The chrony beta chronograph

[jmorris]

I believe that the primary driver to their demise was the fact that their CHRONY technology was unchangingly 1980s State of the Art.

Last weekend I had a fairly lengthy discussion with a friend of mine pertaining to firearms advancement over the last 100+ years.

It’s a different argument than say advancement in airplanes where in 1903 they held one person (laying on the wing) and could stay airborn for about the length of the wing span on a 747.

Or in automobiles where the first Ford that had 1668 cc engine developing 8 hp and could almost reach 30 MPH after you hand cranked on it enough to get it running.

If you wait a couple days we will have threads on if the 30-06 or 45 ACP are “dead” and enough supporters to know they remain viable options to this day.

The only chronograph that uses “state of the art” in the collection of data is the Labradar, that uses Doppler, it was “state of the art” in the 1940’s. The others are still just a timer circuit and a start/stop switch a known distance apart. Then again, that’s all it takes to do the job.

The last “game changer” for firearms I can remember being promoted was when Hornady found out their plastic tips were melting and they changed the plastic they used…

 

[savagelover]

Who can afford such a thing as the Labrador. Maybe someone who is lab technician. Can't. Spend that kind of money on a fixed income.

 

[gifbohane]

On Labradars ---I saw one of the big internet houses selling "Bare bones Labradars for those that do not need all the bells and whistles".......for $550.

Great opportunity ??? I bought one semi-recently with all the bells and whistles for a little over $500. Ahhhh marketing..............

The thing is really easy and works fine once you get past the price.

 

[jmorris]

Who can afford such a thing as the Labrador. Maybe someone who is lab technician. Can't. Spend that kind of money on a fixed income.

I know a guy that bought a nicer bicycle than anyone in our family owns. He sweeps and mops 2 days a week as a source of income, so I asked him how he could afford it. He told me he used one of the 4 checks the .gov sent him since our panic/pandemic. If he wasn’t a convicted felon, he might have had use for a different kind of cool toy, certainly had the money given to him to buy one.

 

[GBExpat]

... The only chronograph that uses “state of the art” in the collection of data is the Labradar, that uses Doppler, it was “state of the art” in the 1940’s. The others are still just a timer circuit and a start/stop switch a known distance apart. Then again, that’s all it takes to do the job. ...

Not looking for "Rocket Science", just a nod to convenience & usability. If they had intelligently upgraded these things just a little bit I wouldn't still have to manually transcribe the captured data. Very 1980s, very pre-personal computer age. Having these upgraded to easily port just a simple comma delimited .txt file containing the data would make a massive difference.

If they had shown enough interest in their product to update them periodically so that they worked with the improving technology around them the company might still be here.

 

[Englishmn]

Not looking for "Rocket Science", just a nod to convenience & usability. If they had intelligently upgraded these things just a little bit I wouldn't still have to manually transcribe the captured data. Very 1980s, very pre-personal computer age. Having these upgraded to easily port just a simple comma delimited .txt file containing the data would make a massive difference.

If they had shown enough interest in their product to update them periodically so that they worked with the improving technology around them the company might still be here.

They have a head phone jack serial port you could use to download the data with pc software and even had a small portable printer for the beta and gama models.

 

[GBExpat]

They have a head phone jack serial port you could use to download the data with pc software and even had a small portable printer for the beta and gama models.

Yes, they do. Their PC Solution was a poorly-cobbled-together solution at best. A very "1980s Level" solution. I researched such available CHRONY options years ago and determined that they were worth neither the effort nor the cost for something that might work. I would be no better off than I was manually transcribing the data from the display. <shrug>

FWIW, I still use my CHRONY. IMO, it does an excellent job (the Rose) ... but I still have to steel myself prior to sitting thru the resulting transcription episode (the Thorns). Life.

 

[Rule3]

Who can afford such a thing as the Labrador. Maybe someone who is lab technician. Can't. Spend that kind of money on a fixed income.

The same ones that have all the other high tech reloading equipment. Presses, powder measures, dies, calipers , scales etc etc.
They clean primer pockets as well.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Yes, they do. Their PC Solution was a poorly-cobbled-together solution at best. A very "1980s Level" solution. I researched such available CHRONY options years ago and determined that they were worth neither the effort nor the cost for something that might work. I would be no better off than I was manually transcribing the data from the display. <shrug>

FWIW, I still use my CHRONY. IMO, it does an excellent job (the Rose) ... but I still have to steel myself prior to sitting thru the resulting transcription episode (the Thorns). Life.

My neighbors kid - 20-something and smart as a whip - saw me using a sighting scope to read the Chrony and scribble notes. He said I ought to just use a Go-Cam to record the Chrony readout and target. That way I can go over it slowmo and watch the bullet pass over the Chrony, write down speeds and such at my leisure. Great idea. Still haven’t done it. Too cheap I guess.

 

[jmorris]

If they had intelligently upgraded these things just a little bit I wouldn't still have to manually transcribe the captured data.

You know that string I shot in 2017 and posted in #12 is still available, to any and everyone to this day. Certainly I am not the first to photograph or video data in lieu of pen and paper.