Start Time Errors

Couple of times per season, maybe? Not enough to really worry the majority, but significant enough.

   Hi Jon,
Yes, there's been p-l-e-n-t-y of strange mixed fleet handicap timings (Couple of times per season, maybe? Not enough to really worry the majority, but significant enough.) and I've been banging-on about this for over 4-years now  ;  I personally have very little confidence in Radio-Control clocks and now have my own empirical evidence   ...... heck last week in exasperation Mr Commodore himself took clocks home;  later one evening he could hardly contain himself in seeing-with-his-own-eyes a shift of +12sec happen, from a mismatch of -2seconds between two of the RC-clocks; he was quickly onto the phone  .

b.t.w.
Had a l-o-n-g-g-g call from David-H last week wanting to research more History ......

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OultonBen Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Groupie Joined: 04 Oct 11 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 49	Post Options Post Reply Quote OultonBen Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Start Time Errors Posted: 22 Oct 13 at 6:20pm
	Hi Jon, Yes, there's been p-l-e-n-t-y of strange mixed fleet handicap timings (Couple of times per season, maybe? Not enough to really worry the majority, but significant enough.) and I've been banging-on about this for over 4-years now ; I personally have very little confidence in Radio-Control clocks and now have my own empirical evidence ...... heck last week in exasperation Mr Commodore himself took clocks home; later one evening he could hardly contain himself in seeing-with-his-own-eyes a shift of +12sec happen, from a mismatch of -2seconds between two of the RC-clocks; he was quickly onto the phone . b.t.w. Had a l-o-n-g-g-g call from David-H last week wanting to research more History ......
	No-one can squeeze past ..... when you're as "Chunky" as myself !

Jon711 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 04 May 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 465	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jon711 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Oct 13 at 6:37pm
	Yes, I heard about the long call, and your defection to yet another class!! Just a thought, as the club is using standard marine VHF's would it not be possible, to with a PIC chip linked to the radio, to coordinate the times between the CB and the race box. The times do not actually need to be BST or GMT just coordinated. I would guess that Scott may know how to program PIC's and link them in, if not, I (or Scott) may have to do some research.... Not totally sure that it is a feasible option, but worth investigating.... BTW, I think I can make an educated guess as to the class involved, from some of the Facebook posts of the competitors and parents....
	Blaze 711

Jon711 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 04 May 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 465	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jon711 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 Oct 13 at 7:14pm
	Oh, I meant to add, the new boat may suit your style of sailing, looking forward to seeing you in it. Just done a quick google, you would not need to link the PIC's on the VHF... Apparently there are (or were) quartz timed PIC's, so all you would need to do is coordinate the times at the start of each day, and then all races would start and finish on club time. My first doubts about RC clocks came about, when wearing a GPS watch (A bit OTT for the water, but a fun gadget), and noticed differences, initially, I put it down to GPS errors, but they just seemed to big..... Now we know! (According to my GPS, it did give me a peak speed of 35 knots in the Blaze, in a force 3!) We just need to research programming PIC's.... Although, is this a sledgehammer to crack a nut? But if the skills are in the club, it may be a bit easier than it sounds. Certainly, with the multiple starts in regatta week, I would have thought that the timings needed to be good, as to use the Cruisers for example, seconds can make all the difference, and regatta week scores, go towards the Sabrina Trophy points - having won that one on Vagabond, I know how much it means to cruiser sailors... And, congratulations, on being a Grandad! Will that make you the only grandad in your new class? Jon Edited by Jon711 - 22 Oct 13 at 7:22pm
	Blaze 711