competitionelectronics.com

Competition Electronics splits its lineup into two jobs: shot timers (ProTimer BT, ProTimer) for measuring draw and split times in training, and ballistic chronographs (ProChrono DLX, ProChrono LTD) for measuring bullet velocity during load development. Within each pair, the only real dividing line is Bluetooth. The Bluetooth models cost more and add wireless app connectivity; the non-Bluetooth models keep the same core measurement hardware and accuracy for less money. All four are assembled by hand in Rockford, Illinois, and all four are listed as "Call to order" rather than online checkout.

Shot timers: ProTimer BT vs. ProTimer

The ProTimer BT is the model to pick if you want your string data on a phone. It pairs with the PTLink app, which is also where you get the free firmware update adding a countdown mode — press start and the display runs backward from your selected par time in real time. That par-time countdown is a training feature, not a scoring one.

The standard ProTimer goes the other direction: no Bluetooth, but it includes hit factor scoring, which is the metric USPSA-style competitors use to compare score against time. If you score matches or track hit factor in practice and don't need app sync, the ProTimer covers it for $30 less.

Both hold a 50-string memory. On the BT, those strings are time-stamped, which matters when you're reviewing a session after the fact rather than reading times off the screen between runs.

Chronographs: ProChrono DLX vs. ProChrono LTD

This pair is simpler. Competition Electronics states the LTD has every DLX feature and the same ±0.5% accuracy, minus Bluetooth. So the $20 difference buys you wireless connectivity only — the velocity measurements themselves are equivalent. Choose the DLX if you want to log or view shot strings on a phone at the bench; choose the LTD if you'll read results off the unit and don't want to pay for a radio you won't use.

How to decide

• Training with a shot timer, want app sync and time-stamped strings: ProTimer BT ($167.95).
• Training or match scoring, hit factor matters, no app needed: ProTimer ($137.95).
• Chronograph work, want phone connectivity: ProChrono DLX ($139.95).
• Chronograph work, screen readings are enough: ProChrono LTD ($119.95).

One accessory note: the DAA CE ProTimer silicone skin is $14.95, or free with any ProTimer or ProTimer BT — but only when purchased from Competition Electronics directly. Since every unit above is call-to-order, that's the same channel.

What the sponsored shooters say

The page quotes three sponsored competitors. Todd Jarrett, a multiple-time national and world champion, describes the ProTimer BT as providing "the feedback for a more effective training session at the range." Randi Rogers, winner of over 30 world and national titles, calls the ProTimer "accurate, easy to use" across many shooting types. Evil Roy, a cowboy action national and world champion, notes that every strong shooter he knows trains with a shot timer and rates these "the best of the breed." These are endorsements rather than measurements, so treat them as a signal about durability and usability in competition rather than a spec comparison.

Before you order

Prices and the call-to-order requirement come from the product listings on the site. The page does not state shipping terms, warranty length, or whether phone orders ship immediately, so confirm those when you call. Repairs and returns, dealer and distributor info, and a video library are linked from the site if you want documentation before deciding.

Competition Electronics Inc. is a Rockford, Illinois manufacturer that has been building shot timers and ballistic chronographs since 1982. Its products are aimed at competitive shooters and reloaders who need to measure draw times, split times, and bullet velocity. Every unit is assembled by hand in Illinois, and the company positions its gear as affordable, serviceable, and built to last.

What the company makes

Competition Electronics focuses on two product categories:

• Shot timers — used in training and competition to record the time between the start signal and each shot, plus split times between shots.
• Ballistic chronographs — used by reloaders and shooters to measure projectile velocity.

Both lines share a design philosophy stated on the company's site: hand assembly in Illinois, repairability, and long service life rather than disposable electronics.

Current product lineup

The site lists four popular products, all sold by phone order ("Call to order") rather than through an online cart:

The pattern is straightforward: the BT/DLX versions add Bluetooth connectivity, while the base ProTimer and ProChrono LTD keep the same core measurement capability at a lower price. If you don't need to sync data to a phone or app, the non-Bluetooth models cover the same measurement tasks.

Firmware and app support

Competition Electronics supports its Bluetooth-equipped timers through the PTLink app. A recent firmware update adds a countdown mode: pressing start runs the display backwards from your selected par time in real time. The update is free and is applied through the app.

This matters if you train with par times — the countdown gives you a visual pacing cue instead of only a start and stop beep.

Accessories and add-ons

• DAA CE ProTimer silicone skin — $14.95, or free with any ProTimer or ProTimer BT. The site notes it is available only when purchased from Competition Electronics.
• Dealers & Distributors, Repairs & Returns, and a Video Library are linked from the site's quick links, which suggests the company supports both direct customers and a dealer network.

Who it's for

The company's own framing is explicit: its customers are competitive shooters and reloaders. Sponsored shooters quoted on the site — Todd Jarrett, Randi Rogers, and Evil Roy — are national and world champions across action shooting and cowboy action disciplines. The common thread in their statements is using a shot timer as a training feedback tool to improve scores.

If you fall into one of these groups, the lineup maps cleanly:

• Competitive shooters who train with a timer and want string-by-string data → ProTimer BT or ProTimer.
• Reloaders working up loads and checking velocity → ProChrono DLX or ProChrono LTD.
• Buyers who want US-made, repairable electronics rather than the cheapest import → the whole catalog fits, with the caveat that ordering is by phone.

Practical notes before buying

• Ordering is by phone. Every product listing says "Call to order," so plan for a phone call rather than a checkout page.
• Bluetooth is the main price differentiator. Decide whether app sync and firmware updates (like the countdown mode) are worth the roughly $20–$28 premium.
• The free skin offer is conditional. It applies with any ProTimer or ProTimer BT purchase, but only when bought directly from Competition Electronics — not through a dealer.
• Serviceability is part of the pitch. For a device you'll use for years at the range, repairability and a US service path may matter more than the sticker price.

The main accessory shown on Competition Electronics' site is the DAA CE ProTimer silicone skin, priced at $14.95. It is free with any ProTimer or ProTimer BT, but only when you buy the timer directly from Competition Electronics. Timers themselves are ordered by phone ("Call to order"), and the site also lists a Dealers & Distributors page if you prefer to buy through a reseller.

Accessory: DAA CE ProTimer Silicone Skin

The skin is a fit-and-protection accessory for the ProTimer line, not a functional upgrade. The practical decision is where you buy: if you are already ordering a timer directly from Competition Electronics, the skin costs nothing extra. If you buy a timer from a dealer or distributor, the free-skin offer does not apply, and the skin is listed at $14.95.

Timers and Chronographs That Qualify

The free-skin offer covers both ProTimer models:

• ProTimer BT — Bluetooth shot timer with a 50-string time-stamped memory, $167.95
• ProTimer — hit factor scoring and a 50-string memory, no Bluetooth, $137.95

The two chronographs listed alongside them are not part of the skin offer:

• ProChrono DLX — built-in Bluetooth, ±0.5% accuracy, $139.95
• ProChrono LTD — same accuracy and DLX features without Bluetooth, $119.95

All four are listed as "Call to order."

Purchasing Channels

Competition Electronics presents two routes:

1. Direct — call to order. This is the only route where the free silicone skin applies with a ProTimer or ProTimer BT purchase.
2. Dealers & Distributors — the site links to a dealer/distributor page for buying through a reseller. Expect dealer pricing and stock to vary, and the free-skin offer not to carry over.

If you want the skin bundled at no cost, order the timer directly and mention the skin when you call. If you would rather buy locally or from a reseller, budget the $14.95 separately or check whether that dealer stocks the skin.

Other Support Links Worth Knowing

The site's quick links include Apps, Repairs & Returns, and a Video Library. The Apps page matters if you own a ProTimer BT: firmware updates and the countdown mode are delivered through the PTLink app, so the accessory and software side of ownership both run through the same product line.

What to Confirm Before Ordering

• Current price and availability — the figures above are what the site lists, and phone ordering means you can confirm both in one call.
• Whether the skin is in stock at the time of your timer order.
• Whether a dealer you plan to use stocks the skin separately, since the free offer is direct-only.

For a timer plus skin, direct ordering is the cheaper path by $14.95. For a chronograph, the skin offer is irrelevant, so the choice between direct and a dealer comes down to price, shipping, and convenience rather than the accessory.

Competition Electronics builds its shot timers and ballistic chronographs by hand in Rockford, Illinois, and has done so since 1982. That matters for durability and serviceability in three concrete ways: the units are assembled by hand rather than mass-produced offshore, the company describes them as "serviceable, and built to last," and the site maintains a dedicated Repairs & Returns channel plus a firmware update path for at least one current product. If you want gear you can keep running for years instead of replacing, those are the signals to weigh.

Made in Illinois, assembled by hand

The company's own framing is explicit: "Every unit assembled by hand in Illinois — affordable, serviceable, and built to last." It also states that "for over 40 years we have built the shot timers and ballistic chronographs that competitive shooters and reloaders measure themselves against."

What this means practically:

• Hand assembly is a quality-control claim, not a durability guarantee. It suggests individual units get more attention than a fully automated line, but it doesn't tell you the failure rate.
• Domestic manufacturing matters most for serviceability — parts, labor, and repair decisions stay close to the original builder rather than depending on an overseas supply chain.
• 40+ years in business is a track record signal. A company that has supported the same product categories since 1982 has had time to refine designs and, presumably, to keep servicing older units.

Treat these as claims from the manufacturer, not independently verified test results. The useful question is whether the service and update infrastructure actually exists — and on this site, it does.

Serviceability: repairs, returns, and firmware

Durability is only half the story. A product is genuinely serviceable if you can get it fixed or updated rather than thrown away.

The site provides two concrete paths:

The firmware example is the clearest evidence that "serviceable" is more than a slogan. Competition Electronics added a new countdown mode to the ProTimer BT: press start and the display runs backwards from your selected par time in real time. The update is free and delivered through the PTLink app. A product that gains new features after purchase is one you're less likely to replace.

How to apply the ProTimer BT firmware update

1. Confirm you have a ProTimer BT. The update is described specifically for the ProTimer BT, not the non-Bluetooth ProTimer.
2. Get the PTLink app. The site links to it directly ("Get the app").
3. Connect your ProTimer BT to the app over Bluetooth, then run the firmware update.
4. Verify the new countdown mode. After updating, pressing start should run the display backwards from your chosen par time.

Expected result: your existing timer gains the countdown feature at no cost. If the update doesn't appear, the most likely causes are an outdated app version or a Bluetooth pairing problem — the site's Repairs & Returns page is the fallback if the app route fails.

What "durable" does and doesn't tell you

The site's durability language is marketing copy, so read it as a positioning statement rather than a spec. It does not publish drop ratings, waterproofing, battery life, or warranty length in the material available here. What it does publish is:

• Accuracy figures for the chronographs — the ProChrono DLX is listed at ±0.5% accuracy, and the ProChrono LTD is described as having "the same accuracy."
• Memory capacity as a proxy for build intent — the ProTimer BT and ProTimer both carry a 50-string, time-stamped memory.
• A service channel — Repairs & Returns — which is the real test of long-term ownership.

If durability is your deciding factor, the accuracy spec and the existence of a repair path are more actionable than the phrase "built to last."

Who this matters for

This positioning is aimed at competitive shooters and reloaders who train regularly and need instruments that survive repeated range sessions. The site backs that up with sponsored shooters who describe long-term use — Todd Jarrett cites over 25 years with the brand, and Randi Rogers and Evil Roy both frame the timers as training tools they rely on.

If you're a casual shooter who fires a few strings a year, the hand-assembly and repair infrastructure may be more than you need. If you're logging hundreds of strings and reloading in volume, the combination of a domestic build, a firmware update path, and a repairs channel is the part worth paying for.

Practical takeaways

• Durability claims are the manufacturer's. The verifiable pieces are the Illinois hand assembly, the 40+ year history, and the accuracy specs.
• Serviceability is documented. Repairs & Returns and the free ProTimer BT firmware update are real, findable entry points.
• Check the model before updating. The countdown mode firmware applies to the ProTimer BT specifically.
• Ask about warranty and repair turnaround before buying, since those details aren't published in the material available here.

The ProTimer BT firmware update is free and delivered through the PTLink app. After updating, a new countdown mode becomes available: press start and the display runs backwards from your selected par time in real time. You need the PTLink app installed and your ProTimer BT connected to it to complete the update and use the mode.

What you need before starting

• A ProTimer BT (the Bluetooth shot timer with 50-string time-stamped memory).
• The PTLink app installed on your phone or tablet.
• Your ProTimer BT powered on and within Bluetooth range of your device.

The update itself is free. Competition Electronics lists the ProTimer BT at $167.95, but the firmware update does not add a cost.

Updating the firmware

1. Open the PTLink app on your device.
2. Connect the app to your ProTimer BT over Bluetooth.
3. Look for the firmware update option inside the app and start the update.
4. Keep the timer powered on and in range until the update finishes.

The update is handled entirely inside PTLink — there is no separate download or file to transfer manually. Once it completes, the new countdown mode is part of the timer's behavior.

Using the new countdown mode

The countdown mode works from a par time you select:

1. Set your par time on the ProTimer BT as you normally would.
2. Press start.
3. The display counts backwards from that par time in real time, rather than counting up.

This gives you a running view of how much time remains against your par, instead of only seeing elapsed time.

Common snags

• Timer not found in PTLink: confirm Bluetooth is on for both devices and the timer is powered on and nearby.
• Update won't start: make sure the app is connected to the timer first; the firmware option appears through that connection.
• Countdown doesn't appear: the mode is part of the updated firmware, so it only shows after the update has completed successfully.

Related accessories

Competition Electronics also lists a DAA CE ProTimer silicone skin at $14.95, or free with any ProTimer or ProTimer BT when purchased from Competition Electronics. The page notes it is available only when purchased from Competition Electronics, and ordering is by phone ("Call to order").