Chronographs - any cheap recommendations?

[ParHunter]

I don’t strictly need a chrono as I don’t build my own guns but that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t want one 😉

 

I just don’t want to spend much on it when I would only use occasionally.

Do you have any recommendations for affordable chronographs? What is the minimum you have to spend?

I guess options from AliExpress should be avoided?

I had a look at used ones here on the forum but they don’t tend to come up often. There are no used ones on eBay either.

[Colin Allen]

Out of stock at the moment, but these are rather good: https://www.ak2m4.co.uk/external-parts/chronographs/ht-x3006-chronograph

[RostokMcSpoons]

I have the one Colin has linked.  It works fine

 

It's not super great, it's got a small aperture and the thing that affixes to the front panel to help align the barrel is very fiddly to change.  Eventually you'll get bored changing it and just hand-hold the darned thing.   Mine bears the scars on the inside where I've not lined it up correctly.  Eventually I'll probably break it!

 

But it's definitely useful to check the muzzle velocity to ensure everything is working as expected.  And won't fail chrono.

Edited December 9, 2023 by RostokMcSpoons

[EDcase]

I have a E9800-X I got from ebay.  No Bluetooth or WiFi  but it does the job with fps/ms, joule and rps readouts.

They're much cheaper on Ali and if I were to buy another I would definitely get one there. (Just look around for a seller with good feedback)

They all come from China after all...

 

THIS is the one I have and seems like a good deal

 

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by EDcase

[RostokMcSpoons]

4 hours ago, EDcase said:

THIS is the one I have and seems like a good deal

 

 

So that looks very similar internals from the one Colin and I have, wrapped up in a larger cheap plastic case, but crucially with a larger aperture to shoot into...

 

 

For £25 it's a good choice

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by RostokMcSpoons
Finbarr Saunders and his double entendres

[Enid_Puceflange]

I don’t “need” one , but it is a more necessary thing to have in your kit than some of the other pish I’ve accumulated over the years.

It’s a Wosport - again off Ali Exp

It allows me to know the health of my pew pews before I go to site or if I’ve done any changes and the effects.

circa £50 will see you good with one that has a Bluetooth app

Very handy as it records each shot for you to refer back to 👌

 

Another handy thing is an app called AirsoftCalculator , allowing you to put in the info to give you a required fps/ joule value

 

 

[ParHunter]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have seen the HT-x3006 before but didn’t like that you have to attach it to your gun. We’ve got 4 guns all with different size muzzles or compressors so having to change that every time would be a bit annoying.

 

The E9800 looks good for the price. Might give that a go.
Has anyone done some comparisons between this one and a more expensive one? No point in getting one if it over/under reads by a country mile (per seconds 😉

[Colin Allen]

10 minutes ago, ParHunter said:

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have seen the HT-x3006 before but didn’t like that you have to attach it to your gun. We’ve got 4 guns all with different size muzzles or compressors so having to change that every time would be a bit annoying.

 

The E9800 looks good for the price. Might give that a go.
Has anyone done some comparisons between this one and a more expensive one? No point in getting one if it over/under reads by a country mile (per seconds 😉

You don't have to attach it to your gun.

8 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

I have the one Colin has linked.  It works fine

 

It's not super great, it's got a small aperture and the thing that affixes to the front panel to help align the barrel is very fiddly to change.  Eventually you'll get bored changing it and just hand-hold the darned thing.   Mine bears the scars on the inside where I've not lined it up correctly.  Eventually I'll probably break it!

 

But it's definitely useful to check the muzzle velocity to ensure everything is working as expected.  And won't fail chrono.

Do you have the version with the 17mm hole?  

[Shamal]

7 hours ago, EDcase said:

I have a E9800-X I got from ebay.  No Bluetooth or WiFi  but it does the job with fps/ms, joule and rps readouts.

They're much cheaper on Ali and if I were to buy another I would definitely get one there. (Just look around for a seller with good feedback)

They all come from China after all...

 

THIS is the one I have and seems like a good deal

 

 

Same as mine.

Came with the tripod and works well.

[EDcase]

I have mine on a cheap camera tripod (it has a standard camera mount thread underneath)

Its handy to be able to set it up in front of the shoot box.

 

All chrono readings will vary between them.  You just have to compare to the site results.

That's also why its not recommended to get as close to 350fps as possible because the site chrono may measure it a bit higher.

 

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by EDcase

[RostokMcSpoons]

5 hours ago, Colin Allen said:

Do you have the version with the 17mm hole?

 

Yeah I believe that's right.

It's not easy to miss the sides 😂

[Colin Allen]

21 minutes ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

 

Yeah I believe that's right.

It's not easy to miss the sides 😂

I have the 24mm version; no problems with it.

[Enid_Puceflange]

1 hour ago, EDcase said:

I have mine on a cheap camera tripod (it has a standard camera mount thread underneath)

Its handy to be able to set it up in front of the shoot box.

 

Me too…..

Mine is mounted to a Joby 😂😂💩

[gavinkempsell]

3 hours ago, Enid_Puceflange said:

Mine is mounted to a Joby 😂😂💩

Made me think about this classic...

 

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

There's a cheap bluetooth-enabled chrono at Ali which comes with a little tripod, for the princely sum of £27.33, 5 day delivery.  M'daughter asked me what I'd like for Chrimbo, I might tell her this...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006246367695.html

 

[ParHunter]

9 minutes ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

There's a cheap bluetooth-enabled chrono at Ali which comes with a little tripod, for the princely sum of £27.33, 5 day delivery.  M'daughter asked me what I'd like for Chrimbo, I might tell her this...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006246367695.html

 

That looked too inviting 😉 Cancelled my other order for the E9800 and ordered this one instead. 

[Enid_Puceflange]

43 minutes ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

There's a cheap bluetooth-enabled chrono at Ali which comes with a little tripod, for the princely sum of £27.33, 5 day delivery.  M'daughter asked me what I'd like for Chrimbo, I might tell her this...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006246367695.html

 

That's the one I use, screenshot of the app on my post above

[ParHunter]

11 hours ago, Enid_Puceflange said:

That's the one I use, screenshot of the app on my post above

Yes saw that. The prices really was convincing when it normally retails for £50 on AliExpress. Today the price already went up £10 again.

11 hours ago, Enid_Puceflange said:

That's the one I use, screenshot of the app on my post above

What is the name of the App? I’ve tried to search for Chronograph or WoSport on the Apple App Store but didn’t find anything that looked like that screenshot

[Rogerborg]

19 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

There's a cheap bluetooth-enabled chrono at Ali which comes with a little tripod, for the princely sum of £27.33, 5 day delivery.  M'daughter asked me what I'd like for Chrimbo, I might tell her this...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006246367695.html

 

 

Yup, I have one of those, they're fine.

 

Aside, you're not going to win a "But my chrono says..." argument, so there's no point in having anything that's more betterer than whatever your local sites are using.

[Enid_Puceflange]

3 hours ago, ParHunter said:

 

What is the name of the App? I’ve tried to search for Chronograph or WoSport on the Apple App Store but didn’t find anything that looked like that screenshot

Couldn’t tell you what’s it’s called, all I had to do was scan the QR code on the box or instructions 

if I find them, I’ll pop the QR up here for you. The app icon doesn’t give anything away either 🙄

 

[Shamal]

I do have access to a makeshift chrono.

It's called the wife.

Now,depending on how loud she yells or how hard she punches me after being shot in the butt,I can roughly determine how hot or not a gat is running.

Use this method at your own risk.....😉

[EDcase]

Come on, you have to be more accurate than that to play within legal limits.

Use THIS chart to match the skin mark and get an accurate number...

[Shamal]

20 minutes ago, EDcase said:

Come on, you have to be more accurate than that to play within legal limits.

Use THIS chart to match the skin mark and get an accurate number...

Is that my hit marks or hers? 😂