Single Cam or Dual cam, which do you guys prefer?

[bfisher]

Give me a true dual cam everytime, but alas, these days I have to settle for Binaries. My single cam days are over. I shot them for 8 years and was glad when I had the chance to go back to duals. It's nice getting the same speed while drawing about 8# less weight.

As for timing (sync) issues? With the better strings we can get today this is a non-issue. As for tuning? They all tune the same. Setup and synchronization might take a bit of time and effort, but once done it's done (again, string quality), but actual tuning process is the same for all bows.

Besides, think of all the stuff you get to learn along the way.

[Spiker]

Give me a true dual cam everytime, but alas, these days I have to settle for Binaries. My single cam days are over. I shot them for 8 years and was glad when I had the chance to go back to duals. It's nice getting the same speed while drawing about 8# less weight.

As for timing (sync) issues? With the better strings we can get today this is a non-issue. As for tuning? They all tune the same. Setup and synchronization might take a bit of time and effort, but once done it's done (again, string quality), but actual tuning process is the same for all bows.

Besides, think of all the stuff you get to learn along the way.

Thats pretty much where my head is at.
(Altho I never did dive into the single cams cuz of what Barry said above)

[copterdoc]

And what is "cam and a half"? I know the other 4 types but this "one and a half" confuses me.

If you read the description of a hybrid cam, in the post where Spiker quoted me, you get the description of a Cam & 1/2.

The Cam & 1/2, is Hoyt's brand name for their hybrid cam.

I have studied how cams work, in intricate detail, over the last several years.

My personal opinion is that the single cam became so popular about 10 years ago, because bowhunters were sold on the lie that they can't go out of tune, if the string or cable stretches.

They had a bad problem with vertical nock travel, so the hybrid cam was brought to market. It's still based on the flawed engineering of the single cam, but it makes it easier to put the same cam on bows with different ATA lengths, and various grip positions (below the center of the string vs in the center of the riser), without having the nock point decend over an inch from brace to full draw.

The only cam system (non shoot-through), that has any real benefit over the dual cams that were being made in the 90's, is the slaved "Binary" cam.

[Arrow Splitter]

My personal opinion is that the single cam became so popular about 10 years ago, because bowhunters were sold on the lie that they can't go out of tune, if the string or cable stretches.

I agree with you copterdoc. If the string or cable stretches on a single cam, you can expect the cam to be rotated too far forward or backward, which can cause poor performance.

[alex]

If you read the description of a hybrid cam, in the post where Spiker quoted me, you get the description of a Cam & 1/2.

The Cam & 1/2, is Hoyt's brand name for their hybrid cam.

I have studied how cams work, in intricate detail, over the last several years.

My personal opinion is that the single cam became so popular about 10 years ago, because bowhunters were sold on the lie that they can't go out of tune, if the string or cable stretches.

They had a bad problem with vertical nock travel, so the hybrid cam was brought to market. It's still based on the flawed engineering of the single cam, but it makes it easier to put the same cam on bows with different ATA lengths, and various grip positions (below the center of the string vs in the center of the riser), without having the nock point decend over an inch from brace to full draw.

The only cam system (non shoot-through), that has any real benefit over the dual cams that were being made in the 90's, is the slaved "Binary" cam.

Thanks, Copterdoc! So "cam and a half" is just another name for the hybrid cam. A mystery solved

[bb11]

what are some examples of a slaved binary cam?

[copterdoc]

what are some examples of a slaved binary cam?

The C.A.T., Hybrix, and Nitro cams, are all slaved Binary cams.

[SonnyThomas]

Not disagreeing with that of the single cam and timing, but the single cam gave more leeway for the shooters of the time and in some cases even today. Where true double cams of the early period would all but need someone with brains and a press to correct the timing, single cam owners could simply move the nocking point and move the gang sight housing and be back in business. Only with excessive string stretch did single cam owners have difficulties. Difficulties being draw length and/or cam retarded too much.

I find it odd that after all these years single cam makers do not have the cam marked for optimum position....

[bb11]

The C.A.T., Hybrix, and Nitro cams, are all slaved Binary cams.

coptercoc, does that include the CAT2 cams?

[copterdoc]

Yes, the C.A.T. 2, is still a C.A.T. cam.