Excellent wireless app, reliable, lightweight, rechargeable, works in dicey light conditions - Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph G2

First, the Caldwell iPhone app.

It cannot export data as a delimited Excel spreadsheet format. You can send data as SMS text and email. It would be great to manipulate, sort and print the data from inside a spreadsheet.

Secondly, while the chronograph is stored and carried in a very compact manner and comes in a nice nylon case, it takes too long to set up and break down. I bought a larger nylon bag at Amazon for a few bucks, lined it with 1/2" polyethylene foam slabs. This allows me to keep the lower section assembled. That lower section's friction fit of parts is pretty stiff and takes time and effort to assemble and store. I am more than willing to carry the unit in a larger case if it means setup and takedown time is reduced.

Thirdly, I have access to much better tripods and put away the sad little tripod included with the chronograph. My Manfrotto tripod has three important features that make setting up and adjusting the chronograph easier and faster:

1) It's much sturdier and holds the chronograph rock solid in windy conditions

2) It features a large, sturdy aluminum Quick Disconnect plate that screws permanently into the 1/4-20 mounting hole on the lower part of the Chronograph. The small plastic plate on the included tripod is too small to bridge the molded webs of the lower unit where the 1/4-20 hole is. Thus it wiggles on the tripod no matter how tightly the little plate is attached. My larger (4" long) aluminum plate I use bridges much better and really lets me attach the chronograph solidly.

3) My tripod has a ball leveling head. I attached a Harbor Freight bubble level to the chronograph. The bubble level and ball leveling head speed leveling.

Now I set up the tripod to the correct height (disregarding level for the moment) slide the fully assembled lower half of the chronograph onto the Quick Disconnect receiver that's on the tripod, lift up the arms and attach the electronics section, plug in the LED leads, adjust the ball leveling head until the bubble is centered and I'm ready to start shooting. Takes all of a minute or less. If the height needs adjustment, I can re-level rapidly.

Disassembly is even faster. Pull off the electronics section, fold down the arms, press a button on the Quick-Disconnect, remove the lower section, place the two halves into the case (without the frustration of having to disassemble the lower half), fold up the tripod and I'm done. Carrying the tripod separately is not an issue. I have a bunch of stuff in the car anyway.

I love the rechargeable feature. No dead batteries! The reliability of the LED screens is great too, as the unit may be in shadow or in other dicey lighting. If you get errors, try turning on the LEDs even if you don't think you need them. That's why they are there.

The G2 is my first chronograph and together with the wireless convenience of the iPhone app and the wealth of data collected, after I replaced the tripod and quick disconnect, I couldn't be happier. What a great tool.