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We worked the first day of our State HS meet yesterday and had some issues with our RadioLynx not receiving a start signal.

We were using a second system as a backup. We ran the second system as close to a redundant system as we could (one power source). We have work over 20 meets this year between indoor and outdoor and until yesterday never had a missed start signal (except for two times that the two starters forgot to switch the sensor). We think we know what the problem may have been but wanted to get an opinion for any of you that might have experienced this.

We started the meet out just having the starter hang the two sensors off their thumb like they usually do with one start sensor. We quickly found out that they banged together too much so we taped the two sensors together and that stopped the multiple start signals. We has ran about 4 or 5 events and we received no signal from the main system. No problem as the back up system got the start signal. We brought the two sensors over to our trailer and checked them out. Finding nothing visibly wrong, we rearmed an event and tapped the sensors and the backup got the start but the main system didn't. We fooled around a little more (event replaced the sensor itself) and after several attempts it started working when we tapped the two sensors. We sent it back out with the starter and the very next heat we did not get a start signal from the main system. Again we did get it on the back up system. We then untaped the two sensors and only used one start sensor for the rest of the meet and the one sensor started both systems without fail. It one sensor we used was fromt he main system.

Sorry for the book but there were a lot of things going on and we still are not sure what the issue was.

Is there a chance it could be the two start sensors were conflicting with each other?

Thanks
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Usually I try to have the radios on different channels, there are 4 dip switches under the press on caps that change the channels. Usually even if the radios are on the same channel there is no problem but at one indoor meet ran with two radios transmitters on the same channel feeding two cameras on both primary and back upsystem, each camera with a receiver all on the same channel. For some reason if one system started the second would not. That lasted the morning session, for the afternoon changed the channel on one transmitter and one receiver per system and had no problems each system received two starts per race for the rest of the day.
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Field events is correct. You should run them on two frequencies. On the back of the transmitter it is the right round black button. On the receiver it is the round black button on the front. Pop them off and change one set so that both match in a pair. Be sure to either switch them back or keep them paired correctly going forward.

I hope that you had a UPS on the cameras since you had just one power source! Always always run an UPS.

You should always have an extra transmitter wire, an extra antenna and an extra sensor on board. The sensors are ridiculously finicky to be honest. A little moisture and they are unreliable forever more.

We always keep a rubber glove tip on them and on rainy days put them in a ziplock as well, but they still get damp in damp conditions and fail.

Glad you got a start signal off one! Exactly why it's there.

We do tape them together. As you say you don't want them clunking against each other. We also put them on a coleman lantern stand which makes it easy to put them in a plastic bag and we receive fewer missed starts, especially from the far side of the track (used to be one once in a while that we would have to catch with resend -- I was convinced it happened when the antenna was tight against a starter's body) and we have way fewer broken antennas and broken/shorted out wires. Starters aren't super excited to drag a tripod around, but when I ask for the $700 deposit for the day in case they break something they complain but do it :-)

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