Use 1 access point, all on 1 channel. It works great that way, put your access point on the firing line on a portable fence post or a spotting scope stsnd up off the ground. You only need line of sight from the antenna in the pits to the access point in the firing line.
ShotMarker issues with some tablets?
- Thread starter chkunz
- Start date
Thanks for the response. I really doubted that this is an issue but I read it someplace and have limited knowledge of the technology I am dealing with. I am just trying to eliminate this as a cause of our problems.
Thanks for you response. We are using the four channel configuration for simplicity while we are learning and do plan to go to the single access point configuration later.
We only have a small group of 6 to 10 people.
We've been running them for a while now and have Adam on speed dial.
1. Run ONE channel. We tried using multiple but it's a gigantic PIA. Tablets switch back and forth between the different shotmarker networks depending on how close you are to an access point. This makes your target disappear and someone else's come up or maybe just stop responding. Adam has boosted the capability of the Access Points to run hundreds of users on one so no reason to run multiple unless you want to dick with tablets all day (I know this personally). We have had 24 targets with 92 shooters and multiple spectators on one.
2. See 1 above
3. Mount your Access Point high enough so everyone on the line has good signal strength. Weak signals will cause tablets to stop responding
1. Run ONE channel. We tried using multiple but it's a gigantic PIA. Tablets switch back and forth between the different shotmarker networks depending on how close you are to an access point. This makes your target disappear and someone else's come up or maybe just stop responding. Adam has boosted the capability of the Access Points to run hundreds of users on one so no reason to run multiple unless you want to dick with tablets all day (I know this personally). We have had 24 targets with 92 shooters and multiple spectators on one.
2. See 1 above
3. Mount your Access Point high enough so everyone on the line has good signal strength. Weak signals will cause tablets to stop responding
Good input, thanks for the response. I would prefer to have the four channel option but it may not be worth it based on your experience.
Turbulent Turtle
F-TR competitor
I really don't understand your insistence on using 4 APs. As Doug said above, that creates a huge problem and it makes you chase issues that are simply best avoided. In the world of WiFi a congregation of APs is the cause of countless problems, diminished throughput and the genesis of threads like this one.
I had the great pleasure of having to manage the setup that Doug described above for several months and I will tell you that anytime we had a second AP fire up, it was hell. Even when testing and performing maintenance of the equipment, I had to make sure to never have more than one AP fired up at a time, unless I wanted to waste a few hours chasing ghosts. I have had hubs lock up on me and refuse to talk to the AP simply because it had seen another one. I have had to coax them back to life, with a hammer, harsh language and a screwdriver.
The next time you set up, just have a single AP fired up. Then when the targets appear on it, make sure you input the dimensions and offsets for each of the targets and then run your match. When you're done, take a backup and then if you want, you can upload the backup to the other APs and they will all have the same information.
Thank you for your response.
I am not insisting on running the four channel configuration. We have a small group of "Old Dogs" that are not knowledgeable of the technology behind the SM system (I do understand about shock waves from another life). We simply read the owners manual and follow it as best we can. We are not running matches yet, we have been to the range in a learning mode four times this year and we have learned how to hook the components up in the pits, how to turn on a tablet, how to connect to the SM wifi signal, how to open a browser and navigate to the SM IP address, and how to use many of the SM operational features. We are really enjoying shooting XTC and not having to spend half the day in the pits.
In reading the owners manual the four channel mode of operation looks more simple than the Multichannel/one access point mode of operation so that is where we started. We can only assume that when something does not work like we think it should that it is our lack of knowledge of the technology we are using and not some flaw in the SM system. If knowledgeable people have difficulty with the four channel operation then maybe we should not be using it.
It would be good to hear if there are those who are using the four channel mode of operation and are not having any problems with it.
If your tablet turns off you might not have touched the screen. It could be set to turn off after some minutes. Set it to never turn off. Then you can change it after the match. Being a Luddite is ok but this is a technology that is very cool. I’m about to have my 73rd and can do without summer pit duty.
Doug Beach
Silver $$ Contributor
Speaking of antennas, would some knowledgeable person tell me the proper description for the antenna connector type on the ShotMarker? I would like to order some better antennas.
My tablet does not "turn off", I did not mean to imply that was a problem.
Also, I am not a Luddite, I just want the technology to work like a utility, for example, when my light switch is up, the light is off, when the switch is down, the light is on. That is all I want to know about how the lighting system works.
dcali
Bullet Maker
Brief tech lesson:
The type of device has no direct bearing on how the shotmarker application works. The "app" is just a website being served by the target, and used via a web browser. That's a good thing because it makes maintenance much easier. But you're still at the whim of the browsers. And since browsers and the associated software can change from time to time, it's not out of the question to find out that a browser update might trigger a failure in the shotmarker app. Adam would have to fix the software and you'd have to upload the new version if that were to happen.
In other words, it's not the device, but the state of support for the software that the device may be using that matters. Personally, I'd like to see it work on my mac - it currently doesn't (or it didn't when I tried - I didn't try too hard since I know it wasn't designed to work on a laptop). But it works like a champ on my iPhone using the default safari browser.
The type of device has no direct bearing on how the shotmarker application works. The "app" is just a website being served by the target, and used via a web browser. That's a good thing because it makes maintenance much easier. But you're still at the whim of the browsers. And since browsers and the associated software can change from time to time, it's not out of the question to find out that a browser update might trigger a failure in the shotmarker app. Adam would have to fix the software and you'd have to upload the new version if that were to happen.
In other words, it's not the device, but the state of support for the software that the device may be using that matters. Personally, I'd like to see it work on my mac - it currently doesn't (or it didn't when I tried - I didn't try too hard since I know it wasn't designed to work on a laptop). But it works like a champ on my iPhone using the default safari browser.
FWIW - it works fine with my Macbook Pro, both Chrome browser and Safari browser. Both browsers are fully up to date. Barring some type of bug the AP shouldn't care about Windows PC, Mac OS, iphone, android, phone or tablet as long as they are running reasonably up to date versions of the browser.
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Whisky Tahoe Foxtrot
Silver $$ Contributor
The sensor hub has a SMA Female antenna connection so purchase antennas with SMA male and you will be good to go. Amazon has them...
Turbulent Turtle
F-TR competitor
We have been using these SMA male-to-female extension cables from Amazon for that purpose:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074DRM8LY/?tag=accuratescom-20
I strongly suggest you use the shortest cable that suits your purpose (impedance is not your friend.) We have been using the 6.5' ones up to now as we mount the hubs below the target, on the left side of the frame.
dcali
Bullet Maker
Huh. I tried in Firefox and it wasn't working. I'll give it a whirl. maybe it was me.
While firefox had its day in the sun, it now is one of the less reliable browsers. Chrome is a great option, as is Safari for mac folks. The MS IE Edge is also hit or miss but now that it is moving to the chromium back end it should be better.
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