What’s Your Ideal Radar Chronograph?

[Billm]

My target generator app has really evolved, with the ballistics app becoming a major part of it. I’ve pretty much completed the rifle/scope mounted digital dope card. It’s really more than a dope card, because it displays a graphic of a reticle and the recommended holdover and displays your chronograph data and tilt-cant etc. I’m just finishing up the mount design. I’ll post some photorealistic a video later. But, @Pumacarl challenged me to coming up with a hud and so I’m going to try, but only after I attempt my next project for the app. Which brings me to the title of the post.

My free app allows you to use the manufacturer’s BC if available. If not you can enter one in from either your own BCs or from the excellent HAM BC database. If you have an FX True Ballistics or FX Pocket Pro the app will connect to these and use their BC and add it to the database. My app keeps track of all of the BCs separately and also keeps a community average BC for each projectile. The shooter can choose which they prefer to use in the calculations. The value of a community average becomes higher if the pool of users using a BC capable chronograph is larger. The barrier to this of course is the cost of BC capable chronographs. $500 U.S. currently the average cost of entry.

I like a challenge and my next project is going to be a Doppler radar chronograph. It’ll probably take a little longer than the current project, but it’ll be fun. It’s not aimed at replacing a high dollar chronograph.

My requirements
1. Accuracy
2. Ease of use
3. Calculate and record Ballistic Coefficients (BC)
4. Link to the app and digital dope card via Bluetooth
5. Low cost in relative terms.

I’m very interested in hearing what features, others would like to see in a chronograph? Something maybe their current favorite doesn’t offer.

 

[Solo1]

Hey bill how bout slowing down just a bit and giving us a day with your last project so we can check it out and have a good idea where to go on your next project

 

[FL22]

Yeah what @Solo1 said, I’m still trying to rub sticks together .

 

[Pumacarl]

Two things I can think of: sensitivity, good pickup from side mounting; an optional audiable ding for a read and a buzzer for a misread.

I like my FX D1 but find I pretty much have to mount under the bottle to always pickup the shot, and I have to come off the gun to check it. So, barring just having the unit working reliably from the side, it would be nice to know if the unit missed a shot so that it wouldn't mess with the average. It's not that big of a deal, it can just be annoying. I would much rather that it just always picked up from the side, and to that end, maybe it would be more useful to just have a way to figure out where the radar is actually looking. That could help with all the radars. I don't even know if they make such a thing but it would be really handy if they did.

Don't burn out though Bill, it's nice to stay busy but you don't want to lose interest either.

 

[Playingdead]

I really like my FX D1 for air rifles and 22lr. If it just added the BC it would be perfect. I feel like FX could add a lot of stuff in the app, but won't to keep from taking biz from the new pro.

1. Small form factor
2. Rifle mount and tripod (FX does not have a tripod screw)
3. Clear screen that gives speed on-device
4. Offer addition mounts at launch (looking at you FX)
5. Calculate BC (This would be fine in app)
6. Simple app that is old person friendly ()
7. Ability to update range card information from speed real time.
8. Throw a cheap Baro and temp sensor in the device (then you don't have to force updates or permissions every time you use the app)

Funny they used to say target 3rd grade reading and writing levels, I like to say target 65-80 technology level now.

I mean just figure out who is making FX's stuff in China and add a few things. Slim the margin down and sell all you can get built. Hell keep the margin if you can get it done for $299 retail. Hell I will over pay for extra mounts. What you need it a 1/2-20 part that goes under the moderator for the radar to mount. Then add to mod on top.