Chrony Conundrum

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by CDN_Stalker

Well, i got one of the best and most consistant ones out there, the same one used at most fields too, and don't feel like spending more than the $110 I already did. It's a real steel Chrony, not a crappy cheapo one.

I think I'll pick up some cheap LED lights and place them on the diffusers and see if that changes anything.

LED's will only fuck up your readings. Incandescents are the only light source that will work with your diffusers. As mentioned, LED's do flicker (although faster than your eye can probably pick up when lit at full strength.) As you lower the voltage, you can see the flicker much more apparently.

Send me a PM and I can mail you my old lighting setup I used on my Shooting Chrony. I sourced out the exact bulbs they used for their add-on rig and assembled a ghetto cheap version of the same thing for just a couple bucks. All I needed was the bulbs, a bulb socket, and wiring that terminated in a wall plug. Gave me rock solid results for 2 solid years.

It's pretty cheezy, but it worked. I'll discuss it more with you via PM. Alternatively, I can get you the actual lighting kit as well (for whatever reason, Le Baron doesn't sell them.)

Originally Posted by Styrak

Regular lights flicker too. Power is 60Hz.

They do, but the way the filament burns, by the time the next cycle comes around, the filament is still burning at almost full power. Incandescents are not so much of a solid on or off such as fluorescent or light emitting diodes are.

[Ibby]

Originally Posted by CDN_Stalker

Well, i got one of the best and most consistant ones out there.

No you didn't. Get a Guarder 2000. They're specifically set up for airsoft and don't suffer from the light requirements the F1's do. I've sent my Guarder in to get calibrated every year, it's never needed so much as an adjustment.

Clearly you have a demon. Kill it with fire.

[Double Tapper]

Hey Ibby,will the guarder 2000 work with 22's and crossbows as well?.
I've been looking for a do all chorno if possible.

[CDN_Stalker]

Thanks Illusion, will PM you. I bought a couple dollar store three LED lamps to try out on top of the diffusers, even if they do flicker a little bit, it shouldn't be nearly as bad as flourescent lighting. And I'll have to set up something better to chrony with for set up, literally my set up is four empy two fours, a cardboard box for an electric guitar, chrony and BB backstop. Works well enough for now.

Originally Posted by Ibby

No you didn't. Get a Guarder 2000. They're specifically set up for airsoft and don't suffer from the light requirements the F1's do. I've sent my Guarder in to get calibrated every year, it's never needed so much as an adjustment.

Well, what can I say that I already haven't, don't feel like blowing another chunk of cash on a chrony, even if it is a bit better than this one (not like this one is years old and out of whack, been shot dozens of times or anything, it's barely 3 months old). And meant for airsoft really doesn't matter to light sensors, a projectile is a projectile, and I do't have the need for fanciness like joule readings and adjustable to BB weights. I'll stick with what I have and sort out the best means to set it up. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Double Tapper

Hey Ibby,will the guarder 2000 work with 22's and crossbows as well.
I've been looking for a do all chorno if possible.

Chrony F1, same as what I have. It does everything from archery to shotguns to paintballs to pen tossing. Fps range from 30fps to 7000fps.

[mcguyver]

Voltage. If you live in or near a major city, your voltage swing can be 10% . This is the maximum most utilities allow. This means your voltage could swing from 125 volts to about 112 volts. If you use incandescant lighting, this means a 10% drop in output from 125v to 112v. This drop in light output will translate into a drop in emitted IR as well.

Try a different type of light, like a halogen. They aren't as susceptible to voltage swings for emitted IR (if you've ever noticed how hot they get) as well as cycling at 60 Hz.

[CDN_Stalker]

Good point.

Well, the LED lights I bought from Dollarama are working pretty well. They are those circular ones with the adhesive thing on the back, has three 'white' LEDs in it, takes three AAA batteries, press the lense to turn on/off............ you get the drill.

At first I tried a few things out. My workbench is about 6ft away and has a flouescent lamp on it. Because I've been swamped with gun work since before Xmas, it's mostly on. I tried various lighting situations, LED lights on top of the diffuser pointing down only (dark elsewhere), overhead light bulb (think it's a 100W bulb) on with LEDs, LEDs off with overheard light on, bench lamp on with all others, bench lamp only one was useless, the Chrony was doing the funky chicken.

My MK23 sat all the time between 210fps and 220fps, my MP5SD ranged (literally knocked off a few locaps of 0.20g) from 383fps at an EXTREME low, once, to 408fps at an extreme high once. Everything else out of it stayed within 10fps-ish , centering around 393-403 range, lots of 399-400fps readings. My other MP5, which I chronied after downgrading to be about 320-330 range, next day 300-305fps range, sits at 310-320 range, mostly in the 320fps area. My M24 sits at around 471-487fps range. So, this is tonight anyways, under lots of different lighting conditions. And much of this testing was done after I put velcro on the backs of my two LED lights and stuck them to the UNDERSIDE of each diffuser right above the sensors. So it doesn't seem to matter if it's LED on diffuser, LED with no diffuser (both cases lights on or off).

So far, the only thing mentioned that I hadn't thought about was what McGuyver said, about the voltage variances that change over the course of the day. Light is light, but I didn't know these sensors were sensitive enough that it could tell the difference between a couple of volts of electricity. Actually makes pretty damned good sense though, will report back over the next while and see if my cheapo LED lightsource fixes the problems I've been having.

[Ibby]

Originally Posted by Double Tapper

Hey Ibby,will the guarder 2000 work with 22's and crossbows as well?.
I've been looking for a do all chorno if possible.

It won't do firearms, you'll rip the thing apart internally. I wouldn't do crossbows with it either, the hole for the BB's to pass through is about the size of a quarter. Like I mentioned, it's specifically designed for airsoft guns. Right tool for the job.

[CDN_Stalker]

Originally Posted by Ibby

It won't do firearms, you'll rip the thing apart internally. I wouldn't do crossbows with it either, the hole for the BB's to pass through is about the size of a quarter. Like I mentioned, it's specifically designed for airsoft guns. Right tool for the job.

Another reason I bought it for more than just airsoft.

[Double Tapper]

Cdn stalker?, do you need to biuld this box unit of yours,or can you use
it outside in normal sunlight.

I missed that mention of airsoft only on the guarder 2000.

[fixerdude]

This may not be possible, but have you tried comparing two chronys? I have the A1 & Guarder 2000 but very seldom see the fluctuations you saw. Not sure about the voltage issue, I'm using independent battery packs for each chrony. The Guarder 2000 has an internal 9V battery.

[CDN_Stalker]

Originally Posted by Double Tapper

Cdn stalker?, do you need to biuld this box unit of yours,or can you use
it outside in normal sunlight.

I missed that mention of airsoft only on the guarder 2000.

Typically it's meant to be used outdoors (bright sunlight use diffusers, all is required is in the box, allowing single rods and 2 part diffusers, or double rods and 3 part diffusers), or stand alone in overcast sunlight. Only need other light sources, as has been mentioned above when using indoors. So far tonight only the LED lights are working, so will try out over the next few nights to see if my guns hold roughly about the same fps readings.

Is funny, for all the info I've passed, have had quite a few interesting posts made regarding different light sources, yet no one has taken into consideration the different readings each night from two AEGs and one bolt action spring rifle, but are consistant night to night with the TM springer. If light was the main variable, the TM springer would yeild different readings as well, yet it constantly remains within roughly 10fps between 210-220fps with 0.20g.

[Styrak]

Then your springer is awesome and all your other guns are high variance pieces of crap.

That must be it.

[mcguyver]

Stalker, you're measuring most other guns at 2 times or more the velocity of the springer. Chronos can be notoriously unreliable as velocitites increase, and a 5% variance at 200 fps may translate into 10-15% variance at 500 fps.

If you try a battery-powered light source, and you still get wild drifting, ignore the voltage element as you will have bypassed that.

[Donster]

Originally Posted by mcguyver

Stalker, you're measuring most other guns at 2 times or more the velocity of the springer. Chronos can be notoriously unreliable as velocitites increase, and a 5% variance at 200 fps may translate into 10-15% variance at 500 fps.

If you try a battery-powered light source, and you still get wild drifting, ignore the voltage element as you will have bypassed that.

is the 5% thing common in AEG, or is that your hypothesis on Stalker's problem? just curious so i can calculate my own stuff when i get my gun in.