To capture the race, use VRT Nikon. There are two, critical elements to capture:
- Start gun, both the sound, and also starting the timer.
- All boats as they approach and cross the finish line.
We are transitioning to an automated, electronically captured start gun. However, we will continue to capture the gun manually for redundancy.
The main controls are on the right panel.
- Verify the heat in the combo box is correct.
- The Starter will give you a 1 minute warning and ask if you are ready. Either reply that the Finish Line is ready or state how long you need to get ready (e.g., 2 minutes). The Starter will ask again at that time.
- When the Starter announces "We have Alignment" (about 10 seconds before start), tap Rec Aud (or press F1). This records the sound of the gun.
- At the gun, tap Set 0 (or press F2).
- Inform the Starter that we have captured the start: "Finish line Copy."
- If you miss the gun, ask for a 30 second countdown and tap Set 30 (or press F3) at the 30 second mark.
- The video will automatically start recording. Recording delay can be adjusted by hitting F8 or F9.
- Tap Mark (or press Backspace) as each team crosses the finish line.
- After the last boat's tail (the entire boat) has crossed the finish, tap Done/Next (or press F12) to complete and download the video. The heat automatically advances.
You will need to wait until the video is downloaded from the Nikon before it can be analyzed in VRT Timing.
Some things to remember:
- Start the audio recording early -- these files are small, so long audio recordings are fine.
- Ensure recording starts before the teams approach the finish line or enter the camera field of view.
- No movement and minimal talking when the boats get close.
If the camera tripod is on a dock or platform, any movement will case subtle but annoying camera shake, including standing up or shifting your weight. - Capture all boats. Do not stop the recording until all boats have crossed -- it's easy to miss the last boat if they are far behind