Precision Rifle Gear New Caldwell Radar Chronograph "VelociRadar" (LabRadar competitor?)

[Defy Gear]

Hey guys,

Saw this pop up from a distributor data feed and though it was interesting; looks to be a LabRadar competitor \ tabletop Radar chronograph:

Will update further when there's specs or pricing released, but there's no other info about it floating around that I can find.

 

[Lowlight]

Interesting,

If they can fix the Labradar shortcomings this will be a winner.

The casing already looks stronger , and before you say, my has broken 3x, back 2x needs a 3rd now

 

[Eric32]

I found this says $299 on natchez but the price has me a little skeptical, but if it works it works.

Natchez

www.natchezss.com

 

[b6graham]

at sub $300

they certainly took their time in releasing it

 

[Skunkworx]

Interesting, wonder if it will have the typical Caldwell quality?

 

[Lowlight]

If they are smart, just don't advertise it as reading to 100 yards, that is a complete waste of time anyway.

If it works out to even 25 yards that is plenty, it's the power factor that more than likely sets the cost.

 

[Steel head]

If they are smart, just don't advertise it as reading to 100 yards, that is a complete waste of time anyway.

If it works out to even 25 yards that is plenty, it's the power factor that more than likely sets the cost.

I agree
I don’t need speeds at distances.
Just near the muzzle.

 

[loveha]

I'm interested that is for sure. Just the interface from the pictures alone looks far better.

 

[b6graham]

I agree
I don’t need speeds at distances.
Just near the muzzle.

if i did i'd use a shotmarker or oehler or AB lab or all three

 

[Im2bent]

Isn't Caldwell the Harbor Freight of the shooting world?

 

[Defy Gear]

Isn't Caldwell the Harbor Freight of the shooting world?

If I recall correctly, it was started by a member Larry Potterfield's (the founder of Midway) as a family of house brands that includes Frankford Arsenal, Wheeler and more.

It was so successful that it was opened up to other retailers and eventually spun off after capital infusion from VC firm, and was just acquired again by the same group that owns Smith & Wesson, Crimson Trace and more.

 

[drew_235]

If this works, I'll be ordering one. I *want* a LabRadar and I'm currently borrowing one from a shooting buddy, but the nerd in me has trouble rewarding a company that sells a product with an interface that horrible. Yes, I know I could just use the app, but on top of that they are fragile units.

 

[loveha]

If anything, maybe it will make Labradar do this little weird word called innovate.

 

[b6graham]

If anything, maybe it will make Labradar do this little weird word called innovate.

shhh leupold might hear you

 

[loveha]

shhh leupold might hear you

And Remington. Oh, wait...

Any ways! I'll probably jump on this as soon as it's available. My only concern is how they handle suppressed rifles.

 

[_Windrider_]

Isn't Caldwell the Harbor Freight of the shooting world?

It is in my opinion. I will never buy the brand again. Everything I have ever bought has been utter garbage.

 

[jbell]

It is in my opinion. I will never buy the brand again. Everything I have ever bought has been utter garbage.

Yep, I’m right there with ya...

 

[_Windrider_]

Yep, I’m right there with ya...

Besides, I like my LabRadar

 

[b6graham]

good thing i have friends who like to spend money and arent afraid to beta test

 

[Lowlight]

Exactly,

My Labradar currently has broken parts rattling around inside and it's not working right

So for $300 why not try it ... how bad can it be compared to not being able to use it at all

I pretty much stopped chronographing stuff unless I have too, in the past it was pretty easy to just let the labradar run, but if I am constantly worrying about it, no good

 

[_Windrider_]

Exactly,

My Labradar currently has broken parts rattling around inside and it's not working right

So for $300 why not try it ... how bad can it be compared to not being able to use it at all

I pretty much stopped chronographing stuff unless I have too, in the past it was pretty easy to just let the labradar run, but if I am constantly worrying about it, no good

Yeah in your range it’s a whole different ball game. My home range is pretty sheltered and we rarely see winds above 10 Mph

 

[Shootinsurveyor]

I’m in on one if it can detect arrow flight speed along with accurate muzzle velocities.

 

[kindabitey]

For 300.00, I'd try one.

 

[GenericBadGuy]

Was looking for an alternative to the LabRadar just due to the fact that I've pissed away so much money into reloading supplies as of late. I at least would like to see an comparison of the accuracy level it can produce versus other common models. If it can get close to the range that LabRadar is able to capture then I would be in for one.

Im thinking one of you have enough pull to get LL one to put up on a video.

 

[BORD]

Interesting, wonder if it will have the typical Caldwell quality?

No expertise on my end, but this was my first thought as well after reading it.

 

[GenericBadGuy]

Natchez has a second listing for an Alpha version that is priced at $499. https://www.natchezss.com/caldwell-velociradar-alpha-chronograph.html

 

[atakawow]

Shit! Will have to bite even though my LabRadar is working great. This looks much more robust.

 

[drew_235]

Natchez has a second listing for an Alpha version that is priced at $499. https://www.natchezss.com/caldwell-velociradar-alpha-chronograph.html

It's hard to justify the extra $200 for the Alpha version vs. the base unit given all of published specifications....(no information whatsoever)

 

[Im2bent]

What's interesting is everyone is listing one (all out of stock with no pics) except for caldwell if you go to caldwells site there is no mention of this item that I could find. They show 3 chronos in their line up https://www.caldwellshooting.com/range-gear/range-essentials/chronographs/

 

[Lowlight]

We know it exists because the pre-order notes went out for companies to order it

We are seeing behind the scenes, the distribution channels for all the shops to purchase. Some have just loaded their site with the basic information to make it easy, they just made the pages live.

 

[Lost_Phil]

If you do a internet search of "New Caldwell Radar Chronograph "VelociRadar"", you will see allot of places have it listed between 265$ to 300$, which makes it a hell of a dell if it works as advertised.

 

[pmclaine]

It's a Trap!

Made in China radar guided targeting device.

Chinese drone fires stolen Hellfire technology, missile tracks straight back to Caldwell device, pmclaine goes boom.

Keep me posted......magnetospeed sporter was working weird last time I hooked it up.

 

[GenericBadGuy]

It's a Trap!

Made in China radar guided targeting device.

Chinese drone fires stolen Hellfire technology, missile tracks straight back to Caldwell device, pmclaine goes boom.

Keep me posted......magnetospeed sporter was working weird last time I hooked it up.

Drones from DJI and Yuneec are probably a bigger security threat.

 

[MDof2]

If anything, maybe it will make Labradar do this little weird word called innovate.

They don't even need to innovate.... hang on a second.... Hear me out....
Just change one fvcking line of code in your app to show feet, not meters. It blows my mind that they haven't made this change yet.

Caldwell saw an opportunity to compete, and apparently is giving it a go. As the laws of free markets dictate, price will come down, and goods, products and services will improve.

Hopefully this does just that.

 

[Animal357]

What’s an alpha version?

 

[Im2bent]

They don't even need to innovate.... hang on a second.... Hear me out....
Just change one fvcking line of code in your app to show feet, not meters. It blows my mind that they haven't made this change yet.

Caldwell saw an opportunity to compete, and apparently is giving it a go. As the laws of free markets dictate, price will come down, and goods, products and services will improve.

Hopefully this does just that.

Ahh I got a brand new labradar under the tree and it allows me to set distance in feet,yards,or meters. and I can set velocity to fps ,yps,or mps. so.....
And since when is a cheaper knockoff going to be better or more robust than the original? There has to be a reason its cheaper. What happened to the go be poor somewhere else hide mentality? If some one showed a link to a cheap copy of a zco they would get laughed off the forum. Here we have an imaginary (still being developed?) cheap clone and everyone is acting like its the second coming.

 

[Im2bent]

Sorry if I came across as a dick. Was feeling really pissy this morning after spending New Years eve in isolation due to this covid lockdown bullshit. The real kick to the nuts was the horrifically pathetic Dick Clark New Years show with an empty Times square (except for the inflatable purple people" and that jagoff seacrest.

 

[MDof2]

Ahh I got a brand new labradar under the tree and it allows me to set distance in feet,yards,or meters. and I can set velocity to fps ,yps,or mps. so.....

I'll wait until you install the mobile app.

 

[TxWelder35]

Is it just broken on my side or did the pic in the first post disappear?

 

[loveha]

Is it just broken on my side or did the pic in the first post disappear?

Your end.

 

[Gee Kay]

broken

 

[Mr.BR]

Ahh I got a brand new labradar under the tree and it allows me to set distance in feet,yards,or meters. and I can set velocity to fps ,yps,or mps. so.....
And since when is a cheaper knockoff going to be better or more robust than the original? There has to be a reason its cheaper. What happened to the go be poor somewhere else hide mentality? If some one showed a link to a cheap copy of a zco they would get laughed off the forum. Here we have an imaginary (still being developed?) cheap clone and everyone is acting like its the second coming.

It's not like radar chronograph is something exclusive to Labradar is it ,so how is this a cheap clone.

There are at least half a dozen different radar chronographs on the market ,for now mostly for Air rifle and paintball use but it was only question of time before others came to market for centerfire use.

 

[glefos]

Labradar claims .1% accuracy. Caldwells specs will determine if it is worth the lower price.

 

[BigJimFish]

Looks interesting to me. I'm not over the moon with any of the current chrono options in existence. All of them are a lot of setup, a lot of chance of shooting the damn thing, difficult to get to function well at a public range, expensive, fragile, interfere with barrel harmonics, have a lot of failures to read, or some combination of these things.

 

[Shawnson]

Definitely looks worthy of a try. I wonder what the step up to the Alpha gives you.

 

[308pirate]

And since when is a cheaper knockoff going to be better or more robust than the original?

A) It's a fucking doppler radar. Technology that is decades old.

B) It's not that hard to use leverage purchasing power to get better deals in quality materials and to leverage broader manufacturing and engineering capability to make the thing better AND cheaper.

Easy money. Done all the fucking time.

 

[308pirate]

Labradar claims .1% accuracy.

Anyone can claim anything. How can that be verified?

 

[HellcatActual]

hopefully this drives Labrador to come up with a killer Gen2.

 

[glefos]

[email protected]. They'll send you the white paper.

 

[Im2bent]

A) It's a fucking doppler radar. Technology that is decades old.

B) It's not that hard to use leverage purchasing power to get better deals in quality materials and to leverage broader manufacturing and engineering capability to make the thing better AND cheaper.

Easy money. Done all the fucking time.

Then why didn't labradar follow this path of of persueing "better deals" or are they just fucking everyone?