Speed Start starting gun - anyone using this?

"Sherwood Shark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

We're looking at upgrading some of our swim team gear and are looking

at

Quoted message said:

the Speed Start starting gun
http://www.swimoutlet.com/products_p/1251.htm .

Anyone used this or been at a meet where it was used?

A bit steep at $255 - but we're buying a new megaphone with tone start
every two or three years and this seems like it'd last much longer.
Plus the added benefit of the stobe and ability to use it at league
finals when we have touch pads and electronic timing.

what's wrong with a basic Colorado starting unit - beep, strobe, PA -

Phil Schuman said:

what's wrong with a basic Colorado starting unit - beep, strobe, PA -

Nothing wrong with this - just not the direction we're heading as we
need to upgrade the pool PA system and want to incorporate starter/ref
event announcing into that system, not have a stand alone just for swim
meets.

Sherwood Shark said:

Phil Schuman said:

what's wrong with a basic Colorado starting unit - beep, strobe, PA -

Nothing wrong with this - just not the direction we're heading as we
need to upgrade the pool PA system and want to incorporate starter/ref
event announcing into that system, not have a stand alone just for swim
meets.

Having been a swimmer in high school, and a head timer, console ops,
announcer, and various other things during my college days, I can
honestly say that this isn't as good an idea as it seems. As a swimmer,
you're used to listening for the more "tinny" sound of the starter's
speaker, and tuning out the more full-bodied general PA. You don't even
realize that you're doing it.

At the table, you want your voice to be directed out towards the crowd
(usually to tell them to quiet down during starts), letting the swimmers
on the block concentrate. Maybe you'll have one or two for the ones who
aren't swimming to pick up on clerk-of-course announcements, which they
won't be tuning out (since they're not on the blocks).

If you really want to put them together, I'd suggest getting the
Colorado starting unit, including the tinny speaker for use on deck,
then having a student at your local tech college design an interface
circuit to bridge between the starter's external speaker socket and one
of your PA's mike inputs. Just be sure to have some sort of volume
control on it... you don't want to be blaraing out your guests' ears
with the starter horn!

Chris Zakelj said:

Having been a swimmer in high school, and a head timer, console ops,
announcer, and various other things during my college days, I can
honestly say that this isn't as good an idea as it seems. As a swimmer,
you're used to listening for the more "tinny" sound of the starter's
speaker, and tuning out the more full-bodied general PA. You don't even
realize that you're doing it.

At the table, you want your voice to be directed out towards the crowd
(usually to tell them to quiet down during starts), letting the swimmers
on the block concentrate. Maybe you'll have one or two for the ones who
aren't swimming to pick up on clerk-of-course announcements, which they
won't be tuning out (since they're not on the blocks).

If you really want to put them together, I'd suggest getting the
Colorado starting unit, including the tinny speaker for use on deck,
then having a student at your local tech college design an interface
circuit to bridge between the starter's external speaker socket and one
of your PA's mike inputs. Just be sure to have some sort of volume
control on it... you don't want to be blaraing out your guests' ears
with the starter horn!

Very good points you make. I'm seeing now the original direction we were
thinking in isn't going to fill the starting needs like I'd hoped.

Thanks for the input from 'the blocks'.