SConet Systems

Electronic eStick and Safety - Updated 12/08/2011

- - - - - - - - SportIdent is an electronic timing system used at orienteering events. You use an eStick for timing and for your Safety. This is when your gender and age on the entry form also helps. Your estick: a control station: MOST IMPORTANT: A search is rarely necessary, but we often have to waste volunteers' time preparing to search just because a competitor forgets to check-in and DOWNLOAD their eStick at the end of a race, so remember always DOWNLOAD your eStick before leaving. Of course, you may be lost so don't try too advanced a course before honing your "O" skills! Each eStick has a unique ID-number. You may rent at the event or purchase your own. O-Gear Suppliers.   Each person wears an eStick on their finger and uses it to record the times at various CONTROL POINTS. You do this by punching-in. i.e. putting the eStick into the hole in the control unit. YOU MUST WAIT TIL YOU HEAR THE BEEP or see the LIGHT FLASH! The first of these CONTROLS are the CLEAR and the CHECK just before you start. These special control units prepare the eStick for the race. WAIT TIL IT BEEPS. The Clear may take several seconds. Then you go to the START line, and when you are given the go-ahead you start your race by punching-in at the START control, pick up your map, and are off. When you reach each control point on the course you punch-in again. Your time and the control's number is recorded on your eStick, and your eStick number and time is recorded in the control-unit. It does _not_ get sent back to the base computer, it is only in the control unit and on your eStick (see Safety below). When you punch-in at the FINISH control, that is the end of your race timing - BUT - you must must now "DOWNLOAD" all those times into the ePunch computer. This is done at the ePunch station. Then you will receive a print-out showing your total time and the split-time for each leg. You will also see results of other people! DOWNLOADING let's us know you are back, finished or not. ePunch and SAFETY: This is when your gender and age on the entry form also helps. If you 'go missing' ! Until you 'download' at the ePunch station, the event computer shows you as still being 'out-there'. If you have been out an extra long time (over 3 hrs) we start 'looking' for you . This is why you must always DOWNLOAD your eStick before leaving , even if you did not finish for some reason. Using the safety-info on your entry form we search the parking lot for your car, find your friends, ask around, and phone. When the controls are collected at end of race-day, then the actual control-units are returned to base and searched. This shows which controls you punched and when, giving a picture of where you last known was. Searchers then go out. A search is rarely necessary, but we often have to prepare for one because a competitor forgets to DOWNLOAD, so remember always DOWNLOAD your eStick before leaving, and don't bite off too advanced a course before honing your "O" skills! - - - - - - - - Website design O Kearney Contents copyrighted © 2007-2011 O. Kearney