by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
The FX Radar Pocket Wireless chronograph.
This report covers:
- Something different
- Working with the 397
- Can’t restore lost pages
- One path only
- The deal
- So — who is it for?
- Sensitivity
- Random recorded “shots”
- Hostile software
- Discussion
- Summary
Today will be one of discovery, as I try to find out how this FX Radar Pocket Wireless Chronograph works.
Something different
I had planned a much different report about the FX chrony, using it with the new Benjamin 397. Well that failed, and I will describe some of what happened in a little bit.
Like I told you — there is no manual. So to find out anything about the unit I have to turn it on. And the radar has to be on for my smart phone app to work. That’s the first dilemma. I would like to study the pages of the app to discover what they do, and more importantly, what they don’t do. But the radar has to be turned on to do that.
Now there is something in the app that calls itself a “manual” but it’s not. It’s an FX advertising brochure like we saw with the FX Dreamlite rifle. It does give a little information in the form of outdated videos of the chronograph app. Either they are outdated or the app I’m using is outdated because the information they show is different from what is on my screen. Or they are a European app and I’m using an American one.
Working with the 397
Now let me tell you a little of the saga of trying to record the velocity of the Benjamin 397. Several of you mentioned in Part 1 that when I used the FX chrony with the Benjamin 397 that I’m testing I used the wrong profile/velocity setting. You were right. I had left the chrony set up for the Air Arms S510XS that was shooting .22-caliber RWS Superdomes in the mid-to-high 900s. We know from the velocity test in Part 2 that the Benjamin shoots right in the 600s on 4 pumps. I tried several profiles whose velocity was okay, but only the UK airguns profile worked. The fastest velocity the FX Radar chronograph is set to record is found in a profile the app calls Airgun High Power. That’s a range of velocities from 590 to 1099 f.p.s. That is as fast as this chronograph can handle.
Here are the profiles with their velocity ranges. The chronograph will not work well outside these ranges.
This is most of the bottom half of the profile page. I have not yet found any reference to what the “calibrate” means — but of course, there is no manual. Yeah — I see the word on the screen. It’s a sales brochure.
Now there ARE some videos on the chronograph to watch. Naturally they all come with cutesy music. I watched one and got very little from it.
Can’t restore lost pages
Each time you go from a recording screen back to the Profile page to change something you lose connectivity with the chronograph and have to reestablish it. All the information from your last string is not lost, but it is VERY difficult to retrieve, and there are no friendly prompts to help you. You are supposed to know this and to save each string before doing anything else, but when you save a string — well, I don’t know what happens because every time I tried to save one I lost it. If I hadn’t taken screen shots off the smart phone you wouldn’t be able to see them, either.
Some of you are saying, “That’s no problem.” but it really is. Because if you get into some screens/pages in the app, the software will freeze up unless it sees the one or two responses it’s looking for. There are no forward and backward (navigation) icons that I can find. It’s like Facebook, when they REALLY want you to look at something. The only way out is to go back to the Home page and all your data will be terminated. Not lost, just terminated. Want a 10-shot string? Don’t EVER leave the page while you are recording it! The data will still be there but you won’t be able to see it in that format again.
One path only
What I discovered so far is when using the software with this chronograph there is one path to take and only one path. Deviate slightly and you have to do it all over. At least that’s how it seems to me right now. There may be navigation tools but if so I haven’t found them.
The deal
And here is what that matters. Some of you new readers don’t know me that well, but the old-timers know that I’m not just testing the FX chronograph today — at least not how well it does what it was specifically designed to do. I am also testing it as a new user, to learn how it looks to a guy who has never seen one before. There are folks who have worked with this chronograph for many years and they know everything I’m explaining and much more. They know it so well that they no longer make the mistakes I’m reporting.
Does the FX chronograph work? Yes, it does. Does it work like every other chronograph? Not really. For example — If I wanted to test the 397 with differing numbers of pump strokes like I did in Part 2 of the 397 test, I would have to stop after every few shots and change the profile of the software. And then I would loose that string. Look at this table from that report:
I’ll start with the 7-grain RWS Hobby wadcutter.
Pumps……….Vel.
2……………..471
3……………..551
4……………..604
5……………..648
6……………..680
7……………..716
8……………..737
9……………..758 no air remaining in gun
10……………773 no air remaining in gun
To make that table withg the FX chronograph I would have had to have selected at least two different profiles and the software would have wiped out the first string of information. The numbers would still be present, just not in the list they were in before — with no way to get that list back — that I know of at this time.
On this day, though, the Benjamin 397 wouldn’t work on the lowest velocity profiles. I got it to work on the “UK airgun” profile some of the time, but not always.
Not only that, I would have to GUESS what the velocities would be for the number pumps I wanted to record, in order to select the right profile to even record a shot. If the rifle happened to shoot slow on that shot for some reason, I could be out of the velocity range for the profile I selected, even though most shots would be just inside the range! Guys — this isn’t how a chronograph should work!
So — who is it for?
The FX Radar chronograph works best for a shooter who has just one airgun to test. It’s like a scope — adjusted for and useful with a single airgun or on multiple airguns that perform within a narrow band of velocities. The way reader Cloud9 is using it to test just one rifle, it’s ideal. It may take him some time to get the settings correct, because besides the profile, he also needs to set the chronograph’s sensitivity. But once he sets that, he’s good to go.
Sensitivity
The instructions tell you that the “Lowest” setting is the most sensitive, but there may also be some random recordings that the chronograph generates all on its own.
Random recorded “shots”
I set the chronograph to the lowest setting (the most sensitive) for the 397 and it recorded the shots most of the time. But it also recorded shots that were never taken!
This “shot” occurred as I was pumping the 397 for the next shot. FX does warn that setting the sensitivity to the lowest setting can cause this. There is no way the 397 put out a Hobby pellet at 724 f.p.s. on just 4 pumps — even if I did shoot the rifle, which I didn’t.
Then, at some time during my testing the chronograph reset the sensitivity to 30 percent and I had to start all over.
Hostile software
I was playing around in different screens and I came across a page that had an “add profile” button at the top. So I clicked it twice, to see what would happen. The only thing it did was create two buttons with “My gun” and the date. I was hoping I could somehow shape the velocities within a profile and there still may be a way, but as there is no manual, how would I know? So I decided to delete the two “My gun” buttons I had created. The first one was no trouble to delete but the second one is like a misspelled tattoo that refuses to go away. Let me share with you what the software said.
This meaningless “My gun” profile that is highlighted cannot be deleted! Oh, joy!
Discussion
I’m bypassing a lot of things that happened during this test that were my own mistakes. I’m just mentioning the things I believe I did right and how they turned out.
But I tried it with an air pistol whose velocity I don’t know and there was nothing. Did I have it set on the right profile? Who knows? I need a real chronograph to tell me.
In the beginning I couldn’t even get the FX chronograph to work with the 397, so I dragged out my Air Arms S510XS that I know it likes. It took only one shot to prove the chronograph was working as it should.
Then I set the profile to the CO2 Air Pistol range and recorded a couple shots from a Winchester 423 (Diana 23). So the unit was working. But it didn’t like the 397 for some reason.
Summary
BB — don’t leave us hanging! Tell us how you fixed everything and got the FX Radar chronograph to work right again.
Sorry guys — that didn’t happen. This thing is a complicated piece of equipment that doesn’t work the way I think a chronograph should work. When it’s working for you everything is wonderful and it’s a lot of fun to use. But when you get out on the fringes like I did today with the 397, it starts coming apart.
If today’s report seems a little confusing and disjointed it is because that’s the way I felt when I tried to do the test.
Am I finished? Is this the final report? I really don’t know. I want to continue to try to understand the FX Radar chronograph, but I’m not going to make it my life’s work. I have used many different chronographs over the past 26 years and this one is the hardest one to use that I have ever seen.
B.B.,
For your purposes a Labradar would be better. This FX Radar Pocket chronograph is as you said better for those with only one gun to test.
Initially couldn’t connect but tried again and succeeded. Maybe it’s the power outages wrecking havoc on the internet connection.
Siraniko
PS: Section The deal Third paragraph First sentence: “To make that table withgbthe (with the) FX chronograph I would have had to have selected at least two different profiles and the software would have wiped out the first string of information.”
Siraniko ,
Thanks. Corrected it.
Yeah, power outages are affecting the internet everywhere, I guess.
BB
And this is why I like my cheap Caldwell. It just works and is cheap.
Edw,
And folks wonder why I do not bother with a “smart” phone. My Star Trek Communicator (flip phone for you kids) works great as a phone.
It’s all about the correct tool for the job. I’m definitely in the smartphone camp, I can pop on the VPN, get on a server, and do anything I could at my desk from the beach, or in my garage.
Edw,
Right now I have access to three laptops, one with two 21 inch monitors and two kindles. I do not need another computer. I also do not need to give the phone company more than twice what I do now to carry that outrageously expensive computer around with me.
I don’t need it.
B.B.,
As a general rule, software from a hardware company will be crappy. And if the software is for an accessory instead of the company’s core product, it’ll be even worse – chances are that it’ll be the afterthought of the afterthought!
Software is tricky to get right (it’s always a potentially open-ended project that sucks up endless time and money) because it’s so malleable. The answer to the question of “Can we…” is almost always yes. The real questions should always be “Should we…” and “Do we have the resources to…”
The first and most important step of a software project is to find a good project manager and listen to them! Lay out what the software needs to do and how the user is expected to use it. And then hold the line on any requests or new features, no matter how great they sound – they can all go into a box to be looked at later if time and money permit.
Scope control comes first – everything else leads to development hell like so many large projects (both software and hardware) do.
Nathan
Nathan,
Bingo! Just because you can, does not mean you should.
Nathan,
Yes. I spent five years working with software types and I think I have heard most of the things that can go wrong.
My favorite saying is from a software development engineer. He said, “I you want it real bad, it’s real bad right now!”
BB
If Daystate made this it would likely be better. They have a dedicated software team.
Now this sounds like a perfect solution to a problem …. I don’t have. I don’t use my Chrony very much anyway.
Add a 40 mile round trip drive to purchase rubber bands to that set up time for me. My phone can go dead two times a day looking for service.
I live in a low tech neighborhood, and that’s just fine for me in retirement. Everything goes through a Dish satellite service, except when it doesn’t. Those puffy things in the sky can be a problem, although it’s not too bad in southern CA.
Bob M
Starlink.
Bummer!
You would think Swedes could do better?
-Y
Yogi,
Other than the name, I don’t think there is anything Swedish about this.
BB
BB,
You nailed it! All this time we have been trying to think like Swedes when we should be thinking like Chinese! It is made in Taiwan! Who compiled the software (app for you kids)?
B.B.
You need a teenager to set it up for you! We are analogue guys in a digital world!
-Y
Yogi,
Where did you get that idea? Have you ever wondered why FX airguns are so expensive? It is not the quality, though that is very high. They have through the roof taxes to pay for their Welfare State. They also are not doing so well with that Chinese Plague right now.
Quite honestly, I am not impressed. I was hopeful when they started making noises about the Dreamline coming out. They were talking of it being affordable. For who? Bill Gates?
What about the barrel swap out feature? I can have custom barrels made for what these cost and swap out barrels just as quickly with my HM1000X and it was cheaper than that Impact ever was. A friend of mine owns several RAW air rifles and he is all the time switching calibers around on his.
Well the have the second highest “Happiness Quotient” in the World. Second only to Denmark.
-Y
Yogi,
If I did not have to work for a living and still had a high standard of living, I would be pretty happy also.
Well then move to Sweden!
A buddy of mine did about 5 years ago and he says it is the best decision he ever made.
-Y
Yogi,
Ain’t happening. I have seen much of the USA and a good bit of the world. I settled down in the Appalachians. I am an Appalachian-American.
Besidesa, I don’ta speaka Svede.
RR,
Awhile back, PBS did like a 5 part series on the health care over there. Despite insane taxes, they still lacked. You got the gold treatment for something like a heart attack, but for something like a knee replacement,… you might wait 2+ years, if then. And, people were also buying supplemental health plans at high cost to boot. Misc. other issues, so not idealistic by any means.
We would do well here just to cut waste and greed at many levels,… corporate and govt..
Chris
Chris,
Yeah, right. That’s gonna happen.
Bummer +1. I will not be giving this a second look. Maybe a video will surface or someone can explain it all and all shall be revealed. Or not. 🙁
BB-
Great report on the joys of being the beta tester for this company’s expensive toy. I do find today’s blog missing vital info. What was the (estimated) top speed of the unit as it was flung out the back door?Did it achieve a satisfying hang time? Do the ergonomics favor a right or left handed user?
Paco,
Thank you. But I plan to truck on because I know there are people who love this unit. As I said, when it works it’s wonderful.
BB
BB,
Borny jakorny mumbly bumbly bork, bork, bork!
Geev et to da Svedish Chef und hee vill show uu how et vorks. Or not.
RR,
The Swedish chef! Now why didn’t I think of that! 🙂
BB
BB,
I am so glad you tried this thing out and told us of your experiences with it. I actually considered one of these at one time. I was most hesitant as I do not have a “smart” phone and I had not investigated as to whether I could download the software (app for you kids) to my Kindle.
Like Edw, I have a Caldwell. The software does download to my Kindle. It works pretty nice. Not perfect, but nice.
BB,
Hope you have survived the winter storm without problems.
I live on Lake Buchanan and lost power Sunday night. power out, well shut down, all dripping faucets then froze. Lasted at house until Tuesday, then son in Cedar Park came and got wife and me with his four wheel drive car. No idea of any damage I might have from frozen pipes. I’ll keep fingered crossed and see whenever I can get back home.
Best of luck to all that have been affected by this Texas winter storm.
Jonah,
The power has gone out several times here. The house (all electric) temp drops quick when it does. I still have water, but a lot of folks around me don’t.
I’m sorry for your problems and I hope things turn out better than expected for you.
BB
Jonah,
Best wishes on the plumbing! I hope you were able to shut off the main water supply valve in or under the house! As long as most of the supply pipe is underground that should work to stop the massive flooding I keep seeing on the TV reports. If you have the ability to get to the shut-off valve at the meter that is the very best place to shut off the water.
shootski
BB,
I am one of the guys who love the FX Radar. But I am a technology geek. I am on my third iPhone, we have multiple iPads, and I owned a PC since I bought a TRS80 in 1979 or so.
When I first got my FX Radar last May or so I could not get to operate consistently, I was very frustrated and almost returned it to PA. But then I figured out my problem, I think it was choosing the right speed profile for the particular airgun and it started working for me. I like the quick setup, the size, and fact that it talks to my iPhone. As soon as I am finished with a shot string i copy it to the iPhones notepad for saving. This propagates the data to the notepad on my iPad where I can easily play with it in Excel. I can also access the data from my PC.
I think “your” problem with the device is that you are trying to test a multi pump airgun, sort of a throwback, in the “modern” world of PCPs. I am sure that it did not even occur to FX, a builder of high end PCPs, to test the device with a multi pump airgun. In accordance with Murphy’s law, out of your eclectic assortment of airguns you chose the one that would give the FX Radar the most problems. This is an explanation, not an excuse.
The user interface and lack of documentation is another story. I had the same problems as you with the lack of documentation. I had to play with for quite a while before I was comfortable using it. User interfaces are seldom tested with real users. The interface is always intuitive to the engineers who design them!
On different problem.
A few days ago, when you gave the first report on the FX Radar I was unable to log in. I went through the gyration to get a new password, the link that I was sent was incomplete and did not work. I tried to report the problem to PA support and got the brush off. I finally figured out a work around and here I am. But you might letbPA know that their process on the blog is broken. I can provide details if needed.
Mike,
What a well-thgought-out and well-expressed comment! Yes, I am using the FX Radar chrono in a way that I doubt the developers ever intended. I did that at first just to see what would happen. When I discovered all the intricacies, and I will say issues, with the software, I couldn’t stop looking.
I know there are people like yourself for whom this chronograph is wonderful, but in my world of this rifle today and that pistol tomorrow, it doesn’t seem as practical.
Whenever I test anything, I think about a guy who lives in Keokuk, Iowa, and only has the money to buy one airgun every few years. I want him to know what I saw when I looked at the thing he’s thinking about buying. Most of the stuff I test is sent to me and I get to test it all I want. But that guy in Iowa wants to make one right move, because there won’t be another one for many years.
By the way, I never owned a Trash-80, but I did own a CoCo (Apple color computer) on which I learned to program Basic.
I did tell Pyramyd IT about the login problem. I’m having similar problems on my end as well
BB
I just got the FX radar last week. I do have a background in computers and networking so I did not hve much of a problem setting it up. I think it is definitely made for PCP guns as it was awkward to use with my springer. I have the one that the only way to use it is attach it to the barrel with rubber bands. I think for springers and multipumps It would be better with the tripod plate that used to come with them. I am going to contact Pyramid or FX to see if I can get one.
Operationally it worked pretty good when I learned not to put the unit right at the end of the barrel but about 3″ back from the end. When it was at the end, it would skip shots. When placed 3″ back it never missed one.
The disconnection part is very inconvenient. Hope an update fixes that.
I like being able to email the strings to myself and bring into Excel but the information sent/copied to the keyboard has date and time as well as FPS. I wish it was in a coma seperated field so it could be pasted into Excel. I have made my workarounds to trim the data to only FPS, but the software could use some improvements there also.
This is what my data looks like that I email or copy
Notes
Pellet:FX
Weight: 34.0
Shot count: 40
Low: 629
Hi: 782
Avg: 727
STD Dev: 44.3
Spread: 153.0
2/20/21 4:54:47 PM,754
2/20/21 4:55:16 PM,742
2/20/21 4:55:28 PM,756
2/20/21 4:55:40 PM,754
2/20/21 4:55:51 PM,749
2/20/21 4:56:01 PM,759
2/20/21 4:56:19 PM,754
2/20/21 4:56:36 PM,772
2/20/21 4:56:48 PM,759
2/20/21 4:56:59 PM,759
2/20/21 4:57:21 PM,763
2/20/21 4:57:31 PM,782
2/20/21 4:57:48 PM,768
2/20/21 4:58:00 PM,770
2/20/21 4:58:12 PM,777
2/20/21 4:58:23 PM,754
2/20/21 4:58:35 PM,775
2/20/21 4:58:46 PM,761
2/20/21 4:58:58 PM,763
2/20/21 4:59:11 PM,749
2/20/21 5:04:43 PM,756
2/20/21 5:05:02 PM,745
2/20/21 5:05:16 PM,740
2/20/21 5:05:31 PM,740
2/20/21 5:05:44 PM,728
2/20/21 5:05:59 PM,724
2/20/21 5:06:15 PM,719
2/20/21 5:06:30 PM,717
2/20/21 5:06:45 PM,705
2/20/21 5:06:58 PM,707
2/20/21 5:09:10 PM,703
2/20/21 5:09:22 PM,682
2/20/21 5:09:39 PM,675
2/20/21 5:09:52 PM,668
2/20/21 5:10:06 PM,663
2/20/21 5:10:23 PM,647
2/20/21 5:10:44 PM,647
2/20/21 5:10:58 PM,643
2/20/21 5:11:09 PM,636
2/20/21 5:11:22 PM,629
I am a retired teacher and Network administrator so using the app and getting the data right comes easy to me. FX please work on the app. I think you have a good small product that is easier to setup than the traditional style chrono. Fits in my field bag well. Seems to be accurate enough.
If you use a lot of guns put it on a tripod on the bench rather than trying to attach it to the barrel. Should work fine that way.
jrusto
Gonna crank out some prayers for those of you caught in the current winter trap – watch out for hypothermia and be safe!
Your experience with the FX radar chrony reminds me of my favorite saying. I have had a long career as an engineer and have seen newer technology come along to try to replace simpler and easier to maintain systems. Some of the newer and younger engineers seem to be more susceptible to the siren song of new whizbang technology. Just because it can be done does not mean it should be done when it comes to reliability, simplicity, and maintenance.
I like to say “technology is only great when it works”.
I have adopted computers and grew professionally with them in the office and also have multiple Android devices my phone and tablets. But I only tend to adopt new technology when it is user friendly and reliable. Sometimes this requires a certain amount of user effort to “RTFM” (Read The ‘Fine’ Manual) to achieve the best results which can be quite satisfying. That is, if there actually is a manual that is fine!
It seems that the FX radar chrony is not quite ready for prime time. The lack of a user manual is completely inexcusable. I have a fleet of different air guns with wildly varying velocities and I would be unhappy trying to fiddle with this thing to get it to deliver simple results as you are doing. I have a competition electronics chronograph with a 9-volt battery and an LED light kit. It’s simple and reliable. Yes it requires its own tripod and a little more setup and does not report results to my phone but it works! I think they do have newer ones though with Bluetooth built into them that will report data to your phone.
In addition, I know how many air rifles have trouble holding a zero if the barrel is disturbed. And certainly, hanging the weight of this thing off of your barrel is going to change the point of impact.
So… if the Chrony still has to be on its own tripod and you still carefully have to shoot through it without hitting it LOL, then I will continue to use my old standard Alpha and CE chronographs.
Tom, you summed up in the paragraph “one path only”.
That also sums FX.
When I got into PCP rifles I thought they were the bees knees i shot a couple of friends FX. Models, and I liked them.
then a friend loaned me one for a few months to tinker with and I got to actually spend some time with one and realized that they were not the path I wanted to follow.
Like many others on here I like my Caldwell chronograph, it is simple, connects to my phone, or tablet, or laptop.
It has 1 switch, meters per second, off , and feet per second.
It reads velocities from a daisy 179 catapult pistol and up.
Things don’t need to be complicated.
Ian.
Ian,
That Caldwell chrono is sounding better and better!
BB
There are 2 models.
One is very portable designed like a normal chrono, and connects to your device by a 25ft cord with a 1/8 inch “headphone” jack on each end.
It also comes with sky screens and infrared lights for indoor operation.
The infrared lights can be run with AA batteries also.
The gen 2 model is larger and less portable, and has the chrono above the light array and connects to your device via Bluetooth.
It will run as a standalone Chrono without the app just turn the switch to on let it do its count and then start shooting and you can write down the numbers as usual, but the app is truly the heart of the system and enhances it more.
The app is relatively intuitive, and allows you to input/create your own pellet name, weight/ballistic coefficient or bullet info and save it for future use.
It allows you to save the strings, and name them and it figures high, low, max spread, SD, and FP of energy
And other info.
If you could mix the Caldwell Chrono app to the FX radar device it would have the potential to be great.
I would happily loan you mine.
Ian.
Ian,
Thanks for the offer. I will wait for awhile, though I always need a backup chronograph and the Caldwell sounds like what I need.
BB
This is what the text file it saves looks like.
Talon, standard tank
Notes 1: Crosman 0.22 Dome 14.30
Power wheel 6-1
# FPS FT-LBS PF
10 843 22.57 12.05
9 841 22.46 12.03
8 848 22.84 12.13
7 847 22.78 12.11
6 849 22.89 12.14
5 840 22.41 12.01
4 840 22.41 12.01
3 842 22.52 12.04
2 853 23.11 12.20
1 842 22.52 12.04
Average: 844.5 FPS
SD: 4.5 FPS
Min: 840 FPS
Max: 853 FPS
Spread: 13 FPS
Shot/sec: 0.1
True MV: 848 FPS
I like the ProChrono DLX from Competition Electronics with the added IR screens for ultimate in ease of use and accuracy and repeatability. You can save the strings on the chronograph for later review, or if you use your smart phone app, the strings are captured and you can save them and email them as a spreadsheet to another computer for further analysis.
My FX Chrono has been kind of a pain. On top of all the software quirks, mine eats batteries like crazy – like in less than 1 hour! I called Pyramid a couple times and was told it was an FX issue. After trying for a while, I finally got a call back from some FX rep and was basically told “yup, some of them do that”. Not super helpful. I ended up soldering a lead from an old cell phone charger to the battery terminals which, surprisingly, worked! But now I have endless power, but a charger cable running from the FX Chrono to the charger. It works, but fails the “Elegance” test…
I found a way to send the data from my phone to my computer, then paste it into Excel – which saves the shot strings and allows lots of analysis options. I haven’t used it in a while, so probably will have to figure it out again when things warm up in a few months… -bes
bes,
Thanks for your insights.
BB
BES,
When you say “lead from an old cell phone charger” do you mean a 5 vdc USB charger? I’m looking for a way to connect mine to a rechargable lithium power brick like you would use to recharge a tablet or phone, on the go. The Radar operates on 4.5 vdc worth of AAA batteries so I wondered if I could just solder a USB cable to my battery terminals. What do you think? Would that let out the “magic blue smoke” ?
Thanks in advance for any help, Half
That is precisely what I did. It works – and has worked for 8 months with no issues (power related issues!) on mine. I used one of my daughter’s old i-Phone cables and charger which is 5VDC and has fairly low amp-hour rating. This seemed like a good choice – it is not used any more, and is not a “Fast Charger”. I though too much charging amperage might be problematic – maybe not, but I started low. Make sure you check the polarity with batteries in the chrono before proceeding. I drilled a hole in the battery cover just a bit bigger than the cable. Then I cut off the old i-Phone (wide) connector, stripped back about 2 inches (5cm) of the outer cover. The last cable prep step is to strip the insulation back on the two wires. To be sure, I plugged the charger in and checked the polarity first, then soldered the wired to the appropriate battery spring and lug. I hot-glued a section of cable in one of the battery cutout areas and on both sides of the hole for shock relief. It works fine at the bench – though it is a bit of a pain when shooting breakbarrels. I haven’t had any real problems shooting breakbarrels, I have just had to learn to work around the limitations of the power cable. -BES
BES,
Thanks for the info. I thought it would work at 5 vdc but wasn’t sure enough to try without getting some input from someone who’s done it or knows enough about electronics to say it would be safe. I think I’m going to make a wooden block, shaped like 3 AAA cells sitting side by side, and glue on a conductor tab at two opposite corners. I’ll solder to those conductors and will hopefully end up with something that will just pop out if I want to use batteries instead. Since AAA batteries tend to load in electronics in much the same way, I hope that design will also let me use the “Adapter Block” in other 4.5 vdc devices.
Thanks again for your help.
Half
Your solution sounds great, but embarrassingly more elegant than mine… ;o)
-BES
BES,
Take pride in knowing that you broke the original ground! 😉 Not to mention that mine is not even a sketch on a napkin, yet.
Half
Well, the lack of a manual, even in pdf form on FX’s website, is a no go for me. I just finished struggling with a “NanoVNA-H” measuring device for tuning the antennas for my HAM radio rig. I also had to resort to searching Youtube for instructions and like you, BB, had to go through a trial and error procedure, all to save $50 over a designed to purpose antenna tuner.
On the weather matter, I feel really terrible for all of you folks that have to deal with the Texas blackout massacre. An entire electric house kind of defeats the purpose of an emergency portable generator, requiring a large, fixed or not very portable unit. Good luck and hope the power comes back quickly.
Fred formerly of the Democratik Peeples Republik of NJ now happily in GA
I suspect this app has not endured any heuristics or software usability testing for a typical user, because other, more complex products, namely Apple, are famous at least as much for making complex software tasks seem simple for the average user.
The work flow does not seem to conform to any standards. I used to record CAD managers in a lab as they attempted to use new or upcoming features in early software builds for ACAD. It’s an expensive process that is not very popular with the developers, in general. It means extra work, and tends to highlight problems. I lost count of how many folks when asked what they just did after being recorded, is not the same as what was recorded. Something about preexisting cognitive models. blah blah blah. BB,they didn’t even bother to ask you what you wanted or needed to do first. Developers expect everyone to understand what they are doing, but that is rarely the case.
Rob
Rob,
Obviously you’ve been there and done that. Me too. Got the tee-shirt and wore it out. 🙂
BB
B.B.
This FX chronograph does not appear to be suitable for your needs. You do a lot of testing on various airguns with a wide range of speeds. Yes, the FX is portable and compact but do you really need those features? I do not even own a chronograph myself. I only have one PCP and as long as it has the accuracy I require, I can not cost justify owning a chronograph. Yes, it would be nice to have one to verify the fps my PCP shoots, but is it important for me to know that information…I don’t think so. If I were to buy a chronograph, I would buy one less costly and a simpler unit. For most of us, it would only be used occasionally to verify a spring guns condition or to tune a PCP. Once that is done it would be put away.
BTW, the comments RSS feed is only showing 20 comments now. That is too few as it does not even show all of one day’s comments.
Geo
George,
Portability is desirable because I offten test at a formal range. Portability is nice by not essential.
BB
Geo
Should you decide to get one I recommend the Caldwell that I and several others have. For the occasional user it does everything you want it to do. If you will avoid keeping accuracy scores and just focus on shooting at the same location between the sensors you have a high probability of not shooting the chronograph.
I was concerned about the difficulty of mounting a high tripod on the ground outside my deck. Turns out it records every shot sitting on my MTM Case-Gard shooting table just in front of airgun’s muzzle. Both came from PA.
Stay safe.
Deck
BB
At least one more test needs done with the FX chrony on a different gun besides the 397 so we can compare results of your other chrony to the FX chrony.
You did say you was going to later on.
And maybe you will learn more about the FX chrony on operating it when you do that test.
GF1,
That test was the one I was hoiping to do this time. You’re right, that test does need to be done.
BB
BB
Good. Will be watching to see how that turns out.
As far as smart phones go, I have worked professionally with people with visual impairments and who are blind for the last 10 years and worked in special education prior to that and technology has been a great boon for people with disabilities, especially people with visual impairments.
I’ve shot with my field target club for the last five years and I’ve never seen an FX airgun. Most of the PCP airguns I’ve seen have been RAW, Styer and Thomas with the occasional Marauder thrown in. Now I’ve shot a 30 caliber RAW and a 30 caliber FX. The RAW was one hole accurate and was a beast with its size. The FX was more portable and seemed just as accurate. I’ve heard that FX wins most of the extreme benchrest contests so they do have their place. Pick the tool that works, I guess.
Brent
I think FX wins most of those EBR competitions because they by far outnumber the other brands present.
Well BB, I’m sorry you’ve had those troubles; I guess I feel bad because I could help you figure out those things if we were shooting together. I will say that I’ve had the best luck shooting rifles where I can attach the FX Chrony to the barrel with rubber bands and I can select the proper velocity profile to match the gun. I’ve also used it with my HW97K underlever springer where I placed the FX Chrony on a little tripod below the muzzle. My velocity results were less accurate when I didn’t attach the FX Chrony to the barrel, but it did read every shot that was fired, as long as I paid particular attention to keep the muzzle relationship to the chrony exactly the same (as best as I could).
One thing about the phone app, you only click buttons ONCE to perform an action or save something; this is different than double-clicking an icon to open an app on a computer.
If you like a shot string that you’ve captured under a Profile that you created previously, you can select Save on that same screen where you are capturing the current shot string, and it will put it on the Saves screen (icon on the far right at the bottom) where you can look at them later. On the saves screen or on the current screen, you can email the string to another device as a list within that email. I copy and paste that list into an Excel spreadsheet for further analysis. (I prefer my ProChrono app that emails the shot string as an Excel spreadsheet already!)
You demonstrated the effect of setting the sensitivity too low (Lowest) and you got random readings. I’ve left mine at 20% and experienced no issues like you did. Change it to 20% and I think you’ll be fine.
I think that if you have a rifle with an unknown velocity range or if the velocity range exceeds the min-max of the chosen range on the app, then this Chrony will not be as useful as one that doesn’t require the range settings like the FX Chrony does.
B.B. an Readership,
B.B. I’m sorry you have had such a frustrating experience with a RADAR Chronograph! They truly are the future of External Ballistics for consumers. It is unfortunate that you are only tempted by the LabRadar; deep down I believe you know the LabRadar is the currently available answer to your needs in both testing for the Blog but also for your other shooting pursuits. Yes it costs more but it will do the job you need done!
For the Readership if you have the money for an FX you will get much, much, more by saving a bit more cash and getting the LabRadar!
Most of you know that I have a LabRadar so I’m biased!
1. It comes with a paper users Manual, PDF version also exists and has versions clearly shown and available.
2. It has a usable display on the device.
3. It has BlueTooth.
4. A number of ways to power it from internal batteries, rechargable power pack (OEM or generic) to USB connection for data and power.
5. The detection range is broad from 60 to 3,000FPS or so. With three fps zones to select from depending on what you are shooting.
6. In Australia, Canada, and the USA the RADAR can be selectively run in the High Power for better detection range or standard power mode to meet Nanny State concens about Microwaving your neighbors.
7. In the case microphones, external microphone, Doppler triggers are OEM with after market alternative triggers available.
8. Internal SD (removable) card data storage or direct transmission to external App or computer with compatible file structure.
9. Core Company product line expertise.
10. It costs a bit than the FX (2.3) more but IF you need the additional capabilities it is worth it in cost savings on ammunition alone.
11. It isn’t mounted on you barrel.
12. It works.
For those of you that will be staying with your optical Chronographs 15 tips that might help you get better performance: https://precisionrifleblog.com/2012/07/20/chronograph-accuracy-tips-15-practical-tips-to-increase-accuracy-reliability/
And, this will help you understand your Chronograph’s data output better:
https://precisionrifleblog.com/2020/11/29/statistics-for-shooters/
Do read the three main parts and not just the Executive Summary he does a great job of not writing for Math NERDS!
shootski
This is the now and soon to be future: https://precisionrifleblog.com/2019/06/30/personalized-drag-models-the-final-frontier-in-ballistics/
Check out that $100K Doppler but do continue to read the stuff oe with a LabRadar.
shootski
Shootski,
I’ve seen videos where folks can’t get their LabRadar to work with suppressed airguns, so I assume the report is a trigger of some sort. If so, how does it work for archery? BB does test crossbows and airbows sometimes.
Just for the record, the FX Radar doesn’t have to attach to your barrel, it is just a convenience feature that they offered in the later iteration. It will rest nicely under the barrel with any shooting bag that I’ve used so far. I have also seen YT videos that compare the accuracy with the radar attached and with it unattached and no real effect to accuracy was found, at least at the ranges they were using, which I don’t think were over 50 yards, admittedly. The key thing is it works just fine without being attached.
Also, could you post a photo of the LabRadar in your pants pocket? You pick the pocket! 😉
This thing isn’t the be all and end all of velocity measuring devices, but it does what an airgunner needs done. It does it in a small package and at a cost savings over the LabRadar that will allow you to get an entry level PCP to test over it.
I’ve been shooting over a light and timer style chronograph since the late 80’s and I shot indoors and had to buy special lights for my sky screens because I had florescent lamps in my basement. I had to shoot in areas outdoors that I didn’t want to shoot in because of the need for ac power as well as because of the current weather/ lighting conditions. I had a tripod to deal with, along with the sky screens and control/display unit and cables. some of the time I had to do my accuracy testing as a separate stage from velocity testing because I was seldom able to just fire through the sky screens at my target, when standing, for example. This Radar has been the proverbial “Sliced Bread” as far as my needs are concerned.
Based on my experience with the FX unit, I think that BB’s either isn’t set up correctly yet or it’s defective. I agree that the lack of a real user manual is unforgivable, but it isn’t something that should shock anyone in this day and age.
Half
Half,
The archery trigger set is not one I have or have used. It appears to use the same acoustic sensor (microphone) that is used for airguns just that it is clamped to the bow in some way. The link below shows more information and photograph(s) of it on a bow.
https://buymylabradar.com/products/archery-trigger-adapter
I guess I could drag out a Flight Suit but I think the LabRadar wouldn’t fit in even one of the lower leg pockets…the zipper would probably stop it from going in! LOL! You are correct that L.R. isn’t typical pocket friendly.
I’m also not here to say that everyone should buy a L.R. just to say that we have the Doppler RADAR tool available in two formats and point out the advantages over the Optical Chronograph and at the same time to make clear that there are differences between the two current RADAR offerings.
As I have said in the past I need actual BC (Drag Count) to evaluate my Big Bore slugs. I grew weary replacing down range Chronographs after being hit by 350-500+ grain bullets. The LabRadar does that for me and for less money.
Maybe a pair of 5.11 Tactical trousers…
shootski
Shootski,
All those down range velocities would be nice to have, for sure. I think that is what HAM Magazine uses to calculate BC for their pellet evaluations. I think we both can agree that it’s doubtful that we’ll return to light and timer chronys after using these Doppler units and that the FX Radar just wouldn’t be the right tool for you and your more far reaching needs. It’s great for what I do though.
Half
BB,
From an engineering standpoint I understand the issues of feature creep and cost overruns. I would guess that this chrono started as a modification to an existing design (paintball?) and before long they realized that they were investing too much money in its development, so they stopped there.
Now, from my standpoint as a customer, a company that does not provide adequate documentation or any type of customer service to assist the customer on the proper use their products is plainly unacceptable.
I was interested in the FX, but at least for the time being I will keep working with my reliable Caldwell and LED screens, even if it is more cumbersome. The LabRadar looks better everyday!
Henry
I”ve experienced some issues with the LabRadar recognizing a shot on a 12fpe suppressed air rifle, so that it doesn’t capture it’s velocity.
Jeff
Cloud 9,
Jeff is that using the internal acoustic sensors (microphones) or are you using the “airgun” accessory external sensor? Muzzle location as well a the sensitivity setting is critical when using low report guns and relying on the acoustic sensors to trigger the RADAR is what I get from the Manual as well as all the posts of folks having issues with missed shot data.
You could also use/try the Doppler beam option to trigger the system once the projectile is “seen” by the RADAR main lobe. Not ideal, I realize, but better than a failure to capture any data.
I have no experience with a low power suppressed airgun (low Db report) my lowest so far is a Benjamin Marauder in .22 caliber. That will change when my SIG ASP20 in .22 caliber arrives in a few days.
I will be the first to admit the LabRadar isn’t perfect but it is nevertheless the best that I can afford to buy. I have used the US government’s various Megabuck Doppler Ballistic tools. But then they are served by a team of technicians that don’t let you touch anything but the results report printouts!
There are some aftermarket “triggers” but I haven’t found a need for one thus far! Even the .308 DAQ with the DonnyFL EMPEROR v3 with an Emperor v3 6.26 inch Extender has not failed to recognize a shot when using the external acoustic sensor or the internal.
Best wishes for a resolution. Missing data is a pain for sure!
shootski
The shooter with the LabRadar had the external microphone for airguns. Still wasn’t as reliable as my FX Chrony or ProChrono Digital chronographs.
Cloud 9,
Ah! An O.P. LabRadar!
Can’t expect to start playing with O.P.’s gear to get the most out of it; I thought it was yours. Glad you are happier with your FX than Tom is with his so far! I hope he breaks the CODE and finds a way forward.
I think from the many posts I have read and folks that have talked to me about the issues that they are having with their Doppler Chronographs that this is a replay of the Dark Side Story. Lots of speculation, misinformation, wilful disinformation, and general Internet mischief! I hope this doesn’t take the three decades to resolve that PCPs did!
shootski
BB,
What Cloud9 said above about your sensitivity setting is true. The factory default is 20% return. Based on the warning on the screen shot you posted, that is more or less what determines how big of an object it will consider it’s target projectile. If set too low I think it tricks itself into thinking it saw a shot. Your screen shot shows a setting of “Lowest”
The unit connects to your phone via Bluetooth, so power to the internet shouldn’t be causing your connection problem. I think that is the peculiar nature of Bluetooth. I have a Bluetooth speaker for my phone that takes 10 attempts sometimes to connect.
You may be misreading the message that you’re getting when you try to delete that custom profile, as I did…at first. What it’s telling you is that you can’t delete a profile if it is the one you are currently using. That is the one that is highlighted. You can only delete the un-highlighted ones that remain on the list. Just pick one of the other ones, the app will go to the Home screen. Now hit the Profile icon at the bottom of the page and you will be returned to that page and your custom profile will no longer be highlighted. At this point you may swipe right to left and will be given the option to delete it.
The custom profiles are set up by using the various parameters that are offered on the Profile Settings page. I agree that it would be nice if you could make up new parameters, but you can’t. The value of these custom profiles are to people who have multiple guns that they check for whatever reason. At least, I see it as one of the reasons. If you have ten guns that you routinely shoot and you want to make sure, from time to time, that the power plants aren’t degrading, you can set them up as a profile named, for instance, FWB 124 SPORT. Then you can set the pellet weight, style and brand you want to use as the standard, what return % you used, what velocity range was required (you’ve already witnessed how valuable getting those two things set correctly, right up front, is) and repeat that for all of your guns. Then you can save the performance data of that original shot string right in the app or in multiple other ways. Later if a gun becomes questionable, you just pick its profile, see the pellet that you used, shoot it, then compare the new data to your old data. Easy peezy, lemon squeezy!
If Airgun Pistol doesn’t work for all the pump numbers with heavy pellets and Airgun UK doesn’t cover all the speeds with light pellets, once you set your % return to 20%, you might try 30%. After that, I’d return the unit because it should work with those two profiles.
I have the 8 pump 392 and I don’t know what my velocities are because I have just recently gotten a scope set up on it that will let me pump it easily and I have been too aggravated with the gun since I bought it to worry about much testing. I will try, soon, to get it to shoot at velocities near what you are getting to see if my Radar reads them correctly or if I have to do any weird tweets to get it to work.
Hope this helps, Half
BB
Middle of fourth paragraph from top says “Part 2 that the Benjamin shoots light in the 600s “. (light)?
Thanks
Ray
Ray,
I’m not sure about that one but I changed it to read “right”, anyhow.
Thanks,
BB
Hey Guys,
Maybe we can do an informal survey here to see if the problems are related to the OS of the phone and how the app may be written for it. Just a thought. I for one am using an iPhone that hasn’t been updated in years and I am having good luck with my FX Radar, so far.
Half
Hey everyone,
In looking up the archery adapter for Halfstep I noticed that LabRadars are currently OUT of Stock. FX are on Pre Order at PA.
More Insanity?
shootski
I wanted this simple, compact chronograph to work. It would’ve made my trips to the range much more streamlined.
I’ve read the blog and all comments from the tech proficient users and greatly appreciate the intel.
My takeaway at this point is it’s too much brain damage and ultimately going to enormously add an unwelcome dimension to a shooting session that already has other unknown elements that need to be sorted.
If I had the time and desire I might consider sorting out this device but my takeaway at this point is that it’s part of the devil’s playground
Kevin,
If you have a unit that you can use at the range, it is probably already more portable that the nightmare I was working with until I got the FX Radar. I wanted to upgrade to a pocket chrony or one of those deals that look like a dogbone, because they looked infinitely more useful at the range than my gear. Problem was, I just kept seeing videos where guns were being fired over those chronys as the airgun was being reviewed and half the video was spent apologizing because every other shot was an error and that wasn’t anything that I was interested in. The reviews on the FX unit, from folks I respect and trust, made it look like just the ticket. If you have reliable gear already and you can get it set up at the range, your benefits from a switch to Radar won’t be as great, probably.
Half
Half,
“I wanted to upgrade to a pocket chrony or one of those deals that look like a dogbone, because they looked infinitely more useful at the range than my gear.”
You must be referring to the COMBRO Half; when you say it looked like a dogbone! I bought one of those decades ago when they first were on the market. I laughed when i GOOGLED it and the thing is now in a MK4 version (Velocity Meter Combro CB-625 MK4) that still looks just like the original! I hope they at least improved the clock rate!
It never really did the job with the short distance between the sensors…great in concept; poor performance in reality.
shootki
Shootski,
I was thinking of one of the Caldwell models. I think it looks like a bone, albeit a green one.
Half
BB and others that are curious,
This weekend I used my 392 to more or less duplicate the shot strings that are posted in Part 2 of the 397 rifle review. For each string I ended up having to shoot several different pellets and use different numbers of pumps, because my gun is a .22 and I couldn’t just duplicate BB’s actual shooting. Using my weird and time consuming technique I was able to shoot over my FX Radar, with it just sitting on my bench 1″ under the barrel and just even with the muzzle and with the unit set on “Airgun UK” with 20% return, I got a string that started higher and closer to the upper limit of the range than BB’s (within 10fps) and gradually recorded slower velocities until I got to within 15 fps of the lower limit, which is lower than BB’s unit had to record. In my case I had to use tin pellets and over pump the gun to get the highest velocities. This string is representative of what BB should have gotten shooting Hobby and Premier Lites. I then did the same thing with the unit set for “Airgun Pistol” and fired a combination of pellets that covered the range of velocities he should have gotten with Premier Heavy pellets and again was able to record velocities that were even higher and lower than was needed for BB’s string with that pellet.
At that point I was satisfied that I had proven that if BB’s radar was set correctly and wasn’t defective it should be able to gather data on a multi-pump airgun. Then it occurred to me that BB was using a .177 gun and it is a smaller target for the radar to detect. Crap !! So I did it all over again, really abusing a Daisy Powerline 880 along the way. The short story is, I covered the range within each of those Profile settings, got within 10 – 15 fps of the high and low end of the 2 ranges and every shot recorded fine. I fired 9 or 10 shots that started high and gradually got slower, although I wasn’t able to get them to be equal increments, of course. To the radar it should have looked like I was pretty much shooting BB’s gun and pellet choices.
I think that BB’s unit is defective, based on my best effort to duplicate the way he’s using it.
When I finished with the above testing I got curious about something else. How would the Radar placement effect the readings? For this experiment I used my Daisy 853 single pump rifle. It is known to be a consistent shooter and mine runs Hobby pellets at around 450 fps, based on readings from the past on my old chronograph. The FX Radar has 4 separate Profiles that should read that velocity, “Bow, Airsoft 147-459”, “CO2 Air Pistol 195-590”, “Airgun Pistol 295-720” and “Airgun UK 440-820”. I used each setting, with the radar 1″ under and 4″ behind the muzzle, 1″ under and 4″ in front of the muzzle, and with the unit attached to the barrel. I took 5 shots using Hobby pellets in each position and repeated that with each profile and didn’t find any differences in extreme spread over the 12 different strings that wouldn’t be accounted for by variations in pellet weight. I weighed a random sample of 15 pellets on a Hornady electronic scale and got 9@7.0gr, 3@7.1gr and 3@7.2gr. That’s about 3% variance and my spreads were within that. The only missed shots occurred with the “Airgun UK” profile so a few shots dropped below 440fps, I guess. I am now satisfied that the placement of the Radar is not too critical.
I then set the radar under the end of the barrel and turned it off axis to the left of the target line. It ended up being 13 degrees when I measured it and, again, the readings were within the limits of the pellets. I should point out that while I was weighing my samples I noticed about 3 of them had deformed skirts and that could also account for a little of the extreme spreads, since I didn’t sort any of the pellets that I actually fired. I think the worse spread I got with any of the strings was 15 fps and some were as little as 4 fps. The last thing I wanted to know was how long does the pellet have to be visible to the radar to give a reading or how close can you be to your pellet trap. The answer I came up with is 3 feet with the radar on the gun. If I moved to within 2 feet it wouldn’t read the shot.
Hope this was helpful, I sure had fun doin’ it. I forgot how much I like that 853 and 880. So effortless to shoot.
Half
In defense of the FX chronograph. I have used my FX chronograph on 7 Airguns from springers to PCPs with absolutely no problem and seldom an unread shot. I honestly after using this thing for a month don’t even fully understand what your complaints are. I am a 61 year old Master auto tech and likely more used to adapting to the manufacture software than most. Not trying to be contrary. I feel it is the best accessory purchase I have ever made. I have no plans of using my old chrony again. I see a bit of a lynch mob lining up above and that doesn’t seem fair to FX based on how well mine works. Perhaps yours is faulty? That said I don’t believe this thing would last a day if it was hung under springer barrels. The vibration would likely kill it in short order. I only hang mine on PCPs and hold springers over it.
Not sure if anyone is still reading this thread, but in case it helps:
The key to using the LabRadar to measure a very quite airgun is to place the muzzle close to and an inch or two BEHIND the accessory microphone.
My mrod and very quite springer rifles were not detected by the labradar when their muzzles were even with the mic.
My Gauntlet is loud enough to trigger the LabRadar without using the the accessory mic at all.
I have found the LabRadar to be easy and stone cold reliable in taking measurements, unlike my light based chrono (which is why I replaced it). The phone app has been solid and lets me control the LabRadar and read it from my rifle without getting up to touch it. Both the user manual and the quick start guide are xlnt.
I use it to measure firearms for load developement, and it precludes me having to wait for the range to be called dead before going down range to set up and tear down a light based chrono.