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Universal shot timer settings question


alexmg

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I have a question to those who have experience of running matches with shot timers, how do you universalize, so to speak, sensitivity setting on a shot timer, so you don't have to tweak it between every shooter? What are the traps for young ROs when it gets to shot timer's sensitivity? I understand that different shot timers require different approaches so this question is a bit abstract, but please maybe share what you can from your experience? 

 

My concern is that if you set sensitivity too much, it may pick up slide release sound or shooters from adjacent bay or stage, or shotgun cycling sound, or any other loud sound that is not a gunshot. But if you set sensitivity too low, you may not pick up shots if you too far, for example if its a USPSA or other match where shooter is on the move and RO did not catch up yet to shooter he may be too far and sensitivity of the timer may ignore the shot?

I have seen at couple steel challenge matches when if RO set timer too sensitive to pick up some of those .22 rifles it was picking other shooters from adjacent bay so sensitivity had to be set higher than usual but not all the way and RO got timer very very close to the gun, like literally 10" close.

ThenI have seen a YouTube video where someone claims that he was timed wrong because at the end of the stage he unloaded a shotgun and sound of unlocking triggered timer.

 

What is the best way to manage shot sensitivity to get the best out of it with least adjustments? How cautious you need to be about proper sensitivity setting? What are the things to be on a lookout so you don't run a stage just to find out that you picking up shots from adjacent bay or not picking up shots at all, do you have two timers, one for loud guns and one for quiet guns or you manually juggling between two sets of settings? Do you rather try to have higher sensitivity and stay further back from the shooter or actually have lower sensitivity and stay closer to shooter. Any info regarding this matter is very welcome and appreciated. 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

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IMHO:

1 - Don't set the sensitivity too high where it picks up the slide racking...

2 - (USPSA) Don't let shooter get too far away where the timer will not pick up the shot...as an RO, you need to be relatively close to the shooter anyway...if you can't keep up with the shooter, you shouldn't be running the timer...

3 - Always aim the face (where the hole picking up the shot is) towards the shooter...

4 - (Steel Chanllenge) Use your body to shield sounds from adjacent bays while facing the timer at the shooter/gun...the shooter's body will shield from the other side...it works...

 

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15 hours ago, racerba said:

IMHO:

1 - Don't set the sensitivity too high where it picks up the slide racking...

2 - (USPSA) Don't let shooter get too far away where the timer will not pick up the shot...as an RO, you need to be relatively close to the shooter anyway...if you can't keep up with the shooter, you shouldn't be running the timer...

3 - Always aim the face (where the hole picking up the shot is) towards the shooter...

4 - (Steel Chanllenge) Use your body to shield sounds from adjacent bays while facing the timer at the shooter/gun...the shooter's body will shield from the other side...it works...

 

Thank you @racerba for a reply, very good advises, #4 is awesome, while naturally understand that obstacles block sound did not even think about such practical application of that knowledge :)

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On ‎9‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 4:33 PM, racerba said:

- Always aim the face (where the hole picking up the shot is) towards the shooter...

+1 As a very new RO (many years ago) I was running GM at a State Championship and he absolutely burned down the stage. To my embarrassment I had the speaker that picks up the sound turned around backwards and did not record anything. Lesson learned!

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