New Athlon Chronograph

[the_young_gun]

I’ve been most surprised by the numbers that are slowly rolling in for the Archery settings.

It seems like they can be even more wild than anything on the firearms, 15-30fps on a 290fps arrow is not acceptable by any metric. S&S showed it first, they reported back it didn’t seem to improve much with their reported firmware updates. Then just a couple days ago another YouTube video showed consistent discordance vs Two other garmins. It even shows like 100fps fast on a 315 fps arrow.

It seems like they are getting the bugs worked out for the 1000fps+ ranges, but still somehow have a LONG way to go on the slow stuff.

 

[BigEd36]

I got a tracking notice yesterday from Europtic that mine has shipped! Now I'm getting antsy for it to arrive!

 

[Snowhunter11]

Tried my Rangecraft today for the first time today. Checked two different rounds for 6.5 creed and three for .223. Updated shooter app to new velocities now that both guns are suppressed. Dialed out both rifles with multiple different rounds to 630yds on steel targets successfully. I have used the Garmin in the past however it wasn’t mine so I can’t compare readings. However I will waterline test to true data here soon. So far I am a happy camper.

 

[BBob]

I’ve been most surprised by the numbers that are slowly rolling in for the Archery settings.

As posted before my Rangecraft matches with my old Labradar and is right at what the bow should do. I wonder if device placement has anything to do with some of the erroneous archery results? I put both on a tripod and placed it right next to and as close to the riser/arrow as possible. Basically I shuffled my stance to get right up next to the chronograph.

 

[deer_hunter132]

im on my 2nd athlon that freezes the unit when trying to sync data. sync'd data then had half of the sessions with no shot data on the app, just on the chrono.
i hate the menu access; trying to look thru sessions on the unit sucks. starts all the way over at the top each time. cant access/use previous sessions. app is horrendous. just clunky af imo.
magnetospeed might not have been fancy, but it was simple and easy to use. didnt take 10 button clicks to do anything. had its own issues thou. i havent used a garmin much at all.

 

[Schmo]

Just got mine this week. Ran it yesterday and today. It’s running great. Very pleased so far. Painless to use.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Finally got mine to the range yesterday and got velocities for 4 rifles. It never missed a shot and was pretty consistent with velocities. I don't have distance to take them out far enough to validate with drops but I like it.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Oh I forgot to mention when I connected to it the firmware update was from .61 to .63.

 

[TheLoamRanger]

im on my 2nd athlon that freezes the unit when trying to sync data. sync'd data then had half of the sessions with no shot data on the app, just on the chrono.
i hate the menu access; trying to look thru sessions on the unit sucks. starts all the way over at the top each time. cant access/use previous sessions. app is horrendous. just clunky af imo.
magnetospeed might not have been fancy, but it was simple and easy to use. didnt take 10 button clicks to do anything. had its own issues thou. i havent used a garmin much at all.

I have these exact same issues with mine. I don't recall which firmware version, but it was the latest I could get as of a couple weeks ago.

I have logged maybe 100 shots, mostly with rifles but a little bit with a bow. The unit itself has not missed a shot, but integration and syncing with the app has been the crappy part. I hope they fix this soon because it's super annoying.

Ultimately I like the unit because it's small and easy to use. I don't plan to depend on it all the time, just getting some data for each load/arrow setup I play with. It's still a good enough value for me this way.

Note: I have no way of validating any speeds, as it is my only chrono.

 

[01Foreman400]

I just ordered one as my old chronograph took a dump this past weekend. I was tired of setting that thing up anyway. I got mine for $349.99 that was the cheapest I could find it for from a reputable company. They said after this batch the price goes up to $399.99 as they are being told.

Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro Radar Chronograph 707301 - Southern Precision Outdoors

Experience precision with the Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro Radar Chronograph. Measure projectile speeds from 65 to 5000 fps without firearm attachment. Compact, portable, and IP67 waterproof, it's ideal for shooters using suppressors, muzzle brakes, and compensators.

southernprecisionoutdoors.com

 

[jfk69]

I just ordered one as my old chronograph took a dump this past weekend. I was tired of setting that thing up anyway. I got mine for $349.99 that was the cheapest I could find it for from a reputable company. They said after this batch the price goes up to $399.99 as they are being told.

Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro Radar Chronograph 707301 - Southern Precision Outdoors

Experience precision with the Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro Radar Chronograph. Measure projectile speeds from 65 to 5000 fps without firearm attachment. Compact, portable, and IP67 waterproof, it's ideal for shooters using suppressors, muzzle brakes, and compensators.

southernprecisionoutdoors.com

Thanks. After debating forever, even on this deal, I finally pulled the trigger. It was free shipping and no tax for me, so $349.99 to my doorstep. Couldn’t turn it down at that price. Will replace my old ProChrono. It’s been a decent chrono but the setup is a pita.

 

[Jamr]

Finally used mine today. Seemed to work great. I bought in to replace a ProChrono. Readings with the Athlon lined up with the ProChrono. Loved how simple the set up is with the Athlon.

 

[01Foreman400]

I’ve used mine now for the past 3 days. It has made getting data so much easier. My old Caldwell chronograph was a PIA and would miss shots regularly. It was also sun sensitive. This Athlon hasn’t missed a shot yet. Takes about 45 seconds to setup. It’s a game changer for me.

 

[Razorwynd]

I really wish they would have allowed you to access the velocity vs distance data like lab radar or some of the others to quantify and compare BC values and variability

 

[BBob]

I really wish they would have allowed you to access the velocity vs distance data like lab radar or some of the others to quantify and compare BC values and variability

The reality of the LR BC function is that it was never very useful in that results were quite variable and therefore not very useful as you still ended up truing your solution anyway. Fun in theory and to look at but not good enough to rely on.

Comments on the OG LR. No idea if their new little one (that displays BC) is any better.

 

[Razorwynd]

The reality of the LR BC function is that it was never very useful in that results were quite variable and therefore not very useful as you still ended up truing your solution anyway. Fun in theory and to look at but not good enough to rely on.

No doubt, the Lab Radar a pain to set up but the values i get from a quantitative analysis of the velocity vs time (distance) data is damn near what i find for g7 values in AB Quantum (gotta use proper atmospheric values and maximum likelihood fitting). Furthermore, the variance of these BC values across 10 or 20 shots tells me which bullet manufacturers have the most consistent bullets.

Either way all this data should be used internally to get muzzle velocity, it is just not made available to the end user which is a shame.

 

[v.niner]

Got mine from Euro a few weeks back. It's been on one trip to the range, worked well for some .223 and .308 load workups. No shots missed and velocities were close to predictions. Happy overall, but the app has been pretty glitchy so far. Hopefully Athlon irons that out some.

 

[Hschweers]

Have now had a chance to use it with rifles and bows. Rifle results were right on with previous Garmin and old school style Caldwell results. Have never chrono’d a bow before but the results I got were within 1 fps of online calculators for my setup. I did follow BBob’s suggestion for the bow (kind of). Rolled my grill over infront of me and set the chrono on top of it. Shot over the top of it. Was within a foot of the arrow at release. Overall, very very pleased.

 

[Djahnsen]

Just watched a YT video from Shot Show where a new Athlon Chrono is coming out in early April to rival the Garmin. Same form factor with larger screen and larger font. Planned price point is $350, which puts it in reach of more folks and at least $150 cheaper than the Garmin. Looking forward to hearing the reviews this spring.

I picked one up and love it worth every penny I don’t own the garmin but I can’t imagine it’s any better. Mine has yet to miss a shot.

 

[ElDiablito]

Happy overall, but the app has been pretty glitchy so far. Hopefully Athlon irons that out some.

Are you using the current firmware version?