Traders Airsoft Forums

I will probably end up buying a Madbull timer but like many others I would like to shoot a match or two before I invest in more equipment. However, I would like to have a more accurate way of timing myself than some other person with a stop watch. As I was thinking about this I realized that there was another accurate, and cheap, way to do this (provided you already have the proper equipment).

For quite some time now I have used digital audio recording programs (Audacity in my case) to test ROF. You simply record a gun firing and then visually count the number of peaks (a shot sound) in the given period of time. I realized that this same set up could be adapted for airsoft. It's actually quite simple.

Here's how it works; you start the recording. Then you either have your 'timer' make a load start noise or you set a timer for a random amount of time. The start noise will be recorded and the shooter will start firing. Once the shooter hits the popper target they will stop shooting. After stopping the recording the shooter can go back and get the time that the start sound was made and the time that the last shot was fired. After a bit of simple math they have their final time (which is easily accurate down to .01 sec if they zoom in on the recording enough).

All that is required to do this is a computer, a microphone, and this free software.

Here's a link to Audacity: Link

An added bonus to this method of timing is that you can keep or send in a recorded record of your shots to reinforce the accuracy of your timing.

If this meets with the staffs approval I will be using this timing method for my entries for the April Postal (which I will shoot when my gun comes in the mail).

I'm interested to hear peoples thoughts/ideas/comments.

Sounds good to me. I do like the idea. And a lot of portable mp3 players and cell phones can be used to record. Then loaded into Audacity. You can do run after run and write down your hits for each recording. Then go back once you are fnished shooting and calculate your final scores.
I'm not smart enough to find a real flaw in this method so..Awesome idea Rom.

the4thpower3 Wrote:Sounds good to me. I do like the idea. And a lot of portable mp3 players and cell phones can be used to record. Then loaded into Audacity. You can do run after run and write down your hits for each recording. Then go back once you are fnished shooting and calculate your final scores.
I'm not smart enough to find a real flaw in this method so..Awesome idea Rom.

This is basically the exact same way shot counters work... except shot counters can recognize the shots and count them automatically.

If you could find a free ware signal analysis program, you might even be able to have your recorded run automatically analyzed and get the total time and shot times counted for you.

Put all of this on a laptop, with an external microphone, and walla.. instant, accurate, portable airsoft shot counter.

Thats a great idea Romulus.

I'm glad to see the people think this will work. If my gun shows up tomorrow I'll put all this to a practical test.

BP, I'll have to do a bit of Google work and see what I can find. I wondering if anyone has made shot counting software for RS applications? I'll let you guys know if I find anything.

It definitely works. I tried this once right before I got my Madbull stop plate timer. You might have to be a bit ingenious with positioning the mic and computer. I have a notebook, plus I have an extension cord for my mic. I used an old cooking timer to make the start signal. Otherwise maybe alarm clock software on the computer would work.

Romulus Wrote:I'm glad to see the people think this will work. If my gun shows up tomorrow I'll put all this to a practical test.

BP, I'll have to do a bit of Google work and see what I can find. I wondering if anyone has made shot counting software for RS applications? I'll let you guys know if I find anything.

There are plenty of freeware audio and signal analysis software packages out there.. if you can find them. Most of them having been made by graduate students at universities, made for a specific purpose, then put online for the sake of other grad students. Some have gone retail, usually the ones that now charge for the software, will be easier to use. Raven http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/raven/Raven.html is one of them, but their freeware does recording and waveforms display, but you have to buy the package to use the data analysis portion.

Most alternative timing ideas I've heard of are not truly comparable with a proper timer, and to be honest I was preparing to point some out when I saw the topic.

But this idea is actually really good. As long as the start signal is randomized between 2-5 seconds or so (so the shooter has to react instead of anticipate), I think it's perfectly fair and the times will be comparable to times measured with a timer.

-Sale