While some have claimed it's all about the "Benjamin," but this isn't necessarily the case on the paintball field, though I suppose it could help. So what are chronographs and what does fps mean? Well, chronographs are devices used to measure the velocity of a ball when it leaves the end of a marker and fps stands for feet per second. And you'll soon see why each is so important.

How Do Chronographs Work?

 
There are basically two types of chronographs. One uses radar to measure speed, while the other uses a sensor. The chronographs that use sensors look somewhat like a field post, with two bands of light, one following right after another. To use it, you have to shoot a paintball through the two bands of light and the chronograph, in turn, measures the time it takes the paintball to travel from the first band to the second. The velocity is then displayed on an LCD screen. With the radar types, you merely rest the end of your marker in the unit's rubber groove and shoot. The radar clocks the paintball about eight inches away, much like a State Trooper would clock the speed of your car.

Which Chronograph Is Right For You?

 
I tested the Chronotech Chronograph, Radar Chronograph and Glove Radar Chronograph. The first uses a sensor and the latter two use radar to measure ball velocity. One of Chronotech's advantages is its ability to measure speeds as low as 50 fps; it is also an extremely lightweight unit. When using it, I found out that if you stand close enough to the chronograph, the blast of air from your CO2 tank can trigger the sensors, without ever having shot a ball. To get an accurate reading, you need to stand at least it five feet away. If you plan on using this unit at night or indoors you will need to purchase the "Light Tech" to operate it. Chronotech also offers a splat guard to help protect your unit against folks who can't seem to shoot through the rods. This product is relatively inexpensive and easy to use, so it is great for beginners.

 
Secondly, I checked out the Glove Radar Chronograph. This is a handheld radar unit with two options for operation. You can either use the strap and hang the unit at the end of your barrel or hold it in your hand. Then, simply push the large button to turn the unit on. The display will read fps, and push the button a second time and the unit will be ready to measure your speed. After the paintball is fired from the marker, the unit will toggle between hundreds digits, then tens and then single digit speed values. To test your marker for a second shot you will need to push the big button a second time and reset the unit to two dashes. This indicates the unit is ready to measure again. When you are done using the Glove Radar it will automatically switch to sleep mode. The unit itself is fairly rugged, however if immersed in water or other liquids, it will malfunction. Also exposure to bad weather could cause problems. It runs on batteries that can be found at most camera shops. One tip to ensure optimum operation is to be sure there is nothing in font of the radar screen when operating. It seems to be pretty sensitive and objects in front of it can screw up the reading. This unit seemed to perform well and will allow a referee to chrono players on and off the field easily.

 
The third chronograph I had the chance to test was the Radar Chrony. Get ready paintballers, Radar Chrony has a little treat for you. But like a box of Cracker Jacks, why spoil the treat by going straight to the prize--we'll wait to tell you about that latter. It's simple to operate--all you have to do is push the red button and the machine comes on. If you lay your barrel on the black rubber and fire a paintball, you will notice a three-digit read out on the LCD screen. This is your speed. If you want to test it again simply fire another ball and the next reading you will see, is the speed of the next ball.

 
This chronograph has another neat little option. You can set an alarm to go off when a marker expels a paintball past the desired limit. That's right, the referee dose not have to watch every shot. If/she he hears a beep, they simply turns around to see what the ball speed is. This alarm can be set at the desired speed of a field in five fps increments. Programming was fairly simple, as all you have to do is turn the machine on and hold the red button in for about 20 seconds until a "P" appears, then push the button until you get to the desired alarm setting. If you release the button then push it again, it will go the opposite direction. All radar chronographs can be used indoors and at night because they don't rely on optics to detect the ball speed.

Okay, now for the little treat--the radar chronograph is able to measure rate of fire. All you do is squeeze of a three shot burst and two numbers will appear on the LCD screen. Those numbers will range between 4 and 20. That is the amount of balls that have been shot per second. If you cannot squeeze at least 4 balls off in a second it will not register. Also the way you get the unit to go into BPS mode is by squeezing off three balls quickly. This tells the machine that you are measuring BPS and it goes into that mode. Like all the other chronographs, be sure to keep this one out of bad weather. And, like Gremlins, none of them like water. In short, this chronograph is for advanced players and fields looking for a sturdy reliable unit. It comes with a lot of options and is always reliable.

 
No Cheating the Chronograph

 
You might think that this is section is for field owners but it's not. It's for everybody. Remember, the chronograph keeps everybody safe. It gives everyone the option to set his or her marker at the desired speed. If the limit is 300 fps you are allowed to shoot as low as you like or as high as 300 fps. Things to watch out for at the chronograph are the way folks are testing their markers. Be sure the barrels are level and not facing down or up. If players are testing their marker and they are shooting up or down instead of level, they could be cheating the chronograph anywhere between 5 to 10 fps. Also if the chronograph doesn't have an alarm, be sure to watch the LCD screen to see the read out. For folks who are shooting CO2, be sure to keep your marker level so you don't get a velocity "spike."

 
Before you ever chronograph your marker, ask for a "clearing shot." I have also tested my marker's speed with a barrel that had broken paint and saw a huge difference in speed. When the barrel had a lot of broken paint, the ball was slowed down. After a few shots, the ball speed was increased. Another factor that figures into the mix is the bore size of a barrel. Let's say you are shooting a medium bore size barrel and you switch to a large bore barrel. You will find a significant change of velocity--this also holds true if you are switching paint, and if you happen to be playing in an area where temperature changes during playing time you need to check your velocity more often. Okay, that's a wrap. Good luck at the chronograph. Be safe.