Anyone here found a 100% sure fire cure for Err1 and Err2 caused by artificial light not being bright enough to trigger the sensors?

I went to the indoor 100 metre range today and, as I've struggled in the past with the inbuilt fluorescent strip lighting I took a 1 million cp spotlamp.

As it turned out the owner had provided a very powerful halogen lamp of the kind you'd fix to shine over the front porch or driveway. Still no readings. Kinda pissed off.

Whilst I couldn't chrono any loads or shoot any development loads I could at least check zero and point of impact for 3 different bullet weights in the same calibre so not all was lost.

My Shooting Chrony works just fine in natural light but struggles indoors. Does the manufacturer's light kit work 100$? Is there a home-made 100% fix?

I can do without the expense of upgrading to a different make of chrono just to get an infra-red attachment specifically for such occasions?

Pete,

Do you have any idea what is causing the problem ie is it low light level or the difference in the spectrum of the different light sources??

I have no idea whether the following might be useful but:
1) It is possible to get light bulbs designed to mimick natural light from a decent Photography shop. I am not sure what fitting they come with, but I think they are available in the same standard fitting as your household light bulbs..
2) An infrared filter for your spot lamp. I know they are made for the guys who use nightsights on Charlie, but I can't remember who makes them..
3) Some sort of infrared lamp or bulb of the sort sold as heat lamps ect...

Regards,

Pete

[ 08-06-2003, 16:14: Message edited by: Pete E ]

Pete-

My solution is nearing the shooting of the piece of $hit. Mine never works. Like to make the company eat it and get a real Chrony. All I get are Err1 or Err2

Photocell based chronographs of any kind cannot work under fluorescent light. Fluorescent lights are like litte strobes, going off 120 times per second to create the illusion of continuous light. The photocells are completely confused by this, and it does not matter which brand chronograph you use.

The Shooting Chrony indoor lights will melt your diffusers.

If you really want to shoot indoors, you have to go buy some frosted aquarium lights, and put one above each photocell. You also have to turn off the fluorescent lights.

Pete E: the Shooting Chrony isn't configured for infra-red so I don't think an infra-red filter or onfra-red lights will work. However that gets me wondering about a couple of red dots - one above each sensor?
Jesse: I seem to have had better luck than you outdoors but indoor's? I agree with you it's just pants.
Denton, thanks for the tip about the Shooting Chrony indoor lamps - but do they actually work? Can you describe them to me? Maybe just a pair of auto headlamp bulbs would do the trick?
Frosted aquarium lights? I'm off to the pet shop.

I had the same experience as you. The solution I went with was buy a Pact.

I used mine in my basement. For lighting, I used an old "Sun Gun" that came with an old movie camera. Worked fine.

Pete,

We at the Cherry Creek Gun Club in Denver have three Oehler chronographs set up on our indoor pistol and rifle range. All work flawlessly with ordinary 40 Watt light bulbs over each sensor with the light shining through a 1 inch wide slit and through an orange filter. Actually they work with just plain white light but it is a bit better to put the filter on it. The color filter is about the same as the box used for the CCI 22 Mini Mag ammunition.

Our best set up is with the sensors upside-down above the line of fire and with the lights shining up. from below the line of fire. The distance between the lights and the sensors is about 18". And 40 watts is plenty of light, but it has to be regular incadescent light bulbs.

Since we made this upside-down set up I have personally fired at least 1000 shots over it and have not missed a single one. We have at least 50 members who use the chronographs and I have not had a complaint from anyone.

We also have some members who bring their Chronys and set them on the rails we use for the Oehlers. Most of those guys build a small enclosure that shields the sensors from extraneous light and then put a light bulb over each sensor. It works.

Don Shearer

After some experimenting my Pact works fine with the setup Don describes.

The trick is not to install too much light.

Pete, I share a Chrony with a friend. We shoot in an indoor range and had the same problems initially. After trial and error, we found a cure by erecting 2 bridges containing halogen lamps + translucid diffusers right above the cells and it works fine. I'll check and come back with bridge height, Watts, etc.

Pete

Were you at David Little's (Kynamco) place? If so I had the same problems there. I fixed it by making a lighting rig as Andre did.

I haven't had the problem yet, I haven't used my Pact but a few times and always in bright light. I discussed this very problem with the Techs at Pact and they told me that in order to use artificial light instead of sunlight, I would need to use a 60 to 100 watt incadescent bulb suspended 6-12 inches above the difusers.

Dennis

I agree with Jesse about the Chrony.I bought the Beta last year and it is piece of junk.I had a Pro Chrony before this one and it worked great for 4 years until i shot it one day.This blue piece of crap won't work half the time.
ERROR 1 ERROR 2 NOT VERY OFTEN NUMBERS COME UP ON SCREEN.I called and emailed Chrony not much help there.My opinion,DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS ONE.

Same problem , and get 100 % reading as Andre described metod , but we used two lanterns fixed to the bridge .

Daniel

Boy, you guys have a very "critical spirit" when it comes to Chronys! I love mine, even though it is a little finicky. I've never used it indoors, so can't be of much help on those problems. But outdoors, it is very sensitive to exposure to direct sunlight, especially a "noon-day sun" that's right overhead. It seems the sensors like overcast light. On bright days, I often get the infamous Err1 and Err2. But my solution is very unglorious. I simply take a 24x24" target, fold it in the middle, and clothespin it over the top of the Chrony using the diffusers (!!). At the range, this almost always draws a few queries or second glances, but it is a surefire fix. Lining it up correctly is very important, too. The path of the bullet needs to be near the center of the wires. This summer I've fired around 700 rounds through my little gem at 10' from the muzzle, with narry a hitch. I'm sure there are better chronographs, but this little rig is great for the grassroots working guys who still want to develop some loads.

I blew up my brother's old Chrony when a 50-gr. Hornady SXSP blew up when exiting the barrel. Something like anti-aircraft flak hitting the front of the Chrony! I contacted Chrony, who I think has very good service, bought a "rebuilt" for my brother and traded the "flaked" one in on a new one for me. Good prices, good service, good machine when used properly.

Enjoy ...

I am not trying to be a prick, but I am not at all interested in "fiddling" for lack of more exceptable words, with any Chronograph. Why should I have to modify and tweek a new product? Mine will hardly work outside. I am penalized because I live in NM where it's sunny and hot 360 days a year???? Should have had a warning included in the description, "Not for use in hot, sunny, climates". I have tried different types of modified sky screens. There is never a day that I can shoot here without at least a 10 mph wind. This blows the entire chrony and tripod over and raises my blood pressure and makes me want to search for Chrony engineers.

If anyone has a suggestion of a chronograph that can be shot through and get consistant reading thru let me know. One that preferably does not need to be shot over between 72 and 81 degrees F, and the hours of 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, from January to March and August through November.

Ok, let me get this right. You guys want to be able to use a chrony indoors with a 60hz (or 50hz for our European Friends) light above it. No chony should work with that. The whole concept of a chrony shouldn't work with this beating light signal. You really can't call it a POS. Its not designed to work that way. It needs to be a guassian noise light source with no beating.

And Jesse, your upset cause your tripod blows over? what does this have to do with chrony engineers? I am trying to figure out what you guys want out of a chrony for under 100 dollars. They can add some bandpass filters for light at 60hz, but still would be hard to do.

[ 08-09-2003, 01:42: Message edited by: bigcountry ]

I cured that problem by dumping it and got a prochrono Digital, have not had that problem since..I wasted enough ammo to have bought two prochrono Digitals with that other little light sensitive dude....It is also very user friendly and portable.....simple set up...

Back as promised, Pete. Ours is a Prochrono-Plus type and we fixed the indoor problem by mounting a halogen 20 watt lamp (encased behind translucid plastic to act as a diffuser) 40 cm above each cell.

I have a small ballistics lab in my barn and have gone through the same frustration with SEVERAL different chronographs. I now get excellent performance even from the Chrony, having made the following discoveries:

1. ONLY incandescent light works, and Halogen is best.
2. You STILL need diffusers, for the same reason that you need them on a sunny day outside.
3. MUZZLE flash will reflect off indoor surfaces and defeat the sensors.

I deal with these variables by cutting 2 diffuser sized rectangles in a foam core board and covering them wit 1/2 inch sheets of polypropelene pillow stuffing. The board is 30X60 inches and black on the side facing down. In this manner the sensors are protected from reflected light and the light stream is constant with all of the photons entering the sensors parallel.

I've simply never had a problem with my Chrony. It works every time, as long as I'm outdoors on a sunny day. The only time I get an err1 or err2 is if a fly flies through one of the sensors.

I've run the formal Measurement Systems Analysis on it, and the repeatability is fantastic.

I use mine a LOT, and never have any problem with it. Works like a charm, first time, every time, all the time.

This is starting to sound like there are different design versions of the Chrony out there, or that there are manufacturing differences. That's the only way I can account for a few people having problems.

A string of LED's, particularly the ultra bright IR type, should serve as a light source for indoor use. It would be cooler than light bulbs, and you could run it off a battery or a wall wart.

I have had no problems with my chrony.

I was getting error messages until I started using it in the shade on a sunny cloudless day ( which we get a lot of in Oregon during the summer). I either go to the range with it, when I know the roof of the shooting benches will be casting a shadow down range.

The other thing I do, when I want to chronograph a few bullets and don't feel like driving over to the range and "signing in" etc, is just go and set it up out in the wood, chrony in the shade of the trees. Put a rest on the hood of the Truck and shoot.

As far as having your tripod blow over, I have seen surveying guys just tie a bag of sand on a rope at the bottom of the center of the tripod and it won't blow over. Never needed to do it, but if I did, that would be the solution I'd use.

5 lb bag of sand and a shoe strink.