DSM and races.. is it time?

[Mike Cathey]

At the R/C Unlimiteds races up in Washington state, we use a laptop with a program that sets the heats taking into account the number of boats as well as any MHz radios that are still being used. Obviously, we do have a few people that claim to use MHz systems when their actually using 2.4s but, as said by others, I really don't care.

There's a good reason for that. Many of us are racing 2 boats in 1/8th scale nitro and if you can't put them on a phantom frequency the computer could put your 2 boats in the same heat. With all the registered boats having to have to legal finish in one heat in two races to avoid fines you just about have to unless you plan on making a lot of races.

Now, have I seen drivers deliberately load up on the same frequency before 2.4 to avoid racing each other until the finals. You bet I have and that is BS.

I haven't noticed for some time anyone using anything besides 2.4. With limited testing time before a single day event it also sucked to be on the same frequency as other people. Sometimes you would get one test run before the race started. If you were having boat problems you were in trouble. I know a couple of people that got 2.4 before the last time the NAMBA Nats were here just for the testing thing.

 

[Grimracer]

DO you mean.. that they would buy a 2.4 system for testing and then put in a Mhz for the race.. BUT.. they did mostly so they would not have a conflict with themselves? Hum.. so.. in saying that one COULD take 1st AND 2nd at the same race.. that is IF they scored as such and never raced themselves.. (pop.. thats my brain blowing up.. not much sound.. not much up there!)



Grim

 

[Hydro Junkie]

With all the registered boats having to have to legal finish in one heat in two races to avoid fines you just about have to unless you plan on making a lot of races.

That was changed, Mike. It's now, as far as I know anyway, two attempted starts, one at two separate races. At least that's how it worked last year.

 

[Mike Cathey]

DO you mean.. that they would buy a 2.4 system for testing and then put in a Mhz for the race.. BUT.. they did mostly so they would not have a conflict with themselves? Hum.. so.. in saying that one COULD take 1st AND 2nd at the same race.. that is IF they scored as such and never raced themselves.. (pop.. thats my brain blowing up.. not much sound.. not much up there!)



Grim

No one changes radios. An individual that is racing 2 boats in the same class is given a frequency that no one else is using and that frequency is entered into the computer for the sole purpose of not having both boats in the same heat. Entering boats on the same frequency in the clubs computer program automatically separates them into different heats throughout all 4 preliminary sections.

If you have two boats one must be declared a points boat for the purpose of annual high points standings. If you happen to get two boats (your high points boat and the non-points boat) with enough points to be in the final or consolation you are given the option of what boat you want to drive and the other boat is done for the day. If you have a boats qualified for the final and the consolation race the connie boat is dumped out of the race. The driver with the next highest point total gets bumped to the final and another driver moves up to the consolation race or races if they are running 1st and second consolation races.

 

[Rudy Formanek]

Mike, are people allowed to use the freq numbers to allow them to not race thier pit man??

 

[Mike Cathey]

Not that I am aware of.

 

[jnissen]

Wow this thread was recommended to me. Glad I still have a login here! Been ages since I ventured beyond the Dock.

My two cents, outlawing FM or PCM or even AM radios is not the solution. The guy who runs much will soon see how inferior that technology is compared to DSM. Now using the old Frequency system to your advantage is a real thing. It the race is not a shootout format then you can work with a teammate to spread the likelihood of success over heats so you never run against each other.

That’s uncompetitive behavior in my book and should be eliminated when heats are assembled. I was looking over the heat sheets for some recent races and sure enough several teammates are scoring 400 point heats. I have no idea if a frequency conflict was used to purposefully give them an advantage. If it was then I really have much less respect for those teams.

Now for races where shootout formats are frowned upon then we really do have a potential problem. Can certainly make a independent racer who does not have a dedicated and equally fast teammate at a distinct disadvantage. To me that’s a problem.

 

[LohringMiller]

I've been running 2.4 radios since they first came out. I was the only 2.4 radio at an early NAMBA Nationals. Today everyone runs 2.4. The Washington group often ran classes at this year's NAMBA Nationals with all involved in the same class. I didn't see any problems with that. If someone insists on signing up with an old frequency, just confiscate his radio except when he is actually racing like in the past. That inconvenience should be enough to stop the practice.

Lohring Miller

 

[Wasted wages]

Lohring... Just have a staffed radio impound set up that I can walk up to,,, turn in the freq. clip,, then pull the battery out of my transmitter,, put them both in my case, and lock it.

Then it stays in the impound until my next heat.

I don't see that as an inconvenience !

 

[Don Ferrette]

So the storm doesn't jump over to this older thread from the new one now locked by request, this too is now shut down.