bungee System

In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under $200-
all that is needed is the scoring machine.

Who has used this and what are your thoughts?

A club that I know is looking to go from dry practice to electric, however
the funds are not there- I thought this system might work to upgrade their
practices.
thanks

In article <WVudnbdRnqqd4AijXTWcow@accessus.net>, "C-Sports"
<csports@epconline.com> writes:

>In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under $200-
>all that is needed is the scoring machine.
>
>Who has used this and what are your thoughts?
>
>A club that I know is looking to go from dry practice to electric, however
>the funds are not there- I thought this system might work to upgrade their
>practices.
>thanks

we have permanent bungee systems in our club and they work great.

Portable bungee systems are labor intensive and a pain in the butt. But they
work. You can certainly expect them to last a year or two.

Bill Hall

In article <WVudnbdRnqqd4AijXTWcow@accessus.net>, "C-Sports"
<csports@epconline.com> writes:

>In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under $200-
>all that is needed is the scoring machine.
>
>Who has used this and what are your thoughts?
>
>A club that I know is looking to go from dry practice to electric, however
>the funds are not there- I thought this system might work to upgrade their
>practices.
>thanks

we have permanent bungee systems in our club and they work great.

Portable bungee systems are labor intensive and a pain in the butt. But they
work. You can certainly expect them to last a year or two.

Bill Hall

> >In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under
$200-
> >all that is needed is the scoring machine.
> >
> >Who has used this and what are your thoughts?

In Montreal, we switched to the bungee system for every major event. Works
great and it's definitively cheaper. I'm not sure but I think the Quebec
Fencing Federation didn't buy the apparatus. They made it from scratch.

> >In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under
$200-
> >all that is needed is the scoring machine.
> >
> >Who has used this and what are your thoughts?

In Montreal, we switched to the bungee system for every major event. Works
great and it's definitively cheaper. I'm not sure but I think the Quebec
Fencing Federation didn't buy the apparatus. They made it from scratch.

We use the TCA system at my old club, and it's great: certainly worth the
money and much more reliable than our Russian made, Prieur knockoff reels.

Just make sure you have a healthy supply of duct tape.

There is an alternative system out there also:

http://armorerx.com/shocksys.html

I haven't seen it myself but it looks promising.

Paolo

"C-Sports" <csports@epconline.com> wrote in message
news:WVudnbdRnqqd4AijXTWcow@accessus.net...
> In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under $200-
> all that is needed is the scoring machine.
>
> Who has used this and what are your thoughts?
>
> A club that I know is looking to go from dry practice to electric, however
> the funds are not there- I thought this system might work to upgrade their
> practices.
> thanks
>
>

We use the TCA system at my old club, and it's great: certainly worth the
money and much more reliable than our Russian made, Prieur knockoff reels.

Just make sure you have a healthy supply of duct tape.

There is an alternative system out there also:

http://armorerx.com/shocksys.html

I haven't seen it myself but it looks promising.

Paolo

"C-Sports" <csports@epconline.com> wrote in message
news:WVudnbdRnqqd4AijXTWcow@accessus.net...
> In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under $200-
> all that is needed is the scoring machine.
>
> Who has used this and what are your thoughts?
>
> A club that I know is looking to go from dry practice to electric, however
> the funds are not there- I thought this system might work to upgrade their
> practices.
> thanks
>
>

"C-Sports" <csports@epconline.com> wrote in message news:<WVudnbdRnqqd4AijXTWcow@accessus.net>...
> In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under $200-
> all that is needed is the scoring machine.
>
> Who has used this and what are your thoughts?

They're a bargain, and like all bargains have their strong and weak
points.

Their main strength is low cost--low enough to enable a club to take
up a collection a couple of weeks in a row and have enough cash to buy
a set. Toss in an Eigertek Eclipse scoring box,and you've got
yourself a strip for less than $550 (Which may seem like a lot, but I
assure you is yet another bargain).

Most clubs I've been to use bungee systems at one point or another;
the cost is just too attractive to ignore, the performance is great as
well. Some clubs try to make their own, but often finding the parts
for the cable itself proves so problematic that buying is faster and
cheaper.

Unless you can have a permanent overhead set up (which seems unlikely)
you'll need to anchor the outer pulley ends somehow--this is an issue.
One university cleverly drilled holes in the floor (~3mm dia) and
uses aircraft fasteners to secure them. Other clubs use a cinder block
at each end, sometimes on rubber mats. Most places use flat metal
plates duct-taped to the floor, which I consider a "Least Possible
Acceptable" solution--tape costs money! (I have another, as-yet
secret, solution, to this problem, which has a certain panache; I'm
thinking of writing it up for American Fencer magazine.)

Floor-mounted bungee systems do kind of unfairly impair the fleche--no
one on the ref's right wants to run into that tangle of cables and
bungee! I strongly consider investigating your venue, seeing if you
can install overhead grommets to quickly install your reels overhead,
then take them down when you're done.

Which brings me to the final, most important caveat when dealing with
bungee reels: the mess. The gawd-awful, horrific, sweat-popping
mess. It takes one novice about 12 seconds to hoplessly tangle these
system when put away improperly. These reels need to be cared for
carefully upon take-down, or you'll wish you were dead the next time
you try to set them up.

A hidden benefit of bungee reels is that it is a "brushless" system;
most reels have a rotor in them that needs brushes to communicate the
electrical signal from the floor cord to the reel--these brushes get
bent and dirty with time, resulting in some of the freakiest
intermittent off targets (or ON targets in epee!) that you've ever
seen. Because the bungee system has no rotor, there are no
brushes...the contact is more or less "solid" all the way through.

Despite all the cons, these reels work, work well, and have the right
price--less than $200 for both ends is a price that simply cannot be
beat! Just remember to take care of them and baby them when you put
them away.

TCA's system is run-of-the mill; and given the simplicity of the
system, run-of-the-mill is perfectly acceptable. However, do consider
the "next generation" bungee reel system, which may be found at:

http://armorerx.com/shocksys.html

for about $180. Note the way-cool winder, superior grade cable and
custom-made pulleys.

Your next bet is the new Favero "Millenium" reels, which at less than
E 200 each are one hell of a good deal, considering all they offer
(They're more expensive when purchased from a US vendor--they also
weigh in at over 10 pounds each, shipping is expensive, like any
reel). These reels are probably bar-none the finest reel money can
buy, and the price cannot be beat for a spring-loaded reel system.
The number of features they offer put them well ahead of Leon Paul and
even Allstar/Uhlmann (whose reels I never cared for anyway). I'll be
getting a pair of Faveros in the near future and hope to provide a
review of them.

Long enough? Well, I do gush, and I'll blame the coffee. Good luck!

Cheers,

TC
--

"C-Sports" <csports@epconline.com> wrote in message news:<WVudnbdRnqqd4AijXTWcow@accessus.net>...
> In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under $200-
> all that is needed is the scoring machine.
>
> Who has used this and what are your thoughts?

They're a bargain, and like all bargains have their strong and weak
points.

Their main strength is low cost--low enough to enable a club to take
up a collection a couple of weeks in a row and have enough cash to buy
a set. Toss in an Eigertek Eclipse scoring box,and you've got
yourself a strip for less than $550 (Which may seem like a lot, but I
assure you is yet another bargain).

Most clubs I've been to use bungee systems at one point or another;
the cost is just too attractive to ignore, the performance is great as
well. Some clubs try to make their own, but often finding the parts
for the cable itself proves so problematic that buying is faster and
cheaper.

Unless you can have a permanent overhead set up (which seems unlikely)
you'll need to anchor the outer pulley ends somehow--this is an issue.
One university cleverly drilled holes in the floor (~3mm dia) and
uses aircraft fasteners to secure them. Other clubs use a cinder block
at each end, sometimes on rubber mats. Most places use flat metal
plates duct-taped to the floor, which I consider a "Least Possible
Acceptable" solution--tape costs money! (I have another, as-yet
secret, solution, to this problem, which has a certain panache; I'm
thinking of writing it up for American Fencer magazine.)

Floor-mounted bungee systems do kind of unfairly impair the fleche--no
one on the ref's right wants to run into that tangle of cables and
bungee! I strongly consider investigating your venue, seeing if you
can install overhead grommets to quickly install your reels overhead,
then take them down when you're done.

Which brings me to the final, most important caveat when dealing with
bungee reels: the mess. The gawd-awful, horrific, sweat-popping
mess. It takes one novice about 12 seconds to hoplessly tangle these
system when put away improperly. These reels need to be cared for
carefully upon take-down, or you'll wish you were dead the next time
you try to set them up.

A hidden benefit of bungee reels is that it is a "brushless" system;
most reels have a rotor in them that needs brushes to communicate the
electrical signal from the floor cord to the reel--these brushes get
bent and dirty with time, resulting in some of the freakiest
intermittent off targets (or ON targets in epee!) that you've ever
seen. Because the bungee system has no rotor, there are no
brushes...the contact is more or less "solid" all the way through.

Despite all the cons, these reels work, work well, and have the right
price--less than $200 for both ends is a price that simply cannot be
beat! Just remember to take care of them and baby them when you put
them away.

TCA's system is run-of-the mill; and given the simplicity of the
system, run-of-the-mill is perfectly acceptable. However, do consider
the "next generation" bungee reel system, which may be found at:

http://armorerx.com/shocksys.html

for about $180. Note the way-cool winder, superior grade cable and
custom-made pulleys.

Your next bet is the new Favero "Millenium" reels, which at less than
E 200 each are one hell of a good deal, considering all they offer
(They're more expensive when purchased from a US vendor--they also
weigh in at over 10 pounds each, shipping is expensive, like any
reel). These reels are probably bar-none the finest reel money can
buy, and the price cannot be beat for a spring-loaded reel system.
The number of features they offer put them well ahead of Leon Paul and
even Allstar/Uhlmann (whose reels I never cared for anyway). I'll be
getting a pair of Faveros in the near future and hope to provide a
review of them.

Long enough? Well, I do gush, and I'll blame the coffee. Good luck!

Cheers,

TC
--

tcate@zoo.uvm.edu (Thom Cate) wrote in
news:4c1bba3.0304110525.484bfce9@posting.google.co m:

> They're a bargain, and like all bargains have their strong and weak
> points.

I had some experience with a college club that tried to use a bungee
system as a portable system, setting it up and taking it down each
night, with tape on the floor. Not recommended. It was a horrible
tangle and way too much effort. On the other hand, a club near here
has a bungee system that it has permanently attached to the floor,
with (I think) screws and things into the wooden floor. It works fine,
although not so nicely as overheads.

At the last tournament I went to, the club (a very small one with a
small budget) had installed an overhead bungee system, and it worked,
as you say, quite well.

But your point about the potential for screw-ups is very well made. At
one point, one of the fencers released the plug end of the cord from
midway down the strip, instead of walking it back to dangle gently,
and it made an awful tangle, as it derailed the cords as they went
through the reel thingy. (Or something like that). It took about ten
minutes to get it straight, and I got the impression that we were
fortunate that that was all. After that, there were no problems.

If a club can teach its members to always walk the cord back to the
reel, and never just let it go, this courtesy will be appreciated
wherever they go, anyway - most people are good about it, but I always
cringe (and so does everyone else!) when I see someone carelessly let
a cord fly back to smack into the reel on the floor.

--Holly

tcate@zoo.uvm.edu (Thom Cate) wrote in
news:4c1bba3.0304110525.484bfce9@posting.google.co m:

> They're a bargain, and like all bargains have their strong and weak
> points.

I had some experience with a college club that tried to use a bungee
system as a portable system, setting it up and taking it down each
night, with tape on the floor. Not recommended. It was a horrible
tangle and way too much effort. On the other hand, a club near here
has a bungee system that it has permanently attached to the floor,
with (I think) screws and things into the wooden floor. It works fine,
although not so nicely as overheads.

At the last tournament I went to, the club (a very small one with a
small budget) had installed an overhead bungee system, and it worked,
as you say, quite well.

But your point about the potential for screw-ups is very well made. At
one point, one of the fencers released the plug end of the cord from
midway down the strip, instead of walking it back to dangle gently,
and it made an awful tangle, as it derailed the cords as they went
through the reel thingy. (Or something like that). It took about ten
minutes to get it straight, and I got the impression that we were
fortunate that that was all. After that, there were no problems.

If a club can teach its members to always walk the cord back to the
reel, and never just let it go, this courtesy will be appreciated
wherever they go, anyway - most people are good about it, but I always
cringe (and so does everyone else!) when I see someone carelessly let
a cord fly back to smack into the reel on the floor.

--Holly

You might try an extension cord roller or a garden hose roller to role it up
on for storage. So far we have not had any problems storing ours, that I
made, that way. Just straiten everything out and role it up in one long
set. You do have to watch that the pulleys don't make the wire bulge, but
it works well so far.


> > In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under
$200-
> > all that is needed is the scoring machine.
> >
> > Who has used this and what are your thoughts?
>
> They're a bargain, and like all bargains have their strong and weak
> points.
>
> Their main strength is low cost--low enough to enable a club to take
> up a collection a couple of weeks in a row and have enough cash to buy
> a set. Toss in an Eigertek Eclipse scoring box,and you've got
> yourself a strip for less than $550 (Which may seem like a lot, but I
> assure you is yet another bargain).
>
> Most clubs I've been to use bungee systems at one point or another;
> the cost is just too attractive to ignore, the performance is great as
> well. Some clubs try to make their own, but often finding the parts
> for the cable itself proves so problematic that buying is faster and
> cheaper.
>
> Unless you can have a permanent overhead set up (which seems unlikely)
> you'll need to anchor the outer pulley ends somehow--this is an issue.
> One university cleverly drilled holes in the floor (~3mm dia) and
> uses aircraft fasteners to secure them. Other clubs use a cinder block
> at each end, sometimes on rubber mats. Most places use flat metal
> plates duct-taped to the floor, which I consider a "Least Possible
> Acceptable" solution--tape costs money! (I have another, as-yet
> secret, solution, to this problem, which has a certain panache; I'm
> thinking of writing it up for American Fencer magazine.)
>
> Floor-mounted bungee systems do kind of unfairly impair the fleche--no
> one on the ref's right wants to run into that tangle of cables and
> bungee! I strongly consider investigating your venue, seeing if you
> can install overhead grommets to quickly install your reels overhead,
> then take them down when you're done.
>
> Which brings me to the final, most important caveat when dealing with
> bungee reels: the mess. The gawd-awful, horrific, sweat-popping
> mess. It takes one novice about 12 seconds to hoplessly tangle these
> system when put away improperly. These reels need to be cared for
> carefully upon take-down, or you'll wish you were dead the next time
> you try to set them up.
>
> A hidden benefit of bungee reels is that it is a "brushless" system;
> most reels have a rotor in them that needs brushes to communicate the
> electrical signal from the floor cord to the reel--these brushes get
> bent and dirty with time, resulting in some of the freakiest
> intermittent off targets (or ON targets in epee!) that you've ever
> seen. Because the bungee system has no rotor, there are no
> brushes...the contact is more or less "solid" all the way through.
>
> Despite all the cons, these reels work, work well, and have the right
> price--less than $200 for both ends is a price that simply cannot be
> beat! Just remember to take care of them and baby them when you put
> them away.
>
> TCA's system is run-of-the mill; and given the simplicity of the
> system, run-of-the-mill is perfectly acceptable. However, do consider
> the "next generation" bungee reel system, which may be found at:
>
> http://armorerx.com/shocksys.html
>
> for about $180. Note the way-cool winder, superior grade cable and
> custom-made pulleys.
>
> Your next bet is the new Favero "Millenium" reels, which at less than
> E 200 each are one hell of a good deal, considering all they offer
> (They're more expensive when purchased from a US vendor--they also
> weigh in at over 10 pounds each, shipping is expensive, like any
> reel). These reels are probably bar-none the finest reel money can
> buy, and the price cannot be beat for a spring-loaded reel system.
> The number of features they offer put them well ahead of Leon Paul and
> even Allstar/Uhlmann (whose reels I never cared for anyway). I'll be
> getting a pair of Faveros in the near future and hope to provide a
> review of them.
>
> Long enough? Well, I do gush, and I'll blame the coffee. Good luck!
>
> Cheers,
>
> TC
> --

You might try an extension cord roller or a garden hose roller to role it up
on for storage. So far we have not had any problems storing ours, that I
made, that way. Just straiten everything out and role it up in one long
set. You do have to watch that the pulleys don't make the wire bulge, but
it works well so far.


> > In a recent catalog, I spotted the TCA bungee lane system for under
$200-
> > all that is needed is the scoring machine.
> >
> > Who has used this and what are your thoughts?
>
> They're a bargain, and like all bargains have their strong and weak
> points.
>
> Their main strength is low cost--low enough to enable a club to take
> up a collection a couple of weeks in a row and have enough cash to buy
> a set. Toss in an Eigertek Eclipse scoring box,and you've got
> yourself a strip for less than $550 (Which may seem like a lot, but I
> assure you is yet another bargain).
>
> Most clubs I've been to use bungee systems at one point or another;
> the cost is just too attractive to ignore, the performance is great as
> well. Some clubs try to make their own, but often finding the parts
> for the cable itself proves so problematic that buying is faster and
> cheaper.
>
> Unless you can have a permanent overhead set up (which seems unlikely)
> you'll need to anchor the outer pulley ends somehow--this is an issue.
> One university cleverly drilled holes in the floor (~3mm dia) and
> uses aircraft fasteners to secure them. Other clubs use a cinder block
> at each end, sometimes on rubber mats. Most places use flat metal
> plates duct-taped to the floor, which I consider a "Least Possible
> Acceptable" solution--tape costs money! (I have another, as-yet
> secret, solution, to this problem, which has a certain panache; I'm
> thinking of writing it up for American Fencer magazine.)
>
> Floor-mounted bungee systems do kind of unfairly impair the fleche--no
> one on the ref's right wants to run into that tangle of cables and
> bungee! I strongly consider investigating your venue, seeing if you
> can install overhead grommets to quickly install your reels overhead,
> then take them down when you're done.
>
> Which brings me to the final, most important caveat when dealing with
> bungee reels: the mess. The gawd-awful, horrific, sweat-popping
> mess. It takes one novice about 12 seconds to hoplessly tangle these
> system when put away improperly. These reels need to be cared for
> carefully upon take-down, or you'll wish you were dead the next time
> you try to set them up.
>
> A hidden benefit of bungee reels is that it is a "brushless" system;
> most reels have a rotor in them that needs brushes to communicate the
> electrical signal from the floor cord to the reel--these brushes get
> bent and dirty with time, resulting in some of the freakiest
> intermittent off targets (or ON targets in epee!) that you've ever
> seen. Because the bungee system has no rotor, there are no
> brushes...the contact is more or less "solid" all the way through.
>
> Despite all the cons, these reels work, work well, and have the right
> price--less than $200 for both ends is a price that simply cannot be
> beat! Just remember to take care of them and baby them when you put
> them away.
>
> TCA's system is run-of-the mill; and given the simplicity of the
> system, run-of-the-mill is perfectly acceptable. However, do consider
> the "next generation" bungee reel system, which may be found at:
>
> http://armorerx.com/shocksys.html
>
> for about $180. Note the way-cool winder, superior grade cable and
> custom-made pulleys.
>
> Your next bet is the new Favero "Millenium" reels, which at less than
> E 200 each are one hell of a good deal, considering all they offer
> (They're more expensive when purchased from a US vendor--they also
> weigh in at over 10 pounds each, shipping is expensive, like any
> reel). These reels are probably bar-none the finest reel money can
> buy, and the price cannot be beat for a spring-loaded reel system.
> The number of features they offer put them well ahead of Leon Paul and
> even Allstar/Uhlmann (whose reels I never cared for anyway). I'll be
> getting a pair of Faveros in the near future and hope to provide a
> review of them.
>
> Long enough? Well, I do gush, and I'll blame the coffee. Good luck!
>
> Cheers,
>
> TC
> --

Holly E. Ordway wrote:



> If a club can teach its members to always walk the cord back to the
> reel, and never just let it go, this courtesy will be appreciated
> wherever they go, anyway - most people are good about it, but I always
> cringe (and so does everyone else!) when I see someone carelessly let
> a cord fly back to smack into the reel on the floor.
>

For good reason with any system, reels or bungee, this puts an
unacceptable shock on the system potentially causing it to fail.
I've seen some clubs demand pushups from the offender - well if they are
a club member

j.

Holly E. Ordway wrote:



> If a club can teach its members to always walk the cord back to the
> reel, and never just let it go, this courtesy will be appreciated
> wherever they go, anyway - most people are good about it, but I always
> cringe (and so does everyone else!) when I see someone carelessly let
> a cord fly back to smack into the reel on the floor.
>

For good reason with any system, reels or bungee, this puts an
unacceptable shock on the system potentially causing it to fail.
I've seen some clubs demand pushups from the offender - well if they are
a club member

j.

"Holly E. Ordway" <OUTordwayWITHTHIS@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:Xns935A661518C3A5439754hjkgfdjio5408@216.166. 71.239...
> But your point about the potential for screw-ups is very well made. At
> one point, one of the fencers released the plug end of the cord from
> midway down the strip, instead of walking it back to dangle gently,
> and it made an awful tangle, as it derailed the cords as they went
> through the reel thingy. (Or something like that). It took about ten
> minutes to get it straight, and I got the impression that we were
> fortunate that that was all. After that, there were no problems.
>
> If a club can teach its members to always walk the cord back to the
> reel, and never just let it go, this courtesy will be appreciated
> wherever they go, anyway - most people are good about it, but I always
> cringe (and so does everyone else!) when I see someone carelessly let
> a cord fly back to smack into the reel on the floor.

Or better yet, just clip the 2 ends together if the strip is not going to be
used for a minute. For hand offs between bouts, you don't let go until the
next person on your side walks up.

Tyson Patterson

"Holly E. Ordway" <OUTordwayWITHTHIS@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:Xns935A661518C3A5439754hjkgfdjio5408@216.166. 71.239...
> But your point about the potential for screw-ups is very well made. At
> one point, one of the fencers released the plug end of the cord from
> midway down the strip, instead of walking it back to dangle gently,
> and it made an awful tangle, as it derailed the cords as they went
> through the reel thingy. (Or something like that). It took about ten
> minutes to get it straight, and I got the impression that we were
> fortunate that that was all. After that, there were no problems.
>
> If a club can teach its members to always walk the cord back to the
> reel, and never just let it go, this courtesy will be appreciated
> wherever they go, anyway - most people are good about it, but I always
> cringe (and so does everyone else!) when I see someone carelessly let
> a cord fly back to smack into the reel on the floor.

Or better yet, just clip the 2 ends together if the strip is not going to be
used for a minute. For hand offs between bouts, you don't let go until the
next person on your side walks up.

Tyson Patterson

The bungee systems are less convenient than reels, but for those with
more time than money they are fine. For those with VERY little money,
you can easily make your own and avoid the high profit margin attached
to the commercial ones. Buy some bungee by the foot at a sporting
goods or Army surplus store, make the anchors ( we use two short
lengths of 4X4 with a screw eyelet in each, held down with weights or
sandbags ), use telephone cable for the floor cords and all you need
to get from a fencing equipment house is the connectors. Oh, and a
couple of pulleys. If you are adroit at dogrobbing you can put a set
together for less than $50 or so.

Get a couple of the plastic spools like the ones they sell wire off at
hardware stores. Use these to wind the floor cables onto, and then the
bungee. This will keep the things from coalescing into a Gordian knot
every time you put it away, and speeds set up immensely. Yes,
permanent installation is better, but they aren't really all that
bothersome to put up and take down nightly.

The bungee systems are less convenient than reels, but for those with
more time than money they are fine. For those with VERY little money,
you can easily make your own and avoid the high profit margin attached
to the commercial ones. Buy some bungee by the foot at a sporting
goods or Army surplus store, make the anchors ( we use two short
lengths of 4X4 with a screw eyelet in each, held down with weights or
sandbags ), use telephone cable for the floor cords and all you need
to get from a fencing equipment house is the connectors. Oh, and a
couple of pulleys. If you are adroit at dogrobbing you can put a set
together for less than $50 or so.

Get a couple of the plastic spools like the ones they sell wire off at
hardware stores. Use these to wind the floor cables onto, and then the
bungee. This will keep the things from coalescing into a Gordian knot
every time you put it away, and speeds set up immensely. Yes,
permanent installation is better, but they aren't really all that
bothersome to put up and take down nightly.

The Denver Fencing Center uses retracting clothesline reels attached to a
wooden base (about 8 in. x12 in.) A pulley is placed on the end of the
clothesline and the floor cord runs through the pulley. The clothesline reel
is built to automatically retract, and I believe there is a 50 ft run of
line in the reel.
The board is attached to the floor with "plasti-tak" which is like
modelling clay, but reusable to stick posters, etc. to the walls. The board
is long enough to wrap the floor cord around the board to keep it from
tangling, and put a small curve into each side to make the cord stay on:
____
)--( - cord winds up here.
| |
|___| - reel is mounted here.

(I'm sorry I'm not very good with ASCII drawings.)

Set up takes about 2 minutes and it is easily under $50.

- Gary J. goj2@hotmail.com