How can you tell if a bow is out of time?

11-01-2005, 08:15 PM

I have always shot dual cam bows. Just got a new single cam liberty. I hear all this talk about out of time. How can you tell? Measure knocking difference from cams? Changing arrow flight? paper tune? All of the above?

bigbulls · 11-01-2005, 08:52 PM

Are you talking about the new single cam or your old dual cams?

A single cam can not go out of time/ synchronization cause there is only one cam but the cam can and will get out of its optimum rotation. Single cams have a specific rate of rotation and when you get outside of this window performance suffers. All cams are different so you would need to contact the manufacturer to get the specifics on your bow and cam.

Dual cams need to rotate exactly the same as the other cam. Just as if they were mirror images of each other. When they rotate out of sync with each other you can get very irradic flight from your arrow and performance goes way down. To get them in sync with each other you need to press the bow and twist or untwist the cables. Suppose the top cam was rotating properly and reached its draw stop first. The bottom cam was under rotated and did not reach its draw stop. You would need to untwist the cable that is attached to the under rotated cam.

11-01-2005, 09:00 PM

Well, I get irradic flight out of my dual cam PSE Mohave. Sometimes its cutting perfect holes thru the paper, sometimes not. I wonder if its out of time. I have had it for several years now. It still kills deer but I don't shoot over 25 yards at deer. I just can't tell if its in time or not?

But what I was talking about in the orignal post was how can you tell your single cam is out of its optimum rotation? I just got a bowtech liberty. Just wondering what to look for in the future.

bigbulls · 11-01-2005, 09:14 PM

Your owners manual will have the specific information for your bow and cam.

On a bowtech it is usually measured from a module screw to the edge of the limb.

11-01-2005, 09:22 PM

Thanks a bunch bigbulls. I was just reading that. Is that from the center of the screw hole to the limb? The chart says .298 for my bow. I measure with my calibers .311 from the screw center to the limb. Just trying to get fimiluar with my bow.

bigbulls · 11-01-2005, 09:56 PM

It is from the edge of the screw hole that is closest to the limb.

In other words the shortest distance between the edge of the screw hole and the limb.

JoshKeller · 11-01-2005, 10:54 PM

If you cant figure it out, take it to a proshop. When they are done with it, take a whiteout pen and make marks onboth cams on each side of the limb so you can tell if it moves again.

11-02-2005, 07:34 AM

Bigbulls, from the edge of the screw to the limb, it measures .225" but the spec calls for .298". Is this badly out of time? Is this something to be concerned with?

I am still waiting on my arrows I ordered for it. It shot poorly with beman ICS 400's which I am not surprised as they are underspined and used on my other bow.

bigbulls · 11-02-2005, 06:35 PM

That isn't all that far out of whack. It's an easy fix though if you want to get it just right. You just need to add or take out a couple of twists of the cable to get back in specs.

I can never remember which way all the cams are oriented with out looking at them.[8D]

As far as you being concerned with it.... judging from how interested you are about it in this thread I suspect that you should go ahead and get it right cause if you are like me it will bug the crap out of you until you do get it right.

11-02-2005, 07:40 PM

Thanks for all the help. I am going to do some tests. Shoot some and remeasure. See where it moves. Just a new toy. Called a bowtech tuner today and he said he wouldn't mess with it for a while.