Cheap electronic solutions?

[typoink]

The club I fence at is, by necessity, pretty much dry fencing only (we have a bit of electric equipment, but rarely have the space to set up).

Recently, however, the "buzzer" devices sold from a few vendors have caught my eye. They appear to either clip onto the wrist or snap into the sword's socket and buzz when the tip is pressed. They obviously don't have any on- / off-target indication, but they still seem like they could be very useful for helping our fencers get a feel for pushing the tip properly.

Does anybody have an opinion on these things? My biggest concern is that they might be either very fragile (some appear to have exposed circuitry!) or the buzzes might be too faint / brief to really register to the fencers.

[KBayDog]

I have found the buzzers to be a double-edged sword, so to speak.

They are great to develop the touch necessary for electronic scoring devices; indeed, many of the touches that a "dry" fencer would not acknowledge actually would count in an electric tournament. They are also an effective, economical way to prepare for a tournament.

However, it has been my experience that many fencers who use those devices mimic Pavlov's canines - they do not fence to get the good touch, but rather for the aural and visual stimulation the buzzer provides. In fact, all too often, I catch a fencer looking at his wrist for acknowledgement of a supposed hit (while allowing me to impale him).

I believe they can be valuable tools if used properly; that is, as long as you remember to continue fencing until you hear the command "Halt!"

[typoink]

KBay, your warnings seem pretty much like the warnings about all electric equipment. Electric fencers are often accused of fencing for the lights, so it doesn't sound like this is a lot worse.

I think I'll recommend them to members of my club (and pick one up myself) then.

Does anybody have any comments on comfort / durability of these devices, or where to get them from?

[scarfe]

I do not kjnow how well the foil buzzers hold up bu the epee buzzers are very durable (although I have heard it depends upon the the maker). I use the the favora brand and this particular one has lasted me two years so I do not have complaints.

One thing to consider though, assuming you wish to use it for foil. as it sounds to me as you are. I purchased one for foil it works well, but besides flicks it does not help your fencing at all, for you still have to make the same judgment calls concerning priority and whether the hit was made upon a valid target area. and the pressure needed for the electric point of foil is so slight that you might as well practise dry, also considering the target area. if you are the fencing epee I whole heartly reccomend the devise if you wish to compete, for sometimes with dry it almnost impossible to tell whether it would be a valid hit, if you use an electric weapon in a dry bout, but with the buzzer you know you either have a hit or not.

hopes this helps.
scarfe

[scarfe]

oh sorry,
you can get these from most suppliers, but fencing post is probably the cheapest and still decent quality.

[typoink]

Hm. I guess my attraction to them for foil is that we wind up wi th a lot of judgement calls over whether attacks were point on or flat, especially with beginners learning to flick. I think our club would benefit from knowing whether the points are valid.

And, of course, it would be quite a boon for our epee-minded fencers.

[KBayDog]

Another consideration:

In the spirit of "training as you fight": The devices can actually HELP the problem of "fencing for the lights."

By training with them, a fencer can learn to disregard the distractions of buzzers and lights and fence right up to the command "halt."

This removes another variable from the tournament; it will allow the fencer to focus on what should be the ONLY variable - his/her opponent!