EMIT card failures

[Duncan]

Has anyone else had many EMIT cards fail? My experience is:

• Jan 2007, bought EMIT cards for myself and Pippa
• Jan 2008, Pippa's failed (1 yr old) - EMIT UK kindly replaced it
• Jan 2010, mine failed (3 yrs old) - EMIT UK kindly replaced it
• March 2013, Pippa's failed (the replacement, just over 5 yrs old)

I had a feeling I'd read somewhere (EMIT website? But can't find it now) that 10-12 years was the expected lifetime, that EMIT would definitely replace up to 2 years, and maybe replace up to 5 years old. I may ask about the most recent failure, but won't hold out much hope given it is now just over 5 years old (although it has probably had less than 100 "runs" in that time).

These are all EMIT v3 cards (the ones with the display). Failed cards have blank displays, and the card fails to check / record any punches / download. Fortunately all failures so far have not been "critical" - one during training, one at a minor event, and most recent at JK, but in all cases the failure was detected at the start, and at the JK they had spares available. I accept the EMIT cards have batteries and limited lifetime. But I'm concerned one day my card is going to fail in the middle of an important race. Maybe it just highlights the need to put the card fully in the unit and get the backup punch...?

Whilst I'm here, does anyone know how to buy a new EMIT v3 card with display? Can't find one in the EMIT UK shop, but maybe I'm missing it...

[graeme]

Maybe it just highlights the need to put the card fully in the unit and get the backup punch...?

No, because you still won't get a time. I think the backup card is the ultimate cause of people's dislike of emit. As far as I can tell, the only reason Emit has its awkward asymmetric design is to make sure that the backup card is the right way round.

[HOCOLITE]

Duncan.
Mine failed mid sprint at Warwick. My backup card was not complete but even so they could not have givewn me a time as there was no record of my finishing as it failed two controls from the end. I think this is why we have the camera and a chap sat reading numbers at the big emit events. Also I think the v 3 cards have been withdrawn due to the number of failures. It was evident at the start that there might be failuires by the number of spares they had. Not really a good image for emit.

[housewife]

I like to think of myself as a bit of an expert on emit card failures. I rarely use the system, only ususlly when doing a race up north in Scotland. So. I have obviously been unlucky to have two failures, both at the Scottish champs. In the first instance, the download was just next to the finish line, so the first thing I did was agree a finish time with the officials. Then when the back - up card was checked, I was re-instated with a time. The second time was last years Scottish champs, when there was a camera recording of finish times, I had a complete back up card, and was carrying traktrak, so again I was covered. Both cards seemed fine at the start.

So my advice is always do the back-up card, and be prepared to agree a finish time if the card does not work. What annoys me about emit is that as I rarely use it, I find it really clunky to fit the brick in to get a pin prick. I was told that I took 2 secs to punch at the spectator control in the sprint on Friday. This all adds up. If I had confidence that the system worked I would go around just waving the brick at the control and looking for a flash, but I don't really, so I punch properly. I don't think it should be possible for people to save time by gambling that the punch has registered - it's a flaw.

What an excellent jk though! The poor volunteers, freezing to death in the car parks and starts etc each day. The start teams did manage to look pretty cheery too, but maybe that was because I was last start...

[denbydale]

As a matter of interest, does anyone know the proportion of clubs (or countries)
that use EMIT v. SI?

[Electrocuted]

Other half and I bought emit cards, mainly for a couple of holidays in Norway as they tend to be expensive to hire. His lasted about 2 years and failed. It had probably been used only about 25 times. Mine lasted 3 years and failed. His replacement failed within 2 years. I certainly won't be buying any more.

[Tatty]

SCOA use Emit, as does BAOC, SARUM, OD and a couple of clubs - MAROC, GRAMP? in Scotland.

[King Penguin]

I had expected battery run-out to be a function of usage more than age.
However, we purchase one for me and one for Mrs KP at the same time, probably about 5 years ago but I cannot be certain.
Mine failed part way round a minor local event in February this year. Mrs KP's has had much less use so I expected it would be OK for a while yet. It failed at the start of the JK sprint. Many thanks to the organisers for having spares at the start to cover such an eventuality.

[Blonde bombshell]

Thanks for that info Tatty.

Now I know whose events to miss. Shame about the Scottish clubs though.

I fail to understand why Emit is allowed at a major sprint race when so few are used to the system.Those who use it regularly will gain seconds which could make all the difference.

[greywolf]

SCOA use Emit, as does BAOC, SARUM, OD and a couple of clubs - MAROC, GRAMP? in Scotland.

As do INVOC & MOR hopefully the half a dozen failed brikkes at a single event earlier this year will hasten change...

At least when we organise a serious race we use SI

[AndyC]

NN also use Emit

[andy]

I fail to understand why Emit is allowed at a major sprint race when so few are used to the system.

It's not which competitors are used to the system, it's the volunteers who are organising. Most of these clubs have experts who use the software and setting up the hardware, so it makes sense to use the kit for their races. If someone were to force them to use a set system the number of willing volunteers would drop and then someone else has to pick up the slack, who's going to do that?

It's a shame a decision wasn't made to go with one or the other back in the day.

Personally I'm hoping clubs/associations will consider investing in SI kit once their emit kit starts to fail (even more), it's the system primarily used in the UK and has the biggest user base of knowledge, and more people seem to like it.

[denbydale]

SCOA use Emit, as does BAOC, SARUM, OD and a couple of clubs - MAROC, GRAMP? in Scotland.

It's a bit like Betamax versus VHS then?

[drobin]

It's a marketing thing then, seeing as Betamax was the superior system?

[andy]

Emit has advantages, which is why these clubs went for it, nothing to do with marketing (which seems a bit non-existent when it comes to punching systems, hardware especially!)