Punching Controls - What are the Rules?

[Peter Effeney]

The Definitive Guide to What MapRun Punches (and doesn't Punch)

In this guide when I say MapRun (this applies to MapRunF and MapRunG).

- MapRun will not punch if the GPS reports its accuracy at that instant to be worse than 50m

- MapRun will not punch any control before a visit to the Start.
   - The Start is normally S1, but in an SAW (Start Anywhere) event, any control approached first (except F1), is renamed to S1 and is then punched as S1.

- The most-recently-punched control will not punch again until another control is punched (ie you can't punch the same control twice in sequence).

- S1 will not punch again.

- F1 will only punch after you have visited S1 and one other control.

- The correct sequence of controls on a line course is NOT enforced during a run. It is like normal orienteering, you can punch any controls in the field and the run is checked at the end. In an early version of MapRun we had a rule that the App would only punch the next sequential control on a line course. However, as soon as a runner misses one control ... nothing else will then beep. The App now punches all controls that are visited and handles loops in line courses correctly... with the validity of the result being determined after the event. (Like with SportIdent).

- Controls can be punched multiple times (but not in immediate sequence).
    - In MapRunF, the count of punched controls is always incremented.
    - In MapRunG, the count of punched controls is not incremented for a repeat punch on a Scatter/Score course.

- Nothing will punch after you have punched F1


Notes for course setters:
- Be careful with the location of F1.  If a runner runs to the finish during a run, this will end their run. MapRunG now asks for confirmation of finishing (which the user must respond to before any other control can be punched) - but MapRun and MapRunF finish immediately. See: http://maprun.250607.n8.nabble.com/My-run-finished-when-I-went-to-the-Finish-F1-tp84.html

- Beware of setting courses with controls less than 30m apart. MapRun will punch two controls numerous times in rapid succession whilst the runner is in range of two controls. We could introduce logic to stop this, by disallowing punching of not only the most recent punch but also the one before it, however there are scenarios where this sequence of punching is valid. (And if there are three controls close together .....).

- If you want a loop in a line course, use the same control twice in the course file at the pivot point ... Don't put two different controls at the same location.

[Jeremy Wilde]

I'm not sure if I encountered a bug today or not, using CheckSites on a SAW line (PXAC) course.

Between controls 8 and 9 I passed 15 which registered as I went by. Later between 14 and 16 I could not persuade my MapRunF to register 15 again (no beep etc). At the end the control showed as a green 15 (not a green 8.5) on the map but counted as a mispunch.

Come to think of it I didn't look at the phone when I first passed it, so it may have appeared as 15 right away, ie not actual sequence number but the expected sequence number in the line of controls.

Now I don't know if I just had GPS problems so it wouldn't register the second time I passed it (I did linger and wander quite a bit around to try to jog it into action) or if it was refusing as I'd already Checked that Site.

In any case I'm going to replan to reduce the likelihood of passing later controls too early!

To everybody who is developing/supporting this App I say hurrah and well done and many many thanks.

Regards, Jeremy

[Mark]

That sounds normal and correct to me.

Yes you have checked the site so it works, however MapRun is mega smart so when you first triggered 15 it would have shown 15 as your last punched control.

When you go back to it on an event after 14 it would also punch again correctly. At the end so long as its in order it will discount the punch between 8 and 9 and show the run as complete and a time.

So that is working as it should. We always try to plan like you say so people don't pass controls by accident, if possible.

I'm sure Peter can add more detail, but hope that answer helps.

[Jeremy Wilde]

What you write is what I would have expected to happen Mark. But it didn't, which is the problem.

You write "When you go back to it on an event after 14 it would also punch again correctly". Unfortunately it failed to do this - maybe not mega-smart, or maybe user is not...

jeremy

[ajorienteering]

How do you set a hub control on a line course?

In purple pen my control sequence might look like
S1 - 1(31) - 2(32) - 3(33) - 4(34) - 5(32) - 6(35) etc. with (32) being the hub control.

In Google Earth Pro how do I replicate this when placing my map pins to create a valid .kml file?

Thanks.

[Peter Effeney]

Drop a pin for your hub control in Google Earth.
Once you have its position (and name) correct, copy it and paste a copy of it into the folder of controls.
Drag it to the correct point in the sequence for the line course. The controls (Google Earth pins) in your folder will be:
S1, 31, 32, 33, 34, 32, 35, ...
Peter

[ajorienteering]

Thank you, that's sort of how I thought it should work... just need to give it a trial now! :)