EMIT punching

[Rookie]

I don't think the pins would go through tyvek - control card punches have indents on the other side to let the pins go right through the card

[allan@emituk.com]

Hi,[/color] [[/b]color=redAllan Farrington making a guest appearance. As my name appears several times in ths topic perhaps it is about time I responded. [/color][/color]I will address the key issue here, use of the back-up card. The card should have the yellow side showing as that is the waterproofed side, they are not tyvek, as we have to be able to print on them using a thermal printer, but they are waterproof and I am experimenting with tyvek type cards as trialled at the Belgian 3 day. Incidentally they cost me 4 pence each so don't just waste them.
I use these cards as dispute solvers, if you punch fully at a control (and that means placing it in correctly) you will get a back-up punch and if the Punch is there I can credit you with that control whatever happens. Yes we do get soggy cards occassionally, but even then we can normally read them, but I will admit some of the more vigorous youngsters do seem determined to fight their way through the thickest green using their emit card as a light sabre and it is not designed for that. The answer there is a version 3 card with the LED, which gives positive triple confirmation of a punch. It shows the control code whilst sat in the unit and now scrolls for 15 secs after each punch to show you have been there and as a third check you can always press the red button and it will show the code of the last control you punched.
I supply detailed instructions with each card and obviously the top orienteers look for the quickest method of punching. Dave Rollins the squad manager can always advise you, but with an emit card you have to get the flat end furthest from the elastic to make contact against the inside of the control hub. Top orienteers ignore the light, that's why they don't have them in Norway. (Incidentally if any orienteer has a version 2 card they want to upgrade to version 3 I will give a £15 discount off the £40 cost, however old their v2 is, (apologies for this obvious plug but it is in my interest to have the better orienteers using the latest technology, which also happens to then work with the touch-free controls as used at the Brit Sprints). Please feel free to email me with any specific quries.

[allan@emituk.com]

Dan, Apologies I forgot to answer your original post. If you were the only one dsq then what might have happened was someone else was putting their card into the unit on top, or adjacent to yours, what can then happen is their card gets the register through yours, I have only known it to happen once before when we were experimenting with mass punching. I very surprised the planner did not provided extra controls if loading was going to be that heavy, or alternatively put out a touch-free control.

[Mr. Furness]

I don't think the pins would go through tyvek - control card punches have indents on the other side to let the pins go right through the card

emit bricks have indents too for the same reason don't they?

[Rookie]

True - and as Allan Farrington is experimenting with tyvek I guess it works. Unless the card was pulled taught (and its not on an emit card) I didn't think the pins would go through.
I'm at an OD emit event on Sunday - that'll be fun



EDIT - The backup pins on emit just make indents as opposed to holes (it was last year when I last used one so I might be wrong). You probably wouldn't see these in tyvek
also - If emit can't handle mass punching then it's a bit dodgy

[RJ]

Waterproof polyart would be a good substitute. It has a surface that will show marks from pins. When it was used for control cards it was very easy to see light punching, particularly by kids.

It should be possible to get it cut to a particular size without a problem, and it won't cost all that much if it is not being printed on. Something like 4p for an A4 sheet for 150/180gsm.

[Oldman]

I have found that the backup card disintegrates from sweat on my hand, ie it wasn't rain on the yellow bit but sweat getting in from the other side.

Could the yellow bit be marked "this side out" or something to remind you what to do, and it would help if registration volunteers all knew that too.

[soundman]

i think that for bigger events with high amounts of people si is better but there are several disadvantages for small events.
you've got to use a computer for SI, in emit its optional.
emit needs less skill, you dont have to programme units
with the old units you have to turn them on but there are new "on all the time si untits"

however for big events you can tell where people have been and with the right people computers are fine

so my conclusion is that emit for less sophistication but si for bigger events where people will shout at you if it goes wrong!

[FatBoy]

you've got to use a computer for SI, in emit its optional.

No there are printers you can connect direct to download units as per Emit.

[Tatty]

North-runner - I wonder how much experience you have with using Emit? We're using it for our clubs regional event next weekend and expect about 1200 people. No problem.

[mharky]

I personally can't ever recall emit going wrong. I can remember lots of cases where people have failed to punch and then to mask their inabillity they have blaimed EMIT...

[HOCOLITE]

THe software doesn't appear to be as user friendly as SI. I'm not speaking from experience but from observation.

[FatBoy]

Software can be changed or written afresh. The basics of the hardware can't really be changed. i.e. you can't make an Emit brick SI shaped and it still work on the older units (and vice-versa).

As we've said before on this forum both hardware manufacturers are addressing their weaknesses compared to each other. I like the LCD on V3 Emit cards (although I can't quite get what it's telling me yet I do like being able to check it's doing something different while 5 yds toward the next one), although I do prefer carrying the compact SI cards. Swings and roundabouts really.

The only problem currently with Emit in the UK and large events is purely the number of hire cards you need, along with the manpower required of hiring out that many. If they could make V3 cards at £20 and sell the controls to a few more clubs I'm sure many of us who don't own one would buy one.

[HOCOLITE]

Is it just my unfamiliarity or do others find the splits output difficult to read. I've just looked at those for Hay Wood. they are very close together and the different colours are difficult to interpret. Are they all related to the winner? Does that mean you can't determine easily the fastest split on a leg? I suspect regular users don't have the latter problem, however the reading of the figures and interpretation of the numbers you get at the finish is not very clear. I almost always have to search for my time taken as it's not the bottom figure, and like the splits on line everything is so close together.

[Rookie]

I think the leg times are on the Hay Wood results along with loads about how far behind you are but it isn't set-out clearly - again this is a software and/or web design issue so can be sorted. I personally like the simple SI ouptut with just cumulative time, split time and fastest leg/current leader in blue - too much info makes it hard to read unless it's a good layout like winsplits or splits-browser.

What I didn't like was that no back-up cards were provided with hired e-cards at Hay Wood - that is, in my opinion, the only advantage of emit

It was raining and someone came back with their own backup card which, while still in place, was so messed up I don't think it could have been used if required.