American Federation of Motorcyclists - AFM - Electronic Scoring System Basics

AFM - Electronic Scoring System Basics

Written by AFM Editor

The AFM's electronic scoring system project has been successful, and it is well integrated into raceday scoring. The system hardware is designed & manufactured by dBcom (Livermore, CA), and consists of a transmitter on each bike and a receiving antenna/electronics/computer system to "read" each bike passing on each lap; the Kronos timing & scoring software by KLB (Canada) does the rest of the data manipulation work. This system has been used by many bike, auto, kart, and horse racing clubs for a number of years reliably and with very good results. Much research was done before deciding to implement this system, and AFM has been very happy with the outcome.

AFM now provides lap time data (practices and races) to all riders during race weekends. The time from "end-of-race" to "final results" has been decresed, as has the work load on our wonderful scoring crew. Results from '04 races were posted to this website within 1-6 days after each event, and the end-of-day race results are closer to the final official results than before implementing this system. All-in-all, the new system and pre/post system work by the AFM Officials and Scoring Crew is truly paying off... even the racers themselves are getting familiar with using the transmitters and are having fewer problems.

The basic info that a racer needs to be aware of are as follows:

1) You will need to have $200 to purchase a transmitter. This fee will be needed when you first go to registation, which is where transmitters are issued. This can also be paid in advance on the pre-entry;

2) You should either bring a drill, have access to one, or have pre-drilled two holes in your bike's seat/tail and have a long nylon zip-tye to mount the transmitter. Industrial strength Velcro will be supplied by the club with the transmitter. Alternatives to hold the transmitter include... a leather pouch is probably best and which gives simple access to the unit (ordered from dBcom directly); making your own bracket; or using a couple of strips of duct tape across the unit (not very reliable if reused or on a warm day because the adhesive weakens). In any event, you must hold the transmitter down by a minimum of the Velcro AND at least one other fastener (zip-tye or tape);

3) You will need to put a fresh & new 9V alkaline battery in the transmitter every weekend (NOTE: "new" doesn't necessarily mean "fresh and fully charged"! Best bet is to measure it before use... should read 9.3-9.5V); and

4) Allow yourself about 5 minutes spare time to read and understand the "how to use your transmitter" instructional handout that is issued with the transmitter.

Transmitter FAQs

How does the transmitter purchase fee work?

The $200 purchase fee is paid at registration when you are issued your transmitter or it can be paid in advance with your pre-entry. Only one transmitter per rider. Cash, check, or credit card will be accepted. The present plan is that the fee will be returned when you return the transmitter in good condition. This could be at the end of the season or, preferably, after many seasons if you decide to quit racing. (Return policies are subject to change.) A transmitter is ~$200 new, so this only covers AFM's costs on the unit.

What should i do if I no longer plan to race, need to return my transmitter to AFM and I want to get my purchase fee back?

The transmitter needs to be in good working condition if a fresh battery is put in it. You should package it and mail it with a note saying "I don't need this anymore, please send my purchase fee back to me at my current address: (your address here)."

Send this to the following address: AFM e-Scoring System, PO Box 4248, Modesto, CA 95352

The AFM e-Scoring team will check the unit out for function, and if all is well, They will issue a refund (provided the return policy is still in effect.)

REMEMBER: send the transmitter to AFM by whatever means you consider safe, and insure it is you want to be protected against "in-transit" loss... AFM is not responsible for any transmitters lost or damaged in shipment.

How big is the transmitter and where does it go?

The transmitter is a little box 1 inch high x 3.75 inches long x 2.3 inches wide, and weighs about 3.5 oz. with a 9V battery. It must be mounted on the Top/Center of your seat/tail section approximately above the rear axle - no place else. The numbered end must face forward.

How do I mount the transmitter and are there any issues?

All transmitters must be mounted with a combination of the industrial strength Velcro AND a nylon zip-tye around it (at least two holes must be drilled in the seat/tail). This is the minimum mounting method that is preferred by Tech. You can make mounting brackets for it, buy a nice pouch (see dBcom contact info below), or whatever you choose, but the mounting must either meet the above criteria or be an acceptable alternative as judged by Tech... Velcro alone is NOT enough (proven by instances of lost transmitters). This item is required and subject to inspection and approval by Tech.

You may use strips of duct tape as the second fastener, but we've found this to be less than 100% reliable, especially in warm weather (the adhesive softens and loses strength). There are two different types of Velcro on the transmitter: look closely at the parts BEFORE sticking the velcro onto your seat/tail permanently. The transmitter's numbers must face forward for it to work properly.

We do highly recommend using the dBcom pouch, since it provides a secure mounting (using zip-ties), easy & quick access for replacing batteries, and they look cool, too. Contact **dBcom directly to purchase a pouch.

The transmitter will not work if it is directly mounted on metal and/or carbon fiber, so if you have these materials in your seat/tail section, you may have to raise it up off the surface by ~1-1.5"... we've been told that two layers of seat foam was enough to allow it to work on a full mega-$$ carbon fiber tail section of a Fast by Feracci Ducati.

How long do the batteries last?

A new 9V alkaline battery is supposed to last around 100 hrs, but in order to be sure of being timed/scored correctly, you must put in a new and fully charged battery at the beginning of each weekend.

Remember, being "new" doesn't mean the battery is "fresh and fully charged"... it should read 9.3V or higher!!!

Bring your own battery or you can buy one for a couple of bucks from the Benevolent Fund booth. REMEMBER: your transmitter WILL NOT WORK CORRECTLY WITHOUT A BATTERY, nor will it work with a weak battery!

There are always a few people who won't read the instructions and who don't install a fresh battery and who end up not being timed. At some point in the future, if you don't have a working transmitter because of old/no batteries, you may not be scored. There is a hand-held "reader" at Scoring/Reg to rough-check if the transmitter is putting out a signal, but it won't absolutely prove that there is enough signal to get picked up by the system. Installing a new battery for each event is your best precaution to assure you are being scored, and getting correct lap times.

Will the transmitter work running from my bike's electrical system?

dBcom sells a small wiring kit and instructions on running the transmitter from your charging system (it can handle the voltage of a normal 14-16V DC charger), but AFM makes no guarantees it will accept the transmitter back and refund the whole of your deposit IF you damage or modify the transmitter to do this charger adaptation. Please keep this in mind and be careful when doing the wiring and don't modify/damage the transmitter case.

Some AFMers have already done this mod, so maybe check with one of them for any issues or tips beforehand. It is a simple thing, but remember you are responsible for returning the transmitter intact and working to get your full deposit back.

Do I have to keep the transmitter on during Practice?

Yes, it must be on the bike anytime you are on the track at AFM events... Saturday or Sunday. Tech will check for it.

What if I break it, or crash on it, or lose it?

Riders are responsible for taking care of their transmitter. Loss or damage is your responsibility; if you destroy/lose the transmitter you forfeit your $200 deposit, and will need to give a new deposit and be issued a new transmitter. The actual value of a transmitter is $200, so you are responsible for the replacement cost.

The good news is that they are very rugged and even if the case is smashed, the internals might still be salvagable and lower your replacement costs. We only lose about 3-4 per season and have another 5-10 which can be fixed by **dBcom. ALSO: Please be careful not to break the terminal/wires when replacing batteries.

Is the transmitter waterproof?

No, it is somewhat water resistant, but this model is not waterproof. If your bike is going to get wet, take the transmitter off or double pack it in plastic bags.

Can I buy my own transmitter?

Yes, but if you bring your transmitter with you, you must bring it when you register in the morning and give us the ID#. dBcom components (transmitter, pouches, etc..) can be ordered through **dBcom.

When will I get lap times?

Now. The first and highest priorities when implementing this system were to get the system going, get used to it and get it scoring the races "really good". We are at the point that it's working "really good", and we now make lap time data available. Lap time data is collected as a part of the scoring function, and lap times sheets were made available starting late in '99.

It's essential that you go to the scoring booth and get your lap time data. This helps to decrease paper waste but more importantly it ensures that your transmitter is working properly you will be correctly scored in your races. If you don't find a lap time sheet for your bike, please go get your transmitter and bring it to the Reg/Scoring Tower so it can be checked for function and/or battery function. If the battery's dead, you'll find this out. If the transmitter simply isn't working, a new one will be issued.

What should i do if I don't find my lap times where they should be, or if I suspect my transmitter is broken?

You need to make sure you have a fresh fully charged battery in it, and if not, PUT ONE IN!! If that doesn't fix it, take it to the scoring/registration booth, where a nice AFM official can use a hand-held transmitter-reader to check out your transmitter. If it isn't putting out a signal or only gives a weak signal, they will first check the battery, then the unit, and if all else fails, they will swap the faulty unit for a good one. The official may also suggest an alternate mounting method if the seat/tail is metal or carbon fiber (both of which absorb radio signals).

Again, it is every rider's responsibility to make sure their transmitter is mounted properly, has a good battery, and is working. The AFM officials can help, but only if YOU act when you find or suspect a problem.

What should i do if I my lap times from a race are inconsistent (some caught, some not) and/or the preliminary results (posted on raceday) show me in the wrong position, down a lap or otherwise mis-scored?

You should make some notes about where you think you finished and hold them until the final & official results are released. The preliminary results are just that: preliminary, and they aren't necessarily 100% accurate, since they are based only on e-scoring data (which can/will transpose close finishes or if your transmitter is not picked up consistently, will miss a lap or few).

Only the final and official results (released around 1-6 days after each event) have been carefully tabulated and compared for accuracy with both e-scoring and manual scoring data, and are corrected as best as possible based on all the available data. Those final results should be correct and accurate.

Only if the final results are not correct should you let AFM know **( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) what's wrong, as only those results matter and any raceday prelim e-scoring errors or omissions should have been corrected.

Also, if your transmitter is not being caught on every lap, you should first put in a brand new (known 9.2+V) battery and see if it's better, and if it's not, bring it down to the scoring/registration booth, where a nice AFM official can use a hand-held transmitter-reader to check out the transmitter, as described above.

Sometimes I'll see a totally out-of-line best lap time on the results, which seem way too fast for the finish... what's up with that?

The scoring crew has to sometimes "tweak" the data if someone was obviously in a certain position (and scored by the manual scorers), but the e-scoring system didn't catch them on one or more laps. To make the preliminary data consistent, they sometimes have to "enter a lap time" which isn't from timed data. The final and official finish position will still be 100% correct, but there may be an odd/freaky lap time in the best lap time column.