What SI card?

[SeanC]

I was thinking of handing down my SI card as a present and buying a new one, but I'm confused by the different versions on sale from SPORTident http://www.sportident.co.uk/


Two main questions.
1) Is the extra speed worth it? The website talks about version X being 3, 4, 9 etc times faster than version Y, but it doesn't describe actual time gained. At my speed I might pay more to save 10-30 seconds a race, but not too fussed about 1-3 seconds.

2) If I buy a flashy new version and turn up with it at a local event in NewSmellyBridge Country Park, will the control look at me blankly when I try and use my new SI card? What SI card version is going to work with the controls typically used at events?

[DavidJ]

I was thinking of handing down my SI card as a present

For Christmas? Bet the lucky person will be very excited to get that ..

[AndyC]

To answer the specific question about speed differences my SI 6 (no longer available I believe but the fastest one compatible with all control units) would over 30 controls cost me less than 2 seconds in comparison with the faster SI 9 & 10. I think I lose more than that checking I've got the right attackpoint. (that's based on the comparison chart on the SI website)

[graeme]

I but it doesn't describe actual time gained.

The time gained depends primarily on whether you can flow through the control without stopping. Extra time spent standing still is negligible, but a stop-start cycle is probably 2-3 sec a control.

[Paul Frost]

It's not only the time gained by the faster processing, it's also the reduced chance of a mis-punch if you don't leave it in long enough. I think that it's urban and sprint where you notice the speed more. Often controls have a wire strop or cable tie through the hole and it can make it a bit fiddlier to get into the hole, the faster cards tend to register when just touching the outside edge and don't need a full insertion.

[AndyC]

Out of pure interest (I looked at the list of card types) does anyone know why there doesn't seem to be an SI 7?

[SIman]

Out of pure interest (I looked at the list of card types) does anyone know why there doesn't seem to be an SI 7?

I believe that type 7 had a display, but when the cost was going to be too high, development was abandoned.

If NewSmellyBridge CP is in Scotland you can be confident that any type of SI card will work. I can't answer for elsewhere.
Paul has described the advantages of faster cards perfectly.

[ba-ba]

At Newbrough recently most of the boxes hadn't had the required firmware update to accept the new cards. Unfortunately I was re-instated so my horrendous run will go down in the annals.
Often, if an event knows the boxes aren't up to the new cards clubs will note this in details and offer a hire of a retrograde card free of charge. (this is what CLOK did before the boxes were all upgraded)
I keep my old SI card for park events (I tell myself that old boxes will be used that may have missed the upgrade) and fell races where I don't mind if I lose it. For some reason I think I'm more likely to have it drop off on fell races where there's fewer trees to ping it off and less undergrowth to go hunting for it through, but again the missing of an upgrade issue as well.

[m4rk]

Beware of the newest version with the LED (11?) for maze orienteering since you can't punch another control while the LED is still flashing (5s ish).

This is not usually a problem unless controls are very close together (such as in a maze) or you are extremely fit.

[Big Jon]

I quite like to pause for a breath while my old-style SI card thinks a bit and then bleeps

[Gross]

I quite like to pause for a breath while my old-style SI card thinks a bit and then bleeps

Musgrave.... what you doing with an SI card????? (bet you've even got a windows pc)

[JK]

I have a new flashy one.
This 7s delay is a bit annoying as I do enjoy novelty events like mazes and ultrasprints, but probably handy in noisy urban sprints with multiple people punching at the same time.

The claim when I bought it was that when the battery runs out it'll stop flashing but will then operate just like the non-flashy version. I haven't checked with SI-UK, but I suspect that it'll still have the 7s delay in it - in which case that statement would be false.

Maybe a future version will have the capability of turning off its flashiness.

[smf]

I have a new flashy one.
This 7s delay is a bit annoying as I do enjoy novelty events like mazes and ultrasprints, but probably handy in noisy urban sprints with multiple people punching at the same time.

I used a new flashy version 11 at the ESOC Ultrasprint in September and I didn't have a problem, but then I am not fast.

The claim when I bought it was that when the battery runs out it'll stop flashing but will then operate just like the non-flashy version. I haven't checked with SI-UK, but I suspect that it'll still have the 7s delay in it - in which case that statement would be false.

Maybe a future version will have the capability of turning off its flashiness.

It also said the battery would last for up to 30,000 flashes.

[MIE]

It also said the battery would last for up to 30,000 flashes.

And the cynic in me thinks that there are a lot of numbers from
1 to 30,000 -- or is 30,000 a "guarantee" rather than a maximum.
If it is the later (a maximum) then it may fail to flash tomorrow.

[EddieH]

I hope 7s doesn't stand for 7 seconds