CAMBRIAN TIMING STATEMENT
Cambrian Timing's Dave Wall has issued the following statement after
timing problems were experienced at the weekend's National downhill
championships. It explains the comprehensive backup systems which prevent
a rider's time from being "lost" and it also explains the
nature of the problems encountered. Hopefully, it will go some way towards
clarifying the situation which many riders, understandably, found quite
trying.
"The timing system has a computer at the start logging
start time and a second computer at the finish logging finish times.
There is a radio link which transmits start times to the finish to calculate
the time on the course. The transfer mechanism obviously checks if the
time has been corrupted in any way and rejectes it, if it can't understand
after many attempts.
Although this radio link was working fine when we set up, unfortunately
we were getting a lot of rejections, which means a fair number of times
did not go up on the display board. The start computer was still recording
the start times correctly, they were just not being received by the
finish.
After the first run we failed to display about 20 times. I contacted
the start and was told the missing information, so filled in the missing
info and printed the first run times. I am aware of a mistake to the
Masters when I calculated a time incorrectly. The radio got worse for
the second run, so after the run, the start computer was brought to
the finish and the times recovered.
During the second run there were also a few problems with riders producing
two pulses when crossing the line causing the following rider to be
given a timer quicker than the actual. Their correct finish time was
recorded and the run time corrected.
As well as the main timing system we have a backup at the finish. This
is a digital camera that photographs everyone as they cross the line.
The photograph is time stamped from another clock. The BC commissaires
also independently record the start and finish order.
On all complaints and for many other times we have checked the start
times, finish times, photofinish and BC commissaire record sheets.
Dave Wall
Cambrian Timing
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