Compulsory GPS?

[AndyC]

Now that it is past noon and I'm safe from April Fools ;
Elsewhere we have questions of "who crossed which fence where" - I understand that gps is used to track star orienteers at big events - Should we all be carrying compulsory gps tags to monitor where we go on an event and DSQ people on that evidence if they cross an uncrossable boundary or go OOB?
(given the error in location possible only clear breaches could be acted upon but then if the cheat were near a official crossing point they'd use it wouldn't they?)

[seabird]

It would be reasonable - but only if the rules and guidelines are followed and the OOB is marked on the map!

[Copepod]

Adventure racing teams have been penalised for OOB infractions discovered by their GPS units.

[andypat]

I'm not sure how that would work on a micro level.
Anyone who has tried to put their GPS track onto routegadget will tell you it needs a lot of tweaking to fit the course (and is dependent on the accuracy of the planning and mapping too!) This effect is much worse in Urban and for me would be a definite no - I tend to do my urban routegadgets by hand as the GPS track needs so much tweaking to fit it to my actual route.

[andy]

I like this idea.

It's an expensive one though...

[AndyC]

I like this idea.

It's an expensive one though...

Maplins have something that looks like it might do the job http://www.maplin.co.uk/bluetooth-gps-travel-tracker-351568 at £50 about the same cost as a SI Card -and in bulk.....

[denzil53]

I like this idea.

It's an expensive one though...

Maplins have something that looks like it might do the job http://www.maplin.co.uk/bluetooth-gps-travel-tracker-351568 at £50 about the same cost as a SI Card -and in bulk.....

I've been using the Maplins gps since the new year - there is an even cheaper version (£30, which I have!) which connects via usb rather than bluetooth.

I do agree with the comments about accuracy, however. GPS ain't that clever. The recorded trace is fairly accurate, but I wouldn't want to be disqualified on the evidence of mine.

[AndyC]

Marginal errors aren't the problem because if you were near the crossing/ OOB we can presume you were going to "play fair" but if your gps showed you crossed 100yds from a crossing......

[Miner]

I think in some instances giving 100m leeway may be insufficient. I have used my GPS tracker successfully at numerous events but when I went to Wendover Woods there was no way I could tweak the track to fit the control locations on the map. If I got the start, finish and a midpoint control right I was way out on all the other controls.

[229]

.

[mister blobs]

So who will be responsible for going through and checking the 5000+ GPS tracks that an event like the JK will create?

It's easier and cheaper to employ good planning, proper overprinting and control descriptions, well thought-out positioning of crossing points and possible manning of vulnerable sections.

It would be quite straightforward to write some software to analyse tracks and check for any entry into a geo fenced area or crossing a forbidden line. Then you could pick out tracks that may need further analysis. Of course this would require the planner/controller to work out which areas to geo fence in advance (and probably walk them to get the GPS coordinates right). It would also probably mean that you'd have to standardise on one (or at least only a few) GPS devices with USB download. That means that you'd have to have devices for competitors to hire. Can your club afford to buy a few hundred GPS trackers at £30 each??

[Adventure Racer]

What happens if your tracker loses satellite contact during your run? I presume you can't get DQ'ed for that - even if it happens to fail to record a track just for the bit past the OOB where running through would be a competitive advantage.

As a supplementary, will silver foil be a banned item to have in your possession whilst taking part in orienteering?

I think you'll find that Nopesport is still on GMT, hence this thread was started before noon...

[AndyC]

W

I think you'll find that Nopesport is still on GMT, hence this thread was started before noon...

Definitely says 12:11pm for the first post as I look at it.

Expenditure is high (but so are boxes, dibbers and brikkes) -and as for checking you could do random plus podium, perhaps , IMHO the principle that you could be caught might be enough deterent?
Oh and I remember the days of control cards and pin punches; checking the pattern of the holes to confirm that the competitor visited the right control -checking tracks on a screen is less boring at least.
As a side effect the gps would confirm that the area of a failed control was visited (unless it was in trees of course).
Not sure it is viable (yet) and if I want the implication that orienteers can't be trusted but we'll have the debate sometime and I suspect that it will happen eventually (gps built into SI?)

[NFKleanne]

Cost would be a problem, me, plus 7 kids - just couldn't afford it!