TargetTalk

Xman wrote:This IS getting interesting..

So apply some of the logic posted above...

Is a rifle with no barrel still a rifle? A rifle cannot function as a rifle with no barrel.

Can a mobile phone with no sim card still be a mobile phone. A mobile phone cannot function as a mobile phone with no sim card.

Maybe MY logic is twisted..not the first time I have been accused of that.

Sounds like you might have been the brains behind Slick Willy when he made the famous (infamous) statement about what "the meaning of Is is". Or when he had a hard time deciding what the meaning of "sex" was.

Xman wrote:Can a mobile phone with no sim card still be a mobile phone. A mobile phone cannot function as a mobile phone with no sim card.

What about the micro-sim hidden away in the modified phone, or the wifi or bluetooth card allowing easy communication with the coach?

As I said earlier in this thread, "Don't expect range staff to deal with the technical details of whether it can be used as a phone. If it looks like a phone then it is a phone."

I am fairly new to this sport and am still learning a lot. I am intrigued by this electronics issue and have been wondering how this rule allows laptops for the electronic scoring targets. Is that because they are provided? I would think its feasible for one of these really smart kids nowadays to figure out something so they could get messages to pop up on those laptops. Or have the coach bounce a laser pointer off the screen using morse code or some other silent communication.

The other thought I had was I agree that cell phones and the like should not be allowed since those would be easier to use as communication devices. But, what about a point and click camera attached to the scope? It's just a camera and doesn't have any communication capabilities. I don't see any harm in doing that since it shouldn't create an unfair advantage.

Laptops in conjunction with a scanner or camera and Orion software are used to score targets by match officials, not the competitors.

Yes, I'm familiar with the Orion scoring system. That is not what I am referencing. I was at a match last year where the target down range was a single hole and the score was electronically scored instantaneously on a laptop controlled by the individual shooter. There are 3 sensors down range that triangulate the shot location. Scopes were not necessary since the shot was plotted on a virtual target on the laptop where the shooter can see the shot location. It reminded me of the SCATT system except they were using live ammo and it didn't show the muzzle movement.

I recently bought a scope that came with a cellphone attachment. I must say that it does make looking at the score much more convenient. In my range in some places I cannot place the scope very close to my shooting position, so I have to lean quite a bit to check the score and this problem is now eliminated. In addition in something like 25m standard pistol 10 sec you can record video and later see where each shot went. Something that I couldn't do before with paper targets unless I had somebody else checking the scope while I shot.

Admittedly there are some drawbacks for this system. I guess the attachment that came with my scope is quite a cheap one and it takes some time to properly attach the phone, so it doesn't fall off the scope. Then the standard camera app on my phone likes to autofocus and it doesn't always focus properly on the target. Lastly the camera shuts down after some minutes on non-use, but the phone software problems can probably fixed from somewhere in the settings, I just haven't had time to deal with those yet.

I realize that I cannot use this in real matches, but for training I quite like it.