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View Full Version : do you use a Shot timer? which one?



part-time shooter
04-05-2011, 07:47 PM
Which ones do you use and are they of any great benefit outside of formal training or competition?

What features are you looking for on a shot timer?

What drills do you pair them with?

JV_
04-05-2011, 07:55 PM
I use a shot timer frequently, it offers quantifiable data on my progress.

If you shoot indoors and outdoors, I would find one with externally adjustable sensitivity controls. Mine is behind the battery and it's a PITA, it's a PACT Club Timer III

JodyH
04-05-2011, 07:57 PM
My old CED finally crapped out, so I've been using the Android app "IPSC Shot Timer Pro", works great on my outdoor range.

John Ralston
04-05-2011, 09:05 PM
I have the PACT MK IV - you do have to break into it to adjust the sensitivity, but I have had good luck with it.

LOKNLOD
04-05-2011, 10:12 PM
I like my CED8000. Battery life with the 9V could be better but I like the form factor and user interface. I'm concerned about durability based on reports from others but haven't experienced any problems yet.

ToddG
04-06-2011, 07:33 AM
Which ones do you use

Competition Electronics Pocket Pro 2 (http://speedshooterspecialties.com/catalog/search.php?submit=submit&categories=Electronics&subcategories=Timers). They're far from perfect but they've proven more durable than most of the competition.


and are they of any great benefit outside of formal training or competition?

Only if you want to learn to shoot faster.


What features are you looking for on a shot timer?

straightforward user interface
loud buzzer (adjustable would be best)
easily adjusted sensitivity
wide range of sensitivity, especially important if you shoot both indoors and outdoors
multiple string memory
easily readable display, preferably with most/all pertinent data displayed on one screen so you do not have to scroll through to find it all
uses standard store-bought battery with good battery life
DURABLE


What drills do you pair them with?

Any drill or skill in which time is a component.

LittleLebowski
04-06-2011, 09:33 AM
I've been trying like hell to get an Android shot timer working with dry fire. Thought this was a normal expectation.....

SecondsCount
04-06-2011, 10:55 AM
Someday (when I have fewer projects underway) I'm going to design and build my own shot timer. I find pretty much all units on the market lacking in one way or another.

I have been thinking of doing the same thing.

My thoughts were to design bluetooth into it so that data could be uploaded to a PC, smartphone, etc.

MDS
04-06-2011, 12:15 PM
My thoughts were to design bluetooth into it so that data could be uploaded to a PC, smartphone, etc.

I think it's ridiculous that this doesn't exist yet. I'm no hardware hacker, but I've been doing systems development since 1983. I'd love to help if anyone gets a project like this going.

PTF Shot Timer, anyone? Obviously, it would need an additional feature that Todd left out of his list... an orange case. :cool:

jetfire
04-06-2011, 01:34 PM
I run a CED7000, it's been very reliable over the last two or three years that I've had it.

SecondsCount
04-06-2011, 01:54 PM
I guess I forgot to mention that I run a Pact Club Timer III. It was purchased used last year and works fine for what I need it for but like I said, the ability to store and download to a database would be nice.

jar
04-06-2011, 04:02 PM
I run a CED7000, it's been very reliable over the last two or three years that I've had it.

I've been very happy with mine also. I design electronic products for a living, and the CED7000 is pretty close to what I'd design in a shot timer. Todd has reported durability issues with his, but mine has been problem free other than when something jammed one of the top buttons.

JodyH
04-06-2011, 04:24 PM
I've been trying like hell to get an Android shot timer working with dry fire. Thought this was a normal expectation.....
IPSC shot timer will but you have to manually adjust and tweak the recorded values.

Pennzoil
04-06-2011, 04:52 PM
I'm using a CED7000 also and it works ok. Ability to download from a shot timer would be awesome.

JSGlock34
04-06-2011, 08:39 PM
I picked up a PACT Club Timer a few years back and it makes an appearance just about every range session.

There are plenty of drills that I use the timer for - FAST drills for example with the pistol. My shooting group uses a number of the Viking Tactics carbine drills so the PAR time setting comes in handy as well (the final stage of 'Half and Half' never fails to attract lots of attention).

MDS
04-06-2011, 08:48 PM
I've been very happy with mine also. I design electronic products for a living, and the CED7000 is pretty close to what I'd design in a shot timer. Todd has reported durability issues with his, but mine has been problem free other than when something jammed one of the top buttons.

Me, three. I'm going to guess, though, that I put a little less stress on my CED7000 than Todd did on his. In fact, I chose it because Todd seemed to like it better than his current choice, it just couldn't work for him because of the durability thing. I figured, if Todd goes through 4 of them in one year, I should go through 4 of them in, like, forever. :cool:

vaspence
04-06-2011, 09:02 PM
An ancient pocket pro is what I use. Not as pretty or high speed as some units but works for me. I think the simplicity and durability is why I haven't upgraded. I got it used 5 years ago and haven't had any problems.

Frank B
04-07-2011, 05:28 AM
CED 7000 for over three years without any problems.

ubervic
04-10-2011, 04:58 PM
...I've been using the Android app "IPSC Shot Timer Pro", works great on my outdoor range.

I haven't tried using this at the (indoor) range, but it works surprisingly well doing dry-fire practice in my basement, even with the home theater on at a low/moderate volume level. :D

Slavex
04-19-2011, 11:01 PM
CED7000 best timer on the market in my opinion. However having talked with the owner of CED recently I am waiting on the new 7000Pro. More memory and functions plus USB connectivity for uploads.

MDS
04-20-2011, 10:20 AM
I am waiting on the new 7000Pro. More memory and functions plus USB connectivity for uploads.

I'll buy a new one when they come out, and keep my current one as backup. Call me spoiled by computers, but I'm flabbergasted that this feature has taken so long to make it to market.

...or maybe it just says something about the computer-compatibility of the market segment involved... :stirthepot:

Slavex
04-20-2011, 11:06 AM
I too am amazed it's taken this long for USB connectivity. ability to use a micro SD card would be cool too. I believe it will also be able to be connected to a chrono, but I'm not positive on that one. There will also be new accessories coming out, a light for visual starts is one apparently.

John Hearne
04-20-2011, 12:25 PM
I've still got my original CED 6000 and it keeps plugging along.

I bought several CED 7000s for work (RF and non-RF) to distribute and enforce times on our qualification course. One died after just a few minutes of service, the others have held up well.

ToddG
05-18-2011, 08:18 AM
Holy mother of God...

This past weekend, both of my Pocket Pro IIs died. One sounds the buzzer non-stop whenever a battery is installed, and the other's buttons no longer respond.

That is six shot timers I've ruined in three years: four CED 7000s and two PP2s.

From now on, the F.A.S.T. will be timed using Mississippi Count. That's one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi...

Kyle Reese
05-18-2011, 08:56 AM
Holy mother of God...

This past weekend, both of my Pocket Pro IIs died. One sounds the buzzer non-stop whenever a battery is installed, and the other's buttons no longer respond.

That is six shot timers I've ruined in three years: four CED 7000s and two PP2s.

From now on, the F.A.S.T. will be timed using Mississippi Count. That's one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi...

Yea- You timed my run on a stage and my sucky-ness broke your timer. :cool:

MDS
05-18-2011, 09:33 AM
From now on, the F.A.S.T. will be timed using Mississippi Count. That's one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi...

Sweet! Dear Dave Sevigny: eat my dust! ;)

Josh Runkle
05-18-2011, 02:34 PM
PACT club timer 3

rudy99
05-18-2011, 05:43 PM
I have the CED7000 (http://www.cedhk.com/shop/products/CED7000-Shot%252dActivated-Timer.html). Only had it a few months and it has only gone on one trip to the range, but hopefully I have one that won't fail on me in short order.

markp
05-18-2011, 06:43 PM
Which ones do you use and are they of any great benefit outside of formal training or competition?

What features are you looking for on a shot timer?

What drills do you pair them with?

Still running the CED6000 here.
Features I like to have:

large screen
illumination for low light training
easy sensitivty adjustment
shot-to-shot review
a screen that can be read without reading glasses.
long battery life

TAP
05-19-2011, 07:11 AM
I prefer the one-M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I method of counting. ;)

JV_
05-19-2011, 07:11 AM
I prefer the one-M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I method of counting. ;)

Here comes my coin!!!

Slavex
02-05-2012, 11:39 PM
Ok got my new CED 7000Pro a few weeks ago and have been abusing it ever since. My first one had some major issues, auto reset, failure to work in the cold, countdown all screwed up on Random etc etc. It went back to Saul and he swapped it out for a new one for me.
So, first thing I noticed was something loose inside the timer. I took it apart and found a small plastic tube. I could tell it broke off of something and after about an hour of inspection I found where from. It is the tube you would stick a paperclip down to reset the device. Obviously during shipping the package was dropped enough times that the battery hit this piece and broke it off the inside of the case. I moved the battery back to where it should be and epoxied the piece back to the case (which was a pain in the ass as you have to make sure it's aligned with the hole in the case and also make sure the tube doesn't fill with epoxy). A better designed mould would fix this, it's so close to the side of the case it should just be a part of it instead of a freestanding piece. Would this affect the timer's functions? nope, not unless you need to hard reset it.
So, moving on. I tested all the functions of the timer as much as I could without gunfire. And it was all good, until, I set it to Auto Start and Random countdown. Then let it beep, and didn't make any noise for it to pickup. Hit start again and sure enough it did the weird glitchy countdown on the screen, although the beep happened at the right moment, even though the LED showed time remaining. It did this 3 times I think, then I couldn't get it to do it again. This was what started the problems with the my first timer. In all my experimenting since I haven't been able to duplicate it again, live fire or at home.
When I was inside the timer I took the time to look at the switches the buttons hit. Much much sturdier than the 7000 or any other timer I've ripped apart. Also beefier looking solder joints. So durability should be better than other timers.
All in all I'm very impressed by this timer. I haven't played around with the uploading of matches onto it really, or scoring Steel Challenge, but I've talked to others that have and they love the features. Being able to use my old cellphone charger in the car is nice too.
USB connectivity to the computer is cool, again I haven't played with the match stuff yet, but being able to get updates and such is a nice add on.
My only real complaint is the Beep isn't as loud as I'd like, it's definitely quieter than other timers. As well the filter settings are a bit of pain to get right, I am still picking up echos on the indoor range no matter what I set the filter and sensitivity to.
In the end I think this is probably the best timer on the market, it's sturdy (except that one piece, which really isn't a deal breaker for me), has a large easy to read color screen (when you hit review it's nice to be able to see a ton of info at a glance), and is able to receive updates for the software.

tmoore912
02-06-2012, 10:53 AM
A shot timer that can't work indoors is kind of weak in my book. I believe Todd has the same problem of his not working indoors. All the other things the CED timer can do are very nice it seems.

NickA
02-06-2012, 11:15 AM
Has anyone found an Android shot timer with a par timer that can be set in tenths of a second? I'm using the IPSC Shot Timer free version but it only does whole seconds.
Been doing dry fire in my office (with a SIRT) during lunch and a real shot timer would be too loud.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

tmoore912
02-06-2012, 11:32 AM
Has anyone found an Android shot timer with a par timer that can be set in tenths of a second? I'm using the IPSC Shot Timer free version but it only does whole seconds.
Been doing dry fire in my office (with a SIRT) during lunch and a real shot timer would be too loud.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
I have this one on my Motorola X Droid, and it has a PAR setting mode that you can set using 10ths of a second. I use it for my dry fire drills. I can't get it to work right at a indoor range for shooting drills like the FAST.

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.futurewisetechnologies.mobile.shott imer&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5md XR1cmV3aXNldGVjaG5vbG9naWVzLm1vYmlsZS5zaG90dGltZXI iXQ..

NickA
02-06-2012, 11:42 AM
I have this one on my Motorola X Droid, and it has a PAR setting mode that you can set using 10ths of a second. I use it for my dry fire drills. I can't get it to work right at a indoor range for shooting drills like the FAST.

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.futurewisetechnologies.mobile.shott imer&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5md XR1cmV3aXNldGVjaG5vbG9naWVzLm1vYmlsZS5zaG90dGltZXI iXQ..
Thanks a lot! I guess my search fu is weak, looked all over the market and never found that one.



Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

Slavex
02-06-2012, 01:27 PM
The timer works indoors fine if you are too close to the target wall. we don't have a returning target system in my range and put the targets on a replaceable plywood wall. so when we do close up stuff this timer picks up echo's. I'm sure I'll find the combination of Filter vs Sensitivity eventually. Once we get back to 15 yds it works just fine.

tmoore912
02-06-2012, 01:53 PM
The timer works indoors fine if you are too close to the target wall. we don't have a returning target system in my range and put the targets on a replaceable plywood wall. so when we do close up stuff this timer picks up echo's. I'm sure I'll find the combination of Filter vs Sensitivity eventually. Once we get back to 15 yds it works just fine.

Todd says that his picks up shots from other people in an indoor range even at the lowest sensitivity setting.

http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?945-The-Perfect-Shot-Timer&p=34665&viewfull=1#post34665

Up1911Fan
02-06-2012, 02:49 PM
I've been using a CED 7000. It seem's to work ok, but I have nothing to compare it with.

Slavex
02-07-2012, 12:42 AM
I should have stated, this is during individual fire. If everyone is shooting it will pick up everyone. outdoor I only need about 15ft before it will start ignoring shooters to either side of me (pistol obviously).

Todd says that his picks up shots from other people in an indoor range even at the lowest sensitivity setting.

http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?945-The-Perfect-Shot-Timer&p=34665&viewfull=1#post34665