Claro Orienteering

Summer Evening Event Planning

Rough Guide to Planning a Summer Evening Event

PDF version Rough Guide to Planning

Idea: minimal effort.

Kit: You will need:

  • Bag of 30 kites
  • Bag of 30 yellow stakes
  • 30 SI boxes (probably 174+)
  • Gripples
  • A few signs for use as needed

Procedure:

Before the event:

  • Contact Quentin Harding to get the latest map – an OCAD file. You don’t need OCAD on your computer.
  • Collect the kit from the previous planner.
  • Check it is all there.
  • Plan 3 courses using Purple Pen:

o   If you need Purple Pen assistance then ask. Video guide here.

o   Usually plan 4 courses – Long Experienced, Short Experienced, Long Beginners, Short Beginners.

o   SI needs to be done in or by a car, so put the start and finish near.

o   Visit the area to check control sites etc.  You will probably need to gripple you SI boxes so ensure there is something suitable at each site.

o   Put the course close time on the maps (half an hour from last start)

  • For a Level D you don’t need a formal controller, but by all means ask someone to check if you want to. If you are new to planning you will hopefully be allotted a mentor. Richard can advise.
  • Draft a risk assessment. Richard can advise on previous versions / standard text.
  • Get the maps printed. CLARO now has its own printing facilities run by Quentin Harding (Quentin.Harding62@gmail.com).  Contact Quentin at least two weeks (if possible) in advance of your event to check he is available and how much notice he needs to print your maps.  Collect and take to the event. Don’t forget a few All Controls maps.
  • Arrange with the SI person where/when to meet.

On the day:

  • Get there early enough to put out the controls. This always takes longer than you expect.   And far longer than you expect if you need to gripple them. Start times usually 6pm to 7.00pm.
  • For each control, put a stake, kite and the correct SI box.   Gripple the SI box to something secure.
  • Once ready, put out the START, FINISH, CHECK and CLEAR stakes. Tell the SI person you are ready, take the maps to the start and man the start, handing out maps to starters.

Clearing Up:

  • Once everyone is back (check with the SI person), collect in the controls. You might get help with this – maybe ask a few people.
  • Arrange to get the kit to the next planner.

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Rough Guide to Running SI for Spring-O

Idea: minimal effort.

Kit: You will need the SI bag which should contain the following:

  • Dell mini PC: CLARO 1 with mains power lead and mouse (all in bag).
  • 2 x SI master stations (with USB leads) – or just one if not entering by dibber.
  • 4 SI boxes – 1x START, 1x FINISH, 1x CLEAR, 1x CHECK
  • 1 x blue SI Master Timestation box with Service Off key and coupling stick (all in one bag)
  • 1 bag of hire dibbers.
  • 1 spare gripple key
  • Clipboard with entry sheets and pen
  • Card showing entry fees

Procedure:

Before the event:

  • Arrange to collect the SI equipment from the previous SI lead – or Allen Banister.
  • Check contents are all there against the checklist.
  • Make sure the computer battery is fully charged; it will only use 25-30% of battery over the event.

Before or at the event

  • Clear and sync the Start and Finish boxes. To do this:

o   Take the blue timestation box and the purple Service Off key (on cord)

o   Dib the box three times until it shows “EXT MA”

o   Fit the coupling stick into the blue box

o   Dock the blue box using the coupling stick with each station in turn until it beeps twice (it can take time to wake the boxes up). If it does not beep or beeps more than twice lift it off and try again.

o   When done, dib the blue timestation and the other boxes with the purple service off key to switch them off and save battery.

o   Don’t worry if the time is not accurate to BST – we only need relative time between the boxes.

o   Set up the event on the notebook, manually add the courses, and add  a start and finish on each course.

o   Add course length and climb (or do it at the event).

At the event:

  • Power up the notebook
  • Switch on. Open SiTiming, select the SiTiming database, then open a second window. See the SiTiming guide in the box if you are not sure.
  • I would recommend having 3 windows open if you are confident switching between them.
    Use <alt><tab> to switch, or hover the mouse over the SI timing icon in the command bar, and pick the window you want.
    See below for recommended use of windows.

As the event progresses you will want to change the function of these windows.
I would recommend an extra window of SI Timing open on “entries”, so you can carry out any edits without disturbing the other active windows.

Registration

  • Get punters to complete the registration form.
  • Take their money. Put any helper vouchers in the cash box too. (Pass the money to the next SI person with the kit unless Linda is there, in which case keep a float and vouchers but give the rest to her.)
  • Send them to the start (manned by the planner).
  • Look after car keys as necessary.
  • For hire dibbers, depends on the option used; see below.

Option 1 – entry by dibber – recommended

  • Set one screen to Entry by Dibber and connect to a USB master box – for own dibber  entries, just select course.
    If hired dibber, – put the dibber in the entry box, the  fill in Name, Class, Club (if any) and Course. Hand the dibber to the competitor.
  • Set the second screen up to download, connect to the second master box, and use Automatic, manual on error option.
    Please untick the print results to avoid building up a print queue., and tick the prompt for hire dibber box.
  • If a hired dibber is used for a second course, enter by dibber again – you need to fill in the name details on this second entry.
  • If all is well, the download should be straightforward – advise if course correct and the time as competitors will not get a printout.
  • You can use a pc for results if you wish –  instructions in the standard SI guide – copy on the laptops.

Option 2 – Manual download.

  • You need to have put the hire dibber number on the entry form.
  • Select Download and set to Manual – important as all entries will need some data entry. Select the USB port for download station and Connect. You are now ready for download.
  • Downloads will require data entry as the system won’t know which course has been run and will default to Beginner (unless the random controls are entered in courses and they are unique to each course
  • Registered dibbers will just need the data checking and course selecting. Each event has been set up with Beginner / Medium / Long. The planner will have told you if this is not right, in which case amend the course list before the event.
  • Hire dibbers will need: Name, Class, Club (if any) and Course
  • No printer, so no printouts. Tell them their time and current position. They can write it down if they want.

Results

  • At the end, if you are happy with the data, then “finalise” the event.
  • produce HTML results, one page, no splits and save in a folder for the event e.g. C:/Claro/SpringO17 – 23 May 17. Send all the generated files to Allen cc Steve Fry to be put on the web.

Checks:

  • Check everyone entered has come back – either as a result of entry by dibber – or by a download of the start box, and SI timing safety check (see instructions sheet referenced on the desktop).
    Let the team know so controls can be collected in.
  • Double check the kit against the checklist at the end to make sure it is all there.
  • Be careful not to wrap the cable around the red master station such that it puts stress on the cable entry and put them back in the corrugated plastic case.