I'm looking to buy a shot timer, and I would appreciate any recommendations or warnings anyone cares to share. It doesn't look like there are just a whole lot of choices. Based on a quick visit to Brownells.com and Midwayusa.com, the Club Timer III by Pact and the Pocket Pro II by Competition Electronics are about the only two options for under $150. Is one of these particularly better than the other? Thanks.
I have the Club Timer III. I think it is great for individual range use. Big buttons and very simple operation. I have dropped mine repeatedly on hard surfaces and it has worked fine. IIRC it has fewer features than the Pocket Pro series, but it didn't really matter for my purposes.
I did find the default sensitivity out of the box to be way too high. It was picking up the echo of the buzzer as shots. Once I turned the sensitivity down it has been 100%
I'll be a vote for the other candidate. I have used but never owned a Club Timer 3. I have used and owned various CED and Pact timers. My Pocket Pro 2 is by far my favorite. You can set the display so the numbers are 1/2" tall, the display never goes dark from heat or polarized sunglasses, the display is backlit, you can adjust the sensitivity easily, auto shut off saves batt's and it fits really well in my hand.
If you drop it exactly right, the battery can compress the contacts and cause problems. 30 seconds spent bending them back with a small screwdriver fixes it.
I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.
Gringop
Play that song about the Irish chiropodist. Irish chiropodist? "My Fate Is In Your Hands."
I have a pact club timer iii. I recommend it for simple usage. I use it for a few drills once or twice a week for a year and a half or so, and have beat it up pretty badly and it still works. It does timing, par times, etc, but won't do the extremely complex functions some timers can do. Personally, I don't need any more features than what it can do, and so I really like the design and function a lot for my needs. I'd recommend it.
I would actually wait until ToddG chimes in, he's been through more than a few and could tell you what worked out and what didn't.
Do you have any particular requirements? For example, if you will regularly use the timer both by yourself and while you are on a busy range with other shooters, the PPII has much simpler sensitivity adjustment than the Pact. The PPII can also be used on an indoor range without picking up shots from other shooters, I don't think the Pact can be set low enough for use on a busy indoor range.Originally Posted by pangloss
I use mine at the NRA when it's busy, but if there are carbines around, it's not worth the hassle.
Do you have to take the III apart to adjust the sensitivity like the previous models?
It's a small screw behind the battery, and it lacks any type of index/reference marks. So, if you change it for a busy day on the range, changing it back isn't that easy since a very small adjustment to the screw can change the sensitivity a lot.
I've found the sweet spot for mine, it works for almost any range day (inside or outside), except when a carbine is near me at the indoor range.
I've used the CED 7000 and the Pact Club Timer III. I like the CED better because of the easily adjustable sensitivity. The down side to it is that the pocket clip sucks and it doesn't have a user replaceable battery. Ordering an external battery pack helps with one of those issues.
Reply With Quote