Posts
3689
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Winter Park, FL
US
I designed something a few years ago to help my safety on practice day when the tracks do not hire 5-8 flaggers for safety.The owners and promoters were not interested.
Each unit is battery powered and remotely (wireless) triggered up to 1/2 mile .It will be mounted on a 1 1/2" plastic SC40 plastic pipe.
i just checked with my business partner (a track owner) and we have the quick technology to make this product. We can make 2 versions. Prototypes can be done in 4 weeks.
V1 = Full Track Caution = 6 x yellow LED Strobes = 1 frequency .
V6 = 6 zones with independent caution for each zone. = 6 x frequencies
Each unit can be placed in the ground each day of riding - racing. Each unit will be battery powered and wirelessly triggered.At the end of each day, the units will need to be charged. (Yes, there's always liability with batteries)
The price point is around 2000usd for 6 pieces to get started.
I would like your input. I would be comfortable with riding with this safety solution.
Each unit is battery powered and remotely (wireless) triggered up to 1/2 mile .It will be mounted on a 1 1/2" plastic SC40 plastic pipe.
i just checked with my business partner (a track owner) and we have the quick technology to make this product. We can make 2 versions. Prototypes can be done in 4 weeks.
V1 = Full Track Caution = 6 x yellow LED Strobes = 1 frequency .
V6 = 6 zones with independent caution for each zone. = 6 x frequencies
Each unit can be placed in the ground each day of riding - racing. Each unit will be battery powered and wirelessly triggered.At the end of each day, the units will need to be charged. (Yes, there's always liability with batteries)
The price point is around 2000usd for 6 pieces to get started.
I would like your input. I would be comfortable with riding with this safety solution.
As for batteries..given today's battery and solar panel technology, surely it's possible to design a modular unit that comprises, flashing light, battery, solar panel and regulator and wireless reciever???? Surely this is not even remotely high tech?
On flatter tracks it should be a piece of cake? Have as many light stations as required , triggered remotely by 1 or 2 observers in a tower high enough to afford 100% view. They would be radio communication to staff hat would assist a fallen and immobile rider.
Why is this not happening? It seems an absolute no brainer to me considering the cost / difficulty in providing flaggers
This one is completely automatic tho
Seems to me that it's time that riders ( customers ) spoke.
Here in Aus, transponder scoring has been in place for some time, many years actually. If you don't have one , or rent one then you don't get scored...not up with things enough to know if you are not allowed to race at all if you don't have a transponder but I wouldn't put it past the fuckwits that run motocross here.
What I do know is that I pretty much quit racing because I had nobody to take to races with me to act as my personal flag marshal. The rules at that time were simple...no flagger, no racing..you can just go home and they get to keep your money..
Lately I know that they are charging a flag marshal levy that goes on top of your race entry fee..or they go with the exclusion thing..don't have a flagger ? Then fuck off!
As far as I'm concerned, race promoters ( here in Aus that means clubs ) should be required to have a warning light system and observation tower in order to achieve track licensing...
The compulsory requirement that you provide your own personal flagger came in when they combined the junior racing organisation with the senior one......long story short...once the mini bike parents started running the sport, adult competitors abandoned it and it has henceforth become a child minding exercise.
I'm not one to promote more rules and regulations....these things have gutted our sport...given that providing flaggers to appease the nanny state / liability regulations... is one of the major problems to overcome when running either a race event or just a practice day...it should be mandatory to provide a warning light system.
Those that think that that is a stupid idea should be up front and volunteer to flag instead of ride..because if we don't employ technology to replace the human component, then we are not advancing our sport and doing something positive to help its survival....you don't want lights..then flag yourself but don't expect someone else to do it unless you are prepared to pay them yourself
The Shop
I think we have something close to production ready...
This product is not for anyone to make "millions" because that ain't gonna happen.
I would like to place a safety system in place so local tracks can continue to have practice days.
Here's what I am thinking - price wise:
Each position = $150 ( I think each track needs 6)
1 zone master control ( full track caution) = $300
...so wer're talking 2k
I can do zones as well, but they will be more expensive, obviously.
Honestly, I don't know if I can produce this product at these prices, but feedback from the community would be awesome with the price point I am throwing out.
Five years ago when I flew this idea no one wanted to cough up the money. In all fairness it was probably three times more at that point.
I would be happy to pursue this immediately to save people from being hurt from the blindsides of jumps and corners.
It seems you're just putting some LED lights in a plastic tube. Have you considered that lights can be difficult to see in direct sunlight? Weather resistance, as a single decent quality IP65 LED light unit will cost $60, how are you going to make it so cheap and weather resistant. What about rules on broadcasting over that distance as you may need a license.
Also I don't understand the whole " just for practise days " mentality? If it works for practise says, it should work for race days. In either case there would need to be people on the ground ready to go out and assist a fallen and immobile rider..
you need to have a siren as well as a flashing light, we tried lights first but people missed them,
If you get your kits going I will inform my local tracks that could benefit.
After looking at those links it would seem the best solution would be to have an auto setting and a manual setting for large events? Either way anything helps and I hope tracks use it.
That what I am thinking
If nothing more happens in this post is maybe someone will run with this idea.
I can make it happen, but it will cost money.
Throw you design online here and let some people start developing.
Pit Row
I can make the LEDs brighter than the reflections and direct from the Sun.
All of you concerns are noteworthy, but simple.
From this post.....I only hope to save someone from getting hurt. Actually, I hope someone with way more time on their hands can take this forward. I will help with the design at no cost. I just checked and there are some fantastic Yellow flash units available at low cost 5usd. They are IP67 and cheap. Also easily seen in sunlight.
It's just a matter of the batteries and the wireless transmitters. Easy stuff - oh - easy enough to install a siren too!
.... like I said.....no money to be made here.
Maybe Mr. Happy can move this forward?
I just hope that what you have going on , works, takes hold and becomes the new requirement .
Honestly, I quit racing because I never had anyone to take to the races with me to do my " required " flagging.
Rule was simple..no flagger , no ride...
This rule was brought in by mini bike parents when their own version of this sport was amalgamated with the adult version...the mini bike parents took over..
At mini bike races, all the competitors are children , most have two parents....mini bike race promoters ( clubs ) never had to find flaggers....they had all these parents standing around, so a roster system was organised.
When this junior show took over the whole sport...senior riders were expected to provide their own flag Marshall .
But seeing as how the program at every race had blown out from 9 senior classes ( or less ) to 37 or even more, most seniors just quit mx and took up some other motorcycle based sport where you actually get some track time...
I however ended up with three different size bikes and would race 4 classes on the day in an attempt t rack up at least 30 minutes of actual track time on a race day...Can't race 4 classes and flag at the same time ,so my choice was , pay a shit load of money to run a couple of 3 lap races and spend the rest of my time flagging for nappy wearing toddlers who cannot even complete a lap of the track without falling over and crying for mummy, or quit racing.
It really wasn't real motocross racing anymore ,so I quit...me and hundreds, possibly thousands like me.
I support the idea of warning light systems in place of human flaggers one million percent!
Hope it works.....if I had my own race track , I would have a warning light system...anyone hat attempted to challenge me on my decicision to have one, or challenges my RIGHT to have one, would soon regret the challenge...
Warning light systems are the only way foward.
Nanny state requirements ,along with the impossibility of getting reliable human beings, is killing our sport.
As if noise issues, land use issues, pollution issues, green Nazi issues , economic issues and liability issues weren't already enough..
The system will work 100% of the time if a human runs it correctly........but they will always sue the track or the manufacturer (me) if they can't pay their doctor bills. (RC16)
I'm a bit tarnished of the pieces of shit out there.
I definitely edited my post...there is no need to step to a level that does not move this issue forward. I am not looking for an argument.
I would be happy to help out any track with this system. No Profit.
Keep in mind, not one unit has been built or tested for the MX track. It all works in theory. We have many many units that work on the Main Street Parade. It's a simple repurpose.
You want to race motocross ? YOU suffer any consequences , YOU not someone else singled out to Cary the blame for the risk that YOU took WILLINGY!
I hate lawyers , I don't think our sport really has much longer to live..
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