Old School saves the day!

[Purple Fencer]

So....I'm working a scholastic epee/sabre today. Don't get a lot of sales, since I was asked to direct sabre.

I start packing up at the end of the day and am asked to come in to look at one strip having an issue.

Strangest thing I've ever seen (and yes...I'll be sending this to Dan D in addition to any other armorers reading this thread):

Sabre. Eigertech box. Favero floor reels. Generic floor cords.
Left (red) fencer touches right's blade....red light comes on...sometimes on simple contact, other (and more frequently) not on contact, but while sliding blades against each other. No additional contact of any kind, and no motion on the part of the fencers (other than Red's arm motion as he slides his blade). It even went on when I was holding green's blade and there was NOTHING in contact with him but his body cord.

Somehow, Red's signal is getting through the box like a valid hit. At first I thought the grounding was faulty, but the socket was tight.

We swapped Green's weapon...no change.
Swapped Green's cord...no change.
Swapped in a different reel...no change.
Swapped a different floor cord...no change.
Swapped in a different Eigertech box...no change.
Swapped fencers...problem stayed on the Red side.

Green's body cords did not appear to be an issue, although I could not test them because my test gear was already packed away. We also did not swap Red's weapons, body cords, reel, or floor cords, because I did not see hoe they could be the issue (with my luck, tho, they probably are).

So...in the interest of going home, we elected to finish the bout (2 touches left) old school, with the panel of 4. Only 4 people in the room actually knew HOW to do it...myself, Greg Schiller (Coach, VAPA), Ted Katzoff (Coach, Harvard-Westlake), and Kent Crosby (Coach, Victor Valley). We told Derek Snyder (Coach, Chaminade) how to be one of the judging panel. He and Kent took one end of the strip, Ted and me the other, Greg directing....everyone still in the room (30 people or so) watching, as they'd never seen a proper dry bout....most had never even HEARD of doing it this way!

Total of 3 actions...went by way too fast....it's been a LOOOOOONNGGG time since I was part of a jury with people who actually knew HOW to do it. All of us were kinda smiling at the memory of how we'd been taught!



Now if I can just figure out that ^%#%^ problem...

[oiuyt]

Does this sound like the problem?

http://sonic.net/~schlae/eigertek/doha13.html

I'd guess the machine hasn't been upgraded in the three years since a fix was made available.

Looking further at the Eigertek page, it could also have been the problem solved here, although the sliding described sounds more like the older problem.

-B

[Purple Fencer]

Sure seems to be it....am forwarding this to the Scholastic folks.

Thanks.

[Rick Shellhouse]

Ahhhhh the old 4 blind men and a liar....




dont really miss those days lol..but Dee has some stories including a sabre bout from the early I think AC days....


R

[Purple Fencer]

Ahhhhh the old 4 blind men and a liar....

Hey now....my glasses were on...and the left lens didn't even fall out this time! (note to self...don't sit on the glasses again)

[ysbadadden]

Can someone explain how this happened -- other than "it was the chip/the firmware?" What about sliding contact between blades caused "the chip/the firmware" to respond as they did? I have seen this happen before with other scoring machines -- at least, I think I have -- it couldn't be duplicated, but everyone saw it.

[oiuyt]

Unless I'm confusing things, it was an interaction with the anti-static protection.

I don't recall Dieter ever explaining why there was an interaction between the two.

-B