#29
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#29 |
Contents: |
| NOTES FROM THE EDITOR |
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Nora
Courtney - Customer Service Coordinator
Lynx is on top of its game. We can list hundreds upon hundreds of events that utilize Lynx technology every year. Some will be using Lynx for the first time, and many others have a five or ten year history. But we will not rest on our laurels. We continue to push forward with new products and enhancements to existing products to better serve our customers and to bring new ones into the fold. Much has happened these past months as Lynx moved into its new offices in Haverhill, MA, brought the EtherLynx PRO camera to market, and released new versions of a number of our software programs. Nora nora@finishlynx.com |
| ETHERLYNX PRO |
 Fastest photo finish camera in the world…and
it can be wireless.
The EtherLynx PRO camera has been years in development and has now become the new flagship product for Lynx. At the top end of the range, the new EtherLynx PRO camera can capture up to 10,000 lines a second. This means that for the first time high velocity sports like NASCAR, Indy cars, powerboats, and motorcycles can benefit from the precision and quality of FinishLynx technology. Margins of centimeters are clearly visible even at speeds in excess of 200 MPH. Another hugely important feature of the EtherLynx PRO is the Digital Zoom upgrades. Digital Zoom will allow high quality zoom modes of 150 percent and 300 percent, increasing the height of the Lynx image 1.5 times and 3 times respectively. What this means to a user is that you can use a faster, less expensive lens, on the camera due to the increased range of the digital zoom. In this same vein, you will have more flexibility with camera placement. Lastly, it will mean that you can capture very high-density images for extremely detailed images, shown in the Hall of Frames, p.4. The PRO is different from the EtherLynx camera in many ways, not only in functionality but also in color, shape and back panel configuration. The PRO offers an additional serial port connection on the back of the camera as well as new LED status lights offering information on the entire camera boot process. In addition, the EtherLynx PRO camera can be upgraded to run wirelessly, and can be connected on the same network as existing EtherLynx 2000 cameras. The new release of the FinishLynx 32 software, Version 5.0, offers support for the EtherLynx PRO camera along with added functionality specifically designed with PRO camera applications in mind. |
| FINISHLYNX 5.0 |
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Auto finish line detection and simultaneous
two-computer race access are just a couple of the new features.
First, Version 5.0 supports the EtherLynx PRO camera, but there is much more to discover in the new version. Existing EtherLynx 2000 users will likely find the new features very appealing too. If you have a Remote Positioner and a white finish line, the operator can now auto-center the positioner and auto-align the camera using the software. Place the camera in the plane of the finish line and adjust the Tilt and Zoom to make sure you have all athletes in their lanes in view. Then let the software and the Remote Positioner start their work. One click on the icon and the software and hardware combination will work through the Pan and Swivel movements to align the camera on the finish line. This is a very cool feature. Many people run their Lynx with two computers networked together, creating a "Capture" and an "Evaluation" station. Nothing new in that piece of information but what is new is the ability to access a Lynx image from a second computer while it is still being captured on the first. Operators have long been able to start evaluating a Lynx race image while competitors continue to cross the finish line; capturing image with their own hand, using a helper on the capture button or with the use of the Automatic Capture Plugin software. Now two computers can access the same file and the operator at the second computer can get a jump-start on evaluating the image. You can easily understand the benefits of simultaneous capture and evaluation in a race with a large and often far spread field of competitors. The full list of new features is too long to list here, but as always, the upgrade is free and is available on the Lynx web site at http://www.finishlynx.com/products/finishlynx/software/body.htm. |
| PERMANENT CAMERA INSTALLATIONS AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY AND HARVARD |
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Two of our earliest customers make
the transition from SCSI to EtherLynx - and they didn't fool around!
Harvard and Boston University have always been the kind of Lynx customers who wanted the very best. When BU completed their excellent new indoor track facility they made the decision to go for permanent installation of their Lynx cameras. The understanding of how quick and easy
FinishLynx setup became in this situation was all it took to convince
Harvard to follow suit. They permanently installed four cameras when they
upgraded their old scoreboard to a state-of-the-art LCD color, full-motion
video display board from Daktronics. The second, third and fourth photos were taken at BU. The camera in the second photo hangs like a bat from a roof rafter: permanently and perfectly aligned on the main finish line. The third image shows the separate power circuit for the FinishLynx camera covering the sprint finish line. The power to the cameras is controlled by switches on the wall in BU's timing booth shown in picture four. Harvard, when done, will have four such switches. Imagine: you sit down, start the computer, flip the power switches, and you are ready to go.
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| NIKE AT PENN RELAYS |
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Another big hit with Nike and athletes. Nike set up a speed park at Penn this year with a range of Lynx technology designed to help young athletes improve their speed. The theme of the day was "You're faster than you think!" After entering the park and running a hand-timed 40-yard dash, the athletes were given access to the expertise of coaches and the chance to work with ReacTime and linked photocells. Even Olympic gold medal winner Gail Devers worked a stint as coach as some lucky youngsters got the benefit of her knowledge and the precise data from ReacTime to improve their times. Finally, the sprinters slipped on TrackerLynx chips and ran a competitive 40-yard race. Their times appeared instantly, and almost magically, on a Micrograph scoreboard the moment they crossed the finish line. Nike was ecstatic with the promotion and reported: "Thank you for making the Nike speed trials such a huge success… the systems we used at Penn were flawless and really made an impact with these kids." |
| RESULTV 2.2 |
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Professional looking results display.
People were always asking how we created the stunning full color graphic results displays they saw at major events. So we asked our engineers to make this feature available to everyone in the next release. Version 2.2 is now available and so ResulTV users can give their creativity free rein. What is more, the latest version of the software now has the ability to automatically switch between layouts depending on what you want to see at a given moment of a race: Prior to the Start? - Start lists; After the Gun? - Running Time; Evaluation has begun? - Results. All without anyone having to type anything, click on anything, or even touch the mouse. |
| MULTI-LINE DISPLAYS |
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Microgate on display...
The scripts were written to allow for more display options with the Micrograph board, or boards to be more precise. You can now display wind readings with results or on their own, and use one, two or three lines of text per board. Many of the new scripts were written for the Micrograph - for multi-panel display setups. We now have scripts to display data in a number of ways, whether you stack two Micrograph boards on top of one another or show them side-by-side. |
| SBS ITU TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS |
 Another
sport moves to a Lynx results network for their World Champs.
When Timing New Zealand provided results in December of 2003 for the World Championships in Queenstown, New Zealand, it was the first time that FinishLynx had made an appearance at this level of competition in this rapidly growing sport. Paul Ryken was glad that he had the FinishLynx images to help him and his results team: "It was very useful in the elite men's event in deciding 6th, 7th, and 8th placegetters who all sprinted across the line together." Note: After nearly 2 hours of competition these three competitors were separated by less than 1 second. |
| CARPINTERIA HIGH SCHOOL |
 A
winning team
We received a very nice letter from William H. Swing that included the picture seen above. In part it read: "We at Carpinteria High School wish to express our deeply felt appreciation for the service that your Repair Department provided two months ago…. "….Your system had been purchased by an Alumni parent who has been operating FAT for over a decade free of charge. Carpinteria High School hosts over 10 meets each year and our Russell Cup Invitational is in its 85th year. "Our ability to provide the small schools with electronic times is greatly appreciated by all the athletes and coaches. For all of the Carpinteria High School kids, their parent volunteers and coaching staff, another sincere thank you." Printing your kind note is our way of telling everyone at Carpinteria, "You are most welcome." |
| LYNXPAD VERSION 2 |
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Lynx scores a winner again - literally.
Since the launch of LynxPad 1.0 last fall, we have seen hundreds of download requests for the program come through the web site. In case you haven't seen the program yet, please go to http://www.finishlynx.com/products/administration/software/body.htm to download a copy of LynxPad. The cost of the program is $189.00. As always, you can still download and use LynxPad without purchasing a license. But by purchasing the license, you will receive a LynxPad serial number which will allow you to access additional functionality in the program, namely Scoring and Printing. We have also added features to improve the program since its initial release after extensive in-house testing and user feedback. Beyond the addition of Scoring, there are improved seeding options, features to make for faster data entry, and the program will now accept seed marks. |
| OLYMPIC TRIALS IN TRACK AND FIELD, JULY 2004. SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA |
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The Lynx team and Lynx technology will once again be out in force in Sacramento this summer. As in 2000, we hope that you will have a chance to see the Lynx technology as it gathers, sends and displays data to every corner of the stadium~ and beyond~ in the blink of an eye. With the eyes of the world on the composition of the US Olympic team for Athens later this summer, and with the simple "Top 3 Finishers" criteria deciding who makes the team, Lynx will have their full spread of technology in place. This means that the event will see the total integration of all of these Lynx products: FinishLynx, FieldLynx, ReacTime, LaserLynx, SeriaLynx, ResulTV, LynxPad, AirCyber… and others. Eager to get a behind the scenes look at the Lynx technology that will be in place for the Olympic Trials? If so, please contact Nora Courtney, nora@finishlynx.com, to see if a tour of the facility can be arranged during one of the rest days when there are no actual events taking place in the stadium - security permitting.
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| ETHERLYNX PRO OPENS UP A WHOLE NEW WORLD |
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Power Boat Racing – San Diego, California – Maximum Sustained Speeds: > 125 MPH.
Indy Car Racing – Indianapolis Speedway, Indiana - Maximum Sustained Speeds: > 220MPH.
NASCAR Racing – Loudon, New Hampshire – Maximum Sustained Speeds: > 200 MPH.
AMA Racing - Virginia International Raceway - Virginia - Maximum Sustained Speeds: > 150 MPH.
Smarty Jones misses his shot at the Triple Crown, losing to Birdstone by a length at the Belmont Stakes, June 5th. |
You
can assume that when we jump to the next whole number in a software
version release, big changes have been introduced.
Version
5.0 of the FinishLynx software has a number of new scoreboard scripts,
including fourteen for the Micrograph display boards. While we have always
been impressed by the capabilities of the Microtab and Micrograph boards,
these new scripts only add to their versatility.
