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dam they really need to get some new timing equipement. Friggin rediculous! I know it was wet out but dam, the last run group had to run with their dam headlights on!

The failed cable was replaced. We lost a lot of time, for sure, but once the repair was done, the event ran smoothly, we just lost control of the Earth's rotating speed. :) BTW, 'they' is you, and everyone else at an SFR event. Get more involved that just throwing out your personal bitches. --Pat Kelly

If they are hot bitches, then please send them down here.

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Trying to get faster

  Yea, what she say's and what he says, but send them to Sacramento instead!!!!!!

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Doug Hubbard
# 20 AS
Sacramento Chapter

Kevin,

Are you upset over the long delays or the fact that the class winner "Spanked your ass" by 6 seconds??????? 

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Doug Hubbard
# 20 AS
Sacramento Chapter

I do think the revised results have been put up. See http://www.sfrscca.org/solo2/Results/2008/Championship/round02.html Our progam guru Robin Yang was able to sniff out the problems and fix them. --Pat Kelly **************

Pat Kelly:

The failed cable was replaced. --Pat Kelly

 Hi Pat,

Wondering if you know the details of the timing system?  I maintain the equipment for Colorado and Continental Divide Regions and am always looking for ways to improve reliability of our systems.  We use JA Circuits timers.  I'm using Neutrik weather proof 3 pin XLR connectors.  We've also upgraded to the laser photo heads.

Did the cable you had to replace fail due to an open wire, shorted by water or something else?

  Trying to minimize 'down time'

        Lindsay  -  Colorado Springs, CO

Lindsay : I'm not Pat , but I'll respond.

It is a JA Circuits timer, with wires to them.   The issue was that due to course layout and a VERY wet day, there was no choice but to run the cable to the timer thru several inches of standing water.

 The cables are a few years old.

We have spares, unfortunately it did take a while to realize exactly what the failure point was.

Unless you normally have no choice but to run your timer wires thru the equivalent of a shallow lake, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

We have some cables with a different insulation than the thin pvc type.  They seem to work better in the rain.  Also using the water resistant connectors seems to help.

Lindsay - Colorado Springs, CO

 

Crrikey:

dam they really need to get some new timing equipement. Friggin rediculous! I know it was wet out but dam, the last run group had to run with their dam headlights on!

 

FIRST you shouldnt really be complaining when you dont  volunteer anytime (excluding your required worktime) to help with things... i see why you are annoyed but there are people who volunteer MORE TIME and EFFORT to make last event keep going... I am sure they had more of a headache than you did

 instead of complaining why dont you, do something about it, volunteer learn the computer system offer some help...do something then come on here and complain, this doesnt happen all the time

 Stop wasting your time complaining and maybe use that time to learn to drive your super aerodynamic and lots racing graphics to make my mini look faster.... 11th out of 12... getting beat by 6 seconds

                                                  OA  PAX

52.595(1

50.333

53.779(2

43.286

141

158

out of 211 entrants....

and you ran in the dry
 

ya i would complain too! 

 

As one of the co-chairs of the Round 2 event, I have to say I understand the frustration of participants. Sometimes Solo events have problems and run long...ask me how I feel about Pro Solo, in that regard

Besides what ended up being an "unwaterproof" cable issue, we also had some other problems that SFR hadn't encountered previously...which is saying a lot, as we consistently have the biggest regional events in SCCA, which you would think would have exposed all weaknesses over our long history of running events. The good news is that the two major issues are now both known and dealt with, precluding having delays from these sources going forward.

Personally, I can see no upside in this thread turning into a flame war or slagging festival...the original poster had a valid complaint. But, as others have said, you can either be a part of the problem of a part of the solution... 

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In slow, out fast.
In fast, out backwards.

Impala SS AutoXer:

 The issue was that due to course layout and a VERY wet day, there was no choice but to run the cable to the timer thru several inches of standing water.

 The cables are a few years old.

We have spares, unfortunately it did take a while to realize exactly what the failure point was.

Ed, we did actually have enough cable to have initially avoided most of "Lake Oracle" on the routing to the starting beam. I didn't oversee that part of the set up (being responsible for the course design), but when I mentioned to a few of the techies, early on, that I wondered about the cable routing, I was told the cables were entirely waterproof and, also, that the transmittal was very low voltage (?)...I'm no EE, so I just took it on faith. Now, looking back at it, it's pretty clear that the cable casing had become compromised over the last few years and that we did have internal shorting that was going on, resulting in random starts. Also, given the continuous rain we encountered for a good part of the morning, I'm not sure the cable would have survived even if it had been routed around that one big puddle (pond?).  Chris and I first decided to change out the cable in RG4, but then things smoothed out, so we figured that the cable wasn't the primary problem. By RG5, it was clear we needed to try it...and, DOH!!!, it worked.

 

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In slow, out fast.
In fast, out backwards.

sorry about the whole flame.. but i just find it a kick in the face... when alot of us know how much chair people put in time and effort to make things happen... IMO i would not like new chairs or any chairs to be discouraged by ignorant remarks..to do future events... thats all... it was a great event still .. everyone got their runs...