Electric Starter Gun
- Thread starter Jowsepi
- Start date
psycho_dad
Well-known member
Years ago we bought a Gill that has an option for a GUN sound and although people did not like it, from in the press box, you could tell that all the kids started at the same time. With a traditional starters pistol, you could see that in the 4x200, 4x100 and 400 races, kids in the inside and outside lanes started a fraction later. I liked it, but other people hated the harsh sound. I know some have a BEEP sound now and my guess is that some sort of amplifier and speaker system might be necessary. Can't be worse than the POOF we get from most of the guns now.
Been using the Gill Halo connected to a 45W megaphone. It has both a "gun" sound and a "beep". I've been using the gun as previous experience has shown that track athletes do not respond to the beep unless they also did swim.
I've only been using it at dual/tri/quad meets. The 45W megaphone is not super loud, and if you aren't in the cone of sound from the megaphone, you aren't going to hear it. People on the far side of the track have been surprised when the 4x800 runners come by because they didn't realize we started the race. But, I've found that if I place the megaphone properly, all the athletes seem to hear it and start without issues. I had one girl early in the season who started so late that I was sure she didn't hear it and so I recalled the race. When I asked, she told me that she heard it just fine. Other than that one, I've never felt the athletes got an unfair start with it.
The biggest issue with the Halo is, if you are using hand timing, the LED lights are simply not bright enough to be seen from across the track.
I've only been using it at dual/tri/quad meets. The 45W megaphone is not super loud, and if you aren't in the cone of sound from the megaphone, you aren't going to hear it. People on the far side of the track have been surprised when the 4x800 runners come by because they didn't realize we started the race. But, I've found that if I place the megaphone properly, all the athletes seem to hear it and start without issues. I had one girl early in the season who started so late that I was sure she didn't hear it and so I recalled the race. When I asked, she told me that she heard it just fine. Other than that one, I've never felt the athletes got an unfair start with it.
The biggest issue with the Halo is, if you are using hand timing, the LED lights are simply not bright enough to be seen from across the track.
CC Track Fan
Well-known member
Went to my first outdoor meet with electric starter today after a few indoor ones. I thought it was fine for indoor but outdoor couldn't hear it for the 200's on other side of track. Having been to about 100 swim meets I think that starting sound would be much better than fake starter gun sound they use now.
Mr. Slippery
Well-known member
Finishtiming, is it true that electronic guns are now employed at all the meets that are timed by your company?
Zunardo
Well-known member
I heard the beep sound used at one meet this year. Weird. Seems to lack the urgency of a pistol crack, but I'm sure athletes will eventually adjust as it becomes more commonplace
Each starting block with its own loudspeaker so each runner hears the sound at the exact same time? What will they think of next?
www.theatlantic.com
Each starting block with its own loudspeaker so each runner hears the sound at the exact same time? What will they think of next?
The Speed of Sound Is Too Slow for Olympic Athletes
Sprinters in the position farthest from the pistols were getting slower start times, so organizers switched to an electronic tone.
www.theatlantic.com
Mr. Slippery
Well-known member
First meet I attended where I heard the beeping sound made me feel like I was at the supermarket.I heard the beep sound used at one meet this year. Weird. Seems to lack the urgency of a pistol crack, but I'm sure athletes will eventually adjust as it becomes more commonplace
Each starting block with its own loudspeaker so each runner hears the sound at the exact same time? What will they think of next?
The Speed of Sound Is Too Slow for Olympic Athletes
Sprinters in the position farthest from the pistols were getting slower start times, so organizers switched to an electronic tone.
Finishtiming
Active member
Yes we use it at all of our meets this year. We will go back to regular gun starting next week for conference. OHSAA mandate for post season goes into effect starting next year. They will most likely want to go with beep sound as that is what has been indicated to me.
For those of you that complain you cannot hear it from the 200, this is the thing, YOU are not supposed to hear it, you watch the light or smoke. Stand in the area outside the track at a startline and you will see that the sound projects to the starting areas pretty well. We have done all of our meets this year with it and we watch to see if there are any hesitations and we are not seeing any except from maybe the athlete that does not even know how to use the blocks anyway.
We use an anchor audio system that allows a wireless companion speaker that we can place anywhere we need and we can add as many of those as we want.
I have tested all the different type of eguns and here is what we have found.
Seiko/Lynx style is best light and gun sound (90 decible at 30 feet) beep sound is same decible level but might be a bit more crisp
Gill Halo gun sounds are similar but light is horrible and cannot be seen from distance if bright sunlight.
VSAtheltics wand gun sound not quite as good and beep is more of a horn (actually is probably a better option for non gun sound. (this is what michigan used at their state championships last year) The wand is awkward to hold and use but meets what california is trying to do by banning all starter guns and anything that looks like a gun.
There is actually a better option for the beep or horn sound but we have not figured out a way to use it yet. Inside the anchor audio speakers is a built in horn that is twice as loud as any of the guns. We just need to figure out a way to get it to be triggered by the starter egun.
Now I will give you a word of warning. Be prepared for recalls and reruns when using regular guns now. Winchester has quit completely making starter shells and will not be making them again. The supplier that ohsaa found and sent everybody to has also now run out and cannot supply any in the near future. Some of the shells starters are using are not good and have many duds. On average we used to get about 1 dud (poof) or less per meet we are now seeing 3-4 or more per meet when using regular gun. We have used the electronic start for even our college meets and it has been fine.
Here is an example of what I tell people all the time, the kids will start on whatever noise they hear once they hear "set". We were at a meet the other day that was in the set command and then everybody took off then the recall guns started firing. The port-o-jon door outside the track slammed shut right after set and everyone took off. We have also had starters not get the gun set to gun sound and used the beep and there was no hesitation from those athletes.
The thing we all have to remember is that this is most likely the way it will have to go in the future. And yes there might be better sound systems to use but there is multiple start lines that the equipment has to be moved to each time and the cost involved. You most likely cannot use your sound system in the stadium due to the delay in them. The gun sound is not great and the beep is different. If/when ohsaa makes their decision we will move to that method completely.
For those of you that complain you cannot hear it from the 200, this is the thing, YOU are not supposed to hear it, you watch the light or smoke. Stand in the area outside the track at a startline and you will see that the sound projects to the starting areas pretty well. We have done all of our meets this year with it and we watch to see if there are any hesitations and we are not seeing any except from maybe the athlete that does not even know how to use the blocks anyway.
We use an anchor audio system that allows a wireless companion speaker that we can place anywhere we need and we can add as many of those as we want.
I have tested all the different type of eguns and here is what we have found.
Seiko/Lynx style is best light and gun sound (90 decible at 30 feet) beep sound is same decible level but might be a bit more crisp
Gill Halo gun sounds are similar but light is horrible and cannot be seen from distance if bright sunlight.
VSAtheltics wand gun sound not quite as good and beep is more of a horn (actually is probably a better option for non gun sound. (this is what michigan used at their state championships last year) The wand is awkward to hold and use but meets what california is trying to do by banning all starter guns and anything that looks like a gun.
There is actually a better option for the beep or horn sound but we have not figured out a way to use it yet. Inside the anchor audio speakers is a built in horn that is twice as loud as any of the guns. We just need to figure out a way to get it to be triggered by the starter egun.
Now I will give you a word of warning. Be prepared for recalls and reruns when using regular guns now. Winchester has quit completely making starter shells and will not be making them again. The supplier that ohsaa found and sent everybody to has also now run out and cannot supply any in the near future. Some of the shells starters are using are not good and have many duds. On average we used to get about 1 dud (poof) or less per meet we are now seeing 3-4 or more per meet when using regular gun. We have used the electronic start for even our college meets and it has been fine.
Here is an example of what I tell people all the time, the kids will start on whatever noise they hear once they hear "set". We were at a meet the other day that was in the set command and then everybody took off then the recall guns started firing. The port-o-jon door outside the track slammed shut right after set and everyone took off. We have also had starters not get the gun set to gun sound and used the beep and there was no hesitation from those athletes.
The thing we all have to remember is that this is most likely the way it will have to go in the future. And yes there might be better sound systems to use but there is multiple start lines that the equipment has to be moved to each time and the cost involved. You most likely cannot use your sound system in the stadium due to the delay in them. The gun sound is not great and the beep is different. If/when ohsaa makes their decision we will move to that method completely.
