The Perfect Shot Timer

[Fiddler]

That is awesome!

Regarding multiple PARs, you said something like "it adds to the last PAR" for each subsequent one. Can you explain? It seems to me the benefit of having multiple PARs would be at places like LE agencies for their qualifications. You could program the times for an entire qual into the device and have it jump to the next appropriate time automatically instead of having to change the PAR manually ten times during each qual.

Thanks, Todd!

So right now the multiple par times are enabled for a single string. So for example, if you enabled par times, and set the following par values:

Par 1: 00:05.000
Par 2: + 00:01.00

You would get a beep at 5 seconds, and then again at 6 (1 second after the last beep).

So it's really multiple par beeps for a single string.

However - it wouldn't be too hard to adapt the software to do more what you described: Multiple par times for successive strings, rather than the same string. Not too hard to code - I'd just have to add a third option to the Par-Time Enable variable - enabled, disabled, sequential.

And then on sequential increment a counter each time you start and stop the timer to tell the timer which string in the sequence it is in, and therefore which par time to use.

And probably add a reset function, or even something to let you select which step of the sequence to run.

Sorry - thinking with my fingers there! But yeah, totally doable.
___________________________

Re: Future development -- I'm almost certainly going to keep tinkering. If I don't have a project I tend to fill my time buying new firearms, so it saves me money to have something to do.


Re: SD Card support - I'd really love to get this running, because I've got code working locally that should allow an unlimited number of shots, and unlimited length of strings (you'll notice the timer display goes up to 99 hours..). I could probably also add in things like pre-programmed 'qualifier' par schedules like you suggest.

The problem is this model of Arduino doesn't quite have enough program memory to run the SD code and the timer code(or else my I need to optimize my code better). 32kb is not a lot to work with. Going to try using a Teensy board or a Due which should be enough.

If you want to build your own:
I estimate the component cost for building the no-SD support version of these is:
- Arduino Uno R3 - $27.95
- Electret Microphone breakout with gain - $6.95
- RGB LCD Shield, with buttons - $24.95
- 9v batter pack for arduino - $3.95 or 3 AAA pack - $1.95
- Piezzo Buzzer - 3-24dvc - 95 db - $9.50 at amazon, but way cheaper at an electronic parts store or ripped out of something else. More like $3 or less
--- NOTE: you can only drive the buzzer so loud with the Arduino's voltage level - tuning the frequency to the resonant frequency of the buzzer helps, try and find a low frequency resonance if you want a lower pitched buzz.
--- There are a couple ways you could increase the voltage to drive a louder buzzer: Project 1, Project 2

That's $67.80 for the base components.
+ shipping for parts if you order online
+ whatever it costs you to build an enclosure/add a belt clip
+ whatever your time is worth

It is more capable than a Pocket Pro II or PACT Club Timer, just uglier (And you can fix that if you're a better craftsman than I!). Not quite at the level of the CED7000, but once I get the SD card version working... well that'll be something.

Just to put it out there, the SD card version will use everything above with the following changes:
+ Substitute the Arduino Uno R3 for a Teensy 3.1 - $19.80 (Yes, it's cheaper, smaller, AND more powerful - harder to work with though, and mine hasn't arrived yet, so YMMV) (How to Power a TEENSY)
+ Adafruit SD breakout board - $14.95 -- (This I have used and tested - works great, just don't have the program memory to run it and all the timer code at the same time on the Arduino R3)
+ 4gb MicroSD card - $7.95

Est. Cost for complete kit including SD components: $82.55
+ shipping, enclosure/clip, your time

Anyway - as I said before - I just wanted to share with the community. Please feel free to build your own, use my code, fix my code if you think it's crap, sell kits(please provide attribution?), post your own code.. whatever. I may put the code up on Google Code so it's easier to collaborate on, or maybe Codebender will add version control and community commit features.

[Slavex]

that is pretty slick, I dig the sugru case. I love that stuff. Honestly with a good mold that would make a great case for such a device just due to the shock absorbing nature of the material. It might make repairs difficult though.

I would prefer a screen that showed more info if I asked for it. That screen looks like one could use a smaller font size to display more info? Things I like about the 7000Pro is I can see 10 shots and the splits all at once on the review screen.
Does yours have an instant start option or only a delayed start?

[Fiddler]

It can do instant start - you just set the delay to 0.

The way this particular display (16x2) works it can really only do two lines. I kind of prefer it just because it's easier to see out in the sun?

However you could use a 20x 4 (that's 20 characters across, 4 lines on screen at a time) like this one: https://www.adafruit.com/products/198 or even a 128x64 board which can do many rows of text and even graphics like this: https://www.pjrc.com/store/dev_display_128x64.html (only $29)

I'm considering using the 128x64 board for the TEENSY version with SD support. The larger screen would definitely be useful if you're also navigating through a bunch of different shot strings.

The other nice thing about the 16x2 is it had a number of built in buttons and built in contrast control - I'd have to add those separately with some of the other displays.

[Fiddler]

Update - switched to Google Code and LGPL license to make any community collaboration easier: https://code.google.com/p/arduino-shot-timer/

[BaiHu]

Cool watching you tinker through this from a guy who only knows how to turn these things on and run drills. Keep up the good work and definitely keep linking us videos.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Jay Cunningham]

Any updates? All three of my stinking timers are smoked, so I'm in the market.

[41magfan]

Not to derail this old thread, but this will give you an idea of where it all started. I suspect this timer pre-dates many of the folks on this Forum ..... it's 33 years old.

[Up1911Fan]

Any updates? All three of my stinking timers are smoked, so I'm in the market.

Not sure which one's you've used, but my Pact Club Timer III is going on 2 1/2 years and still going strong. Like it a lot more than my previous CED 7000.

[Irelander]

Thanks, Todd!

So right now the multiple par times are enabled for a single string. So for example, if you enabled par times, and set the following par values:

Par 1: 00:05.000
Par 2: + 00:01.00

You would get a beep at 5 seconds, and then again at 6 (1 second after the last beep).

So it's really multiple par beeps for a single string.

However - it wouldn't be too hard to adapt the software to do more what you described: Multiple par times for successive strings, rather than the same string. Not too hard to code - I'd just have to add a third option to the Par-Time Enable variable - enabled, disabled, sequential.

And then on sequential increment a counter each time you start and stop the timer to tell the timer which string in the sequence it is in, and therefore which par time to use.

And probably add a reset function, or even something to let you select which step of the sequence to run.

Sorry - thinking with my fingers there! But yeah, totally doable.
___________________________

Re: Future development -- I'm almost certainly going to keep tinkering. If I don't have a project I tend to fill my time buying new firearms, so it saves me money to have something to do.


Re: SD Card support - I'd really love to get this running, because I've got code working locally that should allow an unlimited number of shots, and unlimited length of strings (you'll notice the timer display goes up to 99 hours..). I could probably also add in things like pre-programmed 'qualifier' par schedules like you suggest.

The problem is this model of Arduino doesn't quite have enough program memory to run the SD code and the timer code(or else my I need to optimize my code better). 32kb is not a lot to work with. Going to try using a Teensy board or a Due which should be enough.

If you want to build your own:
I estimate the component cost for building the no-SD support version of these is:
- Arduino Uno R3 - $27.95
- Electret Microphone breakout with gain - $6.95
- RGB LCD Shield, with buttons - $24.95
- 9v batter pack for arduino - $3.95 or 3 AAA pack - $1.95
- Piezzo Buzzer - 3-24dvc - 95 db - $9.50 at amazon, but way cheaper at an electronic parts store or ripped out of something else. More like $3 or less
--- NOTE: you can only drive the buzzer so loud with the Arduino's voltage level - tuning the frequency to the resonant frequency of the buzzer helps, try and find a low frequency resonance if you want a lower pitched buzz.
--- There are a couple ways you could increase the voltage to drive a louder buzzer: Project 1, Project 2

That's $67.80 for the base components.
+ shipping for parts if you order online
+ whatever it costs you to build an enclosure/add a belt clip
+ whatever your time is worth

It is more capable than a Pocket Pro II or PACT Club Timer, just uglier (And you can fix that if you're a better craftsman than I!). Not quite at the level of the CED7000, but once I get the SD card version working... well that'll be something.

Just to put it out there, the SD card version will use everything above with the following changes:
+ Substitute the Arduino Uno R3 for a Teensy 3.1 - $19.80 (Yes, it's cheaper, smaller, AND more powerful - harder to work with though, and mine hasn't arrived yet, so YMMV) (How to Power a TEENSY)
+ Adafruit SD breakout board - $14.95 -- (This I have used and tested - works great, just don't have the program memory to run it and all the timer code at the same time on the Arduino R3)
+ 4gb MicroSD card - $7.95

Est. Cost for complete kit including SD components: $82.55
+ shipping, enclosure/clip, your time

Anyway - as I said before - I just wanted to share with the community. Please feel free to build your own, use my code, fix my code if you think it's crap, sell kits(please provide attribution?), post your own code.. whatever. I may put the code up on Google Code so it's easier to collaborate on, or maybe Codebender will add version control and community commit features.

This looks awesome. My buddies work with Arduinos all the time. How do I go about getting your code for the shot timer? Great work.

[1slow]

Not to derail this old thread, but this will give you an idea of where it all started. I suspect this timer pre-dates many of the folks on this Forum ..... it's 33 years old.

I had 2 of the old Rogers Timers circa 1980 or so that had manual setting dials.