Overview
While using SportIdent (SI) for an event offers the potential to reduce
the overall effort required, it does impose some special requirements
of its own. This information page looks at the differences between running
an event with and without electronic timing. The major issues - in chronological
order - are:
Advertising your Event
Make sure that all advertising, printed programs and the web-site indicate
that the event is a SportIdent event; , you should also provide the
cost of rental sticks.
Preparing the Information
Sheet
The information sheet should provide instructions to participants on
taking part in an SI event
Extra Equipment for
SI Operation
- Control stands; each must have an SI holder and have a manual
punch too.
- SI controls;
- at least 1 per control site (consider putting two controls
at frequently visited control sites)
- 3 x start controls
- 3 x Finish Controls
- 2 x Clear Controls
- 2 x Check Controls
- SportIdent signs - for Clear, Check and Start controls
- Laptops; for most events, two laptops should suffice.
- Printer; a Canon 1000 inkjet printer (prints 2-3 ppm) is
more than enough for events with 200-300 participants.
- Power for the printer and laptops; we use:
- and 100 AH deep-cycle battery (heavy!)
- an inverter to convert 12V DC to 240V AC (for
laptops and printer)
- Toolkit
- Consumables/spares (be careful - these are easily forgotten)
- SportIdent Registration Forms (template available here)
- A4 paper for results printer
- Thermal paper rolls for split printer
- Spare batteries for controls
- SI Operations Manual
Programming SportIdent
Controls
In general, controls will be programmed by the Course-Setter. As Organiser,
your key responsibility is to make sure that the Course-Setter:
- Is aware that he is programming the controls.
- Has the VOA laptops or suitable alternative.
- Has the appropriate version of SI Manager to program the controls
(currently Version 9.8)
- Is confident that he knows how to do this - if not,
Equipment
Supplied by the Organising Club
- Normal equipment required for an Orienteering event
- 3 tables for SI equipment – 1 for registration, 1 for finish, 1
for split prints
- Registration/finish tents
Things
to Consider
Assembly
Area
- Registration and finish each require a computer and these are networked
together by a cable. The two computers should be no more than 50m
apart.
- Cables run between the two tents – carrying data and 240V power.
These will need to be elevated or protected from passers-by.
Registration
- There is a separate Handout for Registration – refer to this for
details.
- Your most experienced computer-operator should be on registration;
it is critical that registration ‘keeps up’.
- Two people are required at registration;
- The first checks the card filled in by the competitor, checks
the money due, takes the money and then gives - change, maps and
SportIdent Cards.
- The 2nd person – or computer operator – keys in entries from
the middle portion of the card – and puts these in a pile for
use at the finish.
- Registration runs from 9:00 am until 13:00; if things are slow (e.g.
before 10:00 or after 11:30, one can do the registration and finish
one one computer. If you have an experienced operator on the machine,
you can extend this time further) .
Pre-Start
The diagram below provides
an overview of the Pre-Start area. This diagram illustrates how competitors
proceed to the pre-start, past the CLEAR and CHECK stations. The person
manning the pre-START should ensure that all competitors CHECK their
SI card before starting.
Several things are worthy
of note:
- Timing is still manual at this stage; to provide a fair start competitors
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The
Start
The start is same as normal.
Runners mark their maps, punch the START control and head out on their
course. The key issues here are:
- A runner's course starts at the instant they punch the START control
- regardless of the time on the start-slip.
- It is critical that everybody punches the START control - it may
be appropriate to put bunting either side of the START controls to
prevent people from running past them.
- That runners on the same course are not sent out together; there
should be at least 2 minutes between them. The recommended way of
managing this is:
- Release runners on the basis of the time selected on their Start
Ticket
- or Keep a sheet with pre-marked 2 minute timeslots; as
each runner departs tick the timeslot as used. If another runner
appears on the same course, ask them to wait until the next time
slot.
- That people do not study their map intensively before starting their
run; if someone has finished marking their map and a slot is available,
ask them to punch the START control. They can then study the course
on their own time...
Finish
Layout
The main considerations
here are:
- To make sure every competitor downloads
- To collect rental SI sticks
To increase your chances
of doing this, we would suggest:
- Provide an enclosed path – marked with streamers/bunting – from
the finish to the download control.
- Provide a person to direct people to the download control – and
make sure nobody skips underneath the bunting.
- Put the finish control before the split printing station – many
people think that the split print station downloads to the computer
too. This is NOT the case – the print station takes data in from the
SI Card and prints it, nothing else.
Results Display
Every 15 minutes or so, print out a copy
of the latest results. These should be mounted on the results display
board with tape or magnets. Refer to the Finish Procedures manual for
a description of how this is done.
Publishing
Results
Ensure that the results
recorded have been checked and are correct. Once this is done, all you
have to do is write the results to an HTML file and send this file to
the VOA (send to Blair Trewin as below) for publication on the internet.
This is quite easy:
- Load OE2000
- Select Competition Day > Results from the menu; the Results
dialogue box is displayed
- Select Preliminary from the menu in this dialogue box; the Select
Report dialogue box is displayed.
- Under Report Type select Courses; this prints the results for courses
1-12 (as opposed to by class).
- Press OK; a print preview dialogue box is displayed with the required
report. If this is what you want, press the Print button to produce
a hard copy. If, however, you want to send this to the VOA (for use
on the web page):
- press Publish in the menu
- select the HTML option and enter an appropriate filename (note
that long filenames are not yet supported. Use 8.3 filename format).
- press OK; the report displayed on the screen will be written to
the file specified. Please send this file to Blair Trewin at the address
below.
Publishing
Splits
Split time prints can be produced for all
courses, all classes or a specific course/class. To do this:
- Load OE2000
- Select Competition Day > Results from the menu; the Results
dialogue box is displayed
- Select SportIdent from the menu or press the SportIdent Results
(splits) button in the toolbar; the Select Report dialogue box is
displayed.
- Under Report Type select Courses; this prints the splits for courses
1-12 (as opposed to by class). If splits are required for a specific
course, uncheck the All checkbox above the course list.
- Press OK; a print preview dialogue box is displayed with the required
report. If this is what you want, press the Print button to produce
a hard copy. If, however, you want to send this to the VOA (for use
on the web page):
- press Publish in the menu
- select the HTML option and enter an appropriate filename (note
that long filenames are not yet supported. Use 8.3 filename format).
- press OK; the report displayed on the screen will be written
to the file specified. Please send this file to Blair Trewin at
the address below.
Useful
Contacts
The following people have kindly offered to coordinate
SI operations within their club; if you need information, please contact
them (preferably via email).
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