I found that a thick catalogue or a phone book works quite well to measure the strength of a shot (using standard darts). You just count how many pages the dart penetrated. Since most of these already have page numbers, it makes it quite easy.
On the contrary, it matters a great deal. I can take two identical darts one with a long sharp point and the other with a shallower point. With a good point I can blow that dart through1/2 inch plywood yet the dart with the shallower point will barely get through1/4 -38 plywood.If you shoot the same dart, or use a given degree angle for the tips... and sharpen them all in the same way...
Actually past a certian point, sharpness doesn't matter.
Does anyone know anything about the software mentionedOn the contrary, it matters a great deal. I can take two identical darts one with a long sharp point and the other with a shallower point. With a good point I can blow that dart through1/2 inch plywood yet the dart with the shallower point will barely get through1/4 -38 plywood.
The post was suggesting a cheap way to determine blow gun speed. Penetration is not always related to speed. Therefore it is not a reliable method of determining anything other than how many pages you punched through that shot.
There is one software program that is free for download around here somewhere that uses sound to determine speed. It apparently gives satisfactory results and is free.