Need adjustable table top Tripod recommendation for Air Chrony

[tommyb]

I recently purchased an Air Chrony MK3. I use it primarily for bench rest shooting at my local outdoor range, and discovered that my Manfrotto table top Tripod is too low in height when the Air Chrony is attached. When I use my rear bag and my gun Bipod or Tripod, the Manfrotto table top is not high enough to allow me to shoot my target on a stand. I think the max height with leg extensions is approximately 7-8 inches.

I need an adjustable table top Tripod with generous minimum and maximum height adjustments for the legs. I’ve seen plenty on Amazon, but would like some real world experience from AGN members. I’m looking for input from someone who has the Air Chrony and is using a table top Tripod from the bench with “adequate” height adjustments. Need a brand recommendation. I don’t want a tall camera Tripod, has to be table top and exceed 9 “ in height.

Btw - I would not mind any Air Chrony feedback in terms of user likes/dislikes if you use it for bench rest Chrony testing.

Thanks
Tom

 

[tommyb]

OK, we can call off the dogs...I found a solution for the interim.

I had an adjustable bench rest accessory that was in the trunk of my car. This is perfect because it take up much less room on the bench than the typical three legs of a table tripod. It adjusts nicely up and down, to a maximum height of 12 1/2 inches approximately. So, as I adjust my gun Bipod or Tripod, I can lower/higher this Air Chrony up and down as needed to align with my target stand. I'm sure there are Tripods that will do the same, but the bench length is limited a bit and the three legs of a Tripod at the end of the bench past the muzzle, make it too crowded.

Perfect for what I need. Not sure if this will help anyone else who uses the Air Chrony from the bench, but if so, great!

 

[tommyb]

FWIW - I returned the Air Chrony unit after a few weeks and after putting it through its paces. I feel some sense of obligation to update the post with my personal experience. Note: This is not a review, YMMV

As it turns out, I fixed one problem but I subsequently found out that for my primary longer bench rest guns, I don’t have enough room on my outdoor range bench table.

I don’t have sufficient room on my bench to fit the table tripod, and since there is no Bluetooth capability, I would not be able to see the readouts on a longer camera type of Tripod placed off the bench. I.e., Placing a Tripod 5-10’ from the muzzle, without the ability to see the AC small screen, would be problematic. If you are using for Benchrest, make sure your bench is long enough to fit the table top tripod and your rifle at the end of your muzzle. My Redwolf Safari, FXBoss .30 with Huggett and RAW all were too long to accommodate the AC on the bench. My shorter air guns worked fine.

Instructions were extremely confusing for certain functions, and trying to get the Settings screens to appear was a trial in patience. I found myself ‘stuck’ in language limbo many times, trying to reset to English language. I’m sure this was operator error, but since Air Chrony tech support did not respond to my request for help, I had a hard time figuring it out. Also found the memory storage functions on the internal memory did not work for me. I also had technical issues with trying to install the Air Chrony software on my Windows 10 Lenovo laptop. A fellow AGN member did resolve this for me.

I can’t use this inside the garage for tuning purposes, because I don’t have the room on my workbench. A Magnetto would work well for this task, but I don’t have one - “yet.” Not being able to use a Chrony at my house is not well suited for getting valuable tuning feedback without driving to my outdoor range. Not having Bluetooth on my iPhone is a deal breaker for me. The FX Radar spoiled me and provides a ton of useful information.

TomCat and Lauren (AoA) both did nice Youtube reviews on the Air Chrony MK3, and I purchased it after reading all the reviews. I am sure this unit will work well for many and I wanted to like this unit but after spending $444 on Amazon, I hope I can get my money back from Air Chrony.

Tom