Bullseye target camera system?

[AlanF]

Welcome to the forum Nick. A couple of questions about your systems. Are the radio frequencies used compliant with Australian regulations? And do you have an Australian agent?

[Brad Y]

Hi Nick

It would be great to see what you can come up with. The unit itself is a good piece of gear, I used it again recently with an orange aiming mark, white background and orange rings out to 300m which was fine, much further and the wrong lighting/environmental conditions and it could get hard to see the target.

[Aubrey]

I wonder if it's possible for hex or one of the Aussie ET companies to make a 1m x 1m et kit for people to use on their private property and run off a laptop? If something was available and under 3k I would look long and hard at it that's for sure!

Product promotion: the Silver Mountain Target system now offers a stand alone unit that will plot and score. You provide the target frame and smartphone or tablet and the SMT system does the rest.

Details at http://www.electronictargets.biz/#!home/mainPage

[ned kelly]

G'day all,
in SR BR we use black plastic garbage bags behind the buff coloured targets and that works well. The plastic stretches and springs back with a smaller than calibre hole in it. Car/truck tubes work very well when "proper" rail guns shoot 10 shots in 15 seconds as the holes from a 6mm ppc are only about 1mm or 1/16" diameter.

So you might try those big orange garden rubbish bags or source some of the white large rubbish big bags to trial.

Could be a workable cheap fix.

Hope this helps
Cheerio Ned

[bartman007]

Now if you're looking for IP camera's communicating from remote (1 to 10 Km's away) back to a home network or laptop on a mound, then using ubiquiti network bridges is a simple solution to your problem.

They use little power (approx 20 watts), so if mounted on a pole with a solar panel and battery (will work at night), and transmit live video back to base.

Radio's are around $180 each and will give you up to 450 Mbps network connectivity. Line of Sight is important for network reliability.

David if you are at Rosedale on the weekend, we can discuss your needs further.

[williada]

Mike, I am sorry but I have already been booked to assist some guys with load development on Saturday because its hard to do on competition days with all of the competing ends.

Hopefully, I have the camera system by then and with anything new there is a bit to learn. We are running out of time before other events loom on the horizon. Thanks, I will catch up. David.

[Josh Cox]

How did it go David ?

[williada]

G’Evening Josh,

I eventually got the gear after a long, long wait. The manufacturer encountered a parts delay beyond his control, but they were good enough to double the warranty at no extra cost which now runs for 4 years. Yes, I paid for the initial 2 year insurance.

I got the long range model before our dollar turns further south, for $A948 delivered. The US cost was $549 for the gear + $29.95 insurance.

The set up does work straight out of the tough plastic equipment box. I am pleased about that as it had clips for padlocks and is very well padded with foam inside for the router/modem, high gain aerial equipment, battery, tripod and camera. It must be a good box because the cardboard packing box was flimsy. It’s like a big tackle box and only weighs a few kilos - very portable.

Anyway, it worked straight out of the box and the only thing I pulled out of the box was camera and tripod which you can aim straight at your target with a laser on the camera to centre your setup off on an angle at the side so you don’t shoot it. You can focus the camera by screwing off the protective front lens and winding the lens in an out. It’s clear. It is extremely portable and quick to use. The camera is also infra red. Hopefully this will run with an old CED Chrony which can also utilise infra red and records to the laptop to do some testing at home at night in nil wind conditions and no mirage for load development.

The setup creates a WIFI hotspot which you can tap into, even onlookers, if they download the Ipad/Iphone or Android app from Itunes or Google. I used mine with the USB stick provided with the software on a high definition laptop screen.

I checked out the operational videos on their site first. They were short, clear and easy to follow. The software enables you to keep good records and allocates your shoots to different gear once you set that up. The software at this point in time will be great for allocating shot numbers to groups and even colouring groups to distinguish warm up shots. It segments shots as thumbnails and you can view them in any combination you want. That is a plus for me, seeing I use 4 warm up shots, and five shot groups in a round robin for load development, which is the reason I bought the system. I can now capture a shot number and allocate that to a chrony figure without the need for helpers and walking up and down my test range when I need to check things up close.

All I need now is a WIFI operated target changer that could roll targets through like dunny paper. Any of you guys got ideas here?

My test range distance is about 140 yards, when the coning effect is negligible, as is wind and mirage. I would like two of these systems side by side, so I could quickly slip shots out to about the overturning distance without having to move my gear and when the elements were the same to verify the tune I was seeking.

As my arrangements were washed out for a weekend shoot, I have not used the camera in the field. But it is all go in the lounge room. It has been cold, wet and sleety all week at home and so I have been housebound except for essential feeding out. Even too cold to tinker in the shed, so I have been pounding the keyboard as some have noticed.

My test targets are buff and so I do not anticipate a problem seeing the holes. Another reason to choose 140 yards for testing as the test groups open up a bit and you can see the fall of the shots.

I’ll take on board Ned’s suggestion of coloured plastic backing if this is not successful and maybe place a big cardboard box behind to darken surrounds or maybe illuminate the box.

When the paddocks dry up again, I will set the gear up in the field and report further. More fronts coming through though and I don’t intend to get things wet either. Cairns sounds a lot kinder this time of year, Josh.

[BATattack]

Have you had a chance to give that thing a whirl Dave?

[williada]

Chaffing at the bit Adam. I live in Gippsland - we tip water out by the gumboot. Been very wet last few days and unfortunately have to wait until the paddocks dry to get a vehicle across them to use my own range. Also been dealing with elderly old man's hospitalisation and only the wife had the pleasure of shooting competitively last Saturday. Didn't have time to load any crackers for myself but had a 12 shot blast out of Norm's 7mm-08AI. I prefer to do testing at home where I can do it at my leisure rather than on the range which has limited time for use and requires the services of a range officer. David.

[BATattack]

No worries! is been pretty hit and miss here to. Not a heap of rain just showers off and on to keep you from planning anything productive

a unit came up in aus at the rite price so I now have one on the way as well!