miss one of the sensors which i can see by hole in the backstop
the f-1 i have matches numbers with an old oehler chronograph which is the cream of the crop when it comes to accuracy of numbers
one day i will try the pro chrono but not anytime soon because what i have seems to be a unicorn
like your set up wyoman

[WyoMan]

Thanks Ed.....got this idea from Biohazardman on the green and asked some questions like mr Boco 

[rws_53]

This is what I use...

I adapted an older Oehler Model 33 with SkyScreen III sensors to work indoors.  I found some LED lights at Sam's Club, folded the screen side blinders over and riveted the lights detachable bar to it.  The lights have magnets that attach to the bar for easy removal/battery replacement.  It's an oldie but goodie 

[breakfastchef]

x2 to 1377xx's comments. The basic Shooting Chrony F1 works well. It has limited memory, but does a good job. Coupled with ChronoConnect software, it is more versatile than more expensive units. This is an excellent combination if you like to keep complete and thorough records.

[cherokeesteve]

Agree on the F1, once the lighting is right it works great. Picked mine up on amazon fpr $78 with free shipping a couple of months ago.

[onebaddj]

I have the f-1 with lights. Works great but instead of buying the lights just use some cheap lights on uour difusers it comes with. I have used everything from the lights that clip onto the bill of you hat the flood lights aimed at the diffusers. Any non floresect lights sorce will work.

[1377x]

where the lights are placed makes a difference in the accuracy of the readings
i use 2 40w frosted candelas lights, one above each skyscreen. will be trying the sheet of paper between the screens next time i chrony a gun see if it changes the reading with my set up.
this is the set up i use that has the readings matching the oehler chronograph readings. dont think i would trust readings with the puck lights or mounted under the skyscreens. thats just my personal opinion based on the assumption lights should be above the skyscreens
the other set ups may work. my air gunsmith uses the oehler with one work light centered over the top. each gun i test with the f-1 is then taken to the air gunsmith and is tested again. one of the perks of having a reputable air gunsmith and crosman service station close by

[Bocomomark]

The green F-1 sounds pretty ideal for me (cause it's simple to set a computer near where I shoot), but I'll be sharing this with a powder burning friend, who will be packing it out to the range...  So i assumed the removable screen would be helpful for him.  Guess I'll let him make the call.  Thanks for the input.

Is there any way to check the calibration of a chronometer, other than against another?  (it it common for them to perform consistently incorrect in a way that isn't somewhat obvious?)

[1377x]

self checking i have no idea. send it to the manufacturer maybe
i vaguely remember something about checking calibration a lot of math involved that i remember

[onebaddj]

Not sure about checking the cal on them but make sure its open all the way and flat before you shoot. I set mine on a cooler that was not perfectly flat and my chrony was not 100% flat caused my reading to be high cause the ends were closer. If i woild have been shooting a new gun i would have started with a false high baseline.

[1377x]

good point!
closer the sensors are the higher your readings will be
same with the shots
shots lower to the sensor read differently from shots taker higher