Discussion: Fave SI stands

Different clubs have different stands for SI. The Ontario ones are quite flimsy requiring a person to use to hands to punch (one to stabilize the other to punch). The one's used in Florida in Feb once in a while the SI unit would fall off the stand. So what are people's favourite stands for SI and why. If you know where you club bought them or how they made them then that is a bonus. Thanks.

The OCIN ones at the Flying Pig seemed to be very sturdy, but after picking up a dozen or so of them after the middle distance race this spring, I found them to be pretty darned heavy for routine use.

I think the ones at the US Sprint Trials (at least I'm pretty sure that's where I saw them) were a good combination of strength and stability, yet lightweight and compact enough to easily carry enough to conveniently set courses. I think they were from a solid piece of aluminum rod or tube that was bent into a cane-type of shape. I vaguely recall some mention of them being from Joe Scarborough's orienteering supply. If I was buying or building now, I'd consider something along those lines.

We've had fiberglass ones in NB, but not for SI units - pin-punches only. Quite light and easy to carry but a bit wobbly - probably not stable enough for high-speed SI traffic.

Thanks Wil. Yes the pick-up/carrying factor is also important.

At MNOC we use the stands (aluminum rods 1/4" dia solid aluminum x 39"' high ) from Joe Scarborough. We like them.

We now have the new BSF -7 units (in the old style large BSF6 boxes) and with the SI holder clips as well. It makes a very easily deployed combination. We transport the stands in groups of ten (held in a length of 3" PVC pipe) with the SI stations loose in a backpack. The flags hang from the stand. We have numbers on the top side of the e-punch itself. This set up works well.

If you are concerned about rigidity of the stand then you might consider 5/16" dia rod instead. The 1/4" id rod stands once in a while get knocked over and bit bent, but they are easy to bend straight and stand back up. I am not sure that any stands would stand up to someone barrelling into them (unless you pour concrete around the base!). We used to have velcro attachment but it wasn't that secure.

OABC has been using the ones made by Allan Stradeski (a Sage member) and they seem to be the best so far. They are a great combination of ligth weight, sturdy, easy to clip and easy to put in. He makes them himself and I believe sells them for a very reasonable price.

The stands at the sprint for US Team Trials were borrowed from CAOC, who got them from Scarborough. The only problem with them is that if you drive them in from the top, you can bend the "cane" portion. Being aluminum, they won't like it if you do that a lot. As long as you remember to drive them in by grabbing the shaft (easy enough if you sharpen the tips), they seem to be fine. They work better with the newer (smaller) SI units.

DVOA made new light weight stands out of PVC pipe for the Long-O Champs last fall. The stands were mounted on a foot long piece of rebar. We placed the rebar in the woods a few weeks before the event and attached the streamer to it. The PVC part of the stand was then placed over the rebar when we hung the flags. I was a little skeptical when I first saw the design but it worked very well. The SI units clipped in via a plastic bracket. The only issue we had were a few complaints from horse people - they felt the rebar sticking up out of the ground (before the stands were in place) represented a hazard to horses.

the DVOA ones are really nice!!! our old ones were really heavy but these i can even carry quite a few. and i have never had a problem of running into one that was not stable. so who ever desinged them well done!

The reason the units were not secure on the stands at the FLO meet is that the mating Velcro on some of the USOF units had been removed and replaced improperly. Normally, Velcro will provide a secure bond if kept clean and the unit is pressed firmly in place. The system avoids the expense of holders and, on the Scarborough stands, accepts both old and new SI control units.

The stands are made to order and now the choice now seems to be for stands with holders for the BSF6/7 and/or BSF8. http://orienteer.com/si/sosi.htm

As for bending, the short Micros, ¼” are built for light weight (2.7 oz.) but for most any stand, driving a pilot hole is recommended in hard or rocky soils. The short 5/16” Minis are the most popular.

The rebar /PVC combo doesn't sound like a very good option for safety/field repair. I wouldn't like to collide / fall on top of one of those since the PVC would tend to shatter and the rebar not give way at all. The aluminum rod seems to be a better option in that it can be bent back straight and reinserted by the runner if someone creams it (easily done if the control is at the bottom of a narrow gully and you slip coming down).

Definitely the aluminum rod needs either soft soil or a pilot hole (frozen or hard ground) and driving in by the shaft.

For A meets & other major events, OCIN uses mostly the aluminum stands of the type used for World Masters (then VWC) in MInnesota. Very stable, but as Wil says, rather heavy and require reasonably stone-free, un-frozen soil. Matthew Robbins has designed some from 1" pvc pipe which we used for sprints.. not quite as stable, but a little lighter & easier to carry. Can't get used to this "QWERTZ" keyboard. Ever see one of those? Y and Z are interchanged. Greetings from Switzerland & geting ready for SOW.