The Aussie Ten and a Half Lap Race:

AIM: To Eliminate the need for The Timers:

RESULT:  Four less helpers to find:

This is the brain child of Glen Matthews - who is an electronics Technician.  He just started and ended up with a system that does every thing related to pylon racing. The system is just about bullet proof - we have been using it for years

We now have a system where we have eliminated the need for four people in the timing cage.  The penalty for this is we run ten and a half laps instead of just 10.  This project was started because we could not get enough helpers to man the cages.  That means four less people that we have to find. 

• The Total system makes out the draw - picks out callers and frequencies from memory and grades contestants on abilities - we do not run the grid system here in Australia. So we schedule all the best pilots flying against each other - this leads to exciting racing - we do not bother with finals. We just do not have the number of contests that other countries have.

• If we wish we can run the system according to the rules book with the designated 10 laps.  However with this do not have any economies of labor.

• In this article I will highlight the 10.5 lap system - as this is the one that eliminates 4 officials (Lap counters or Timers)

• We have a small set of coloured lights that we have mounted above a very large minute countdown clock.  This is situated  at Number one pylon.  The clock and small coloured lights are easily seen from the start line.
• At the commencement of the race the starter pushes a button to start the minute count down. At Number 1 the officials have reset the computer from the previous heat and then recorded the number of pilots in the next heat. (The system checks that all times have been recorded)
• When the minute is up the first small coloured light above the countdown clock (Green) goes on - this starts the computer clock for that contestant.  Naturally the caller launches the model when that light goes on.
• One second later the next light (Amber) goes on - and so forth until they all the contestants are airborne.  At that time all the computer timers are working.
• When they reach Number One the light man pushes his button and the lap light goes on to signify that the pilot must turn.
• Every time the lap button is pushed the computer increments the lap count by one. 
• After 11 pushes of the button  the race is finished this means that the pilot has flown an extra distance between the start line to No 1 Pylon on the first lap.
• At that stage the computer clock is stopped and the race time recorded. 
• Adjustments are made to the scores to allow for cuts.
• The computer can then produce a print out heat by heat for the total field scores.
• This you must gather is not a normal computer - it is very much a custom made job.
• However it does show you another approach - what we have done - to make things easier for us.
• No one has ever complained about the extra half lap that we do - we just mentally take off about 2 seconds to get an idea of what out times would have been with the old system.

  ANYHOW THAT IS WHAT WE DO IN  VICTORIA - I THINK THAT IT IS SMART AND GLEN HAS DONE A GREAT JOB.

  I have attached a picture of the Number One Cage that we use. 

  Of course we no longer have those people sitting under the pylon at number one - as they are now situated on the sideline at 90 degrees to the pylon.  However they are still sitting in the cage.

  You see that it is a transportable device.  All the equipment that we need is contained in that trailer.  We just hitch it up to a car and we take it anywhere.  It weighs two ton.

  Incidentally it has a Poly Carbonate viewing glass at the front - that is strong enough to stop any model and it is clear.  It is a pity that it is so expensive as it would make an almost indestructible cage for officials.

  Unfortunately his computer equipment and software are not for sale - I think that Glen has had a gut full of it - it took some time to perfect.   Has no Documentation or circuit diagrams that he could hand out - however it is interesting what he has done.

  I do have an ex pylon pilot  who is interested in writing a similar system using C++ - pop down menus etc. and if enough people are interested I will get him to do it.

  

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