I need a way to test bolt speed

[magmonkey]

my question is not being an electronics guru, how can i hook two sets of IR transmiters and recivers to a timer so when the bolt passes the first set it starts the timer and when it reaches the second set it stops(this way I can verify a full bolt cycle)?

if anybody has a way to do this or a better idea please let me know

[ColdFuzion]

Well, it it's closed bolt, you could do something similar to how they make sure car fan belts are in time. They have a strip on the belt and a special light that senses the strip, and it times how long it takes the belt to do one rotation. I'm tired, but if I remember correctly, that's how it works. You could embet the strip into a test bolt, shine the timing light down the feed tube, shoot, and voilla. It may be really costly, though. As for open bolt, you could use IR's like you thought, bt I'm no electronics master. Keep in mind all of that came from a 13 year old, and it may not be the most practical...

-Cold

[WenULiVeUdiE]

You wouldnt need any test strip for a closed bolt. Simply start the time from the bolt passing the first IR sensor to the second, and back to the first. Other than that, I have no idea. I loathe working with electronics.

[Lurker27]

2 reflective eyes and a PIC would do the trick. Breakbeams ould requrie surgery, the reflective could get taped to the front/back of the feedneck.

The code would be easy to write. Grabbing an atmel chip is a good diea...AVR is very fun.

You'd be able to d/l the data to a computer afterwords, perhaps.