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Caldwell chronograph - first time use


Warden Callaway

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I bought this chronograph back in the spring from Grafs and Sons when it was on sale.  Today was the first time trying it out. 

 

Set up easy. Fired up easy.  I was pleasantly surprised I could easily read the display from that distance in bright sunlight. 

 

But when I hooked it to my Android phone and fired up the app,  it came back with:

 

Error enountered  [STATE_UNINITIALIZED]

 

I found I had an old version of the APP so uninstall it and installed a new one.  Same error.  Reboot.  Test connections. Look through what menu options there were.  The FPS still showed on the chronograph but not recording on phone.

 

I'm not too concerned.  I'll get with them next year if I can't figure it out before then. 

 

I was shooting my new Model P 38-40 with Blackmz loads.  Looks like they are running between 690 and 715. 

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I have the same chrony, and I have the same app problems as you.  I never found a solution, (but didn't look very hard either).  But for just measuring velocity and calculating power factors, I can get along OK with only the instrument readings.  For the money, I think it's a good and precise instrument.  

Twenty years ago I found myself needing a chronograph.  The cheapest one out there was about $900, as I recall.   This Caldwell one is a bargain. 

If you find a way to make the app work, please post it.  I bet a lot of us would be interested.  Thx in advance. 

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I have the same chrony, and I have the same app problems as you.  I never found a solution, (but didn't look very hard either).  But for just measuring velocity and calculating power factors, I can get along OK with only the instrument readings.  For the money, I think it's a good and precise instrument.  

Twenty years ago I found myself needing a chronograph.  The cheapest one out there was about $900, as I recall.   This Caldwell one is a bargain. 

If you find a way to make the app work, please post it.  I bet a lot of us would be interested.  Thx in advance. 

 

Caldwell is only about 20 miles away as the crow flies.   Maybe after the first of the year I'll have to stop in.

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I put in an email request to Caldwell.   Obviously,  they won't answer any time real soon this being Sunday and holiday season etc. But I did some Googling and found that the short answer was that the chronograph don't work with Android using the cable provided.   They have been sending out a cable with USB connections that apparently fixes the problem.  We'll see. 

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Ok.. Major breakthrough!   

 

I was reading comments about the app under ratings.  One guy said to make sure you go to your systems app settings and give this app permission to use the microphone/ headphones jack.  I did this and it gives indication that it's working.  I just had it out on the workbench and under florescent lighting but it was recording speeds of 3fps when I swiped my hand across sensors and sometimes errors.   

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I set mine up on my iPhone, shot spitballs into fireplace. (Occasionally at my wife...) until I got it figured out. 

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The connection to the Android phone works. I shot 30 shots through it with my cap and ball 44.  

 

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It regenerated a couple of errors and one time I did something wrong and it didn't record anything.  But I think it was purely my fault.  It was supposed to be cloudy but it was sunny and I had trouble seeing the phone screen.

 

I was using Grafs Reenactor. Maybe accounts for low velocity and wide deviation.  I didn't think to try Goex ffg. 

 

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While the gun was dirty anyway,  I went out and shot two more strings using Goex ffg.  One in paper cartridges and one without. 

 

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Here is the string with paper cartridges.  It shows higher average velocity and less deviation than the Grafs Reenactor power.

 

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Here Goex ffg no paper. Slightly higher velocity and less deviation. 

 

One string of each is not a big enough sample to make a conclusion but Goex ffg did make a better showing than the Grafs Reenactor. 

 

Now I have a gun to clean. 

 

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You can use saran wrap in front of the screens a bit to solve the problem Lumpy alluded to. That way it is easy to see where you are shooting.

 

I wasn't using any wads.  The screen did get some black "freckles" on the screen.  I'm not experienced with the device to figure out the errors. Most probably a shot that didn't pass over the right place.  

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 Try by weight.

Bet the ES really drops then. ;)

OLG 

 

I might be inclined to go that extra effort if I was shooting long range rifle.  But for cowboy action shooting with this pistol,  I'll stick with the powder flask.  

 

The one thing it showed is that Goex ffg performs better than Reenactor.  At least in this test in the 44 cap gun.  I'm not surprised at the higher velocity but am at the deviation difference. 

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My exercise yesterday met the two objectives I set out to achieve.  I fired off 30 + 6 paper cartridges in one gun with no special maintenance and every charge fired off without a hitch. I used the chronograph to, 1) prove that it was indeed connected to the APP on my Android phone and working, and 2) gain some experience using it and the APP.  I'm pleased with the results on both missions.

 

This video is of me shooting the Goex in paper cartridges and the second without paper cartridges. 

 

 

The original run was 30 paper cartridge loads using Grafs Reenactor powder.  All fired off fine.  I later loaded 6 more using Goex ffg and 6 more loose load ffg to have some comparison.   Using Remington #10 caps,  all fired off with no hangups.  48 shots with no maintenance. 

 

This morning I've been playing with the data collected with the APP.   I've figured out how to enter the bullet weight so it well calculate energy.  I've found that I can edit the shot recording to remove error reading so to get usable results from the group of shots. Pictures can be taken or added.  Group size recorded. 

 

Looks like a road trip day!

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Such high extreme spreads Surprise Me....

What is the Charge Weight , Ball Diameter Distance to Chronograph ????

I use 3F in my guns ...

 

Jabez Cowboy

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14 minutes ago, Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 said:

Such high extreme spreads Surprise Me....

What is the Charge Weight , Ball Diameter Distance to Chronograph ????

I use 3F in my guns ...

 

Jabez Cowboy

 

25 grains Grafs Reenactor or Goex ffg or Grafs(Goex) ffg. 451 round ball.  About 15' to chronograph. 

 

The first shot of readout was when I was testing some paper cartridges I'd made.  The powder was Grafs Reenactor.  When I switched to Goex ffg (old stock) dumped in cylinder loose and topped with dry 1/8" fiber wad under the ball,   the results were much better.   I ran out of Goex and bought Grafs ffg made by Goex.  Results were the same as with old Goex.

 

In the middle of all the shooting,  I remodeled the Traditions loading stand to function with the Colt style cylinders.  I'm sure I got more consistent ball seating.

 

But the exercise was to figure out the chronograph.  

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I use 22gr. of 3F Goex  in my .36 Navys and my extreme spread on ten shots is 13 Fps. , this is from my Uberti Navys with mouths al measuring between .3778 and .3780 and groove diameter of .3770 the Balls I use measure .3801 - .3803....

My Uberti 1858 using 37.7 gr. of 3F Goex under a .454 ball with Cylinder Mouths .4522 to 4525 and a Barrel measuring .451  gets about the same extreme spreads....

 As tested over my professional equipment.

These Guns are far more accurate than most people will believe when loaded properly...

 

Jabez Cowboy

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