Event Director's page Benalla 2009

Australian Championship 2009, Benalla VIC. Event Director's page.

This page contains information directed related to the competition such as rules, task, maps etc. Update: 22 June 2009. Only a couple of days to until the 16th Nationals in Benalla. Pete just informed me that we will have around 14 competitors so we will have a nice small competition. I will be leaving the day after tomorrow to Melbourne first to visit our daughter Anne and family and thereafter I will be going to Benalla for the last preparations. We just returned from Mondovi, Italy were I was Deputy Event Director in the WAG (World Air Games) with David Levin as Director. The competition was very successful with the weather on our side. Mondovi is secluded in by the Alps close to the Medetarianian Sea. This provided for weather 'where anything goes'. Wisely we didn't set Elbows because we would have only winners. In three tasks the median result was less than 5 meters with a GMD! The logger task setting and scoring concept functioned well and was well received by most pilots. I recieved some questions from competitors in the Nationals, I will try to answer them here in the FAQ style so all of you have something out of it: How is the distance measured in the 3DT shape task? The distance is the horizontal distance (2D) between valid track points. This means going up and down to get a slant distance (3D) doesn't help. The shape may be divided in several parts (PIE task see TDSs from other competitions) the distance gained may have a bonus factor in these parts. Is the distance measured in the 3DT shape task a straight line from entry point to exit point? NO! See above, in other words making a curved track in the shape will help you! Can I leave the shape and enter again to increase my result? YES! Provided you are still in the scoring period and other possible limits specified in the TDS. Does it matter where the logger mounting points are? Yes! The rules require 2m above the mouth at the right hand side! There are many reasons for this and I could write a book about all our tests and experiences. That's why we insist on this rule. Let me give you a few reasons: That spot is easily reachable when laying out your envelope. The distance to the basket reduces interference with electronic equipment (radios, phones etc.) in the basket. You will not burn it off your balloon in a windy inflation. The logger has an uninterrupted semi circular view of the sky providing for the best GPS fixes. The logger does not drag through the durt during inflation. Can the mounting point be a large safety pin ? We do not prescribe the fitting. Anything that you can hang a small logger on is OK. We recommend a key ring through the side of a load tape, they are robust do not harm the integrity of the balloon (if fit with care!). Do not forget, if you lose your logger you may not only lose your result in that task but also will have to pay for it! More on loggers ...: We will be using the Royaltek RBT2300 as primary logger. We will not use the ABF's eTrex GPS as backup logger, that model is outdated and no longer approved by the FAI/CIA but they can become handy for the measuring teams. I will try to bring the Garmin Geko 201 depending on how much they charge for my overweight :)... Since we have only 14 competitors we may use another RTB2300 as backup or a combination of Gekos and RBTs. In any case the primary logger must be attached on the right hand side 2 meters above the mouth of the balloon. Information on the use of backup loggers and your GPS as backup will be provided at the General Briefing. If you want your GPS to be used as backup logger, then do not forget that the time interval must be constant and set at the value of the primary logger and you must provide the appropriate download cable.

Topics:
Type of logger Map Rules Competition Tasks

Type of logger For this competition we will use a new type of logger the Royaltek RBT2300. The logger performed very well and we had no spikes or significant problems in two competitions we have been using it. The RBT-2300 uses the GPS chipset SiRF Star III which is the latest modell. This logger combines the function of a ‘Blue Tooth’ GPS mouse and Data logger. Beside the ON/ OFF switch, the logger has no user in or output and no screen. You as competitor can use (if you like) the position information transmitted via BT (Blue Tooth). Independent thereof the logger will log the TPs as usual and we will download the tracks after you come back and return the logger. ADVANTAGES FOR YOU: You can use the TP information the logger is transmitting via BT with any application you like. (Laptop, Oziexplorer, Compe etc.) . When doing that you can see the actual data the logger is logging and you will be able to fly to the same information that you will be scored to after the flight. ADVANTAGES FOR ALL OF US: Downloading the tracks is much faster than with the serial 232-cable. The logger uses standard Nokia telephone batteries that last long (8hrs) and can be recharged, saving money and environment. We believe in better tracks with less spikes and interferences and better precision with the use of the latest SiRF chipset. The logger scans 20channels, uses WAAS and EGNOS and has very short fix times. The logger is cheap. Note: Should you *not* want to use the BT data transmitting function of the logger e.g. because you want to use your own BT mouse, you can ask us to switch the transmitting function off. There will be no different procedures with respect to the rules. That means DON’T forget: to hang the logger on the appropriate spot to switch the logger ON before Take-Off and OFF after landing. The logger transmits and logs the NMEA 183 protocol. We set the logger to log: LAT, LON, Altitude and time. From Wikipedia: “…Receiver sensitivity of -159 dBm while tracking; GPS receivers based on this chipset have routinely performed better than receivers based on other chipsets. Reviewers have praised the SiRFstarIII chipset for its superior sensitivity and tracking capabilities… “ Links: All about GPS: http://www.kowoma.de/en/gps/index.htm NMEA Protocol: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NMEA RoyalTek: http://www.royaltek.com/products_dtl.php?cid=2&id=19&argPage=1&argI=6 Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiRFstar_III Map We will use the Benalla Map of last year. The electronic map is reduced to 256 colors to reduce the file size and is saved in .tif format which loads fast in Oziexplorer. To download the map (41 MB) click on the image to the left. You may download an OZi-Explorer .plt track file of the driving we did. You will see that the recorded track coincides very well with the map proving that the map is of good quality and the calibration is OK. Rules We will be using the 2009 version of the FAI/CIA AXMERG rules (without observers and with loggers and loggerscoring). Click axmer_coh_2009.zip (500kb) to download the 2009 version. The ZIP file contains the AXMER and AXMERG and COH(Competition Operation Handbook) and a version of both rules with the changes from last year highlighted. For those not familiar with the COH I can recommend all pilots to study this document. Especially the Penalty Guide in the COH may give you information of what you should and shouldn't do in competition. The adapted Section I and II of the rules for this year's nationals will follow later after approval of the ABF. Competition On the exploration tour we noticed that many of the numbered intersections on the map actually have power lines and trees over them. However most intersections have open adjacent fields that can be used very well for targets. So we will try to layout targets with relation to the junction in such a way that the MSA has a free radius of 100m around the target enabling low approaches for marker drops. Tasks The get an idea what tasks you can expect I recommand to study the task data sheets of some competitions of last years. Especially the 3D tasks may be new to you and you may well expect a PD PIE. In this tasks you will have to declare a coordinate of your choice before the flight. This coordinate will be the center of a 'wedding cake' type shape. You will try to accumulate to greatest horizontal distance in each cylinder of the cake. The distance will be doubled in the second slice and trippled in the top slice. The most typical way of setting this task is task 6 in the 'MOL cup 2007' competition. Here are some task date sheets of past competitions: Polish Nationals 2006 MOL cup 2006 MOL cup 2007 MOL cup 2008 Brasilian Championship 2008 World air Games 2009

For this competition we will use a new type of logger the Royaltek RBT2300. The logger performed very well and we had no spikes or significant problems in two competitions we have been using it. The RBT-2300 uses the GPS chipset SiRF Star III which is the latest modell.

Royaltek RBT2300 logger This logger combines the function of a ‘Blue Tooth’ GPS mouse and Data logger. Beside the ON/ OFF switch, the logger has no user in or output and no screen. You as competitor can use (if you like) the position information transmitted via BT (Blue Tooth). Independent thereof the logger will log the TPs as usual and we will download the tracks after you come back and return the logger.

ADVANTAGES FOR YOU:

You can use the TP information the logger is transmitting via BT with any application you like. (Laptop, Oziexplorer, Compe etc.) .

When doing that you can see the actual data the logger is logging and you will be able to fly to the same information that you will be scored to after the flight.

ADVANTAGES FOR ALL OF US:

Downloading the tracks is much faster than with the serial 232-cable.

The logger uses standard Nokia telephone batteries that last long (8hrs) and can be recharged, saving money and environment.

We believe in better tracks with less spikes and interferences and better precision with the use of the latest SiRF chipset. The logger scans 20channels, uses WAAS and EGNOS and has very short fix times.

The logger is cheap.

Note: Should you not want to use the BT data transmitting function of the logger e.g. because you want to use your own BT mouse, you can ask us to switch the transmitting function off.

There will be no different procedures with respect to the rules. That means DON’T forget:

to hang the logger on the appropriate spot
to switch the logger ON before Take-Off and OFF after landing.

The logger transmits and logs the NMEA 183 protocol. We set the logger to log: LAT, LON, Altitude and time.

From Wikipedia: “…Receiver sensitivity of -159 dBm while tracking; GPS receivers based on this chipset have routinely performed better than receivers based on other chipsets. Reviewers have praised the SiRFstarIII chipset for its superior sensitivity and tracking capabilities… “

Links:

All about GPS: http://www.kowoma.de/en/gps/index.htm

NMEA Protocol: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NMEA

RoyalTek: http://www.royaltek.com/products_dtl.php?cid=2&id=19&argPage=1&argI=6

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiRFstar_III

Map

We will use the Benalla Map of last year. The electronic map is reduced to 256 colors to reduce the file size and is saved in .tif format which loads fast in Oziexplorer.

To download the map (41 MB) click on the image to the left.

You may download an OZi-Explorer .plt track file of the driving we did.
You will see that the recorded track coincides very well with the map proving that the map is of good quality and the calibration is OK.

Rules

We will be using the 2009 version of the FAI/CIA AXMERG rules (without observers and with loggers and loggerscoring). Click axmer_coh_2009.zip (500kb) to download the 2009 version.

The ZIP file contains the AXMER and AXMERG and COH(Competition Operation Handbook) and a version of both rules with the changes from last year highlighted.

For those not familiar with the COH I can recommend all pilots to study this document. Especially the Penalty Guide in the COH may give you information of what you should and shouldn't do in competition.

The adapted Section I and II of the rules for this year's nationals will follow later after approval of the ABF.

Tasks

The get an idea what tasks you can expect I recommand to study the task data sheets of some competitions of last years. Especially the 3D tasks may be new to you and you may well expect a PD PIE. In this tasks you will have to declare a coordinate of your choice before the flight. This coordinate will be the center of a 'wedding cake' type shape. You will try to accumulate to greatest horizontal distance in each cylinder of the cake. The distance will be doubled in the second slice and trippled in the top slice. The most typical way of setting this task is task 6 in the 'MOL cup 2007' competition.
Here are some task date sheets of past competitions:

Type of logger

Map

Rules

Competition

Tasks