Problem with LIGHTing on Scatt Basic

[Giddaymate]

Hi shooters

Have some of you found solutions with the sensitivity of the Scatt sensor? Mine is having hard time “finding” the target due to too much/too little light.

Any solutions (led?)

Thanks

[Triplef]

Yes there is a solution. I use the following: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70386305/ and have no problems anymore.

Looks the same as on the scatt website: https://www.scatt.com/portable-led-lamp

[casadehusker]

I also found that I needed light onto the target. I have the printed paper target taped to a piece of cardboard. I lean that against the wall then have a shop light I got somewhere pointed at that. The other part of my solution, which required a call to SCATT, was I had the target underneath a window.....sunlight shining in towards me/the sensor blinded it. Close the blinds and all good from there.

For what it's worth.

[argus]

Also worth updating to the latest software and firmware if you haven't already (go to About tab in Scatt Basic software).
I found I did not need as much light on the target after the update.
I'm also thinking of making one of these
Scatt light box LB-01
side photo
using cheap strip LED's with a dimmer from ebay
Ebay LED strip

[Giddaymate]

If I had to rate the Scatt purchase Id give it medium/poor rating....so far.

I managed to get it working at the range but I really bought it to use at home. I just cant get it to work there. Ive spent hours trying. Maybe some of you get it to work but not me and I have read similar testimony from many others. If it was an Apple or Samsung product with this kind of user unfriendliness we would never accept it. Amazing they cant get the Scatt to be easy working for all.

Anyway - Im going to give it one or two more hours and see if I can get it working. If not I return the thing.



Here is the problem in a nutshell: Everything looks ok thru when in calibration mode (camera view) but when shooting the sensor is not working more than 30% of the time. So my focus is not on training but to solve Russian half-ass computer engineering. Sorry guys- in this time and age we can do better.

I have already purchased the led lamps you guys recommended (thanks:)

Just my honest input. Ill keep U posted.

[David Levene]

Have you emailed your Scatt ealer or Scatt themselves?

[Giddaymate]

Yes I did. I was adviced to keep target well lit. I have tried all kinds of lights, lamps at home - also bought the same LED recommended above. So far its very unreliable, so much so I cant really use it for training. I did update firmware/software today (again).


Actually a friend of mine bought one too and he has the same issue.

Not sure what to do - Ill really try to get it working. Keep those of you interested updated.

[David Levene]

You're not by any chance using it for prone rifle with shiny floors are you.

[Giddaymate]

Thanks for asking. No Im standing, 10m air rifle (actual distance 5meters). It would be perfect to train like that at home...if I can get it to work.

[argus]

Sounds like you have pretty much tried everything but just in case, since you are only at 5m have you adjusted the position of the device to bring it as close as possible to the sight line and/or used the brass screws on the mount to minimise parallax error? I found that when in calibration mode I needed to adjust the sensor position so the green detection dot ends up close to the centre of the black circular field of view when holding in your actual shooting position at short distances. Then I would move my hold around on the target to all four corners. The detection dot needs to constantly follow your movement. If the dot disappears and reappears while you are moving your hold adding or removing a little light fixed that for me. Once I have the green dot rock solid in calibration mode I don't have any issues in training mode. Because I only use scatt at home now that I have this all dialled in calibration is very quick since distance sensor position and lighting is always more or less the same.

One other thing worth trying is manually selecting power frequency for your location rather than using the default auto setting. Fluros and cheaper LED lamps will flicker. It may even be worth trying a lamp with a halogen bulb so that flicker is taken out of the equation.

[KH250]

The Scatt manual specifies even lighting at at least 1000 lux. The Ikea lamp at 88 lumens, if it had a beam angle of 60 degrees, it would need to be .3 m from the target. At a beam angle of 45 degrees .4 metres. A 5000 lumen 50 watt flood light at a 140 degree beam angle needs to be 1.1 metres from the target. A light meter is useful but knowing the beam angle and lumen rating of the light you can use the web to calculate the required distance. I use two led strips .15 metre from target to give 2500 lux. I use the Scatt USB so light levels are set to match my range conditions.

[Oleg G]

I just received SCATT Basic as a birthday present from my wife. I am using it with my AW93 at a distance of about 4.9m. I've been trying to get it working for two days and have not progressed past the calibration screen. I am using the barrel insert adapter and have moved the sensor as close to the sight line as I can without obscuring the sight.

In the visual mode, I can see the target in the black circle - it is positioned slightly down and to the left of center. When I take a shot in the visual mode, I can hear the sound, although it sounds like racking of the slide, rather than the shot sound. When I exit the visual mode and take aim, I cannot see a green dot anywhere inside the black circle. When I take a calibration shot, I can see a black horisontal line appear for a short while inside the "shot sensitivity" bar but I see nothing inside the black circle.

So, I cannot progress even past the calibration screen. I left a VM for the Scatt USA people and sent in a question last night.
I have not tried additonal lighting - is my experience consistent with insuficient lighting?
Also, in my version of software, I cannot see check buttons for either indoor lighting or poor lighting, which I have see in some of the videos on Youtube. Is this an issue?

[Giddaymate]

Sorry to hear - but Im on the same boat.

Scatt is definetely not guaranteed to be a plug and play thing for all as I was hoping. Bad for a pricey training aid.

Just like to mention I also DONT have any selection for “indoor/outdoor” lighting on my Scatt. Just the Auto/50/60 selections. Interested to hear from the experts. I Have tried them all at home. Still not working....

Will be following this thread hoping for a solution - or if all fails refund

[overlookh]

I just received SCATT Basic as a birthday present from my wife. I am using it with my AW93 at a distance of about 4.9m. I've been trying to get it working for two days and have not progressed past the calibration screen. I am using the barrel insert adapter and have moved the sensor as close to the sight line as I can without obscuring the sight.
...

Just received a week ago.
The first issue was about the device recognized only in russian language!!!!
Immediately resolved (less then 24 h) by the reseller and Scatt staff. (Compliments).

About the calibrate process I can say that the light is very critical.
I'm using it in my house at 6,5 meters.

The first time in the evening; outside was dark.
I tryed about 30 minute of different test, then went well.

A second time during the morning with sun light on windows; the device did not recognize the device with the same setting
and so needed another recalibration process.
Not easy this time.
The same bulb but probably to much light around.
At the end It functioned well.


I undestood that:
- Is important to print the target by the application on a A4 page. Not to use an original ISFF.
- I illumunated it with a "neon/fluorescent bulb" with 500 lumen at 30 centimeters. I rated at 50 hertz in the configuration menu.
- The bulb is not immediately ready. It takes about 5 minute to get the maximum light.
- I positioned the target on a white wall. Everything around it disturbs it.
- The "preview mode" (the uniq flag in my menu too) is usefull to undestand the contest where the target is positioned. I noticed that a "family picture" closed to the target probably confused the sensor.
- It seems to me that once calibrated the better thing to do is to "freeze" the contest an do not change everithing. Position on the wall, light, distance of shooter.


After that I can say that the calibration process is a bit difficut BUT after the sensor is going VERY WELL and I enjoy a LOT.
Despite the process calibration I really suggest to buy it everyone. It's very usefull.

Last thing.
The basic version of the software is really limited to the shot and nothing else.
Is not possible to copy any data (on excel by example), is not possible to add a note to the session....

My two cents.

Bye and sorry for my english.

[overlookh]

After what described in my previous post I did a sunday afternoon spended playing.
8-)


With further testing I vas able to calibrate to 10 meters in a different place of my home.
The aisle is completely dark ended with a colored door.

I attacched a normal target (ISFF) in the middle of three A4 paper.
For the light I used the spotting light I use in front for trekking buyed on Amazon for 15€.

Wonderful calibration from the first shot.

Picture of the aisle

Picture of the light

Very high precision, a lot of fun,
unfortunately bad results. But this it's me.
8-))))

Stay tuned.

Ciao

[Giddaymate]

Thanks for the imput. I dont have 10m range, more like 8m at home. Will try to get thay to work with the lamp I bought.

Stay tuned

[Oleg G]

Success!!!

Today I worked with Alexander from Scatt USA. He was extremely helpful and persistent and we resolved my issue.
The root cause of the problem was identified as the LED lamp I bought. Calibration worked consistenly and reliably after I replaced the LED desk lamp with an old desk lamp with a halogen bulb I happened to have.
IMPORTANT: Try to avoid using LED lamps and use incandescent ones.

Working with Alexander we determined the optimum position of the lamp - directly in front of the target, so that the circle of light covers the bull and the area around it. The lamp should be rather close to the target - in my case it is about 0.2m to 0.3m from the target. It is OK to position the lamp below the bull, as long as the light is on the target.

If you're struggling with Scatt Basic, don't dispair - call Scatt, make an appointment - I called on Monday and we set up a troubleshooting session for specific time on Tuesday - and the guys at Scatt will take care of you!

Best Regards,
Oleg.

[willt]

I have a SCATT Basic and for what it is worth, I am using a 420 lumen Harbor Freight LED work light placed about 12" from the target and have had zero problems with it (that I am aware of!). Printing reduced size SCATT target and shooting from 5 yards.

Willt

[DavZee]

Here’s an excerpt of an exchange I had a while back:

I have figured out what I needed to do to make the system work with the help from
Badwrench5150 post. He mentioned that he had to use A LOT of light. Well, that was
the problem for me. I was using the preview mode and with a lot of light, the target view
washes out to just white. I was thinking that if I couldn't see the black bull on the paper,
the sensor couldn't either. That is not the case. I used a spotlight right on the target.
In preview mode it's just a big white splash on the wall but the sensor sees it perfect.
Also I got a phone call today from the helpful support person at SCATT. We chatted and
he stayed on the line with me until all my questions were answered and told me if I had
another problem to make sure I called the tech line and they would be happy to help.
Very excited now to use this system and I'll also be getting the TEC-HRO rail mount.
The included one is a worry that I'll scratch the barrel and it's fiddly getting it on and off.

As an update to that now several months later, I did get the Tec-Hro mount and that led to much frustration.
Trying to get it aligned on the rifle by myself was very hard. I did once get it aligned and calibrated
but after taking it off to shoot a team match, when I went to practice again it was all out of alignment.
Frustrating again to spend an hour trying to get it set up. I’ve now gone back to the sensor mount
included with the kit but I wrap a small piece of paper around the barrel. It’s preventing scratching
And there’s no problem with sensing the trigger pull click. I’ve taken it off and reattached it and it’s ready to
Go right away. I do have to do a small correction when I fire my first calibration shot.
That’s where I am at with my Scatt. It’s great now that I’ve got the setup mostly figured out.
It’s so convenient to be able to practice at home and the information I get back from the system
About my shots makes my time spent in practice much more valuable.
Hope this might help someone else!
DavZee