Emit cards

[madmike]

Given that the scrolling display version is no longer available, does anyone feel that there is any advantage to the orienteer for using an EMIT brikke over an SI SI Card?
I can only think of disadvantages - size and unweildiness...

if the orienteer is a planner or organiser and the controls are stolen/vandalised

[DaveK]

Have to say, as a user of both - SI in SEOA events and EMIT at those wonderful Wednesday Army and other SCOA events - both are easy to use; and as SJC says, the back-up on the brikkes is a useful tool.

[Roomungous]

The main reason to allow both systems to thrive is MARKET COMPETITION, otherwise the sole system can charge what it likes for their equipment.

[Paul Frost]

The main reason to allow both systems to thrive is MARKET COMPETITION, otherwise the sole system can charge what it likes for their equipment.

The converse to that is that in a small market neither gets big enough to achieve the cost benefits of larger scale production and development that they can pass on to the consumer.

You also dilute the knowledge pool of people able help out with computing at events.

History is littered with examples of two similar systems competing for our money. One finally wins the war and everyone who bought the losing system now has a problem with lack of support etc. So it's not always good for the consumer to have choice.
Cassettes Vs 8-track
VHS Vs Betamax
Blu-Ray Vs HD DVD

Those battles also highlight that it's not always the technically best product that wins, but the company that markets and supports it's product best in the costumers eyes.

Even when there is only one option the price is still sensitive.

I also suspect that if there had only been one electronic punching option in the late 90's there would have been more clubs owning and using it quicker than there was. The indecision/uncertainty probably caused a lot of clubs to wait and see who won the war before committing themselves. And there are probably some clubs who committed to Emit that are now wishing they had waited.

I'm not saying that one is better than the other (although I have a preference), just that sometimes choice is bad thing.

[madmike]

did VHS not buy BETAMAX and close them down to killthe competition?

[Paul Frost]

did VHS not buy BETAMAX and close them down to killthe competition?

No, Sony gave up and started making VHS machines. (I worked in electrical retailing at the time).

[madmike]

cheers for that senility fast approaching clearly

[oo_wrong_way]

cheers for that senility fast approaching clearly

Can senility approach quickly and clearly?

[madmike]

cheers for that senility fast approaching clearly

Can senility approach quickly and clearly?

Can't remember

[seabird]

100% proof from the backup card that you have been to the control regardless of what the electronic stuff says.

Only if you've developed the technique of laying the brick flat quickly. I haven't - can only speedily apply the leading edge - which hasn't caused any problems as a technique on its few outings. I just take the non-use of the back-up as a calculated gamble.

Read the comments about practice makes perfect but, like many, I'm not going to drive the 200 odd miles to an emit area to practice for a one emit event in every 3-4 years.

But we've been here many times over the years. Any orienteer quickly learns where emit areas are. When clubs (regions) have committed to a system - that is the system we are going to get. The die was cast long ago.

[Meat Market]

I don't know if anyone else finds it this way but I think EMIT and SportIdent are good for different circumstances.

If you are running a small event/training, EMIT is ideal because:
- the units are really light and easy to put out and don't need a lot of checking - MASSIVE ADVANTAGE
- You don't have to worry about people not resetting the brikke so dont need to make sure everyone resets and checks brikkes, removing the need to have someone posted at the start.
-People generally dont have EMIT brikkes so for small events this isnt a problem because you have a club set which people can borrow.

For larger events, SportIdent is a better choice:
- because although it takes more effort to get controls out, they are more user friendly (you get an obvious feedback if you've punched correctly and its difficult to put them in incorrectly). Therefore I would argue that people are less likely to mispunch - MASSIVE ADVANTAGE
- Although newer versions make punching slightly faster there is not the advantage that some people (ie me) have with owning their own EMIT brikke which has a screen which definitely makes punching/knowing you havent mispunched faster
- People generally own SI cards (or d*****s as some would call them) so the club doesnt need to splash out on a large set.

Don't know if this rings true with most people but this is what I've found.

[Paul Frost]

If you are running a small event/training, EMIT is ideal because:
- the units are really light and easy to put out and don't need a lot of checking - MASSIVE ADVANTAGE

A long time ago (7 years or more) SI might have needed a bit more effort to use, with the need to wake up units, but that's long gone.

The difference in weight and size of the the control units is not that significant. In fact the inflexibility of hanging Emit controls in urban locations has been mentioned in another thread.
For training it's even easier with SI as you don't need to use a stake, you can just thread the string of the kite through the punching hole and tie it to any convenient branch or stick.

The splits mini-printer without the need of a computer for small events has been available for over 7 years (something often cited as a unique advantage of Emit).

The ease that you can import the data from a stand alone print station into AutoDownload and produce a full set of nicely formatted HTML pages to upload to the club website is worth a lot. Just compare the two, which ones look better and are easier to read?
Example SPORTident splits
Example Emit splits

The cost differences are very little either, having recently costed a complete set of startup kit for both systems.

[Ali Wood]

Here we go again... which is the better journey, the Old Brikke Road or the SIghway....? If only the benefits of each system could be combined - a dibber-shaped EMIT; or is that too simplistic?
I've never been able to stop EMIT interfering with map & compass holding, and find it a distraction when punching. All other considerations mentioned in this thread e.g smaller units for the planner /rolling display / proximity punching, are of little consequence unless the shape / size can be improved.

[andypat]

I'd say the main drawback for SI is the cost of units. We've lost a couple to urban disappearances and thought we'd lost another at a training night last week. At £100 a pop thats quite a thought.

[Paul Frost]

In 2010 an Emit control was £53, but the website looks dead so can't find current prices. Don't know if that included vat or not.

So given likely price increases over 2 years the difference isn't that significant.

Plus it's easier to secure an SI unit (so less likely to get stolen) with a wire strop through the hole, although I know that's not 100% secure it's a deterrent.

This isn't intended to be a knock Emit opportunity, just correcting some of the misconceptions about the differences in use and cost.