Power It Up
The device itself is powered by three AAA batteries. I loaded mine up when it arrived and have been using it for months with no need for a re-stock of Energizers. To operate the Pocket Chronograph, just hit the onboard power button and power up the companion app on a smartphone or tablet. Within a second or so, the two sync up and you’re ready to shoot. When you stop to think about this design, it makes a lot of sense.
Why reinvent the wheel on “already invented, present and accounted for” things like a color display, keyboard and a powerful computer to crunch the numbers? The smartphone in your pocket is perfectly capable of doing all this stuff and more. Using the app, you can build profiles for each gun and ammo type and define as much detail as you like such as projectile weight and shape. Of course, you can also tweak sensitivity settings and choose your preferred units of measurement.
On the firing line, just place the barrel an inch or so over the unit and make sure the muzzle is even with, or slightly forward of the face of the device. When you shoot, the radar picks up whatever is moving directly in front of it and presents the output on the smartphone app. It’s sensitive to position, so you won’t have to worry about nearby shooters fouling up your readings. As I write this, the FX folks have shipped the units with a barrel adapter taking the place of the original tripod mounting plate. The idea is you can simply hang the whole thing from the muzzle with a couple of rubber hands. It sounds hinky but it’s a smart idea.
The benefit is you eliminate the need to place the box on the bench and make sure your airgun is in the correct position for a reading. When it’s hanging on the barrel, just point forward and shoot. I’ve tried the device with air rifles, air handguns and even the new SIG SAUER ProForce M17 Airsoft Training Pistol. It works like a champ across the board.
