Trajectory B/C

[AlphaTauri]

Do you know what any other teams got score-wise?

[jazzy009]

Well... if you want the truth, we deserved to get at least a 20, by my own measurements. Plus, it wasn't the best run tournament. But through lots of practice, and accurate measurements after the first shot, you can get a 0, or even less than that, without a sight or laser. It's not impossible. And I'm done with this discussion.

probably would have done better with a laser pointer...

[starpug]

Well... if you want the truth, we deserved to get at least a 20, by my own measurements. Plus, it wasn't the best run tournament. But through lots of practice, and accurate measurements after the first shot, you can get a 0, or even less than that, without a sight or laser. It's not impossible. And I'm done with this discussion.

probably would have done better with a laser pointer...

Some people are good at doing it without a scope or laser pointer, they just put the device down and move it based on the naked eye. It's a 6th trajectory sense if you will.

[Balsa Man]

.... But through lots of practice, and accurate measurements after the first shot, you can get a 0, or even less than that, without a sight or laser. It's not impossible. And I'm done with this discussion.

Yes. If you have developed a way to accurately make adjustments after first shot- distance and alignment - your second shot can .....deadly.

[jazzy009]

........What kinds of laser pointers are we allowed to use?

[wlsguy]

........What kinds of laser pointers are we allowed to use?

Fleet made a good analysis of the lasers on the previous page. Bascially it MUST be a class 2. You MUST also insure that you do not shine it in someones eyes or you will be DQ'd. This is typically done by telling the event supervisors that you plan to use a laser before you turn it on. They may then ask to inspect it before you use it.

You do not need a laser to do well. If you machine is not able to make repeatable shots (i.e. multiple shots in the same place after each setup) then a laser is a waste of time and money. First, make your device repeatable. 2nd work on a way to aim it better. The easiest way I have seen is an eyelet and a nail. With these you can make a pretty good steel sight.

[zyzzyva980]

You do not need a laser to do well

Thanks, wlsguy.

Well, I'm eating crow right now. It does not taste like chicken, it tastes like an unwanted laser pointer. After losing two tournaments to a school with a laser, our coach bought (despite reading my arguments on this site without me knowing)... guess what? A laser! Gee... I'm embarrassed. I feel that one point is not worth the risk of a DQ but apparently, I, the veteran trajectory man, have been outvoted. And Ms. Hansen, if you are reading this, this is not a blog, it is a forum. Hence the word "Forums" all over the place.

[andrewwski]

The only time I could see a sighting device being helpful is for the bucket shot. For the normal target shots, you want to line up square with the front (or back) of the launch area, which should be accurately indicated on the floor. Unless your device doesn't shoot straight forward, but that should be a standard adjustment that you should know well ahead of time (unless you manage to throw it in a sideways curve, which seems like it'd be next to impossible to calibrate, and a laser, which points in a straight line, wouldn't help either).

For the bucket shot, some sort of sighting device may make it easier but shouldn't be required. If you do some simple trigonometry, you can find the angle the bucket is at from the center line, and thus what angle to the front or back of the launch area you should place your device at.

A sighting device may make this more user-friendly, but is that exactly what you're looking for?

A sighting device is important for things like Electric Vehicle, where you had to stay on the center line and had no point of reference to line the vehicle up against. But for trajectory, you have ample reference lines to set up against, I don't see where a sighting device is going to help. If anything, it provides another piece that can be miscalibrated, and actually hurt you.

[zyzzyva980]

The only time I could see a sighting device being helpful is for the bucket shot. For the normal target shots, you want to line up square with the front (or back) of the launch area, which should be accurately indicated on the floor. Unless your device doesn't shoot straight forward, but that should be a standard adjustment that you should know well ahead of time (unless you manage to throw it in a sideways curve, which seems like it'd be next to impossible to calibrate, and a laser, which points in a straight line, wouldn't help either).

For the bucket shot, some sort of sighting device may make it easier but shouldn't be required. If you do some simple trigonometry, you can find the angle the bucket is at from the center line, and thus what angle to the front or back of the launch area you should place your device at.

A sighting device may make this more user-friendly, but is that exactly what you're looking for?

A sighting device is important for things like Electric Vehicle, where you had to stay on the center line and had no point of reference to line the vehicle up against. But for trajectory, you have ample reference lines to set up against, I don't see where a sighting device is going to help. If anything, it provides another piece that can be miscalibrated, and actually hurt you.

I agree. Unfortunately, my partners don't.

[haven chuck]

The only time I could see a sighting device being helpful is for the bucket shot. For the normal target shots, you want to line up square with the front (or back) of the launch area, which should be accurately indicated on the floor. Unless your device doesn't shoot straight forward, but that should be a standard adjustment that you should know well ahead of time (unless you manage to throw it in a sideways curve, which seems like it'd be next to impossible to calibrate, and a laser, which points in a straight line, wouldn't help either).

For the bucket shot, some sort of sighting device may make it easier but shouldn't be required. If you do some simple trigonometry, you can find the angle the bucket is at from the center line, and thus what angle to the front or back of the launch area you should place your device at.

A sighting device may make this more user-friendly, but is that exactly what you're looking for?

A sighting device is important for things like Electric Vehicle, where you had to stay on the center line and had no point of reference to line the vehicle up against. But for trajectory, you have ample reference lines to set up against, I don't see where a sighting device is going to help. If anything, it provides another piece that can be miscalibrated, and actually hurt you.

While there are other lines to use, they are seldom accurate, more likely just crudely placed pieces of tape.