Post by thevon on Oct 28, 2009 17:33:43 GMT 10
Guys,
I've just ordered an F3F timing unit.
www.customelectronics.co.uk/
(look at the "R/C Projects" menu and go to "F3F timer").
It's the same one that Ezza has, and they're simple to operate and work really well. Sean and Ezza had a go with it at Manilla.
I'm happy to buy one of these since I think we have a good bunch of slopeheads orbiting around this Windsock forum here in SEQ. We're having a great time slope soaring, and although just mucking around on the slope is my favourite thing, I reckon that it would be great fun to organize some intro-level F3F racing.
For those who don't know what F3F is, (and I haven't yet done it, so I might get this wrong!) the idea is that you set up 2 pylon "bases" with a 100 metre gap between them, with sighting lines at each base. Someone has to sit at each base and press the buzzer as the plane's nose crosses the arc made by the sight lines. The guy on base A says "go" and the flyer throws his plane out and has 60 seconds to gain as much height as he can and dive past Base A. Then he does 10 legs back and forth - as each base buzzer is pressed you hear a loud beep and when you hit Base B for the last time it beeps twice to let you know it's the last lap. The timing unit then shows you the total time, and the fastest lap time.
I think the world record sits at around 29 seconds! Can't see us doing that for a while! But I'd be keen to use it informally at some of our good lift slope sites such as Mt Mee, Bald Knob with the club, Beechmont, etc. We don't have to be pedantic about the 100m distance either. Hopefully it will be fun.
I'll post again when I've received it and got the leads for it locally, and sussed out how to use it.
I can see a few of us getting hooked on it and lusting after F3F planes! But we could have fun even with foamies.
Andrew
I've just ordered an F3F timing unit.
www.customelectronics.co.uk/
(look at the "R/C Projects" menu and go to "F3F timer").
It's the same one that Ezza has, and they're simple to operate and work really well. Sean and Ezza had a go with it at Manilla.
I'm happy to buy one of these since I think we have a good bunch of slopeheads orbiting around this Windsock forum here in SEQ. We're having a great time slope soaring, and although just mucking around on the slope is my favourite thing, I reckon that it would be great fun to organize some intro-level F3F racing.
For those who don't know what F3F is, (and I haven't yet done it, so I might get this wrong!) the idea is that you set up 2 pylon "bases" with a 100 metre gap between them, with sighting lines at each base. Someone has to sit at each base and press the buzzer as the plane's nose crosses the arc made by the sight lines. The guy on base A says "go" and the flyer throws his plane out and has 60 seconds to gain as much height as he can and dive past Base A. Then he does 10 legs back and forth - as each base buzzer is pressed you hear a loud beep and when you hit Base B for the last time it beeps twice to let you know it's the last lap. The timing unit then shows you the total time, and the fastest lap time.
I think the world record sits at around 29 seconds! Can't see us doing that for a while! But I'd be keen to use it informally at some of our good lift slope sites such as Mt Mee, Bald Knob with the club, Beechmont, etc. We don't have to be pedantic about the 100m distance either. Hopefully it will be fun.
I'll post again when I've received it and got the leads for it locally, and sussed out how to use it.
I can see a few of us getting hooked on it and lusting after F3F planes! But we could have fun even with foamies.
Andrew
