What did people think of the new timing system ?
I operated the keypads on Sunday and found it a bit "busy" entering results as well as judging, but seeing the penalties come up on the score board as they happened was a great improvement. I did get used to the entering of penalties and the second set of judging was certainly easier than the first.
I don't know how they got on in control. I think things were rather tense at times, but things were difficult with the old system too, with all it's little gliches. Let's hope this is an improvement.
Good to see Sport England investing money in HPP and our sport.
New Nottingham Timing System
I think the timing team coped very well under the circumstances, it was a weekend of learning, we hopefully will see a difference this coming weekend.
The only real issue that was commented on several times was not being able to see single run times, but I believe this is in hand.
I have yet to go on the keypads, again this coming weekend so we will see, any advancement is welcome providing it makes life easier, fingers crossed!
The only real issue that was commented on several times was not being able to see single run times, but I believe this is in hand.
I have yet to go on the keypads, again this coming weekend so we will see, any advancement is welcome providing it makes life easier, fingers crossed!
To err is human, if you really want to screw up, use a computer!!
I myslef thought the new system, brings us inline with the current european nations, who have had this for a while, and it is great as a spectator to see the paddlers going down the course and immediately know the result and time.
However, (and i know lots of work has and is being done), i think there is still alot of work needed. Put frankly the current system as it stands is great for spectators and rubbish for paddlers. problems like,
- catching up, capsize, and retirement all seemed to result in a 10minute delay whilst the system worked out what was happening.
- and although it is perhaps less relevant for the U23 and J Europeans, the ability to send the paddler off, on the start line, i.e. the one who is sitting there waiting, has to be the most important of all.
For the Europeans i understand it is a set time, and if you are not there then no-one goes, and a minute just ticks by, however for the judges, or people runnig out of order as in all other races, there must be an ability to simply dial in the racer, and let them go. Not keep them sitting on the start line with no knowledge of when, where, who or if they will get a run. I hope this problem will be sorted out soon, else after the Europeans, we'll be left with another system that is extremely difficult for the Timing Team to Run. :rock:
But all-in-all its great to see that something is being done to upgrade British Racing.
However, (and i know lots of work has and is being done), i think there is still alot of work needed. Put frankly the current system as it stands is great for spectators and rubbish for paddlers. problems like,
- catching up, capsize, and retirement all seemed to result in a 10minute delay whilst the system worked out what was happening.
- and although it is perhaps less relevant for the U23 and J Europeans, the ability to send the paddler off, on the start line, i.e. the one who is sitting there waiting, has to be the most important of all.
For the Europeans i understand it is a set time, and if you are not there then no-one goes, and a minute just ticks by, however for the judges, or people runnig out of order as in all other races, there must be an ability to simply dial in the racer, and let them go. Not keep them sitting on the start line with no knowledge of when, where, who or if they will get a run. I hope this problem will be sorted out soon, else after the Europeans, we'll be left with another system that is extremely difficult for the Timing Team to Run. :rock:
But all-in-all its great to see that something is being done to upgrade British Racing.
I thought that the new timing system was good. I personally enjoyed will they beat me... won't they beat as the clock ticked down. (It was also a little worrying for me seeing someone at gate 8 on their second run at the time it took me to do my first - panic!).
However I have noticed that despite the injection of technology their is the usual HUGE delay in the results for the "technologically advanced" competitions in releasing their results onto the internet.
Now I'll clarify what I mean here... by internet I don't mean the unoffical canoeslalom.co.uk but I mean other sites such as mikrotime and Halifax canoe club (to name two). Surely the new system has a facility to publish to the suppliers website?
Is it that the new technology can't handle .doc, .xls and .htm(l) format exports and only exports in postscript?
I know the information that the results provide do help me (and probably others) understand how I performed on a race weekend.
However I have noticed that despite the injection of technology their is the usual HUGE delay in the results for the "technologically advanced" competitions in releasing their results onto the internet.
Now I'll clarify what I mean here... by internet I don't mean the unoffical canoeslalom.co.uk but I mean other sites such as mikrotime and Halifax canoe club (to name two). Surely the new system has a facility to publish to the suppliers website?
Is it that the new technology can't handle .doc, .xls and .htm(l) format exports and only exports in postscript?
I know the information that the results provide do help me (and probably others) understand how I performed on a race weekend.
I realise that it isn't the responsibility of the timing team but Nottingham events always seem to publish the result in a pdf format and quite a while later.... and I thought that the introduction of a new system, that held all the times on a newer software package, would mean the results would be published somewhere accessible and in a slightly quicker time than previous?