|
02-23-2013, 02:06 AM | #51 |
VIP Member
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 2,133
Likes: 2
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
|
Re: Question for Jeff Foster and Dave Kommel
|
02-23-2013, 06:26 AM | #52 | |
VIP Member
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 2,133
Likes: 2
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
|
Re: Question for Jeff Foster and Dave Kommel
Quote:
This isn't that big of a deal. The video camera just catches the stage light as it's going out and the red light as it's coming on. Here are just a few examples I found. There are plenty more. 2011 Winternationals, incandescent stage bulbs: 2012 Winternationals, LED stage bulbs: I have a question for you, Michael, since you seem pretty well versed in the stage-lock system. In Mr. Cotten's meeting with Jeff Foster and Mike Rice they told him: "It is not impossible to have a roll back red light with the stage lock on. But, it requires a motion of at least of a half inch to the rear." My question to you is: How does the system know if you are a half inch behind the beam? I don't think the computer can tell how far you are behind the beam unless the infrared sensor can tell from how much infrared light it's receiving from the reflector. If not, I would think you could roll back until you turned the pre-stage light off. And this begs the question, if the infrared sensor can tell how much infrared light it receives, why can't it differentiate between infrared light and a flash from a photographers camera? |
|
02-23-2013, 11:12 AM | #53 |
Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: rohnert park,ca
Posts: 411
Likes: 9
Liked 37 Times in 10 Posts
|
Re: Question for Jeff Foster and Dave Kommel
another interesting point is that on another post on here is that someone posted that this doesn't happen at ihra races. wonder if that is true?
__________________
bob beals 7244 |
02-23-2013, 11:36 AM | #54 | ||
VIP Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 4,060
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times in 8 Posts
|
Re: Question for Jeff Foster and Dave Kommel
Quote:
Seeing multiple instances of the red light coming on before the stage light going out makes me MORE concerned, not less. Quote:
Old stories: http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-...-not-red-light http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-...tem-guard-beam In the comments section, there was a claim that it happened at Charlotte to multiple cars. So it's guard beams one day, and camera flashes the next...
__________________
Michael Beard - NHRA/IHRA 3216 S/SS |
||
02-23-2013, 03:06 PM | #55 | |
VIP Member
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 2,133
Likes: 2
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
|
Re: Question for Jeff Foster and Dave Kommel
Quote:
Well, both the Brand and Mason red lights happened with the incandescent stage bulbs. And in the DeFrank video, you can see the stage lights are on only in the frame where the red light is starting to come on. So it does happen faster with the LED bulbs. If you had a camera that took more frames per second, I'm sure you could see it on every red light. Most video cameras only take 30 FPS. They could change the programing to make sure the stage light is completely off before they turn the red light on. The program probably turns the red light on first and then turns the stage light off. Depending on how fast the computer is, there is going to be a little delay. As somebody said before, they need to overhaul the timing equipment. Starting with a complete rewrite of the software. Last edited by Toby Lang; 02-23-2013 at 03:24 PM. |
|
02-23-2013, 03:59 PM | #56 | |
VIP Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 4,060
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times in 8 Posts
|
Re: Question for Jeff Foster and Dave Kommel
Quote:
If stage = 0 , then red = 1. With the exception of a deep stage foul or guard beam trigger, there is no reason for the red light to EVER precede the stage light being off. What were the results of the flash and infrared triggers testing at Pomona following the race?
__________________
Michael Beard - NHRA/IHRA 3216 S/SS Last edited by Michael Beard; 02-23-2013 at 04:01 PM. |
|
02-24-2013, 06:59 AM | #57 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Pasco, Wa.
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
|
Re: Question for Jeff Foster and Dave Kommel
If the guard beam is tripped while the pre stage and stage beams are blocked (car staged),the computer thinks the car has moved and starts the clocks. If this happens before the green comes on the red light will be turned on then the pre stage and stage lights will be turned off until the clocks are reset. I believe either something blocked the guard beam or the beam was lost/missing long enough to trigger the red lights for Jimmy Defrank, Mason, Kurt Johnson, and Jack Beckman. It also happened to me in 2011 at a local bracket race.
I don't see how a camera flash had anything to do with these red lights at all unless an intense light or flash could possibly drowned out or weaken the infrared beam so the guard beam sensor doesn't recieve it, but I doubt it. Other possibilities are a bad sensor, bad connection/wiring, or some computer glich. However drivers don't need a flash blinding them so I applaud NHRA for removing that problem. Compulink needs a recording device that monitors all the sensors during a race so a problem like this could be traced. It would have to be able to read and write at the same time sort of like a DVR opperates. It would be nice to get a straight answer from NHRA or Compulink when issues like this comes up or at least fix the problem so no one else is becomes a victim of the mysterious red light. Last edited by James Packer; 02-24-2013 at 07:02 AM. Reason: adding to sentence |
|
|