Today I would like to share with you several items of interest regarding Richta GPS Checkpoints.

I am pleased to report 15 events have been held using this system. Over 860 cars have generated over 12,800 timeslips, all since April this year. Feedback has been very positive and often enthusiastic. I have been especially heartened by several Rallymasters who have come out of (organizing) retirement and are putting on events.

Ten events for 2020 are already in the system.

I’ve settled on a tentative fee structure for 2020 based on the event’s entry fee. If your entry fee is $30 to $49 per car, then I’ll ask for $3 per car. If your entry fee is $50 or more, then I’ll ask for $5 per car. The first event for a club will be free. If your entry fee is under $30 per car, then contact me. I think this structure is not an onerous burden for the organizers and will allow us to continue to develop and support the apps. If you feel these fees are excessive then I would like to have a conversation and better understand your concerns

I am planning a release (1.14) of the Competitor app, targeted for March 2020. We’ll roll up some minor bug fixes and enhancements and add the capability to set an optional opening time for a checkpoint. This will allow a checkpoint location to be used more than once on an event.

The Rallymaster app will continue to be enhanced through next year. We’ve identified the gaps in functionality in the Apple version and are actively working to fill these gaps. The other major focus in 2020 will be on improving the functionality in scoring and revising scores. With 100 timed checkpoints and 20 cars on an event the task of finalizing scores for 2,000 timeslips after an event can be a burden. A well organized rally and a skilled scoring team should be able to post provisional scores by the time the last car reaches the end point. Android Rallymaster already allows you to drop a leg from scoring and to correct an ideal leg time and rescore all timeslips. Additional productivity improvements are planned.

In case you missed it: A new stand alone app has been released for Android called Scoreboard. This app allows anyone to follow an event and to receive score updates every two minutes. Leg by leg scores can also be checked. Enhancements planned for 2020 include real-time updates of scores with no “Refresh” button needed. The scores will always be current.

Recent updates to Rallymaster includes a Map of the route including the location of all the contestants, updated once per minute. While this may seem trivial, we’ve found the map of checkpoint locations to be a useful tool to Rallymasters to ensure that the checkpoint locations are actually where they were intended to be. I’ve also heard of a sweep car using the map to track contestants who have wandered off course. It is really cool to be sitting in my home office in Kansas and to watch a rally 800 or 1,000 miles away progress.

I’ve had several requests for a web-based scoreboard or map. I’ve been using a free application on my desktop system call BlueStacks. Bluestacks installs on your Windows or Apple desktop or laptop and to load Android apps from the Google Play Store and run them. I am happy to report that Rallymaster and Scoreboard all work well on Bluestacks. It is now possible for the Rallymaster to set up a laptop at a restaurant, hook it up to the TV and display scores and / or a map of the event.

I plan to be at the SCCA Convention in January and will be presenting a session Saturday morning at 9:30 on the GPS timing and scoring system. Please stop by if you are at the convention.

I am open to improving the usability and function of the apps. If you have a suggestion please send me an email: rbireta@gmail.com

Regards,

Rich Bireta