Radio Based Hit Detector

[Bruce3]

I've been working on a project for long range shooting. A hit detector that uses a HAM randio ie Baofeng 5R to transmit in morse code "HIT" when detecting a strike against the steel target. Following FCC rules I've also included my call sign in morse code. A small sensor is attached to the back of the steel target and a 10 foot length of wire runs back to the the radio/electronics. The electronics is Arduino based, I've built a custom shield for the Arduino to support the additional components. It connects to the radio's speark/mic jack. The unit runs off a USB power bank and works to effective range of the radio. Would there be a demand of such a unit if they were to be made available?

[tabascoz28]

Cool, I'm a KF6 myself. But isn't the point of steel that you see movement and sound when hit. I made a long range camera with a drone transmitter to my phone on the cheap to see groups live at range. No dealing with fcc there.

[Bruce3]

Sometimes its difficult to get a report back at targets out to 1000 yards and beyond. One cool thing is since everyone is patched in on the same frequency, everyone can hear the morse code. It also reports back faster than the sound of the strike when shooting long distance. But a drone is definitely one way of doing it.

Cool, I'm a KF6 myself. But isn't the point of steel that you see movement and sound when hit. I made a long range camera with a drone transmitter to my phone on the cheap to see groups live at range. No dealing with fcc there.

[DolphinFan]

[Bruce3]

I've already built a prototype and field tested it. Just waiting on my custom PCBs to come in to make a polished device.

[nitroxdiver]

[racinjason233]

Use smaller steel not 2 containers 40 feet long stacked one on the other.
Jk
I can see a small element of the population who could benefit especially the ham license holders. They are always looking for new uses for their equipment.

[FNGGlock]

Interesting idea, but you may want to look at GMRS or other alternative for the radio part. Ham is a limited option, as the bar is high for non ham people, and few will invest to take the test for just this application.

Definitely interesting to see if it can expand to multiple targets, zones, etc etc. Not a huge change with the platform you chose, instead of morse maybe levrage APRS on ham, or text with GMRS.

Maybe even a simple tone with cheap FRS will do the trick??

[G-forceJunkie]

I would use GMRS. The GMR licence requires no test, covers your whole family, and allows up to 50 watts, plenty for your line of sight use.

[Bruce3]

The hit detector will work with any radio (non-HAM) that has a 2.5mm/3.5mm jack (the ports you use to plug in a handheld speaker/microphone).

I would use GMRS. The GMR licence requires no test, covers your whole family, and allows up to 50 watts, plenty for your line of sight use.

[FNGGlock]

The hit detector will work with any radio (non-HAM) that has a 2.5mm/3.5mm jack (the ports you use to plug in a handheld speaker/microphone).

Great , will work with some FRS radios as well then. FRS should be sufficient for line of sight well beyond 1000yds.

Ham opens a lot of interesting options, but likely overkill for this purpose.

[SharedShots]

YES!....

but I wouldn't use it for steel per se but rather a small steel disk behind the 10X as I do now for audible feedback.

Currently I hang a small metal 10X sized disk behind the paper target, I don't need or care what hits that, good enough for me, I care what doesn't hit it because to me that is a miss that I need to correct if possible. I choose targets not by the range indicated on the target but my expected accuracy at the distance so the steel size might change if I'm shooting something I know should be tight vs something I know is say, 3" at 200.

This would also come in handy when shooting the 17HMR and 22 Mag at 200, they aren't ringing steel loud enough generally and the 17 looks like dirt on the target at that range anyway. Increasing mag on the scope isn't a good solution for me, I prefer a max of 6x at 100 and max of 10-12 at greater distances.

The steel isn't directly next to the paper but a distance past it but directly in line to my position. It swings/spin over free but rings when hit using minor bore like 5.56 with open tipped projectiles or comparatively low power 30s like the like 300 Blackout. They get difficult to see past 100 without high mag scopes or moving to see them through the spotter. While I have to wait until the steel stops moving, I don't care, I'm not into mag dumps or seeing how hot I can get barrels anyway.

Using your device my setup would work much better since I wouldn't always have to hear the "ting" depending on projectile weight and energy.

I tried cameras but they also require you shift to look at a display.

You are onto something. I imagine the user gets to input their call sign yes?







.

[Bruce3]

If you plan on using it with HAM I would need to know your call sign to program it at time of assembly. If you don't, I can have it set to "HIT" or any message you like.

YES!....

but I wouldn't use it for steel per se but rather a small steel disk behind the 10X as I do now for audible feedback.

Currently I hang a small metal 10X sized disk behind the paper target, I don't need or care what hits that, good enough for me, I care what doesn't hit it because to me that is a miss that I need to correct if possible. I choose targets not by the range indicated on the target but my expected accuracy at the distance so the steel size might change if I'm shooting something I know should be tight vs something I know is say, 3" at 200.

This would also come in handy when shooting the 17HMR and 22 Mag at 200, they aren't ringing steel loud enough generally and the 17 looks like dirt on the target at that range anyway. Increasing mag on the scope isn't a good solution for me, I prefer a max of 6x at 100 and max of 10-12 at greater distances.

The steel isn't directly next to the paper but a distance past it but directly in line to my position. It swings/spin over free but rings when hit using minor bore like 5.56 with open tipped projectiles or comparatively low power 30s like the like 300 Blackout. They get difficult to see past 100 without high mag scopes or moving to see them through the spotter. While I have to wait until the steel stops moving, I don't care, I'm not into mag dumps or seeing how hot I can get barrels anyway.

Using your device my setup would work much better since I wouldn't always have to hear the "ting" depending on projectile weight and energy.

I tried cameras but they also require you shift to look at a display.

You are onto something. I imagine the user gets to input their call sign yes?







.

[SharedShots]

If you plan on using it with HAM I would need to know your call sign to program it at time of assembly. If you don't, I can have it set to "HIT" or any message you like.

OK. I just read the other replies so HAM adds complexity and FRS makes it versatile.

With my understanding of your description (which could be way off), I think there is a market. I see all kinds of other applications in shooting activities and all kinds of ways to take something like this and at the user end create lots of different experiences. In a group event, the message could be broadcast via PA to create excitement like at a family range day. Especially at distance the Ting doesn't always translate into feedback when the projectile is light, there is some wind, not everyone is silent and so on.

Using it to give feedback to the steel behind paper as I already explained is another.

I can see running boar type event where multiple sensors where placed at designated distances horizontally with point given to hits at markers or where the running target moves away from the shooter to preset distances and each sensor calls out a hit for that distance. I did this some decades ago with a bungee like contraption, targets moved from zero to 20 yards and zero was at various distances so a 100 yard target moved to 120 and stopped and the hit at zero started time and the hit at 120 stopped it.

I think you get it out there and if the price is right , its simple to setup then people will figure out all kinds of ways to use it and probably those ways are something you never thought of.

When I used to shoot up in Lassen County, in some of the canyons you couldn't hear the impacts on much of anything, some other source would have been great.

I could see someone making up a game target with multiple sensors to certain areas so that the shooter would know which area they hit if the message could be distinctive for different sensors. I'm not sure if the scope of your project includes that or if its' always pre-programmed in only.

A few questions and maybe you have a site explaining this:


How much impact sound is required to activate it? Will anything from rimfire or perhaps even air rifles work and what would you estimate the upper limit is (not to plate destructions of course?

Got a price point in mind or is that a bit further down the road? If no set price yet, is there a price target you're reaching for?

Bottom line? Make it. IMHO, there is a market. There might be similar things out there, so what, how many Glock clones are out there with more every day?






.

[broadside]

Flasher is easier and there are plenty out there already available. When I was shooting at Cameo, I could easily see all the flashers out to a mile (1760yd). I know the targets at 2k also had flashers but I didn't go for those at the time.

Of course that requires a spotter to be watching for verification rather than an audible radio signal for all to hear.