by tomoore » Mon Mar 04, 2019 11:37 pm
There's a couple manners in which I'll respond to this. This is a good topic, as it is transferable between not just preferences/qualms but also what is good for quiz bowl now and what is good for quiz bowl in the future. N.B: I am not as well-versed in the sciences that underlie the engineering and composition of a buzzer system as I would like to be, so I'll refrain from touching on that.
To me, the perfect buzzer system, in terms of 'What I Think QuizBowl Needs' is one that...
- provides distinct toning/signaling as to what side has the buzz upon a ring-in;
- has a transponder where females, made possible with an adapter, are cross-compatible with various males (e.g. ethernet/telephone cables, USB, the type of connector that Anderson systems use - not sure what those are called???);
- is 100% accessible; if I ruled the world, pistol grips would be phased out in favor of pads/large buttons.
- can be easily deconstructed for the purposes of on-site repair, and can be easily reconstructed upon repair; should also include a kit of repair pieces and a manual. (No more "our buzzer system broke" or "our buzzer system only has [n] buzzers working", no more "ope, team X's buzzer system has crapped out in room 204... lets switch them out").
- doesn't cost the entry fee of four tournaments (we're all good actors: but, we should have a discussion on the whole "that buzzer system will pay for itself" rhetoric, and why there are some problems with that!)
Now, as to what I personally like/dislike and what a buzzer system of my own craft would be cosmetically/aesthetically...
- I like the buzzer systems that feature the strobe within a cylinder, which from my experience are most commonly found at Northeastern Ohio events such as Copley OAC/No Frills. I believe I am referring here to the QuikPro Deluxe model. Yeah, those are sweet! I would make a design a model with both blinking strobes and, in case a student is prone to epileptic seizures, stationary lights. I like that QuikPro model, except for the fact that I wish they came with pads/boxes but also...
- NO ANNOYING SOUNDS! Yes, yes you - reader: you know EXACTLY the cringe-worthy buzzer tones I am referring to found across several QuikPro models that beleaguer quiz bowl matches... what with the shrill "steak knife gleaming across porcelain" shivery with the opposing buzzer that lets out the equally noxious "eeeeeeeep" (I know not the perfect metaphor to describe such). I'm personally a fan of the obvious light and simple "single tone vs double tone" indicators, such found on Zeecraft Systems.
- The case would have a refrigerated component/ice pack container, that way I can keep my Red Bull cold, but, more importantly... so I could store and then facilitate candy(!) to pass out to participating students in my room. I suppose I could do without the refrigerator component and still do candy ("Fisher, hello! Have some possibly melted Hershey's kisses!").
Moore, T;
reader, Southeast Region and statewide (2015-present);
ex-player, William V. Fisher Catholic HS... allegedly (2010-2014);