OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

SouthIdahoGary · Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 295 Location: Wilder, ID, USA

Team Tuff n' Nuff is working with Tim Rynearson on this project. He is the coordinator for the ham radio communications at Riggins, (FYI, in order to have adequate safety and logistical communications on the Salmon we utilize the services of the ham radio operators in the region. They even set up remote repeaters in the canyon. "Normal" radio communication just does not work deep inside the Salmon River canyon. Even commercial AM / FM will not penetrate. If you want to listen to the radio you have to have satellite.) He proposed something that he thought would be a welcome addition to the sport as well as help increase safety measures already in place. What he had in mind was placing a radio 'tracker' on the boats that would continuously update the position of the boat throughout the race course using GPS data. These trackers operate on a ham radio frequency and are controlled remotely by a ham radio operator, with a monitoring station with a live map. We have successfully (we think) got the transmitter to operate and send clean data without any interference from or to the ignition system.

They are going to have the monitoring station set up in the lobby of the Salmon Rapids Lodge with a projector displaying the live map on the wall or on a screen. Here is a link to the tracker device:

http://www.byonics.com/microtrak/mtaio.php

The transmitter portion is adjustable for time and information transmitted. We are going to try for a transmission every 10 seconds that will give position and speed data. Then the data can be superimposed on a map to show progress (or lack of progress) of the boat and its speed at various places on the course.

If each boat had a transmitter they could actually track many boats at once. The potential for safety and the possibility for crowd interest is pretty high. We will see how it works and see what "bugs" we need to work on at the race.

Arthur · Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:55 pm Post subject:

Sounds pretty cool!

MISSBHAVEN · Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:37 pm Post subject:

Gary, that sounds pretty cool. I've been hoping that someday soon a helicopter with a cameraman could download video through the cellular system and then have it picked up and shown on a big screen TV at the start line for spectators too watch.

N7UBO · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Emmett Idaho USA

I'm HOPING we've already got the bugs worked out....it can be pretty hectic on race day to try to change something....

Tim

N7UBO · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Emmett Idaho USA

I'm happy to report that, once I got the digital repeater working on the hill, everything was working PERFECTLY. Duane and Gary were showing up on the live map at the hotel non-stop, from end to end. This aspect will now become a permanent fixture at Riggins and hopefully will be expanded with more trackers on more race boats next year.

Tim

SouthIdahoGary · Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 295 Location: Wilder, ID, USA

Tim had it transmitting every 10 seconds. It is adjustable and he thought that it probably would be better to be upped to transmit every 5 seconds. On the upper part of the course the ten second interval would only "catch" us every quarter of a mile or so.

The transmitter operates on 8 AA cells and worked all weekend on one set. Turned on at about 8am each morning and then not off until the days racing wAs over. At least 12 hours of continuous run time and still going strong.

My nephew watched one leg in the lobby of the motel and said you could even tell when we pushed off and were then circling and weaving for the ten minutes or so before the start.

It is in a waterproof case and at 10 watts Tim also thought it would transmit through many feet of water to help locate a "downed" boat.......interesting, but we wanted NO part of any test like that.

Dale Whiteside commented that similar telemetry data was available with a "module" that plugs into the LS3 that he had in the #140. Not sure how it transmits or if it is satellite or???

N7UBO · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Emmett Idaho USA

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N7UBO · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Emmett Idaho USA

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N7UBO · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Emmett Idaho USA

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N7UBO · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Emmett Idaho USA

If any others would like to get in on this aspect of the safety side of things, it's time to start putting together more trackers for 2010. If you would like to have a tracker on your boat in Riggins, please get in touch with me as soon as possible.

Tim

Clark · Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 20 Location: Cotton Tree

Hi Tim,

We would like to run a system like this for racing in New Zealand, can you please email me at clark@webcreations.co.nz or leave me your contact details?

Clark