New FX Outdoors True Ballistic Chronograph - Shipping Now

That would be a question for the FX crew. I was shooting and the closest person was 6 benches away from me shooting at a completely different target area. We can do some more testing with it out here at our ranges and put a few airguns as well as some of or PRS guns all shooting the same target to see what happens.

If anyone is near our area up here in North Dakota, stop by the shop and have a look at the unit.
 
I'm following this thread with some interest, as I have the new TBC as well. It does have several drawbacks, which should be fixed in the next few weeks, hopefully!

The data stream out of the unit, does report all of the data you see on the TBC screen, including the various velocities at the selected distances, averages, means, BC, etc. The shortcoming here is, there is currently no app to receive the data, and massage it into a usable form. A sample of sorts is described in the manual, but not available.

The latest firmware update does include the RA4 ballistic profile. If yours doesn't have it, update it. Since it (RA4) is designed for the 22LR, it will fall short exponentially starting at about 100 yards, depending on the ammo you're using. Hopefully, the ST4 and other common ballistic profiles will be available soon.

You cannot use two of the devices at the same time, if their radar beams cross. Where they do, depends on separation, local conditions, etc. In any case, don't expect it to live with a few others at the range! By the way, the same is true of the Labradar. I can't use mine and the TBC at the same time. While I'm on the Labradar... The microphone is as cantankerous as the FX chronograph is. In other words, spotty. And the Labradar will calculate the BC, but lacks the proper BC profiles as well (none specifically for pellets or slugs).

It will see a .177 out to about 75 yards, perhaps a bit further in a decent ambient. But remember, the minimum is 400 FPS, albeit will detect a bit lower than the spec.

Battery wise, it will run about twice as far as the manual states, if you remember to turn it on standby when you're reloading, or setting up new targets.
 
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I'm following this thread with some interest, as I have the new TBC as well. It does have several drawbacks, which should be fixed in the next few weeks, hopefully!

The data stream out of the unit, does report all of the data you see on the TBC screen, including the various velocities at the selected distances, averages, means, BC, etc. The shortcoming here is, there is currently no app to receive the data, and massage it into a usable form. A sample of sorts is described in the manual, but not available.

The latest firmware update does include the RA4 ballistic profile. If yours doesn't have it, update it. Since it (RA4) is designed for the 22LR, it will fall short exponentially starting at about 100 yards, depending on the ammo you're using. Hopefully, the ST4 and other common ballistic profiles will be available soon.

You cannot use two of the devices at the same time, if their radar beams cross. Where they do, depends on separation, local conditions, etc. In any case, don't expect it to live with a few others at the range! By the way, the same is true of the Labradar. I can't use mine and the TBC at the same time. While I'm on the Labradar... The microphone is as cantankerous as the FX chronograph is. In other words, spotty. And the Labradar will calculate the BC, but lacks the proper BC profiles as well (none specifically for pellets or slugs).

It will see a .177 out to about 75 yards, perhaps a bit further in a decent ambient. But remember, the minimum is 400 FPS, albeit will detect a bit lower than the spec.

Battery wise, it will run about twice as far as the manual states, if you remember to turn it on standby when you're reloading, or setting up new targets.
Ok from what I have read the TBC is like labradar in that you can change the frequency the radar is being sent so it can play with others at the range.

The question I still have is what if you have shooters on each side of you. Will your radar read their shots? Is the radar path wide or relatively narrow? Will it catch other shooter's shots down range.

Allen
 
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My take is, no. Yes, you can change the frequencies in 8MHz steps. Whether that is enough spacing, remains to be seen. And considering the cost of these units, only serious airgunners are going to buy them, thus limiting their numbers. Perhaps at the next Rocky Mountain shoot, we might get the answer?

So far, it hasn't played well with "my" Labradar. Why is an unanswered question, as we don't know bandwidths, receiver technology, etc.

If there is a bright spot, it is simply this: Amateur ballisticians now have a relatively low-cost, reliable means to measure the basic BC, and later on build a better mathematical profile for both pellets and slugs.
 
A question that I have is.... don't you need atmospheric conditions, temperature, elevation all of that to calculate BC? So does the TBC capture all of that information for you or are you at least able to enter it yourself from a Kestrel or similar? I'm not sure the BC calculation would be useful without that data taken into consideration. Just wondering!
Thx
Dan
 
As the manual states, it calculates the "Basic BC" based on the actual conditions. That is to say, if the temp goes up, the air is thinner, and the BC goes up too.

If we assume we use the data to predict a specific BC for a sub-sonic pellet or slug, then we can establish it as the published BC. At that point, using this new BC (a profile as it were), then an app or device like the Kestrel can be used to predict the actual ballistic path based on the ambient at that place & time.

As I mentioned before, we're left (at present) to using a ballistic profile which does not accurately define a sub-sonic projectile. This will undoubtedly change in the near future.
 
Hi,
I'm just trying the FXTBC now and I have a few question. I don't see the real measured speeds in the data, that's make me think. Till what distance the projectile is really measured???
If I shoot at 150m on my target and say the FXTBC has to "measure" the speed at 200m it will give a reading, but thats not possible there is no bullet flying there its in the target?

I measured the speed with the FXTBC and a other chrony at 50m and they are within a 2m/s so that's close. But i'm not sure till what distance it calculates the velocity or measures.

And there is no good export possibility to get all the data to excel, that's really a pitty. Hope they fix this fast.

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The "distances" it reads out are the ones you select during the setup routine. It is actually tracking the projectiles all along their path, however.

At this writing, the data stream from the TBC is not read by the FX app. As I've stated previously, that will change, with only the release date unknown.

I've been using the TBC on all of my outings. Using the "basic BC" it reports, is dead on to the actual drop calculated by Strelok, up to about 100 or so yards using the RA4 profile. After 100 yards, the data isn't consistent due to the difference between a round nosed 22LR and the meplat of most slugs.
 
I did some test today, with a alpha chrony next to the TBC and they are very close, the TBC.
Alpha chrony at target 50m or 100m see pictures, and a V0 measurement. It would be great if you can export al the recieved data.
What I dont understand is why the TBC gives readings after the slug/pellet is stopped in the catch box? So that is calculated data.
The battery from the TBC is great! Still at 100% after 4 hours use. It's easy to use and tracks almoost all shots 99%. Its easy to use and I'm very happy with it.

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I would tend to believe the FX (or Labradar), rather than any optical unit. I say this, because I don't know what the oscillator specs are in either unit. This said, the FX most assuredly uses a temperature-compensated, crystal-based oscillator, and any frequency variation would be rather small. The Alpha crony's oscillator is not compensated. QED