Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => Bonneville General Chat => Topic started by: racefanwfo on August 16, 2013, 04:06:44 PM
-
Now that speedweek is over and the SCTA tryed there hand at streaming audio which was good and bad what will be the next meet that will be streaming audio and who will be doing it. One of the things i missed was being able to hear some audio from the cars and bikes. where where the two guys at speedweek broadcasting from IE where on the course where they near the starting line or further down the course. For car audio all they needed was a extra mic stuck out the window. For me hearing the audio from the cars and bikes adds to the enjoyment of the stream. :cheers:
-
A "nice try" to the SCTA's first attempt a audio streaming.
Too bad they are trying to replicate a working system and failing.
Better luck next time...
Sam
-
They were in an enclosed trailer at the 3.1 mile mark.
FREUD
-
They were in an enclosed trailer at the 3.1 mile mark.
FREUD
Freud it was great running into you at the car wash but you ran off before I could give you something. Thanks for your updates. I'll track you down later and get it to you.
Now about that audio broadcast.....it sucked. Worse yet is the new guy refuses to listen to people when they are trying to help them sound informed. Here is my example: I work on the 7800 Blown Fuel Streamliner ,anyone that was paying attention saw we were struggling to perfect some of our new designs. We decided to make a short squirt to just before the 3 mile marker. On my way down to the starting line I decided to stop and tell the new guy our plan to shut down early so he could let people know. The broadcasters often say to stop by and share information but now I realize those are just words said to fill the voids. Instead of being welcomed and writing down the info I got a look and attitude from Harold that I was interrupting his overly verbose broadcast. He actually intimated that I was so dumb that I didn't know who to tell the info to by admonishing me like it was my first time on the salt by saying "You don't stop here and tell us we don't care, you are supposed to tell the starter " Well, QQQQ (four Q) Harold because you did the exact thing I was trying to prevent when you go into a two minute diatribe about what could have possibly gone wrong. I have the broadcast recorded for anyone that thinks I'm making this stuff up.
I'm going to tell you how to handle the broadcast because your year's of experience have failed you.
1) Just because there is a microphone in front of you ,doesn't mean you HAVE to talk. I don't care about what you had for lunch or whether your neighbor's best friend had a car that was the same color.
2) Prior to the run give me the car number, class,and current record he's running on. Maybe if there is time tell me what they have done on previous runs.
3) If the car has significant history or goes particularly fast you must say so more than once so people don't miss the run. You talking less overall would really help because after a while you sound like the teacher from Charlie Brown with all your useless drivel.
4) A little silence goes a long way to help this one because now we are hanging on you every word instead of blocking out your verbal diarrhea. LET ME KNOW CAR or m/c is UNDERWAY and the number again.
5)Give me the car number and course again. Now tell me the first mile time, the middle mile time, and the last mile time.
6) Now give me the exit speed. MAYBE Insert previous exit speed here. Insert congratulations if it is a record run or qualifier.
7) shut up....stop talking
8) Repeat steps 2 through 7 over and over until it's time to go home
9) Save up all those nonsensical stories that are bursting out of you and go home and tell them to your dog because we don't care.
-
Garran, great to hang with you guys and drink your beer! :cheers: Had a great time visiting. QQQQ, now that is funny! :-D Ironically for all the things the announcers did wrong, they got our info right and did a good job on the couple runs we were mentioned. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. :wink:
-
I miss you Glen. I tried to come by to say HI but you were busy as usual helping in the Crack pit.
Or as Harold called you the Sesco streamliner. Geez get a program Harold and learn at least the star players. What kind of respect could you earn by learning enough not to butcher my heroes up
-
Gman....I couldn't have put it better if I tried all day!
To be honest...I felt that they were more interested in hearing the sound of their own voices than reporting anything that was going on..I feel any real information we got was by accident! THANK GOD WE DIDN"T HAVE TO PAY THEM!!
Bill
-
We will have to wait untill the next broadcast and then give an average.........this time it was 4 out of ten ..
their score so far is a 4 :-D
-
Never before have so many known so little for so long as this last Speedweek. It was like living in a vacuum. I know more about the announcers feelings towards California farming practices, his views on the BLM and his favorite town of Chatsworth than I do about any of the runs. No info on the CB made it even worse. Really, the only sound on the CB was every crew calling for radio checks just to make sure the equip hadn't died.
GLEN!!!!
GLEN!!!!
GLEN!!!!
-
If landracing.com had done the streaming audio - we would have aired the same audio stream that Harold and Ron offered us on the SCTA site, so that wouldn't have been different. It's difficult enough for lr.com to put the stream up there without the back-room support that SCTA has, but to offer a different stream of information just can't happen. Not only would it require us to have our own announcer - but without the computer connection (to show us the same stuff that the announcers in the SCTA announce trailer are seeing -- we'd be lost.
When Ron did the announcing all by himself his trailer/station was located at the start line for course 1 & 2, so he could (usually) see the next vehicle - using binoculars in some cases. I sat in his chair and announced a handful of times so know what he went through. He also did NOT have the computer system to watch so had to get his own stuff about the vehicle that was next, which stuff he had already collected from past years and the registration sheets that were made for him and sent over from the registration trailer each day. He put 'em in order and would quick like a bunny leaf through that ring binder to offer the stuff he'd tell us, including previous runs, record in the class, and so on. He did have that ring binder stuff with him this past week - again, I saw it and know what resources he had.
His stories about Bonneville come from not only having attended lots of events over the years - therefore building a good knowledge base - but also from having raced with his (now departed) wife Ellen. Add to that - he was raised in Wendover - where his dad ran a gas station and garage where racers would frequent during the event for repairs and work and so on. He's still got all of that information, but Harold doesn't.
As for SCTA deciding to do away with the CB for everything with FM (used to be AM 1610), well, that did remove a bunch of good input that would have shown up on the audio stream. Ron would hand hold his microphone and, when done talking for the moment, put the mike down on top of the CB speaker so the radio broadcast included everything that was on the CB.
The CB often did NOT contain all of the information that you're asking for, remember, because there was dozens and dozens of times that the tower wouldn't even put it on the CB. Maybe the guy in the tower was preoccupied with another course's vehicle, or was interrupted during a run (when someone in the tower talked with him for a few seconds). It was NOT as good as some memories might think they remember.
Finally - this year's audio did include some kind of microphone to send out ambient noise ( cars, bikes, etc) going down the course. With the announce booth being just past the 3 mile and way far away from course #2, let alone #3 and 4 - only long course vehicles on #1 would make any noise that could be heard by that mark. Yes, some of the course #2 sounds did make it to the announcers - but not all that much. I'd venture to say that an outside mike stationed a bit out from the announce trailer, plus maybe one located at the line on more than one of the courses - maybe that'd give lots of engine sounds.
Therefore I say unto you: let's all do our best to urge SCTA to continue working to make the audio better. It's already better than what lr.com has last year as we were learning and experimenting, so it might just get better still as time goes by. I did thank Scott Andrews, the new chief timer, my sincere thanks for getting the audio stream going this year. It provided what was my dream from five or more years ago -- the folks at home could hear the sounds of Bonneville racing. That's the basic thing -- the rest is just frosting.
-
I second the need for info on the CB. Its nice to have accurate info from my portable CB. When I bring it to the start line people gather around to listen. At my shade spot at the 3 people nearby come over and want speeds and car info. Getting a portable fm radio is easy (already have it) its the accurate and relevant info that's important. So really less announcing and more "telemetry". Just my $0.02
-
Four courses piled onto the CB makes a crowded mess of announcing all the times, let alone who's who and who's done what. The CB needs to be free to instruct crews and help run the meet.
This year's FM was a step in the right direction as Jon has noted. Yes, it needs some improvements, but has the possibility of becoming what we'd like to have it be. I forget who commented that it'd take 8 people to cover all 4 courses, but that would certainly be a minimum. To find 8 well-informed LSR racers to spend all day for multiple days keeping it live and entertaining is not possible -- they've got other things to do.
Our memories tend to embellish the past. We set 5 records at Bonneville, yet I never heard Glen's well-known phrase.
This year's problem, as noted by many before, is that there doesn't need to be a constant stream of audio. "Gee, my dad had a 38 Plymouth that color . . ." and more. But what is needed is whatever facts they have. And repeating them ain't bad either.
-
Four courses piled onto the CB makes a crowded mess of announcing all the times, let alone who's who and who's done what. The CB needs to be free to instruct crews and help run the meet.
This year's FM was a step in the right direction as Jon has noted. Yes, it needs some improvements, but has the possibility of becoming what we'd like to have it be. I forget who commented that it'd take 8 people to cover all 4 courses, but that would certainly be a minimum. To find 8 well-informed LSR racers to spend all day for multiple days keeping it live and entertaining is not possible -- they've got other things to do.
Our memories tend to embellish the past. We set 5 records at Bonneville, yet I never heard Glen's well-known phrase.
This year's problem, as noted by many before, is that there doesn't need to be a constant stream of audio. "Gee, my dad had a 38 Plymouth that color . . ." and more. But what is needed is whatever facts they have. And repeating them ain't bad either.
Thanks Stan, well stated. I hope they go back and review the constructive criticism that was offered and I'm sure that they'll have a few of their own ideas as well to improve the overall quality. It's a huge step forward already from what we had a very few years ago. Hopefully next meet will be an improvement based on what was learned from this year's Speedweek.
Pete
-
So does anyone know which event will have streaming audio next WOS,COOKS TOP SPEED MEET or the WORLD FINALS.
-
I miss you Glen. I tried to come by to say HI but you were busy as usual helping in the Vesco pit.
Or as Harold called you the Sesco streamliner. Geez get a program Harold and learn at least the star players. What kind of respect could you earn by learning enough not to butcher my heroes up
Sorry spellchecker somehow didnt recognize Vesco as a name and changed it.
-
Without thinking I sent the landracing.com streaming equipment home with Milwaukee Midget. It was his hardware and since we didn't use it at SW and he might at Ohio -- it's in his rig. So I doubt that we'll have the audio for World of Speed. SCTA will, I hope, have their rig going again at World Finals, and the Shootout just wouldn't work very well for streaming. There are so many long periods without anything - sometimes hours - that anyone listening would have a difficult time enjoying much of anything. When I cover the Shootout with text I try to give enough "warning" with a post or two when a run is likely to be imminent - that you folks get enough warning that you should get near your computer screens. Yes, it'd be cool to hear the times as the Rice brothers announce the speeds - but there isn'tmuch other chatter that is worth the effort to keep the stream up and running.
And that's today's report on what event will be streamed next. Sorry it won't be WoS - that's my mistake.
-
The other thing I would like to see changed in next years FM broadcast is a slight modification to the sequence of the announcements.
Instead of bla bla bla bla bla bla bla car has a nice blue paint job and passing right in front of us at the 3 mile on course #1 is car xyz
It should be :
On course one.
car xyz
leaving the line now (staging) one car back etc., bla bla bla bla bla bla bla with all the color commentary.
I missed several cars I really wanted to get a shot of because I did not even know they were on the course until they were going by or past me.
One of them being the one and only run of the city of Burbank streamliner.
If the announcements always follow the same pattern, course #, car number -- then color commentary, folks can tune out the courses they are not interested in but instantly listen for details when they hear the course # they are able to see from their vantage point or that they know their car is running on.
If you know a certain car is running on course #2 you can tune out the other course announcements if you are busy.
Especially for the faster cars like blowfish, speed demon 715 and others of that class, if you don't know that they are pushing off, you will never get turned around and pick them up visually and turn on the camera etc in time to see them go by.
I caught at least 20 times where the new announcer was saying "now staging on course #1" and I could already see the salt plume from the car entering the 2.
Staging means the guy is checking his belts and warming the engine and his crew is getting into the push truck, not that he is accelerating hard 2 miles down the course and will be screaming by the announcer stand before he finishes his sentence.
One other minor note, the temperature data they were giving out was about 15-20 degrees too hot in mid morning and mid afternoon. It matched my thermometer most of the day but when they were saying "the temperature is 97 does not feel that hot but ---- " The reason for that is it was not that hot. The weather station they are using was designed to be installed over a grassy surface not a white reflective surface. In mid morning and mid afternoon they were getting infrared heating from reflected sunlight hitting the bottom of the sensor enclosure. If they want to give accurate temperature data to the racers, put a bit of astro turf under the sensor and something below the sensor to kill the reflection of sun light on the sensor can about 10:00 in the morning and 2:00 in the afternoon and an hour or so on each side.
Other than those issues they mostly did ok, but I really wish we could get the old pattern where Ron could tell us that car xyz was second in line and just firing the engine.
How we get that info to the announcer crew is debatable. One option they might consider would be to put a simple web cam at each starting line that they could monitor the feeds from. They would have the advantage of being able to see the cars without the disadvantage Ron used to have of having to shout over a really loud car as it warmed the engine. The web cams could also be part of the streaming feed so the folks at home could see what is going on. They don't have to be continuous video an every 15 - 30 second update cycle would be sufficient to see who is on the line and who is about to push off.
-
Without thinking I sent the landracing.com streaming equipment home with Milwaukee Midget.
Don't let him fool ya - he was tired of tripping over that 19" rack, and he saw an opportunity to pawn it off onto somebody who was preoccupied with getting a car through tech . . . :wink:
BUT -
If anybody is going to be in town for the Harley 110 and is heading to WOS, and if Jon is interested in covering it, I'll meet up with you and we'll get the gear back.
And yes, if Joe Timney and the ECTA guys are cool with it, I'm thinking I might try to do a webcast next April from Wilmington.
But let's see how the post mortem on the salinated Midget goes before I commit that far ahead.
-
.....and is heading to WOS, and if Jon is interested in covering it, I'll meet up with you and we'll get the gear back.
And yes, if Joe Timney and the ECTA guys are cool with it, I'm thinking I might try to do a webcast next April from Wilmington.
Chris and Jon,
RACERS NEED THE WEBCAST so I'm ready for a slight detour! :cheers:
My wife and I will be leaving for WoS this coming Saturday, the 24th, taking 2 weeks to get to the salt. Our main objective is to go through St. Louis and drop some stuff off for SteveM. Then the plan is to head on to the Badlands in SD, Yellowstone N.P., SLC and finally Wendover. I have reservations at Montego Bay starting on Friday 09/06 so that is when we will get to Wendover.
Looking at Google Maps, I see that Beerhaven is about 5 3/4 hrs from St. Louis. Also, Maps shows that our destinations in SD and WY are really a direct shot from Milwaukee.
Since we have never been in your part of the country, and as I said, I'm ready for a slight detour! :-D
I'll be driving my Scion xB so I need to know how big the equipment is.....I "think" it will fit with no problem.
After WoS and the Shootout, I can get the equipment back to you so you will have it for next April in Wilmington.
Also, I don't think Joe will have any problem with the webcast.
PM me your phone number and we'll talk.
Gregg
-
.....and is heading to WOS, and if Jon is interested in covering it, I'll meet up with you and we'll get the gear back.
And yes, if Joe Timney and the ECTA guys are cool with it, I'm thinking I might try to do a webcast next April from Wilmington.
Chris and Jon,
RACERS NEED THE WEBCAST so I'm ready for a slight detour! :cheers:
My wife and I will be leaving for WoS this coming Saturday, the 24th, taking 2 weeks to get to the salt. Our main objective is to go through St. Louis and drop some stuff off for SteveM. Then the plan is to head on to the Badlands in SD, Yellowstone N.P., SLC and finally Wendover. I have reservations at Montego Bay starting on Friday 09/06 so that is when we will get to Wendover.
Looking at Google Maps, I see that Beerhaven is about 5 3/4 hrs from St. Louis. Also, Maps shows that our destinations in SD and WY are really a direct shot from Milwaukee.
Since we have never been in your part of the country, and as I said, I'm ready for a slight detour! :-D
I'll be driving my Scion xB so I need to know how big the equipment is.....I "think" it will fit with no problem.
After WoS and the Shootout, I can get the equipment back to you so you will have it for next April in Wilmington.
Also, I don't think Joe will have any problem with the webcast.
PM me your phone number and we'll talk.
Gregg
We welcome visitors and you can see the Badlands and Mt Rushmore from my place!
-
Gregg, take Trent up on his offer. There is a lot to see just off I-90 through South Dakota. It's a great area to play tourist. :-D :-D :-D
Pete
-
We welcome visitors and you can see the Badlands and Mt Rushmore from my place!
Trent, I was going to let you know later this week that we were coming through. We should be getting to the Rapid City area on Friday 08/30. I got your cell number off your website so I'll give you a ring when we get there.
Gregg
-
Gregg, take Trent up on his offer. There is a lot to see just off I-90 through South Dakota. It's a great area to play tourist. :-D :-D :-D
Pete
Pete, Looking forward to the sights as my wife and I have never been in this part of the country.
Gregg