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Posted: 8/30/2014 12:00:50 AM EDT
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First and foremost I am not affiliated with Bullseye Target Camera System.
This review will go over my experience with the company and with using their BullseyeTarget Camera System (BTC) 500 yrd edition. Customer Service: I tried to cheap out and buy a used BTC off of e-bay for $300 thinking I would be able to save $150 (new the system is $450). Upon reciept of the BTC system I found that it didn't work at all, so I called up BTC and they tried to troubleshoot with me. Turns out whoever sold the BTC system on e-bay had reset the router, which has to be reprogrammed at BTC in Oregon. At this point BTC could have told me to pound sand and contact the e-bay seller. But they informed me that they had updated their system (router, battery, etc) and would gladly send a new system out as long as I purchased a $30 no questions asked two year warranty through them and send in the old model I had. I bought the warranty and sent in my useless system, and received the new one in a week or so. Big thumbs up on BTC for providing great customer service so far. Even the $30 warranty is generous: two years no questions asked. Even if you shoot your system by accident they will replace it. The System: The system itself is pretty fool proof. Everything comes in plugged and ready to go. All that is required is for you to set up the tripod with the camera, use a little laser pointer on the camera to aim it, focus the camera on the target, and turn the battery on (I had mine on for 2 hours and was still on a 70% charge.). At this point a WIFI signal named "bullseye####" will be transmitted and you can connect to it on a laptop or smart phone. The wifi name is unique to the box, so if you had a buddy with another camera you would still be able to use yours. Multiple devices can log into one system so you can use it on a laptop and smartphone at the same time like I did. Here is the box and the camera. As you can see, everything has a nice little spot that it sits in. IMPORTANT NOTE Make sure your target stand isn't moving in the breeze or anything. Since the software is basically taking a before and after shot of your target and flashing back and forth with them, any movement will cause the images not to line up. This means marking your shots won't work. Even though ours was moving, it still worked well enough to see where our shots were hitting. Lesson learned. 
Once logged onto the wifi, you plug in a thumb-stick with the BTC software (also for free on their website), or with the BTC app on android or iphone. The app is awesome. You lose the ability to mark your shots, but everything else stays the same. Basically, the software takes and image of your target, you shoot, and then press a button for the camera to take another picture. This two images flash on top of each other so you can see exactly where your round hit. It is hard to see using the photo, but the image is easy to see on the laptop and phone I was using. On the right of the screen is information you can fill in. Things like which rifle you are using, what round, distance from target, shooter, etc etc. This would be great for re-loaders, because when filling out ammunition, you can fill in projectile type, powder type and amount, and velocity. Makes it perfect for load development. Using the marker, you can show in which order shots were taken, and even color coordinate. 
I was only able to test 50 and 100 yards, but I was still at 99% signal strength so I believe it will be able to go at least 4-500. Here is how close the camera was for reference at 50 and 100. It would be very hard to hit the camera between 50-500 unless you were deliberately aiming at the camera. 
I also tested the night-vision capability of the device. I used the same target as the one at the range, and I forgot that IR won't see red. But you can easily see hits on the shoot and see target. I have a picture of it set-up in my bedroom but turned the light off and took the picture of my laptop in the room next to it. This would be the perfect system to zero night-vision lasers with, since you could see impacts real time from a good distance away. 
In total darkness. 
Usability: At first I questioned whether I really needed a camera system like this. I had previously gone from walking downrange to check holes during cease fire, using binos, or using a Celestron spotting scope. Checking holes sucks. Even if you are in good shape it sucks to call a cease fire, walk 300 meters downrange, just to say "ok, two left", and then walk back. Using a spotting scope like my cheapy $160 worked out to about 150, but after that it becomes hard to see 5.56 holes. And after shooting 20 or 30 rounds, you start to lose track of where your round might have hit. The only way to see farther with a spotting scope would be to drop $1k or more on a NICE scope (which still would have difficulty being able to see holes out in the 500-1000 yard range). After using the BTC system I realized how nice the instant feedback was. I didn't have to shoot, move over to a spotting scope, try to remember where my other shots were, etc. It was easy as bang, glance down at phone, see flashing impact, move on. Improvments My improvements that I would like to see made on the system are simple. Hinge for the case so the lid doesn't flop down (I guess I could make that myself). Future upgrade to a pan, tilt, zoom camera (more expensive, but it could always be an option). Possible wind reader that attaches to the camera. For long range shooters it would be cool to know what wind speed is at the target. Pros: 1- Easy set-up and use 2- The software works great and works on laptop/phone 3- Makes zeroing and longer range feedback instant. No more guess work on holes. 4- Great customer-service and warranty 5- A lot cheaper than a nice spotting scope Cons: 1- Needs a zoom or at least higher resolution camera (cost goes up) |
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Quoted:
Even the $30 warranty is generous: two years no questions asked. Even if you shoot your system by accident they will replace it. That's good. I know a guy who made his own camera system, and some asshole a couple lanes over shot his camera. Public ranges. 
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Quoted:
That's good. I know a guy who made his own camera system, and some asshole a couple lanes over shot his camera. Public ranges. Quoted:
Quoted:
Even the $30 warranty is generous: two years no questions asked. Even if you shoot your system by accident they will replace it. That's good. I know a guy who made his own camera system, and some asshole a couple lanes over shot his camera. Public ranges. Yeah that's why I would set it up on the extreme left or right. Too many dumb asses out there. |
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Quoted:
Well done... I've been looking hard at getting this system. I wish I could test the range of it but my local gun club only goes out to 250 (the 250 was packed when I went). I guess I could put it down the end of the street and drive a few blocks down just to be sure. I think a future project for me is going to be buying a "base station" that has a netbook with extended battery in a pelican case, a wifi antennae that plugs into the netbooks usb, and maybe some spare sparts. |
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Good to know... I think if I go with the system, I'll get the 1K rated system. Quoted:
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Update. I went out to an abandoned golf course and tested the system on my phone out to 375 meters. I still was at about 35% signal strength. Good to know... I think if I go with the system, I'll get the 1K rated system. If I could do it again I would get the 1k system. Im going to see how a usb wifi booster at a laptop base station. |
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So I used an old laptop, Alfa wifi booster with directional antennae, and an old pelican case to make a "base station". I had a 95% signal strength at 200 yards while shooting (farthest out my range goes), but I had to call my ay short because I broke my target stand....ugggg.
My friend and I found a nice open stretch of road and set up the camera, then I drove 500 yards down the road and tested the base station. I was still getting a 70% signal strength. So I am estimating I could go out to 800+ yards with my current set-up. The wifi antennae is only $30 so it's a great investment. edit- I just noticed how dark the picture is. That little panel off of the top is the directional antennae, and it is screwed into the alfa booster which I velcroed onto the back of the laptop. It peeks over the rim of the pelican case and swivels/pivots so you can point it downrange. I notice BTC is now selling their own base station which looks to be a repeater setup for $150. If I didn't already have a laptop I would have just gone with the repeater....since that will extend the range of a phone running the BTC app. 
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