Scoring Program's for RC Boat Racing?

[hgatjens]

One of our members wrote our program back in 1990. It runs on a PC and is written in COBOL. It really is meant strictly for scale unlimiteds or some other one class club.

Here is what it does, see if any of its functions give you ideas for the program you are writing.

Master roster of boats

Master roster of drivers

Race schedule with different formats. (ie 4,5,6 boat heats, first connie moves up, 2nd connie moves up etc)

Keeps separate boat and driver season point totals.

Allows for season race throw-outs. For example we only count 10 of 14 races.

Heat draws with random number generator.

Heat selection criteria prevents boats on same frequency or same driver in the same heat

Race sheets include boat name and driver name

Print outs

Master rosters

Race registration list

Heat draws

Heat results

Race recap

Season Driver points (can be exported and formatted in excel)

Season Boat points (can be exported and formatted in excel)

Keeps track of heat times

The good part is that since it was written so long ago it can run on cheap under $50 old laptops. Since we race in windy, sandy locations, sometimes with rain, sooner or later the PC will get trashed. Much easier to swallow when it only costs $50 to replace

Anyway that is what we do. I know it doesn't work for most clubs, but it is perfect for our use.

 

[Ray Sametz]

My one point, heats should be set up using freq. # and what class there in. Drivers name should be anonymous till the final print out. No one will admit this, but heats have been stacked knowing the drivers name. h34r: Back in the day I used index cards for entries with freq # on back. Set up heats with cards flipped over to check for conflicts. Point is this way it's totally random. Just have a good back-up system, index cards didn't crash. My 2 cents. Good job Bill. Ray B) B)

 

[Jerry T]

Don't forget to add the ability to print up scoring cards for each boater for the clubs that don't have a computer at the race site, but use the program to set up the classes and heats.

 

[Ron D]

Bill,

I am with E-RCU and we race 1/10 Scale electric Unlimiteds and our racing format is like that of RCU with their 1/8 scale nitro powered unlimiteds. We used their scoring program for a while but ran out of $50 laptops. We now use an Excel spreadsheet that I concocted running on a Windows XP laptop. It works well enough but requires the operator to be somewhat computer literate. I looked at the commercial offerings and they fell short of our need. Unlike the NAMBA and IMPBA racers, we only have two classes and both the boats and drivers earn season points. Also some of our drivers enter more than one boat in a race so they have to Select which boat they will earn their driver points for the day with. From what I have seen posted so far, what you are putting together is indeed masterful I think will work for us also provided there is a field on the heat draw for the Boat Name because that is what we key on. Another difference is that although we race for points, the top six race for the honors in a winner take all final. Thus we would also need the ability to "custom draw" a round after the first three or four rounds to set the two consolation heats and the final. The ability to edit heats already drawn would also help. Responding to an earlier comment on penalties, we also issue one lap penalties which are added on to what is required for th eboat to finish so actual scoring is unchanged. If you are knocked out by another boat you are given fourth place points which is scored as DNF with 169 points. Another oddity is that boat and driver are given 6th place points for loosing a cowling, dummy motor, driver, etc. during the heat. In the case where the boat finished first insted of getting 400 points, it would receive only 95 points. My spreadsheet automatically enters the points based on the place entered by the scorer, so in these last two cases the scorer manually enters the correct score by overwriting that entered by the imbeded formula in the spreadsheet.

Keep up the good work Bill and if you to see one of our completed spreadsheets and its instructions so you can see how it works I would be happy to e-mail one to you.

 

[hgatjens]

Bill,
I am with E-RCU and we race 1/10 Scale electric Unlimiteds and our racing format is like that of RCU with their 1/8 scale nitro powered unlimiteds. We used their scoring program for a while but ran out of $50 laptops. We now use an Excel spreadsheet that I concocted running on a Windows XP laptop. It works well enough but requires the operator to be somewhat computer literate. I looked at the commercial offerings and they fell short of our need. Unlike the NAMBA and IMPBA racers, we only have two classes and both the boats and drivers earn season points. Also some of our drivers enter more than one boat in a race so they have to Select which boat they will earn their driver points for the day with. From what I have seen posted so far, what you are putting together is indeed masterful I think will work for us also provided there is a field on the heat draw for the Boat Name because that is what we key on. Another difference is that although we race for points, the top six race for the honors in a winner take all final. Thus we would also need the ability to "custom draw" a round after the first three or four rounds to set the two consolation heats and the final. The ability to edit heats already drawn would also help. Responding to an earlier comment on penalties, we also issue one lap penalties which are added on to what is required for th eboat to finish so actual scoring is unchanged. If you are knocked out by another boat you are given fourth place points which is scored as DNF with 169 points. Another oddity is that boat and driver are given 6th place points for loosing a cowling, dummy motor, driver, etc. during the heat. In the case where the boat finished first insted of getting 400 points, it would receive only 95 points. My spreadsheet automatically enters the points based on the place entered by the scorer, so in these last two cases the scorer manually enters the correct score by overwriting that entered by the imbeded formula in the spreadsheet.

Keep up the good work Bill and if you to see one of our completed spreadsheets and its instructions so you can see how it works I would be happy to e-mail one to you.

Our program will run on a more expensive laptop if you wish. But I have an unending supply of cheap laptops. Most I get for $25 or less. The most expensive part is making sure you have a good battery as if the computer dies it can tweak the program. We solved that by buying a $50 battery backup device.

We do have a provision for manually adjusting points and the program automatically allows for custom draw formats for the connies and the final.

I agree with Ron, that those items are important for our respective clubs.

 

[Joe_Knesek]

Our program will run on a more expensive laptop if you wish. But I have an unending supply of cheap laptops. Most I get for $25 or less. The most expensive part is making sure you have a good battery as if the computer dies it can tweak the program. We solved that by buying a $50 battery backup device.
We do have a provision for manually adjusting points and the program automatically allows for custom draw formats for the connies and the final.

I agree with Ron, that those items are important for our respective clubs.

Any chance do you have a resource for a Panasonic Toughbook 19?

 

[hgatjens]

Our program will run on a more expensive laptop if you wish. But I have an unending supply of cheap laptops. Most I get for $25 or less. The most expensive part is making sure you have a good battery as if the computer dies it can tweak the program. We solved that by buying a $50 battery backup device.
We do have a provision for manually adjusting points and the program automatically allows for custom draw formats for the connies and the final.

I agree with Ron, that those items are important for our respective clubs.

Any chance do you have a resource for a Panasonic Toughbook 19?

We have used a toughbook 25 in the past. I snap them up as I see them. If I see a good deal on a toughbook, I will let you know.

 

[vegaskiller73]

If automatic scoring is needed/wanted and affordable. Here is another option. It's on the expensive side but used by many racing associations.

http://www.amb-it.com/ambrc-c-16.html?osCs...8610e07936dacf4

 

[Bill Britton]

Just a quick screenshot of the heat builder form. 'Random' function is fully operational as well as 'Manual'. Bracket function will require some savy code (not very difficult, just alot of circular checking over and over again to make sure everyone gets a crack at everyone else).

As usual, the appearance will change somewhat as the form is completed.

And yes... I know it only shows one round and the boat count is wrong, I have not had time to go in and write out the 'short heat' boat count yet.

 

[Ron D]

Bill,

That looks great! My only comment on heat draw is that we identify our heats by sections, i.e., 1A, 1B, 1C, etc. Is that something you could incorporate? I can hardly tell you how exciting it is that there is a scoring program on the horizon that will actually work all the RC boat clubs out there that compete.

 

[Hurricane]

How's it going? TTT

 

[Brian Blazer]

Just curious how the program is going?

One more thing (not sure if this is possible which may be a problem).

DSM can run with DSM. When sorting frequencies for heats, will you be able to ignore conflicts with DSM?

 

[Ron D]

DSM should not present a problem. One only needs to trick the program by assigning unique frequencies and channel identifiers for each driver using DSM at a given event. That is what we do in E-RCU. S1 or D1 of first Spektrum/DSM channel is frequency 2.401, S2 or D2 would then be frequency 2.402 and so forth. These sorts of programs can deal with that easily.

 

[Andy Greene]

Any word on progress Bill ??? Cant wait to see it in action....

 

[Bill Britton]

Any word on progress Bill ??? Cant wait to see it in action....

It's getting there. here is a quick sneek peek tutorial on how the "Event Wizard' will create events.

And here is one of the 'Event Editor' adding a driver.

Best Viewed with Windows Media Player.

 

[Eric Bourlet]

Looks good so far. Any Idea how much you will be charging when it is complete?

 

[Mike Hughes]

Is it able to change the amount of boats allowed between classes? We usually run more of the smaller boats together. IE seven 3.5 mono and six 7.5 mono. Some of our courses also don't allow very much room for the larger boats. So we limit them.

Mike

 

[Tom Kelly]

Our club charges a different fee for additional entries. For example; $15.00 for the first entry and $10.00 for additional entries. Can you use the "Late" fee as an additional entry fee?

Looks great, this is long overdue!

Tom

 

[Nitroburners]

Bill

Excellent job. Very good demostration to. Put us the Baton Rouge Nitroburners on your list when you get it complete. We will be more than happy to pay you for your services. We are using an old version of Easy Track from the mid 90's.

The program was designed to use with Windows 3.1 and I am using it with Windows XP. Gets very interesting sometimes.

Thanks

Jeff Neal

 

[topfuel443]

Very Nice Bill! I know our club is looking to get another program, and yours looks very simple to use! Keep us posted, and hurry up!

~James