AMB race tracking system- is it worth revisiting?

[Ron B.]

Its TOY BOATS guys live with the call and be a man about it. Dont push the clock and you wont be called over. Having been to the last few races to help run the event I have seen way more temper tantrums from the kids that years past! I can say I know the problems on bothsides of AMB as I raced cars with it and I have raced boats with it, it doesnt work well enough for boats and it never will be cost effective!

Ron

 

[Ian Webster]

it doesnt work well enough for boats and it never will be cost effective!

The European experience differs, it does work well enough for boats. Whilst there can be initial teething problems as people get used to the system the advantages of using it over not are well worth the effort.

In Sweden we monitor the system during a race and should a boat not register then we hand count the boat on the computer.

Cost is a major issue. Again, in Sweden each section has its own decoder/software which is transported between races and the clubs holding the race provide the over water antenna. Each section also has a few transponders which can be hired at a race by those who do not race regularly enough to invest in their own personal transponders.

The South Africans use another system seen below that uses IR detectors where the intial outlay could be considered more reasonable.

 

[TUNLBOTR]

Yep, many nitro boaters became Gas boaters. It's not the guys that cause the arguments on the drivers stand at the races. It's is the boats themselves and the CD's inability to score the heats properly....and that's only because they are human!

8 boats hit the start side by side. 7 boats finish and KNOWONE knows who started or finished in what position.

There are cd's who can get it right, it takes training. And good help.

 

[Ray Sametz]

When I first started racing every pitman had a stop watch, plus the CD. At the horn pit men and CD would start watches. CD tracked the lead boat, at finish pit men turned in times for order of finish. I liked it, worked well.

 

[Don Ferrette]

When I first started racing every pitman had a stop watch, plus the CD. At the horn pit men and CD would start watches. CD tracked the lead boat, at finish pit men turned in times for order of finish. I liked it, worked well.

Yeah and I remember when we held those races and you'd have pit men trying to turn in times for a second or third that was better than the time the CD had for the winning boat. The response when their times were questioned was always some BS like "well that's what we got" or "your time is wrong". Then everyone wanted argue about it........ hmmmm I guess not much has changed.

 

[SayMikey]

When I first started racing every pitman had a stop watch, plus the CD. At the horn pit men and CD would start watches. CD tracked the lead boat, at finish pit men turned in times for order of finish. I liked it, worked well.

1952

 

[Ray Sametz]

When I first started racing every pitman had a stop watch, plus the CD. At the horn pit men and CD would start watches. CD tracked the lead boat, at finish pit men turned in times for order of finish. I liked it, worked well.

Yeah and I remember when we held those races and you'd have pit men trying to turn in times for a second or third that was better than the time the CD had for the winning boat. The response when their times were questioned was always some BS like "well that's what we got" or "your time is wrong". Then everyone wanted argue about it........ hmmmm I guess not much has changed.

They were few and far between. If you turn in a time better then the CD, just hang a sign around your neck.

Most raced with integrity.