chronograph recommendations

[amlevin]

All of the chronographs mentioned here would be a great choice. The point that I want to stress to you in the friendliest of ways is that if for some strange chance you end up with a Pact XP, the only possible way you could be sorrier is to marry Paul McCartney's ex wife.

JS

Is it safe to assume you have/had a Pact XP and don't like it?

I have one and it's great. An XP Professional with IR sensors. Works every time. Doesn't care about lighting like my cheapie Shooting Chony which would quit working when the Weather Forecast changed.

One thing that may help with the PACT, I did read the instructions rather than just assuming I knew everything.

No assumptions made, read the directions. When the chronograph does not register shots and then goes into an electronic loop that it cannot recover from, I doubt it is from not understanding the directions.
When the unit is sent back to Pact for repair and then starts acting up shortly after it is returned, I highly doubt it is from assuming that I knew everything.
When I talk to others who have had the exact same problems, the only assumption that I would make is that I was a sucker for buying a substandard product without having read the poor reviews on most of the retailer websites.
I also tried the IR screens as recommended by the manufacturer, resulting in the same unusable results.

When you talk to the manufacturer about fixing the unit, all they want to do is boast about how it's made in America and how it couldn't possibly any fault on their part. Frankly, their insistence on an American made piece of junk insults me as a flag waving American who bleeds red, white, and blue! It is strong evidence of the mentality of why other countries are beating the hell out of us in the manufacturing sector.
I have even given the arrogant manufacturer the benifit of the doubt and returned it at cabelas for another that shortly acted the same substandard way. I have used the Oehler, excellent, used others that also got the job done, but not 2 Pacts, one of which has been back to the factory for "top notch" American service. As much as I hate to say it, my Chinese made CED Millenium has worked flawlessly for 5 years in any light condition.
So, my friend, maybe you should know the facts before accusing someone of not knowing how to work a simple piece of electronics. If you have to go to school for engineering, which I did, to know how to work a chronograph, I don't want it and would try to spread the word to every possible person I could in the hopes of saving them some of the trouble that I have been through.
I have even gone to such lengths as calling the manufacturer every couple of months to let them know of all of the people that I have shared my information with so that they would not suffer from the same extortion that I have. Naturally, my admission fell on deaf ears on their end which just made me realize something. Throughout time, people have bought such things as Edsels and pet rocks, which proves PT Barnum's theory on suckers. After I came to grips with that reality, I let my animosity go, but I'll still share my story.

JS

And yet, mine has worked perfectly since I took it out of the box as have had the numerous others that fellow club members own. Even our Club has one that's available for use by members and it works great until someone shoots a $25 sensor. If PACT is SO BAD, why are they still in business after all these years?

I'm glad you're pleased with your chronograph. I am pleased with mine and would even buy another.

 

[jscandale]

I am genuinely glad that yours has not caused you the grief that mine did me.

JS

 

[Lapuatom]

I have the Pact chrono and it suits my needs just fine. Reads every shot,gives ES,SD, and AV MV for the string. I knew going in when I purchased it that it wasn't top of the line equipment but has done the job reliably for me.Shoot everything from a .223 to a .338LM. For under 300$,I think it's a good value IMHO.

 

[amlevin]

Just a note on PACT chrono's, because PACT has the entire "brain" back at the shooting table, the sensor cables can pick up RFI from Cell Phones, Fluorescent lights, and just about any other electrical device nearby under the right conditions. Pact recommends that the wires be separated and lie on the ground as much as possible between the sensors and control unit.

For those that use muzzle brakes, they also recommend that the control unit be shielded from the muzzle blast. If not, it's like hitting it with a hammer every time the weapon is fired.

EVERY chronograph has it's own idiosyncrasies and it pays to look through the manual. They're usually listed in the much overlooked "Caution Notes".

 

[xr650rRider]

The happiest day, I will ever have with my Pact XP with all the bells and whistles, been back to Pact 3 times, had the infra-red sensors, built a coffin to put it in, painted black, will be to load the coffin with about 4 lbs of exploding target and send it skyward in a million pieces. I've never owned anything that has been as frustrating as this piece of junk.

 

[Hondo]

I am also looking for a chronograph.
I was looking at the Shooting Crony web site.
They sell an LED lamp set plus a 12 volt rechargeable battery pack for use away from a power source .
Would this help with different light conditions and sun
positions over the day.

 

[Hopkins]

The Competition Electronics ProChrono has served me well. I use it without a pc interface which seems to be weak. It works well except in bright direct sunlight. It has proven to be quite durable surviving a bullet furrow with little more than a brief nervous breakdown.

 

[jscandale]

The happiest day, I will ever have with my Pact XP with all the bells and whistles, been back to Pact 3 times, had the infra-red sensors, built a coffin to put it in, painted black, will be to load the coffin with about 4 lbs of exploding target and send it skyward in a million pieces. I've never owned anything that has been as frustrating as this piece of junk.

You are not alone my friend, you are not alone...I too have been down that road.

JS

 

[djtjr]

Ohler