Bowplane - Anyone got one yet?

[Freakmode]

Anyone got one of these yet?

http://www.doubletakearchery.com/bowplane/features.htm

Looks interesting and a bit more advanced than the Eze Centre I use. BS have just started selling them in the UK.

[Wrexham Exile]

they look like a handy tool, deffo se how it makes compound life easier.

[Freakmode]

Shame it does not come with a laser nocking point leveling device build in.

At least you don't have to take off the sight to use it like the Eze.

[Watch_Man]

Mine arrived on Friday from Bowsports. I ordered it because the current laser setup device requires removal of the sight block. First impressions are good. It is fairly simple, a plug is pulled out of one end and 4 x 'AAAA' (yes 4 A's) batteries are dropped into the tube. The cap is inserted and pushed all the way home to turn it on, pulled out again to turn it off. There is a slot near the nock end which projects the lasers and that is about it.

The only instructions are the ones printed on the tube it comes in, however I don't think much more is required. I haven't used it properly yet, but for an aid to check your bow setup during a shoot, it is more of a practical proposition than the pivot type.

[Quadratus]

I love my toys, and will try almost anything, but I'm at a bit of a loss to see what this gizmo will tell you that a bit of careful eyeballing won't. What's more, as has been repeated time and time again by just about everyone, this sort of static set up is only a starting point.

I can see the point for someone who has to get a lot of bows into shootable condiditon quickly, like a dealer or perhaps a busy club coach, but that's about it.

Happy to be persuaded otherwise - and more than happy to try someone else's - but for the moment I don't think even I will be buying this tuning 'aid'.

[Watch_Man]

Originally Posted by Quadratus

I can see the point for someone who has to get a lot of bows into shootable condiditon quickly, like a dealer or perhaps a busy club coach, but that's about it.

Happy to be persuaded otherwise - and more than happy to try someone else's - but for the moment I don't think even I will be buying this tuning 'aid'.

My wife and I have 2 each and my 3 boys have 1 each, these toys take a lot of the guesswork out. We took a bow setup by someone using the 'eye and longrod' method, put it in a bow vise, levelled it up and then checked it with the laser. The longrod was very nicely setup, however when we checked an arrow it was off by about 1/3" at a distance of 32" from the nocking point and explained why the sight had 'windage issues' A quick lineup with the laser and everything was back to normal.

It may only be a starting point, but I think it is a good one, and it gives you confidence that the arrow is at least pointing at your target and not the one to the left

I do appreciate what you say about cost, and they are expensive toys. When split between 5 of us it isn't too bad. However they are the sort of toys that clubs should consider buying.

In the short period I have been involved in archery I have noticed that it is one sport where new technology is not embraced as readily as in other sports, and that new gadgets are looked on with suspicion by more 'experienced' archers. There seems to be an attitude that setting your bow up with a laser makes it less of an achievement if you hit the target.

I have friends who still write websites in text editors, by hand. I use Dreamweaver and every extension and tool I can get that reduces the work I have to do. Our club website (www.archery.uk.net) is done by me this way. Yet they look down on me for using these, thinking their sites with the spinning gif's and unreadable black text on a blue background is better than something readable developed with technology. This is the same attitude I have come across with some archers - 'if its harder to do, its better'

Perhaps this is unfair comment and I just need to get out more

[geoffretired]

From a quick look at the toy, it would seem that its main advantage is all parts of the bow can be checked out at one time. Normal eye balling methods allow you to check one aspect against one other. If one is wrong to start with, nothing else can be relied upon.Limb alignment, for example,can take ages to sort out.You look at the bow and wonder if it's the top limb or the bottom one that is out of line. Is it leaning over to one side because it isn't upright in its shoe or because the limb isn't facing dead ahead at the shoe. I think this tool would show what the problem is very clearly. Great idea for clubs to have one;I'd like one too if I had that much money spare.

[Watch_Man]

I have just finished using it on my wifes Ultra Elite and my 38 Elite to check the setup before coaching tomorrow.

After attaching it to the nocking point (quite a tight fit) you push in the button at the opposite end to turn on the lasers. Although there are slots top and bottom you seem to have to have it with the instructions facing upward.

You rotate the body until the laser runs up and down the strings. if the arrow rest is set correctly then the red line should go up and down the strings and continue round the inside edge of the cams.

You can then turn and look at the sight, a red line appears on the top of the scope, I think this is probably more a guide for pin sights, however mine was only slightly off centre with my wife's being perfectly in line with the top and bottom of the scope and pin in the middle. As her bow is currently setup for indoors then her windage is at her zero position which seems to line up perfectly with the scope.

I don't know if the above makes sense. It is easy and quick to use and you can check alignment very quickly, my only concern is that it is fragile and needs to be stored in its protective tube.

[geoffretired]

That makes sense to me. It's like having an engineers flat table but better as the axles etc don't get in the way.