kimel Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Hi Guys and gals, The issue here is that I have a significant (ie: near total) hearing loss in some frequency ranges on my right/shooting side due to a ruptured ear drum when I was 6 years old. Theory is that the RO should hold the timer near the shooter's ear on the shooting side. At a quiet range with nothing else going on I will "probably" still hear the timer on my left side. Can I ask the RO to hold the timer near my left side to assist me with this disability? Alternatively, I don't have a problem with some brands of timers where the tone is lower. My CED timer is fine (which is why I bought that one)...could the RO use my timer or someone else's timer? No, I don't own electronic muffs...yet. I tend to use foam plugs plus good muffs which really cuts down on hearing sensitivity. What accomodations are made for totally deaf shooters? Has there ever been one? I went through the rule book (USPSA) and didn't see anything about accomodation of hearing impairment but that doesn't mean it isn't there...I just didn't see it. I haven't even shot my first real match yet but that is coming Sunday (yippee!). I don't want to ask for accomodation that is outside of the rules. Cheers! Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipster Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Kevin it shouldn't be a problem. The RO is there to assist you in any way that he can. Just explain the situation, and have a great match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn jones Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 kimel, get some electronic ear muffs (when you can) and still double plug if around a lot of 38 supers. some shooters can't hear the buzzer at all. you can ask the RO to tap the timer on your shoulder as he pushes the button if you want. the ro's are there to assist you as shipster stated. good shooting. lynn jones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Vince isn't gonna like this. Like Lynn, I just touch the timer on the shoulder of the tone-deaf shooter as I start it. Sure, there's the issue of hundredths of a second difference in the RO synchronizing the beep to the tap, and there's hundredths or even tenths difference in the shooter's reaction to the tactile stimulus rather than the audible stimulus, but it's the best we can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Pinto Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Erik, What the hell are you talking about, dude? Your stock just went up 10 points on the Big Board! Doing your level best to tap the competitor lightly on the shoulder with the beep is the way to go, and I'm sure a deaf shooter would be most grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhgtyre Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 I had to tap a shooter who was fairly deaf with the timer once so I put my thumb on the start button and tapped him with the back of my thumb. The pressure started the buzzer at pretty much the same instant that I touched him. It seemed to work pretty well. -jhgtyre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeeDee Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Guy's, Done it several times the way it is described above during EC in Germany. Like Vince already mentioned "The only way to go". Shooters greatly appreciate the gesture. DVC David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Pinto Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 The other occasional (but undocumented) practice is when a competitor asks for a "sound check" of the buzzer. In such cases, I'm happy to oblige, but I call out "sound check" so that everyone else knows what's going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcoliver Posted December 5, 2002 Share Posted December 5, 2002 Yep, I've taken the "sound check" part of my routine after mag check, press check. So far I haven't encountered RO's who're not willing to give one. This was brought about in one match where they used this really old, blocky pact timer that gave off a very strange (3-tone) beep... or shrill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted December 5, 2002 Author Share Posted December 5, 2002 Thanks everyone for the encouragement and good suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Pinto Posted December 5, 2002 Share Posted December 5, 2002 Oliver, Do you know my mate Rosey in Manila? He's a great shooter but he's kinda large at 400lbs. At my stage at the first AFAD Cup in Fort Bonifacio (1995?), you were forced to squat inside a telephone box in order to see and engage four poppers at 10m. Of course Rosey could barely get into the damn telephone box, let alone squat inside it. Anyway, when his turn came to shoot, he shot all the paper targets easily while standing, but he had to hold his gun at knee level to shoot the poppers through a low port. Although it was seemingly an impossible task, Rosey was determined to shoot them all. After about 2 minutes of shooting (on a 20 second stage for a D grade shooter!), I started calling his shots for him. After another 3 minutes, he finally downed all the poppers. Of course my "assistance" was actually illegal coaching but, in my defence, I was merely a Range Rookie back then, having just graduated from the Range Lawyer Academy. Still, Rosey had fun, as did the other 200 people in the peanut gallery, who gathered to see if we'd need the "Jaws of Life" to get Rosey out of the damn telephone box. This hillarious experience is one of the many reasons why I love IPSC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billwright Posted December 6, 2002 Share Posted December 6, 2002 There is a totally deaf bloke shooting out of the Hawks Bay club in NZ and he gets a tap on the shoulder, but it doesnt end there, all the other shooters in the squad keep an eye on him because he doesnt hear the range commands either. BILL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted December 6, 2002 Share Posted December 6, 2002 I gotta ask - does he flinch or blink? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Pinto Posted December 6, 2002 Share Posted December 6, 2002 Can you imagine the RO having to carry a huge STOP sign during the COF and cue cards for the unloading commands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted December 6, 2002 Share Posted December 6, 2002 The next step will be requiring RO's to be fluent in sign language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billwright Posted December 6, 2002 Share Posted December 6, 2002 Whats a Flinch ??? Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcoliver Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 Vince, being new to this game I'm still wading around trying to get the names of the local top dawgs (and hopefully get to watch them shoot). Your friend Rosey shouldn't be hard to miss I'll give him your regards one day I'll meet him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twix Posted December 13, 2002 Share Posted December 13, 2002 So is there a consensus on an accepted method of starting a shooter who can't hear the buzzer? It seems we have two candidates, Erik Warens tap the timer on the shoulder method and JGHtyre's press the timer into the thumb driving the thumb into the shoulder method. I would really like to know if there is an official or unofficial universally accepted method. BTW, the American sign language symbol for "stop" is a downward "tomahawk" chop with the strong hand. So Kimmel, how was your first match? Please share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted December 13, 2002 Share Posted December 13, 2002 Nah, you're not going to put your arm in front of someone whom you're DQing. Grab their shoulder, or arm if you have to control the gun. I've had somebody not hear the stop command and keep on going until I grabbed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Pinto Posted December 13, 2002 Share Posted December 13, 2002 There's no official procedure. Commonsense must prevail because every situation is different. My biggest concern is if Stevie Wonder ever comes to my stage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted December 14, 2002 Author Share Posted December 14, 2002 Hi Guys, First match was wayyyy too much fun. No one was shooting 38 super so I just used my muffs without plugs and had no problem at all hearing the timer. There is one particular timer brand that I have heard once where the tone is quite high pitched. That is where my hearing loss is. All the timers in use last weekend were lower in pitch like my CED 6000 so no problems. Made a couple silly rookie mistakes (two reloads means coming to the line with three mags...doh!) but had a lot of fun and learned a lot. I had expected to get started last, being a rookie and all, but they started me 4th on my first stage so I didn't have time to psych myself out too much. I will definately be going back! Cheers! Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twix Posted December 14, 2002 Share Posted December 14, 2002 Excellent Kevin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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