F2B WITH NO PAPERSAUGUST 2021
CLUB AEROMODELISME VIDRERES
CONTACT: vidreresf2@gmail.com
On June 19, 2021, we organized a statewide acrobatic competition in control line –F2B– in Vidreres. Due to restrictions on the Covid-19, we did the entire competition without using paper at any time. The experiment was done with only 8 participants, it went quite well and we think it would be extended to competitions with more competitors and a larger scope.
We make this document to share how we did it, with what tools, applications and computer material, what methodology and protocols we took into account.
We have not invented anything. All digital tools and applications are known and within your reach. And we share the documents we have made so that you can use, change and improve them according to your needs (management, language…).
All you need to do is know how Google DRIVE forms and spreadsheets work, and Microsoft Excel.
And very important. There must be network data coverage over the phone. Otherwise, we will not be able to access or send anything from any mobile, laptop or tablet.
Devices used to organize the competition: 1 laptop, 3 Chromebooks and mobile phones. No sheet of paper, no printer.
How it was done.
INDEX
1. 1.1 Pre-registration.
1.2 Registration.
2. List of competitors and numbers. The IT manager.
3. Communication between the organization and competitors.
3.1 The promotion of the event.
3.2 Data protection.
3.3 Whatsapp
4. Flight schedules and checks..
5. Boss of circle.
6. How the judges score the figures.
6.1 The form.
6.2 Electronic device infrastructure.
6.3 To score the figures.
7. Flight score.
8. Classification of each round and final..
9. INFORMATION on EXCEL.
Sorry for the Catalan to English translation.
Me and St. Google has done the best we have known.
1.1 Pre-registration.Pre-registration is based on a Google form prepared for this purpose that you can link to any promotional communication of the event you make, whether general or individual. We used: email, Whatsapp, Facebook and Blog.
This was our pre-registration form. Try it (you don't have to put in real data).https://forms.gle/dHVtphugSXtSPfxH8In this folder you will find the working documents to be copied.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FamPNDZpkj8cKLhhvb1xRzmKZRL6_6Cc?usp=sharingINSCRIPCIÓ Vidreres 2021 mostraTo use it, make a copy on your Drive and modify, remove, or add whatever you need.
IMPORTANT. Go to the top of page where it put - answers - and generate your spreadsheet (it's automatic) to receive the answers.
If, like us, you want to receive a photo/copy of personal documents (sports license…), Drive itself generates a folder where it deposit them.
1.2 RegistrationWe made the cash collection on the airfield. But it would also be feasible to use BIZUM, a transfer by sending the receipt,…
2. List of competitors and numbers. The IT manager.The IT manager managed the competition with a laptop from the place connected to the WI-FI that we generated from a mobile phone. (You can also manage from home, if the circle boss informs of the details).
Responses to the pre-registration form with competitor data are collected by the spreadsheet (which was previously generated from the form app). Taking this data we made the list of competitors with their bib number.
The computer manager receives data that must be managed and sends information, scores, schedules,… throughout the contest.
3. Communication between the organization and competitors.3.1 The promotion of the event As we have already explained, we did it by email, Whatsapp, Facebook and Blog.
Responses or comments to interested or pre-registered competitors were always made via personal, email or Whatsapp.
3.2 Data protection
We must keep in mind that when the competitor contacts us it gives us a channel that we cannot extend without their permission. That is, no competitor should obtain another's phone or email through us. This complicates broadcast communication a bit, when we want to send some information to all competitors.
3.3 Whatsapp.
We chose to use a single channel - Whatsapp - throughout the competition and for all messages, both general and individual.
To send individual communications, no problem. Just pick up competitors 'phone numbers. We asked them to pre-register.
To send general communications, we had to dispense with chat groups (data protection) and we did so via broadcast groups.
For the broadcast group to work, you must first decide the phone number we will use throughout the competition and send a particular Whatsapp message to each competitor to memorize the number. It has the advantage that if the recipient answers, he does so individually to the organizer. And that can save us misunderstood.
It is important to emphasize that Whatsapp can be managed from any browser on a laptop. This greatly facilitated the work of the IT manager.
Obviously there are other channels that could go well as well.
4. Flight schedules and checks
The computer manager generates the flight order of the competitors by a random system. The result is a list of competitors in order of flight schedule. The list of each round must be sent to: competitors, judges, verifier(s) and circle boss.
5. Circle boss
The circle boss must verify that the competitor entering the circle is the one who fly and if there is any change, notify the judges so that they fill in the competitor's scoring form correctly.
6. How the judges score the aerobatics figures.
6.1 The scoring form.
The judges score the figures by filling out the scoring form.
This is what we did and used. Test it:
https://forms.gle/jHJ8rkkxTQZcQsbJ9The form can be answered from different devices: mobile, laptop, tablet…
In the first test experiment, conducted with 3 competitors and 3 judges on October 17, 2020, the judges used personal mobile phones and the IT manager managed them from home. It was handy, sending the score form via whatsapp to each judge and it went well enough, but the judges sometimes stumbled upon the cell phone.
6.2 Electronic device infrastructureIn the 2021 competition the three judges used three ChromeBooks (touch screen). The score form page appears full screen and therefore the items to be clicked are always in the same place. The judges scored all three rounds under the sun. It went well, but the light and reflections on the screen are inconvenient to improve.
We think it would be interesting to find a type of device with a screen of 10” or more and a black and white electronic ink, ebook type, that has a browser and a good screen refresh. We haven't found it yet.
From one mobile we generated Wi-Fi for all three Chromebooks. The computer manager sent the scoring form to each judge’s email. And everyone opened their email to access the score form.
6.3 To score the figures
The first thing each judge had to fill out before starting to score each flight was: the flight, competitor, and judge data.
Everything is ready to start scoring. But keep in mind that the time a judge can stop looking at the plane to score should not exceed 3 seconds.
The score form has been designed so that you do not have to read/search. Each figure is on a page. The drawing of the figure on each page confirms at a glance the judge who is scoring the correct figure. The numbers to be clicked are in two rows always in the same position and in the same place on the page, from 0 to 10 for the integer values in the first row and from 1 to 9 in the second for the decimals.
The judge is required to mark an integer value in order to go to the next page. Decimals are optional. And you can always go back.
Scoring a figure with decimals is two clicks, plus the following click to turn the page. Total three clicks.
• If the competitor does not make the figure it is necessary to click: 0 and following. Two clicks.
• If the judge has not seen the figure it is necessary to click: 0, figure not seen/”vista” and following. Three clicks.
• If the competitor crashes the plane or does not finish the flight in the regular time, all the missing figures must be scored 0.
• If the model loses a piece in flight, go to page 1 and click: null flight/”vol nul”.
On the last page you can mark if the flight has exceeded the time and there is also space for observations.
Click submit to have the score recorded in the spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet lists the time to submit the form. This proved very useful in controlling that all three judges sent the same competitor’s score. They had to match in the minute +/- 1.
After submitting the form, a dialog box appears to start a new form for the next competitor.
In this folder you will find the working documents to be copied.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FamPNDZpkj8cKLhhvb1xRzmKZRL6_6Cc?usp=sharingF2B Vidreres 2021 mostraTo use it, make a copy on your Drive and modify, remove, or add whatever you need.
IMPORTANT. Go to the top of page where it put - answers - and generate your spreadsheet (it's automatic) to receive the answers.
7. Flight scoreAt the time the judges submitted a competitor’s scoring forms, the IT manager managed them with Excel to obtain the competitor’s flight score on a page. This page was immediately sent to the competitor by Whatsapp.
The competitor received the result of his flight on the mobile, before it took him long to pick up the cables.
8. Classification of each round and final..
When the round was finished, the IT manager managed the general classification and sent it to all the competitors via the Whatsapp dissemination group.
Ratings are NOT sent to judges. Only the finals.
It’s also time to send corrections to the competition schedule if there are any (next flights, lunch, break…) to everyone.
At the end of the last round, the final result of the competition is sent to everyone. To the judges too.
9. INFORMATION on EXCEL.
The management program used in the competition continues to evolve continuously.
In this link you will find two folders.
• The version of EXCEL we used in the competition, with all the documents and folders it generated (all people's phones and emails have been deleted).
- The IT manager had to keep the Google spreadsheet open by the time the judges sent the data, copied it, and pasted it into Excel. They enter the beta version directly.
- The program is originally made in Catalan but we have competitors from other places. In the beta version the flight sheet we send to each competitor is automatically in their language.
- It would be interesting to get the whole program to change its language. Can you help us?
Of course, the beta version needs to be improved and tested. We appreciate that if you create new versions of both Excel and Form, you share them as well.
CONTACT:
vidreresf2@gmail.com
