NER timing and scoring

[Doc Bro]

I was wondering if the NER has any plans to broadcast/adopt the iCard real time scoring system. I was told by a worker at Driving Impressions at LRP that LRP has it but it has to be "turned on" and the guy who does that "isn't here"......sure. I've also been told that it's a regional thing and that NER had the system but "blew it up". The stories go on and on.

Long and short of it; I've got an iCard and I want to use it.


R

[RKramden]

Ask Denise Patton.

E-mail and phone is on the inside cover of Pit Talk listed under "CHIEF TIMING & SCORING"

or

Look on the NER web site at http://www.ner.org/region/contact.htm


Who would of thought.....

[Speed Raycer]

Having worked with iCard... both of those "excuses" sound plausable. The iCard program is a huge POS IMO. Completely un intuitive with support that is lack luster. While I was co-chief of T&S, we tried to get it going. Every time we thought we had it it would "blow up" in one way or another.

[Doc Bro]

I spoke to C.Y. Smith at iCard who told me that LRP has a permanent antenna and that "one of the SCCA regions up there uses it". I spoke to Denise Patten, so it's not NER. Does anyone know if MoHud or NNJR or some "other" region has a contact person. I've gotten good information, but need a little more to propose to the region. Cost is very reasonable and the system is quite easy to use. Basically set it up Fri night, let it run all weekend take it down Sun. It would be a nice marketing point for the region as well.

R

[raffaelli]

A buddy brought his to the ALMS race at LRP. Made the race more enjoyable.

[tdw6974]

Having worked with iCard... both of those "excuses" sound plausable. The iCard program is a huge POS IMO. Completely un intuitive with support that is lack luster. While I was co-chief of T&S, we tried to get it going. Every time we thought we had it it would "blow up" in one way or another.
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IRL Used it at Watkins Glen last weekend Worked pretty well for 1st 15 or 16 laps nothing until lap 24 and then it died. T W

[JoshS]

I've had an iCard for four years. I've travelled all around with it to National races and while only maybe 1/2 the races actually use the transmitting equipment, at those 50%, the system has only worked well enough to be helpful maybe 30% of the time. (For those doing the math, that means it's only been useful at 15% of my races). It's useful at 0% of my regional races, since my region doesn't use the system.

I understand, as Speed Raycer said, that the problem is fundamentally with the software that transmits the signal, not with the handheld device -- although the limitations of a Gameboy platform are also part of the problem with the usability.

Bottom line -- if someone's thinking about this ... I wouldn't bother.

And for the original poster -- it's understandable if a region doesn't want to get into it ... it's just going to lead to complaints. The concept is better than the implementation.

Now, if there were a next-generation iCard, with truly easy-to-use set-it-and-forget-it transmitting software, and a more intuitive user interface on the handheld device ... that could actually deliver on the concept ... now, that would be something.