emiTag

[Nimby]

EMIT trialled the new (to the UK I think) emiTAG touch-free system at BAOC's Mytchett event today. See http://emit.no/en/product/emitag-timing-chip-157

I got the impression most people were very happy with it - more feedback (the LED) than a V2 EMIT brick but I missed the extra info you get with a V3 brick, and there's no paper backup strip.

I'm a slow runner so stopping to punch doesn't really bother me, but I'm sure faster runners will love it.

The tag is rather like the lifeclock in Logan's Run!

[drobin]

I wore it on the inside of my wrist so I could see the confirmation light, but missed not having the v3 confirmation screen of what was the next control number. I also didn't like stooping to be near the box. I need more practice to see how far away (or how close) I can be for it still to register? Or perhaps strap it on my leg?

[oo_wrong_way]

Was it the "training" controls - metal boxes? On 18th August SOC is running a street score event at Lyndhurst with EMIT UK trialling the "professional" proximity controls. These use the same wrist strap device on the runner but the control is a sheet embedded in the kite and is apparently much quicker to respond than the training controls.

The SOC trial is a lead up to the use of emiTags at the Southampton Urban event on 3rd November - day 1 of the November Classic weekend.

More info on the Lyndhurst event . . .

[DaveK]

Certainly easy to use, though a bit odd that my printed 'on the day' results showed my (correct I think) time of 65.15, though the BAOC 'on-line' results record me at 80.49.

[drobin]

They were boxes which are just slightly bigger than SI boxes but had holes in the base plate for fixing or hanging.

[HarryO]

Do existing Emit cards work with this system? Or is my new card soon to be redundant

[oo_wrong_way]

Do existing Emit cards work with this system? Or is my new card soon to be redundant

As far as I can tell emiTag equipment including controls and readers are incompatible with Emit brikkes. I guess that will mean a lengthy period before emiTags are in common use.

[Wayward-O]

SI have a new system out as well - SIAC. Have there been any trial events using this kit? Or are there any events planned in the near future?

The new SIAC1 card is backwards compatible so can be used at events where other newer SI cards can be used. Also older BSF7 and BSF8 controls can be mixed with the new BS11 SIAC controls in a SIAC event. This would allow the older contact controls to be used where the newer controls could allow a 'punch' from the wrong side of an uncrossable feature.

The handbook for this new system is available here.

[Scott]

I didn't realise this, but apparently emiTag was used for timing (not punching) at EOC this year. Which I guess would explain why everyone was running across the finish line with one arm held straight out in front of them.

[Nimby]

Do BOF / IOF need to approve completely new systems from EMIT or SI for ranking events?

[Scott]

I believe the IOF recently (last couple of months) established a new official process for approval of punching systems, although I'm not sure exactly what is involved. I think it arose out of a dispute over a new, Russian-manufactured system that somebody wanted to use for a WRE. Presumably the fact that it is not approved was at least part of the reason that emiTag was only used for timing at EOC and not for punching.

[DJM]

The relevant IOF documentation is:

1 From IOF Council Minutes April 2012:

Process for obtaining IOF approval for a new punching system, intermediate report

BP presented the final proposal of the appointed project group. The Council reconfirmed that the approval process be in two steps, the first level of which is approval for World Ranking Events and the second level for IOF World Events. The Council also endorsed the proposed way of handling the process within the IOF and concluded that time keeping abilities should not be part of the punching system approval process.

2 From IOF Council Minutes January 2012:

Request for approval of Emit Touch-Free in SkiO

At the request of the Ski Orienteering Commission, the Council approved the Emit Touch-free punching system for all level ski orienteering events.

3 From IOF Foot-O Commission Minutes summary April 2012

FOC further discussed touch-free punching in FootO.

FOC confirms that it sees no reason to use touch-free punching except in very special cases such as Knock-Out Sprint and Sprint Relay, when many runners try to punch at the same time, and tenths of a second may decide the outcome of the race. A test of touch-free punching should be made at the Knock-Out Sprint 2013 during NORT.

FOC is interested to follow the development of touch-free punching (because the development takes place whether FOC supports it or not). However, the present accredited systems requiring a direct contact is more apt for checking whether a competitor was at a control than systems that allow passing without direct contact. A lot of uncertainties (and possibilities for complaints) would be introduced, if e.g. different electronic cards required different minimum distances (or different maximum passing speed) for correct registration at the control.

The difference in convenience for participants is much less in FootO than in SkiO or MTBO, where competitors are following a ski track or a path. Touch-free punching is not a substantial improvement over direct punching in FootO.

The background to these is that there are two systems involved, the EMIT touch-free punching system and the Chinese punching system, Learnjoy.

My understanding is that the former is looking to have the philosophy of touch free punching accepted, which IOF Council does for Ski-O but which FOC does not support for Foot-O, whilst the latter wishes to join the existing duo of SportIDENT and EMIT as a conventional IOF-approved punching system.

[cbg]

Excellent Urban Score event hosted by SOC at Lyndhurst today - despite the horrendous traffic queues getting into the New Forest: anyone would think that the sun hadn't been seen for 10 months. Anyway, to the point: I can't see that any advantages of proximity punching in Foot-O would be worth the cost. I've used EmiTags often in skiing (timing and confirmation that correct course and laps have been skied, and giving lap times) and understand the benefit both in ski-O and MBTO, when contact punching is much more difficult, but why in Foot-O? Okay, if you really wanted only one system for all your club's running, skiiing, MTB, ski-O, MTBO and Foot-O events. But there is the uncertainty of how close ensures punching (not helped by labels partially covering the LED indicator), plus the additional cost; EMIT is a simple system for the planner, but it's other advantage should be the cheapness of the controls, thus reducing the impact of lost/stolen controls (SOC had one removed today); plus the opportunity for paper backup indicators, which proximity punching doesn't have.

Anyway, I've worked out how to carry my EmiTag and how I will be punching. That's 20 seconds saved

[greywolf]

Now that IOF have forced through the sprint relay for WOC, a touch-free system seems a bit of a necessity - could get very messy with a pack of 30
Instead of basing the system around a single point control (and then worrying about the correct mating of card to unit, or the potential different cards to register at different distances) is it possible to design a system using a control arch which has to be passed through to register?

[Tatty]

So how did you carry your tag charkles? I think I had mine on the wrong arm, but then I had my watch on one arm and control descriptions on the other