| Transitrace News |
NEWS ABOUT THE TRANSITRACE SPEED TIMER
As I announced briefly a few days ago, the metal parts which have caused me so many problems are now delivered. I can now do the final assembly work on the circuit boards, where a bracket for the connector was the missing crucial item. Some other work also remains, such as final electrical tests.
I expect to start delivery in 3-4 weeks from now. The batch I have prepared is 30 units and these are all called for.
Those of you have placed an order, and have been waiting a looong time: Please renew your order to me if you are still interested, and complete the order in all details as specified below!
Reply to my personal e-mail address.
I am afraid I am not able to keep the prices I offered initially.
The rate of US dollars to Swedish kronor has dropped by 25%, and some
parts have become more costly than I anticipated.
- Although I might stand accused of the deadly sin of sloth, I assure
you greed isn't one! :-)
SENSOR
The sensor is delivered in kit form, with all electrical parts tested and ready to plug in. Assembly will take a few hours. Detailed instructions are enclosed.
EXTENSION CABLE
For contests, the operators and the sensor must be separated by half a lap. To this end the extension cable is used.
SOFTWARE AND USER MANUAL
The timer program, "TT" is thoroughly reworked and many new functions are added. The program files and manual will be downloadable from my web site by the time of delivery. The software is configureable for other speed categories. About half a dozen are predefined, and new ones can be added.
HANDLE JUDGE SWITCH
A new feature is available, a switch for the handle judge, that connects to the PC through a cable. When the handle judge observes that the pilot handle engages the pylon fork, he should press the button switch and keep it pressed. If he judges that the handle is disengaged, he should release the button. Through this, the timer program gets immediate information about the handle-in-pylon status. The previous method, with the operator entering this information through pressing a key on the keyboard, remains functional.
This switch, along with the extension cable, is recommended for contest use.
DUAL SENSOR SYSTEM
An item under development is a cross-connection cable for a dual sensor system, along with supporting software. At the recent CIAM Plenary meeting the F2A rules were changed for a more efficient use of electronic timing, effective 2005. In brief:
The backup to the electronic system could be ANOTHER ELECTRONIC SYSTEM, OR TWO manual timekeepers.
The second electronic system could be a second transitrace sensor with PC. The cross connection cable will allow both systems to be operated by a single operator at either of the keyboards, and use the same handle judge switch.
Two sensors will be used at the upcoming World Championships in Muncie. Hopefully this cross connection feature will be realized by then, and can be used, but only on condition that it will not disturb the independence of the systems.
ORDER RENEWAL
To renew your order, send me an e-mail with the following information:
Your name and complete shipping address. Preferrably also phone number. The items you ordered: Sensor? Extension cable? Want to add a Handle Judge Switch? E-mail this to me! As soon as possible, and before May 4!
I'll (probably) prepare a new batch of 30 if I get enough new orders. I'll collect the experience from this batch before anything is made.
PRICES
Shipping cost is an indication only. To some countries it is lower. I'll give each customer a final quotation.
Swedish US
Kronor Dollars Euro
Transitrace Sensor Kit 1750 231 194
Shipping 235 31 26
Extension Cable 590 78 66
Added shipping cost
EU 55 7 6
USA 65 8.5 7
AUS 130 17 15
Handle Judge Switch 160 21 18
Cross Connection Cable 400 52 44
(indicated price)
I WANT PAYMENT IN ADVANCE! Send me cash in a registered letter! Tomas Mejzik recommends the method of sending the money inside a magazine instead, but the risk is yours! Do not send me money until I have acknowledged your order! You can pay in these currencies, which are negiotiable in Sweden: USD, EUR, SEK, GBP, DKK.
I'll ship in the same order as I received your initial orders, provided I have the payment.
Göran Olsson
Gyllenstiernas väg 20
S-183 56 TÄBY
SWEDEN
FOR YOU TO DO
If you have ordered a sensor, now you need to start preparing a few things, to make your system complete:
YOUR PC COMPUTER
You need a laptop PC with a screen bright enough for outdoor viewing. You still need a sunshade and rain protection for it. As the battery of laptops allows just a few hours of operation, you probably want an external battery to extend the operating time. The PC must have a parallel printer port (25-pin female D-sub connector). It should also have a diskette drive unit, for transfer of software and results.
Old used laptops are available at modest prices. The requirement for CPU performance is modest, so any laptop will do.
Operating system of the PC: The PC must run MSDOS, NOT Windows, for the timing program to work. You need to exit from Windows and run the old style MSDOS operating system. Contact someone near you with knowledge in this to help you out if you are uncertain. Data from the timing system can be viewed and analyzed under Windows after the flying session.
DOLLY FENDER
The sensor needs protection from dollies, as well as from sun and rain. Don't wait to make one! Murphy's law says your dolly will hit the sensor in your first flight!
Goran