Conductive Jacket

[contre-Sixte]

After some foil fencers get sweaty, their jacket starts to register on target lights. Some other fencers get equally sweaty and I never see the same problem. Is this a function of the composition of the sweat or the material of the jacket? Is there a make of jacket that's more resistant to becoming conductive when damp?

[RPI Epeeist]

Ok I realize that I'm probably going to be told I'm wrong somewhere along the lines here but I have heard of things like this happening in epee. The jackets get sweaty and become saturated (i believe) causing them to be conductive and I believe if they are touching the guard or a non-insulated grip then they ground themselves out and touches don't register.

Consider the same thing happening with foil but instead of grounding, its reading it as valid because the saturated jacket is in contact with the lame.

It seems to be more of a chance encounter more than an equipment thing

I was told this too long ago so I may have memory problems on the issue... and I'm sure someone who actually knows what he's talking will be along shortly to give you a better answer

[KD5MDK]

That is what's happening, although a good modern scorebox will still allow touches even if you ground out.

[whtouche]

Also note that this is possible in sabre as well. One time, on a particularly sweaty day in a non-air conditioned room my legs were target.

[contre-Sixte]

Is a FIE uniform less susceptible to this problem than non-FIE? Is nylon better or worse than cotton? I've actually lost points at tournaments because of this. I need to buy a jacket (or find some other solution) which will help me out.

[KD5MDK]

Cotton is the heaviest and will probably make you sweat the most. The proper answers to this are to make sure your lame is properly insulated on the inside and to have spare gear available to change into when you get that sweaty.

I especially recommend epee fencers have spare gloves because Mein Gott do those things get nasty and soaked.

[brtech]

Okay, let's first start with what is happening.

On most lames, the material conducts on both sides, but it has a lining. Water conducts fairly well, salt water being a bit better. If you sweat through your jacket and through the lining, you connect the inside of the lame to the lining, to your jacket, and then the jacket is connected to the lame, and you get a touch on the jacket.

The thing is, you don't usually get a very good connection, and modern machines will not register touches. So, I'm guessing you have an older machine.

The material of the jacket probably does affect the problem a little, cotton actually absorbs sweat, while nylon doesn't. When you sweat through nylon, the water is surrounding the fibers rather than being absorbed by them, but if you have water connecting the lame to the lining to the jacket, you are hosed.

I think the best solution is a new machine.

A dry lame is the easiest quick fix.

[Alex_Paul]

or a lame that complies with the regulations and has a waterproof lining

[contre-Sixte]

Originally Posted by Alex_Paul

or a lame that complies with the regulations and has a waterproof lining

Is it really only the lame which is causing the problem? Could it just be the alligator clip on the body cord which is sometimes in contact with the jacket? Maybe the outside of the alligator clip needs to be insulated.

[contre-Sixte]

Originally Posted by brtech

modern machines will not register touches. So, I'm guessing you have an older machine.

I think you're right. Most of the time that this has happened to me has been on older machines.

[Robert Smith]

On a four year old Favero Arm-01 machine, I can still get sweaty enough to have hits to the mask show on target - used to balance out the dead patches on my lame -, and we had one fencer who took on-target hits to the upper arm. Pretty sure it was an FIE jacket, probably around five years old, so likely synthetic.