[aprssig] Marathon Pace Generator

[Robert Bruninga]

The most fun we had was one Marathon where there was a Juggler and a guy in
a clown suit.  Using APRSdr I could just place them on the APRSdr map and
give them an estimated speed of about 5 and 8 kts respectively and then
everyone else with APRS could see where these two highly visible people
were.  This wont be possible with my little hardware CPU version (you wont
have a PC for easy addition of objects), but it will do lead male and female
and TAIL and allow for minor tweaks along the way.

The key will be asking the race coordinators what is the expected finish
times of these 3 and then entering them in the "APRS Pace" generator.

Bob, Wb4aPR

-----Original Message-----
From: aprssig-bounces at tapr.org [mailto:aprssig-bounces at tapr.org] On Behalf
Of Shawn Stoddard
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 10:39 AM
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Marathon Pace Generator

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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