25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

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rmca
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by rmca »

David Levene wrote:I am a bit confused by the "0.3 seconds before red light". Why would anyone want that?
For practice alone, to force myself to shoot a bit quicker. Not all the time, but when I miss an exposition of a target for example.
Also to train the first shot alone for rapid fire, where you need to have it off by x,xx seconds.

Hope this helps
diopter
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by diopter »

"25m centerfire pistol

Course of fire
The 25 and 50 meter pistol target having a diameter of 500 mm.
A center-fire match consists of two parts of 30 shots each, both shot at 25 m:

A precision stage where 5 shots are to be fired during a 5 minute period.
A rapid-fire stage where, for each shot, the shooter has 3 seconds to raise his arm from a 45 degree angle and fire.
As with all ISSF pistol disciplines, all firing must be done with one hand, unsupported."

Nice to train under the time limit, as RMCA has stated
David Levene
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by David Levene »

diopter wrote: Nice to train under the time limit, as RMCA has stated
I was just thinking that if you're training with lights then you might as well use the full 3 seconds as, with ESTs, you will get the score if it's registered at the target 3.3 seconds after the green light comes on.

I can understand training to shoot under 3 seconds on turning targets where you might not get that much of a positive variation (there is no allowably negative variation on the 3 seconds) and quick mechanisms will be reduce the allowable "skid" time, but not with lights.

Specific first shot training for the 4s RFP is another matter.
ToTheZeroth
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by ToTheZeroth »

David Levene wrote:I was just thinking that if you're training with lights then you might as well use the full 3 seconds as, with ESTs, you will get the score if it's registered at the target 3.3 seconds after the green light comes on.

I can understand training to shoot under 3 seconds on turning targets where you might not get that much of a positive variation (there is no allowably negative variation on the 3 seconds) and quick mechanisms will be reduce the allowable "skid" time, but not with lights.
Perhaps the wording is a little poor; if you set it to "When registered less than 0.3 seconds before red light", that's 0.3 seconds before the firing time is up, regardless of user interface in the app (or the setup of your physical range, if we're talking about live fire). That sentence is long as it is, but I'll see if I can think of a better way of wording it.

Actually, as you mention the 3.3-second thing, that was my other reason for including this setting. There are so many variables here – EST vs. paper targets, turning speed, bullet travel time, sound travel time to the microphone, possible microphone latency – that a shooter might well want to calibrate for something and allow 2.9 or 3.1 or even 3.2 seconds.
David Levene wrote:Specific first shot training for the 4s RFP is another matter.
It is, and that's a fair point from the both of you, there's no very good way of entering a time for that. If you're doing this with the microphone, that might not be a big problem, because you can see afterwards what your time was (so you can use the 5×3 – or create a custom event – and just shoot faster, ignoring the 3-second limit), but if you want a visual or audible cue when your time is up, you can't have that (unless you've decided to shoot in exactly 1 or 2 seconds). Especially when dry firing on the animated target, I can see how that would be useful. Perhaps adding the possibility to have tenths of seconds in custom events is really the way to go. It would definitely be doable.
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by David Levene »

ToTheZeroth wrote: Actually, as you mention the 3.3-second thing, that was my other reason for including this setting. There are so many variables here – EST vs. paper targets, turning speed, bullet travel time, sound travel time to the microphone, possible microphone latency – that a shooter might well want to calibrate for something and allow 2.9 or 3.1 or even 3.2 seconds.
Please believe me, I am not criticizing your app.

It was really just a discussion point as the 2.7 second was specifically mentioned for shooting with lights, which means ESTs.

I can understand training for a shot release in less than 3 seconds on paper targets as you might only get, say, 3.1 seconds (or less) from the start signal (targets start to face) for the bullet to hit the target before you get an over-length, and therefore late, skid shot.

With ESTs you KNOW that you will get 3.3 seconds from the start signal (green light comes on) for the bullet to be registered at the target before you get a late shot.

You can therefore train to shoot 0.2 seconds later if you're training for lights/ESTs than if you're training for turning/paper targets.
ToTheZeroth
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by ToTheZeroth »

David Levene wrote:Please believe me, I am not criticizing your app.
Oh, I thought nothing of the sort. On the contrary, I've been kind of overwhelmed by all the positive response from everyone in this thread.
ToTheZeroth
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by ToTheZeroth »

Update to 1.9 available now. Features include:
  • Changed to a dark app theme, mainly because it's easier on the battery. If someone had a strong preference for the light theme, let me know and I'll add that back as an option.
  • Revamped custom event editor. I think it's both neater and more intuitive now. Also, you can enter tenths of seconds (finally!).
  • A new option for timer direction. Apart from up (the default) and down, you can also choose "up continuously from LOAD" to mimic the way you might use your match timer.
  • An all-new slave mode, where a device is controlled from another via Bluetooth. I can envision a number of uses for this:
    • For those of you who dry-fire at a tablet, if you also have an Android phone, you can use that as your timer, and the lights/target turns on the tablet will follow.
    • In a multi-shooter setting, such as if you use the app as a range officer, you could post a tablet with a large timer on the wall, controlling it from your handheld device.
    • If you have a couple of spare phones, you can place one above the target and set its UI to red light, and another below the target and set its UI to green light, to replicate the look of electronic targets. In my experience (LG G3 S + Samsung Galaxy S2), this works well at 25m, although it's a stretch for Bluetooth and might not work well under other circumstances (it should be possible to relay the signal through an intermediary device to increase the range though). Needless to say (hopefully), only do this if you're confident you won't shoot your phones, as I won't replace them!
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rmca
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by rmca »

ToTheZeroth wrote:Update to 1.9 available now.
After the update the app crashes on opening. Using Android 4.4.2

-Exception class name:
java.lang.NullPointerException
-Origin File
BluethoothMasterService.java
-Origin Class
com.tothezeroth.timer.BluetoothMasterService$SlaveSlot$AcceptThread
-Origin Method
run
-Line Number
126

Is there something I can do on the phone to correct this, or is it code related?
Thank for continuing to add to this great app!

Best regards
ToTheZeroth
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by ToTheZeroth »

I'm sorry to hear that, but thank you for your detailed bug report. I haven't been able to reproduce the bug on my devices, but then none of them are running 4.4.2. It seems that Bluetooth acting up on 4.4.2 is not all that uncommon. Rebooting your phone might work. Switching off Bluetooth while using the app certainly should work (although you won't be able to connect slaves to your phone). I'll look into this some more, and see if I can do something about it.

Update: For now, I have uploaded a "fix" for this (as 1.10). It's not really a fix, that is it doesn't solve the actual problem of not being able to listen for connecting slaves on some systems. But at least it should fail more silently, so you can use the app in its usual, single-device mode without having to turn off Bluetooth first. Let me know if it works. I'll continue looking into this issue.
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rmca
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by rmca »

I've turned the bluetooth off and the app started normally. Then closed the app.
Turned the bluetooth on again and the problem was solved as the app started normally.
This was before the update.

Now the app was updated, and everything seems normal.

Thanks!
Best Regards!
jerber
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by jerber »

I downloaded this app and use it today for the first time
Worked out OK but even adjusting the mic volume
It also registered other shooters when they shoot
Anything I can do/adjust to prevent that?
ToTheZeroth
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by ToTheZeroth »

jerber wrote:Worked out OK but even adjusting the mic volume
It also registered other shooters when they shoot
Anything I can do/adjust to prevent that?
I can't imagine that there is. The app was designed with a single-shooter scenario in mind. I could possibly add a function where you could attach a stand-alone microphone to the gun itself and send the times to the timer via Bluetooth, but even so, I doubt it would work, because these microphones tend not to be all that good at distinguishing between very loud sounds (such as your neighbours' guns firing) and even louder sounds (such as your own gun firing).

If you're OK with getting more than your own shots, you can check "Listen for more than 5 shots" in the Settings. But if two shooters fire almost simultaneously, one of the shots will definitely be missed. (Plus, it might be hard to know which shots are yours and which ones aren't.)

If you're interested in a possibility of switching off shot detection altogether, just to avoid having an irrelevant timing table in cases such as this one, let me know. That, of course, is easily managed.
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rmca
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by rmca »

ToTheZeroth

Can you add a "bip" option to the command sequence of the custom event?
It would be great to get the timing right when dry firing the 20 and 10 seconds for example.
One could create the event, then add the bips at the time he/she would like the shots to go off.

Best regards and thanks again for a great app!
ToTheZeroth
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by ToTheZeroth »

rmca wrote:ToTheZeroth

Can you add a "bip" option to the command sequence of the custom event?
It would be great to get the timing right when dry firing the 20 and 10 seconds for example.
One could create the event, then add the bips at the time he/she would like the shots to go off.

Best regards and thanks again for a great app!
Added to version 1.11. You now have "Pace beep" and "Pace vibrate" as options in the command sequence list. They simply beep or vibrate without resetting the timer or doing anything else. You'll have to keep track of the time totalling up to 20 or 10 seconds. It could look like this:
Screenshot_2015-07-24-23-55-28.png
dand
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by dand »

ToTheZeroth,
What a great app. My family has enjoyed using it.
The problem that I have is that I would like to have the sounds played thru a blue tooth speaker so that it can act as the RO for a few of us shooting together. It won't work with my phone at all (android razor). It almost works with my wife's phone (Samsung) but the sounds continue to play on the phone slightly ahead of when they play on the speaker and the volume on the speaker will not go loud enough for all to hear while wearing hearing protection. We have done this with a bullseye app.

Another question is how/if I can use the custom feature to beep a set time after a shot is fired. It might help me learn to extend my feeble follow-thru.

Thank you for the app. We will continue to enjoy it even if without the use of a speaker.

Dan
ToTheZeroth
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by ToTheZeroth »

dand wrote:The problem that I have is that I would like to have the sounds played thru a blue tooth speaker so that it can act as the RO for a few of us shooting together. It won't work with my phone at all (android razor). It almost works with my wife's phone (Samsung) but the sounds continue to play on the phone slightly ahead of when they play on the speaker and the volume on the speaker will not go loud enough for all to hear while wearing hearing protection. We have done this with a bullseye app.
I think the problem was that I was playing the sounds as notifications, which is handled differently by different devices when it comes to external speakers or headphones. I've changed this to play as music instead, which seems to work better. Please update to 1.12 and let me know if it works on your devices.
dand wrote:Another question is how/if I can use the custom feature to beep a set time after a shot is fired. It might help me learn to extend my feeble follow-thru.
Nice idea! Added to the shot detection settings in 1.12.

The other major news in 1.12 is that I've replaced the somewhat fragmentary voice commands with a more complete set, including LOAD and UNLOAD as well as pre-LOAD cues for the STP and RFP series (like "20 second series… LOAD").
dand
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by dand »

Thank you very much. The update solved the problem I had trying to use a blue tooth speaker.
I also really appreciate you adding the follow thru reminder feature. You must have pegged me as an old guy because you took the time to make it very simple to use.
The other changes you made on this version are very nice as well.
Dan
dand
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by dand »

Does anyone know of an app like this for I phones?
Thanks
Dan
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Rune Kanstad
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by Rune Kanstad »

Looks like a great app! Unfortunately I only have access to an air pistol range in winter, but I'll be sure to try it when spring comes along. I'll post some info on the app on the Norwegian shooters' website Image.

Someone mentioned problems with shot detecion when using the app alongside other shooters. Would it be possible to make it an option to connect the microphone from a Scatt system using a USB to Micro USB adapter?
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SPPcoach
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Re: 25m Pistol Timer (new Android app with shot detection)

Post by SPPcoach »

This looks great. We are going to start working on this event more.
ToTheZeroth wrote:You can get it from the app page on Google Play (or just search for "25m Pistol Timer").
Good: Your hyperlink worked.
Bad: When i typed in "25m Pistol Timer" it did not find your app on my andriod.
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