Target Shooting Timer Controller to Replace Jackcast

Posted on June 2, 2019 by neil

Pictured above is an old Jackcast shooting target timer controller which needed replacing. This timer could be set to repeat sequences 1-8 times or forever, the target edge times to 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, or 30 seconds, and the target face times to 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, and 150 seconds. Buttons are provided to manually face or edge the target, and there are start and stop buttons to run and stop the timer.

Pictured below is the Arduino-based replacement controller board we built to replicate the features of the original unit.This will be fitted into an enclosure with panel mounted buttons, and the display as shown below mounted to show system settings and the timer status.

Here are some photographs of the finished controller installed into its case and connected up by its owner ready for use.

Wireless operation has been added in parallel to the hard wired output from the relay on our controller. The right hand board above provides this functionality.

If you require any kind of shooting target controller, email neil@reuk.co.uk with details of your specific requirements.

PPC 1500 Target Shooting Timer

Posted on April 27, 2019 by neil

Pictured above is a timer we recently built to control the start and finish horn for PPC 1500 shooting competitions.

In competition a button is pressed followed by a 3 second delay. Then the timer begins counting down from 8 secs,12 secs, 20 secs, 35 secs, 90 secs, or 165 secs with a horn sounding for 0.75 seconds as the timer starts, and again for 0.5 seconds after the timer has finished.

The user can select the timing option using the on board button, an external button, or using a remote control switch.

The on board display shows the current setting while the timer is not running, and then shows the countdown ticking down while it is running. The start button can also be used to stop the timer when it is running to reset the system.

A second button enables the user to sound the horn at any time while the button is being pressed.

If you need any time of timer controller, please email neil@reuk.co.uk with details of your specific requirements.

Target Shooting Lights Controlling Timer

Posted on July 29, 2017 by neil

Pictured below is a timer for use in competitive target shooting. Usually we make turning target controllers which turn the target to face and away from the shooter at the required times. This controller instead is for use with a fixed target, using a red and a green light to tell the shooter when to shoot.

The red light starts off on. The start/stop button is pressed and the range master gives a vocal command for shooters to load. After 30 seconds, the red light turns off and the green light turns on – shooting commences. After a user programmable timer period has elapsed, the red light turns on again, the green light turns off, and shooting stops.

With this particular controller, the available timing options are fixed as 4, 6, 8, 10, 20, or 150 seconds. The timer option button is used to cycle through those options with red indicator LEDs used to show which option is currently selected. (We also make timers like these with a physical display and the ability for the user to change the values of the timing options instead of having a fixed selection – see here for details of some of our other shooting timers.)

The type of bulb to be used with controller is pictured below: a low current 12VDC powered 22ds LED bulb from Onpow.If you need any type of shooting range timer, please email neil@reuk.co.uk with details of your requirements.

User Programmable Target Shooting Controller with Display

Posted on March 7, 2017 by neil

Pictured below is a target shooting controller which we recently made for a shooting club in Australia.

We had previously made them a controller with fixed time series – for example, Standard Pistol 150s, 30s, and 10s, Centre Fire face target 3s then away for 7s repeating 5 times, and Rapid Fire 8s, 6s, and 4s. Other clubs in the area required something similar, but with flexibility in the timings.

We therefore enhanced the software written for the original controller so that all of the different time series could be modified, reducing or increasing the time that the target faced the shooter by the operator at the range to meet specific and potentially changing needs.

When the start button is pressed, the target turns away from the shooter. After 7 seconds the on board buzzer sounds for half a second and the target faces the shooter. (An external 12V buzzer or siren can be connected to the terminals on the controller board if a louder sounds is required). After the user programmed time, the target turns away from the shooter (again accompanied by the sound of the buzzer), and then a further 7 seconds later, the target is turned back to face ready for the next shooter.

NEW – We now also produce a modified version of this controller which allows the operator to set the edge times of the target independently for each of the series instead of using a fixed 7 seconds for all of them.

Order a Controller

If you need any kind of shooting target timer controller, please email neil@reuk.co.uk with your specific requirements. (Click here to view some of the turning target and other shooting timers we have supplied in the past.)

Target Shooting Timer Example Instructions

Pictured above is the version of this shooting target timer controller which we currently sell. It is physically smaller, but otherwise functionally identical to the original, and the connections are the same as per the photographic diagram at the top of this post.

On the controller there are two buttons. Press button1 (Down) to run the currently displayed series. Press and hold button2 (Up) for more than half a second to be able to select from the seven saved series (using button1 to go down and button2 to go up through the list).

The device is fitted with a 10A rated SPDT relay with NO, COM, and NC connections. It has the relay energised when the target is to be faced, and de-energised when the target is to be edged. You can therefore wire things up whether your solenoids need to be powered to face the target, or need to be powered to edge the target using the NO-COM or NC-COM connections respectively.

When a series has run to completion, the target will edge, the screen will go blank for 7 seconds and then the target will face with the controller reset and ready to be run again.

In order to modify any of the timings of the seven pre-programmed series, press and hold button1 for 5 seconds or longer. Then, use button1 to decrease the number of seconds for the selected series, or button2 to increase the number of seconds. The value will be shown on the screen as you increase or decrease it. After five seconds of inactivity (no button presses), the new displayed value will be saved under the name of the selected series – e.g. Standard Pistol 150s could become Standard Pistol 125s or whatever you have set it as.

The maximum time limit is 254 seconds for any series – e.g. you could set Standard Pistol 254s, but you could not set Standard Pistol 255s or higher.

Turning Shooting Target Controller

Posted on December 1, 2016 by neil

Pictured below is a controller we recently made to control a shooting target for competitive shooting.Based around an Arduino Pro Mini, this device is used to edge or face a shooting target according to preset and user-set timings.

By default, the target is edge on to the shooter. When the start button is pressed, a relay closes which turns the target face on to the shooter. An accurate timer then starts and counts down the number of seconds the shooter has until the target is turned edge on again.

There are five preset modes – 165 seconds, 35s, 8s, 4s, and 2s. There is also a sixth mode which the user can programme to be any duration from 1 to 999 seconds.

Buttons are fitted to the circuit board, but there are also connectors to which external buttons can be connected so that the device can be fitted in a box with just the two external buttons and display visible.

If you need any kind of shooting target controller, please email neil@reuk.co.uk with details of your requirements.

Pistol Shooting Training Timer

Posted on May 12, 2016 by neil

Pictured above is a timer we recently made for use in competitive pistol shooting training. There is a microswitch under a flat plate on which the pistol lies. When the shooter picks up the pistol, the timer starts counting down a user set value of either 6, 8, or 10 seconds after which a buzzer sounds briefly telling the shooter to replace the pistol. The duration of the timer is set using a button to step through the three possible options, with an LED (red, yellow, or green) illuminated to show the currently selection option. This will all be fitted inside an enclosure with the microswitch connected through the circuit board, and the LEDs and timer mode selection button mounted in the lid of the enclosure.

This timer is built around an Arduino Pro Mini board and uses its internal clock for timings as it is accurate enough over such short timing intervals (+/-1 millisecond or better over 10 seconds) when considered in conjunction with the time it takes the microswitch to open/close, or sound to actually start to emit from a buzzer when it is first powered.

If you need any kind of special timer, please email neil@reuk.co.uk with details of your specific requirements.

Programmable Target Shooting Timer Relay Board

Posted on December 10, 2015 by neil

Pictured above is a target shooting timer relay controller with programmable options for different shooting programmes. With this device the user can set the number of seconds that the target is to remain edge-on to the shooter and how many second that it is to remain face-on to the shooter, and also how many cycles of edge and face the shoot will comprise.

The backlit display with this device shows the user programmed number of seconds that the target will edge (E) then face (F), and the number of cycles (C) for which it will be repeated. It also shows the current status of the target.

There are two buttons on the controller. The MANUAL button is used to enter the programming mode to set the timings for the programme and also to toggle the target manually between facing and edging. The AUTO button is used to start the programme. The programme starts by edging the target, and finishes also with the target edged.

While the shooting programme is running, the display continues to show the user set programme values and the status of the target. It also shows a running countdown of the time remaining during this part of the cycle, and also which cycle the shooter is currently on.

If you need any kind of automated user-programmable timer for target shooting, please email neil@reuk.co.uk with details of your requirements.

Shooting Timer Instructions

Connect up the timer as shown in the connection diagram at the top of page making sure to use correct polarity for the 12VDC power input. The controller has buttons on board, but external push to make buttons can be connected in parallel to those as shown in the connection diagram.

Programming

To set the timings for your controller, press and hold the UP button for a couple of seconds until the display shows PROGRAMMING MODE. When you release the button, you will be prompted to ‘SET Edge time’. You can use the UP and DOWN buttons to change the displayed value within the range 1-99 seconds. Five seconds after you last pressed a button, whatever is displayed for Edge is saved in memory, and you will be prompted to ‘SET Face time’. Again the UP and DOWN buttons are used to change the displayed value within the range 1-999 seconds. (Since the face time can be set to a high value, if you press and hold the UP or DOWN button, you will be able to speedily increase or decrease the value.) Finally you will be prompted to ‘SET Cycles’. This can be set within the range 1-9 repeating cycles of the Edge/Face times.

The values you set in programming mode are saved in long term memory and are therefore retained if/when you disconnect and subsequently reconnect the power to the controller. You only need to repeat the above described steps if you want to change one or more of the saved values.

Using the Timer

In normal operation with your timings already programmed, the Manual/UP button can be used to manually toggle the position of the target. If the target is face on, press the button, and it will edge. Press the button again, and the target will be face on again.

The relay on the controller is closed when the target is edge on, and open when the target is face on. Therefore, when no power is being supplied to the target, it is expected that your target will be configured to be face on.

To run the timer, press the Auto/DOWN button. All cycles start with the target edge on, so if you have manually set the target to be face on, it will turn to edge on. As shown above, the display will show where you are in the programme, the countdown timer, the target status (edge or face), and which cycle you are currently on.

If you want to stop the timer when it is running, press the Auto/DOWN button again. The target will turn to be edge on if it is not already.

Air Pistol Shooting Target Controller

Posted on June 24, 2015 by neil

Pictured below is a controller we recently made for competitive air pistol shooting training.

On the shooting range there is a target connected to a motor. If the motor is powered for one second with one polarity, the target will turn to face the shooter. If the motor is powered for one second with reverse polarity, the target will turn edge on to the shooter. (Click here to see how we reverse the polarity of a motor with two relays – alternatively, we could have used an H Bridge motor controller.)

The controller has two buttons, and also screw in terminals so that external buttons can be added in parallel if the controller is to be enclosed. One button is used to toggle the target position – to edge it when it is facing, and to face it when it is edge on. The second button is used to start the training routine.

When the start timer button is pressed, the target will be turned edge on to the shooter. Then after seven seconds, the target will be turned to face the shooter for three seconds. This edge for seven seconds face for three seconds is repeated five times, and then the target is edged to wait for the next shooter.

If you need any kind of automatic timer controller board, email neil@reuk.co.uk with details of your requirements.

Automatic Shooting Target Time Controller

Posted on August 21, 2014 by neil

Pictured below is a controller designed for competitive shooters to automatically turn targets on the range to face to and away from the shooters for the required length of time.

The targets are controlled by air solenoids. When these are energised the targets face away from the shooter, so our controller has a relay with NC and COM connections (normally connected). When the relay is energised, the NC-COM connection breaks and the targets turn to face the shooter.

After pressing a button to start the timer, there is a user selected delay of 3 or 7 seconds. Then the relay is energised to turn the targets to face the shooters and a buzzer sounds for half a second. The targets are kept facing the shooters for a user selected ‘par’ time of 1,2,3,4…15, 25, 35, 90, 165, or 210 seconds. Then the relay is de-energised, the targets turn away, and the buzzer again sounds for half a second. The system then resets ready to be used again.

Pressing the other button acts as an override so that the targets can be kept facing the shooter until the button is pressed again to cancel the override.

An LCD display is provided to make setting up the device with the required delay time and par time easy, and also to show a countdown of the number of seconds remaining during the two countdowns when the system has been triggered. It also constantly shows the current delay and par time settings to make the system easy to use.

We have added screw in terminals to the board so that a louder external buzzer/siren can be added, and so that external buttons can be mounted if the controller is to be housed in a waterproof box etc.

If you require a controller of this type (here is another of the competitive shooting timers we have made recently), please email neil@reuk.co.uk with details of your exact requirements.

Target Controller for Competitive Shooting

Posted on November 15, 2013 by neil

Pictured below is a controller we have just made for use in competitive shooting. The competitor has a line of five targets to hit, each of which has a microswitch which closes when the hit target flips over. When each target is hit, an LED lights up, and when all five targets have been hit and all five lights lit, the lights flash on and off five times before the system resets for the next competitor.

We made this as a standalone Arduino project with the ATmega328 microcontroller. This has more than enough IO (input/output) pins to cope with the five inputs (target microswitches) and five outputs (LED lights switched by MOSFETs). The lights are 12VDC powered, so the controller was also made to be powered by 12VDC.

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