[aprssig] Marathon Pace Generator

[Shawn Stoddard]

Either one. I lead up several public service events plus participate in half/full marathons. I could see this type of functionality being handy. Like you we have experimented with placing an actual tracker on key runners, bike lead, etc but that only provides a partial picture and brings issues like these people being licensed. Always on the lookout for different perspectives and ideas. 

On Mar 20, 2013, at 23:08, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:

> WHich - which marathon?  The one I just did for the Annapolis
> Striders, or the first one where I used APRSdr back in 1995 (Marine
> Corps Marathon)?
> 
> On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 4:51 PM, Shawn Stoddard <stoddard at pobox.com> wrote:
>> Which marathon?
>> 
>> On Mar 19, 2013, at 14:47, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:
>> 
>> Back in the 90’s, APRSdr was a version of APRSdos that would dead-reckon any
>> number of runners along a Marathon route that was drawn on the map in
>> purple.  Any object placed on the map on the purple line would begin to move
>> at the indicated pace along the route and these objects would be updated and
>> transmitted once a minute for the duration of the event.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I just programmed such a DR engine into a basic stamp.  Just two wires to a
>> TNC and it will generate a LEAD runner and a FEMALE lead on the map, moving
>> along at Marathon pace.  No muss, no fuss.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> The value of this was 20 years ago at the start of APRS was for tracking the
>> lead male and female runners without having to outfit them with GPS.  It was
>> usually just as accurate as GPS back when GPS would not guarantee any better
>> accuracy than 100 meters.   But even now, with most trackers only updating
>> at 1 minute report rates (+/- 30 seconds of error or about 420 feet), the DR
>> object is just as good .  Im adding buttons on the box to slightly increase
>> or decrase the rates if reports from checkpoints appear to be ahead or
>> behind the pace.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> During the Marathon this weekend, the organizers did not want a lead
>> bicycle, so looking at the map gave no clue where the LEAD was (only the
>> TAIL)..
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> So as not to confuse everyone, Im going to use the object names of PACE for
>> the lead runner and PACE-F for the lead female.  Then possibly one more for
>> PACK which will have the typical average pace for typical marathons.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> The set up for our marathon needed only 23 points to define the route.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Donno if anyone else would use this or not.  It can be just a dongle with a
>> DB9 connector for plugging into any TNC or Tracker.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Bob, WB4APR
>> 
>> 
>> 
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