A possible answer to lousy judging "Flash cards"

[Derek Koopowitz]

Several years ago we looked into using PDA's but at the time the cost of the
PDA's were a little outrageous.  Now, the cost is much more in line with a
realistic effort to use them to do scoring at the NATS and to have scores
"sent" to the scoring computer "real time" by using PDA's with network cards
and running a wireless network at each site connected up to the main scoring
computer at the farmhouse.  This is extremely easy to do... the trick is in
setting up the PDA's (or programming them) to do scoring.
 
Lance, if you, or anyone else, has the ability to program a PDA under
Windows CE (Pocket PC) using Pocket Excel then I know we can use it to do
scoring to transfer scores to the main scoring program.  I have a good
friend that is a whiz using Excel... I'll ask him to put something together
that we can use on the PDA.

  _____  

From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org] On
Behalf Of Lance Van Nostrand
Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2004 12:37 PM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: Re: A possible answer to lousy judging "Flash cards"


for me, I totally agree with these guys.  RVP was the first to suggest this
that I heard at the nats a few years ago and I started doing it this way and
knew it was the way to go.  I write the scores on the pad in a column
without taking my eyes off the plane.  
  Maybe the easiest, low tech way to announce the scores is to have the
scribe be the "publisher" for the manuver scores during the flight, and then
copys the scores to the official sheet in between rounds.  
   As a technology guy (s/w engineer) I'd love to see electronic scoreboards
and PDA systems, but for over 100 years simple hand signals have served the
arbitragers in the stock market.  A simple adaptation of this system would
be:
1. Show the main score with your fingers, top of the hand facing the
audience
2. If a hand is turned so that a palm is facing the audience, then add 1/2
point
 
Even if there are a few mistakes along the way with the palms, the audience
will be informed to within a 1/2 point.
 
--Lance
 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Ron Van Putte <mailto:vanputte at cox.net>  
To: discussion at nsrca.org 
Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2004 7:57 AM
Subject: Re: A possible answer to lousy judging "Flash cards"


On Apr 17, 2004, at 5:47 AM, Del K. Rykert wrote:



The only other system I have found that works well is using a pad to write
down the scores and hopefully the scribe can read my scribble and I don't
overwrite my scores. It is better but not perfect. At least not perfect for
me. When I have a knowledgeable scribe that is used to my system scores
flow. When I have a warm body stuck in scribes chair the system breaks down
no matter what the system is in some cases especially while judging FAI.
    Keep the thoughts flowing and something better might be created.



I do what Del describes, except that I usually don't use a scribe. After the
last airborne maneuver, I transcribe from the pad to the scoresheet. I am
usually done before the airplane is on final landing approach.

Ron Van Putte


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