[ARCHIVED THREAD] - LABRADAR v MAGENTOSPEED v SHOOTING CHRONY comparison FYI APP NOW AVAILABLE in OP (Page 3 of 4)
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Well, just tried again and damn if it didn't connect. Did it twice and it worked both times. Maybe I wasn't holding my mouth right.. Lol!
One thing I didn't find. Is there a way to change settings in the app, such as projectile weight, velocity range, etc.? The app looks pretty cool. Can't wait to try it out next time I head out. |
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New App is awesome. Love it. Connected easily. Menu works fine and is mostly (well... mostly) intuitive. It even shows graphical displays of results. I really am loving it.
Only request for a future update would be to be able to name the firing strings, rather than have them just be numbered sequentially. A fairly minor item, it's fine if they never change that. Being able to start new strings, adjust, the settings, and arm the LabRadar remotely, is a huge improvement - and I think the App is great! ... I suppose a second request might be to auto-log local weather parameters, since it's asking for location services now anyway. So you can track if it's 100 degrees in that data, or 32. |
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Quoted:
I used a LabRadar in New Mexico last month. Here's my analysis of the cost - The "break even" is 1000 to 1500 premium bullets shot across the instrument. Just a few hundred if your time is worth anything. Or, if the distance to the range is far enough that it's impossible to run out in a couple of minutes, shoot, find out the optical chronograph won't measure, drive home, then go back on a different day at mid day. The set up time, let alone lack of hassle and versatility, is simply too good to pass up. I'm planning to buy one and will probably sell my Chrony Beta Master. Quoted:
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popnfresh; Thanx for the side by side comparison. I have a Shooting Chrony Alpha Master. Had her out today. I live in Florida. Temp was ~95 with 1,000,000% humidity. I thought I would melt like the Wicked Witch of the West... I'm just getting into distance shooting and am currently working on laying the ground work... Chrony work outs included... I was at a proper range complete with multiple range officers and multiple shooters... Chrony set up and take down was a ROYAL PITA today. LabRadar looks tempting. I'm trying to wrap my head around that price for a chronograph... It's a slow process... 
The Shooting Chrony will work, it will get you to the target. I went to the Magnetospeed because I got sick of setting up the Shooting Chrony. I got the Labradar to save time and ammo when I am actually shooting long range. Time and ammo spent getting velocity data and zero data for several loads will be cut in half or more with the Labradar vs. Magnetospeed. The "break even" is 1000 to 1500 premium bullets shot across the instrument. Just a few hundred if your time is worth anything. Or, if the distance to the range is far enough that it's impossible to run out in a couple of minutes, shoot, find out the optical chronograph won't measure, drive home, then go back on a different day at mid day. The set up time, let alone lack of hassle and versatility, is simply too good to pass up. I'm planning to buy one and will probably sell my Chrony Beta Master. 
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Today with the new firmware (1.2.1 ), I had connection errors right off the bat, I hadn't had these before. Worked fine at home of course, get to the range and errors.
After turning everything off then retrying it connected. Worked good accept for one time it shut the Labradar off in the middle of a string.  Powered back up, connected and it worked fine.
No idea how the thing is killing the power. It has never happened before using the Labradar by itself. |
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Quoted:
Today with the new firmware (1.2.1 ), I had connection errors right off the bat, I hadn't had these before. Worked fine at home of course, get to the range and errors. After turning everything off then retrying it connected. Worked good accept for one time it shut the Labradar off in the middle of a string. Powered back up, connected and it worked fine.
No idea how the thing is killing the power. It has never happened before using the Labradar by itself. |
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Quoted: Try a different SD card. 
I'll figure it out. ETA From Labradar: Hi, To access the settings just swipe from the left-to the right of your screen (or press the labradar logo on the top left corner) it will display the settings section. You will be able to switch the settings. I hope you will enjoy your new app! |
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Quoted: Hi, To access the settings just swipe from the left-to the right of your screen (or press the labradar logo on the top left corner) it will display the settings section. You will be able to switch the settings. I hope you will enjoy your new app! Another firmware update, ha! Have to give it a try. As fast as the updates are coming I guess they did zero testing prior to release. Don't care as long as it works. |
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It sounds like their app coders and their firmware coders should have “had a conversation” before the apps went live. Or should have communicated a LOT better if they did.
The way iOS and Android apps work, the same core code can be used for both (most of the time), so the iOS delay was probably just working through Apple’s vetting processes. Of course Apple makes no claims about usability, so there you go.
I think Labradar has been trying to push a lot of sales with this app thing. I hope they get it sorted out so folks can really start using those apps. Working out the kinks is an “early adopter” chore, but usually the developers listen to those early adopters and thus they have a greater say in how the final product works and looks. |
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Eh... OK, the new app is still a bit buggy. Had my LabRadar and/or it just randomly reset a couple times. And if it's still in ARM mode, after the reset, you have to push the buttons to bring it out of being armed, for it to reconnect. That said, the App still worked pretty decent, and is a big improvement vs not having it! |
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I used it for about 3 hours today and it worked pretty good(1.2.2 fw update, nothing else different).
Connected right away, worked fine, started stopped, changed settings four or five times worked as it should. I was shooting my Glock 42, emptied a mag, walked away to grab ammo came back and found the app screen said "select device" or some such. I have seen this before and if I recall it has only happened when "armed". So I disarm, reconnect and it worked fine. If that is the worst thing to happen, considering it's a wireless connection, I would be satisfied. |
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I've had my eye on Labradar since it came out but so far I've stuck with my version 2 of the Magnetospeed. I'm hoping that someday soon a version 2 of the Labradar will appear. Am I dreaming? No 2nd gen models in the works. Not a likely occurrence for the next few/several years, I'd guess. |
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The current one works great, there is nothing that needs addressing. I don't see the point in waiting for a second generation. It took them a couple years to get an app out imagine the time to get a new unit out. The Sun will have consumed the Earth by that time. |
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The current one works great, there is nothing that needs addressing. I don't see the point in waiting for a second generation. It took them a couple years to get an app out imagine the time to get a new unit out. The Sun will have consumed the Earth by that time. Guess I'll keep and eye out for a killer deal. |
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Question for the LabRadar users. I used mine yesterday for the first time with a pistol. 38 Special w 6 " barrel. I wanted to check some new hand-loads. I found I had to turn the sensitivity to max (#1) to get it to trigger. The distributor said that was normal and #1 should be used for everything unless other guns trigger it randomly. FWIW with a rifle I never had a problem
If that's the case why have 8-9 level settings??? If you have used the LabRadar with a pistol I would like to know what setting you used. |
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The app is garbage. I personally think the App is a Godsend; the built-in interface of the LabRadar itself is horrible. I find it far easier to adjust weights, start the next series, alter sensativity or detection method, etc via the APP, then on the device. I also have to say, the LabRadar performance tends to be really dependent on the SD card. It's way the Hell too sensitive about SD cards, and most problems with the LabRadar speed and such tend to go away if you just remove the SD card. You don't really need the card, if all you're trying to do is get the muzzle velocity anyway. Why it's so hard to read a modern high-capacity SD card in the LabRadar, is one of those mysteries that is beyond me. Find the oldest and smallest SD card you can lay your hands on, format it as FAT32, and try it. Bonus points if it's less than 2GB. |
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I also have to say, the LabRadar performance tends to be really dependent on the SD card. It's way the Hell too sensitive about SD cards, and most problems with the LabRadar speed and such tend to go away if you just remove the SD card. You don't really need the card, if all you're trying to do is get the muzzle velocity anyway. Why it's so hard to read a modern high-capacity SD card in the LabRadar, is one of those mysteries that is beyond me. Find the oldest and smallest SD card you can lay your hands on, format it as FAT32, and try it. Bonus points if it's less than 2GB. |
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It's been awhile since I bought mine, but I seem to recall some specific specs listed for the SD card if you were going to use one. I bought what they recommended and never had any issues, but have since found there's really no need for it at all. The app, far from perfect but a huge improvement on using the interface on the unit itself. One thing I found that helps with the disconnecting problem is turning off the screen time out. My phone locks when the screen times out, so I just set the screen to stay on unless I manually turn it off when I'm at the range. |
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. One thing I found that helps with the disconnecting problem is turning off the screen time out. My phone locks when the screen times out, so I just set the screen to stay on unless I manually turn it off when I'm at the range. I have a second identical fresh phone that hasn't been used, I should try it. Maybe there is trouble with all the other crap on my daily phone. |
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I don’t think it’s your phone. I believe it’s the labradar. I have zero issues with any other Bluetooth item on my phone. I love the unit. The connection issues with the app drive me crazy. I with they had a way to make it a corded connection to connect directly to your phone. Then you could have the app inteface without the connectivity issues. |
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Quoted: Hmm, interesting about the SD card possibly being the cause of my slowdowns. Makes sense though. Found an old 4GB card in one of my old cameras. I'll format that and try it next time out. I was shooting a .223. Only problem I had was failure to track a couple of shots. |
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I'm waiting for these to go on Black Friday sale> I'm hating my Caldwell blowing over from the wind. Added UV lights and cover the skyscreens with a piece of cardboard and heavy black garbage bag in order to shoot with the sun positioned low in the sky. Works ok but turns the unit into a sail. Even weighing the unit down with a bungee cord to the center of the tripod didn't help much. |
Here's a thread I just started on usage notes with the LabRadar. Put it in the wrong reloading forum though, and it got locked in like an hour for organizational purposes  .LabRadar-Some-updated-2018-usage-tip-goodness-for-you-latest-Happy-Holidays-owners |
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Sorry I don't own a Mac. But I thought you would only use the most recent version? Why load 2 versions? Though the way some software updates work, I wouldn't be surprised if "update 3" had to be installed for "update 4" to work... ppknut, I don't have a Labradar, but I'm posting from a Mac. I downloaded firmware 1.2.4 and it unzipped just fine for me. I'm using OS X 10.4.1, but unzipping stuff hasn't been an issue for me with OS X ever... |
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Sorry I wasn't clear.
I'm only trying to install the latest firmware. I'm not trying to keep more than one. The firmware update consists of 2 files (fwA.bin & fwB.bin) I'm using OS X 10.11.6 I can download the updates fine. They just won't unzip. When I double click on the zip/compressed file, it generates another compressed file with a .cpgz extension. These files simply continue to generate more files with the .cpgz extension. It's like a continuous loop of unusable files. I also cannot simply copy the two zip files to the sd card. I get a circle with a cross bar across the file basically saying "you can't do that!" |