Jtim3032

@Rpc29 I have sent you an email, but for others, I have no idea what power is available in the jump switch cable and would stay clear of it unless you have some detailed knowledge of electronics. There are better ways of getting reliable power to the rover receiver.

@LK_skier Hmmm, not come across this before as described. You can get apparent offsets in one direction if the course hasn't been mapped correctly of if the course has moved (floating courses). Concur with all the comments above. Ensure you have the latest version (2.1.1). Software has been tweaked so that if "Fix" is lost during a pass, then no figures appear in the summary screen for those particular sections. As mentioned above, the breadcrumb trail is the true indicator. Last question, are you using just a rover and the local CORS network or do you have a Sure-Path base setup?

This is a common problem. It is nearly always one of the microswitches in the switchgear unit behind the throttle arm and not the external push switch. More commonly, the symptom of one of the switches failing is the gearbox refusing to go into forward or reverse, depending on which switch has failed. Livorsi, who manufacture these for most of the boat manufacturers say the parts are "military grade". I fear therefore for the military :wink: I did successfully take one apart from our Nautique last year. However, the microswitches are all embedded in epoxy (presumably to give protection against the elements) which is NOT easy to remove without considerable time and care and a micro grinder. It is possible though and I was able to source direct replacements for the 4 microswitches for about $40. Once all assembled, it worked fine again. Given the cost of new replacements, I think a business opportunity is presenting itself :smiley:

@Rpc29 and I have just realised you mention you have an iPhone. The app will only run under Android because mr Apple decided a long time ago to not let you do old fashioned serial communications over Bluetooth.

@Rpc29 I learned very early on that putting the app on a personal phone was a very bad idea in that under Android or iOS no app has priority over the phone. In early testing it was very difficult to get the app to run uninterrupted by any other app that was allowed to popup notifications etc which is the last thing you want in a tournament. Furthermore, support for the system would become impossible without having control of how the phone was setup etc. Lastly, the supplied phone is quite a small part of the overall cost and therefore for me not worth the hassle in not supplying it.

@lpskier we are recommending a virtual base always now unless there is a problem. For FDOT this could be MSM4_iMAX or MSM4_VRS (note that the RTCM3_iMAX and RTCM3_VRS feeds are the same but do not include the Galileo constellation, ie GPS and GLONASS only. Ideally we want as many constellations as possible).

@Skirvind thanks, that is nice and comprehensive :)

@Stefan it's a bit too long to post here. I will try and find a link (if one exists yet...it may not actually be released yet)

@lpskier the only places in the Rules that mention the pre-gates are in rule 8 "The boat shall follow a straight path as close as possible to the centreline of the course. This path shall be maintained from the entrance pre-gates and continue for as long as the skier is in the course". They are also specified in the "Official Slalom Course" Pre-gates are mandatory for IWWF sanctioned events but not sure for C or other classes. The new Rule 8.15 specifies deviation tolerances for the first time at the gates and I wouldn't be surprised if in time, this is extended to the pre-gates. Sure-Path starts displaying the boat's position from 80metres before the pre-gates (and recording from 10 metres before them) because many elite skiers wanted the driver to know where they are that early on as it is so critical when you get down to silly shortenings.

@Swjskidoc get this Sure-Path updated to version 2.0.0. This implements the new world Rule 8.15 which will become effective in February.

@Skirvind I would be interested in that too. Getting quite a few enquires asking for advice. The setup I tested and proved works was based on a NanoBeam, effectively a narrow beam of WiFi down the length of the course, and a Bullet in the boat. However, I know others have been successful with a big central omni with line of sight of the whole course. Then there is mesh.... almost too many options and not enough expertise out there :smile:

@disland yes it will. Ideally the AP should have line of site if the boat whilst in the course. How far the boat will be at its furthest point will determine just how big you have to go with hardware.

@skiinxs thanks for the input. I think the extra level of abstraction is all that is needed to stop or at least inhibit the usual market protection practices built in to AT&T's system. AT&T are not the only culprits. Verizon I believe are the worst. Another trick is to activate a native AT&T sim in a genuine AT&T phone. Then switch the sim to the Sure-Path phone. The AT&T scanning for "none genuine" unlocked phones seems to be periodic and so eventually the card may stop working again. This happened to another customer and just switching the card out to another phone and then back again cured it. I could start a good business shipping out UK sim cards. It's actually cheaper to use one of those in the US than a native US card!

@disland in theory yes but results of hotspotting seem to be mixed. Usually it works fine but sometimes seems patchy. I would normally suggest starting using a hotspot and only get a sim card if it becomes necessary.

@skierjp yes, your statement may well be true. But it doesn't mean that it is legal ;) . Use for homologation could be seen as being for the TC's personal use. Use for boat lane tracking in the tournament could be "leasing" if charged for. For more information on our licensing policy, see here sure-path.com/leasing-sure-path.html

@disland yup, no more calling in the times :) @lpskier interesting....as with virtually all software, renting out its use commercially is strictly against the licence agreement.

@lpskier we have a Windows application that can receive and display the Sure-Path summary screen immediately after the pass. If linked to the scoring program, the timing data goes there also.

@MISkier we have been working for some time on a data link between Sure-Path and the two main scoring systems, WSTIMS and Lion. The link is via an online server. In tournament, this server can record all the boat path data as it goes through. Since the scoring software will be providing the driver name, skier name, boat speed, rope length etc to Sure-Path (and embedded in the Sure-Path data file), there is no more chance of mismatches than there has ever been. @mbabiash Also, we are not doing away with end-course video yet. It still has to be recorded and submitted when required. The main difference is that IF there is a Boat Path Measurement System in use, the end-course does not have to be monitored live by a judge. Instead, Sure-Path (or the BPMS in use) will be sending the data back to an application in the judging area which gives instant guidance on re-rides. The data also goes into the scoring program. We are about to release a version of the rover software which implements the new rule 8.15 and the judging application to go with it. As soon as I get time, I will be putting more information on the web site.

A small clarification....proximity to a physical base station is not really relevant when using the VRS (virtual reference station) solution. The system creates a virtual base using correction data from ALL the active physical stations in the network. Time will tell as to whether the VRS solutions are reliable from different providers.

@Chad_Scott @paul I originally started off using local radio modems. A bad experience near a busy airport whose radars completely obliterated the radio modem's signals persuaded me to start considering using cellular coverage instead and I found that in most circumstances it was far more reliable. Sure-Path will work with radio modems too but decent ones are expensive. My preferred recommendation now is to setup a local WiFi network using Ubiquiti or similar units. This can also solve other problems such as boat camera to shore transmissions which can interfere with other radio modems. If all the tech in the boat is on the same communication system, there is no likelihood of one interfering with another.

@rayn find out if there is a VRS (virtual reference station) service available. If so, it doesn't matter how far from a physical station you are.

@MichaelGoodman price for Sure-Path rover is half the cost of the full system.

Sorry guys, not been following recently... Yes, a Sure-Path rover works with any NTRIP base station as well as the dedicated Sure-Path one. The US network of base stations is known as the CORS network and each State has its own network which forms part of the larger CORS network. Some states provide access for free, others not. The cool thing about these networks is that all the base stations are linked and there is usually a service available that is a "networked solution". What they mean by that is that if the rover regularly sends its position back to the base network, instead of just providing corrections from the nearest base (which may still be tens of miles from the rover) the network creates a "virtual" base station which gives corrections as if it were close to the rover, thus maintaining accuracy. As people have said, Jerry has been doing a lot of testing in Florida with some pretty good results so far. There are some other considerations to take into account such as whether the network supports Beidou and Galileo satellite constellations in addition to the usual GPS and GLONASS. If just the latter two, then this halves the number of possible satellites that can be used and as usual, it is the more the merrier for RTK GPS systems. For the nerds, there is also tectonic plate movement to consider. This could determine how often you need to remap the course. The CORS network uses the NAD83 data set and Sure-Path uses WGS84. Some states such as Florida are only moving a few millimetres per year where as California.... :smile: Geodetics is a whole science in itself. James

@jayski haha...definitely a re-ride on many occasions like that!

@lpskier In boat lane tracking mode, Sure-Path only needs to know where the entrance gates are and a bearing to work out the centre line of the course. When the course is mapped, you are effectively marking two start points and a bearing between the two. Thus mapping the outside gates works... a lucky break really. I am pretty sure ZO does the same for an 8 buoy course. You can try for yourselves. In your back garden, map a course just 25' long, then walk up and down (first set the boat threshold speed to 0). It will show your deviation from a centre line quite happily.