Paintball

[russc]

This is an interesting topic on PBN:

Here is the scenario.

Dude in the stands with a laptop, connects to DM6's on the field using blue tooth. Cranks up the dwell on the guns, that were set extra low, and increases FPS on the field. Then clicks just clicks a button once the game is over. Repeat through NXL match...

This is not a could be scenario. This is a scenario that is happening right now, by pro teams. Next PSP you attend keep an eye out for the dude sitting at the top of the grandstands alone with a little laptop with a blue tooth antenna in his wireless card slot...

If any of you guys have a palm pilot, you can sometimes get some strange bluetooth signals in the stands. This is why.

Crazy, isn't it.

Apparently an article was written about this in Facefull magazine, too. He also claims that software can be loaded into Pulse hoppers to interact with the gun board settings through the RF chip. Even if this isn't happening, it's very possible. With the right boards and wireless connections, someone in the stands could easily manipulate gun settings on the fly. I think it's high time to enact an all-out ban on batteries in paintball, that or leagues will have to start giving out stock boards/hoppers.

[AmericanPaintball]

I do agree that technology will be the demise of the sport....

....but I want to be able to be able to log onto ebay and do my last minute bid sniping and download my mp3's while on the field...

That's just me joking there, but I have not been a huge follower of the whole electronic move in paintball, it was neat in the beginning, but anymore it becomes a factor of how much more lazy can we be?

[Meph]

Paintball, and those tournaments specifically, are a business first and foremost. They will never ban batteries.

And they can allow things like this to happen. Why? Watch the Huntington Beach slots fill up. People keep going to it. If you can crap on your audience and they come back for more... why change?

[b to the a to the k]

Who's getting craped on?

The NPPL events I've attended have been great, especially the one I won. The players, crowd, vendors, etc.. all added up to a cool scene.


--BK

[frederic]

Why would you need a wireless connection when players can turn on and off certain cheater modes on some boards instantly. I guess the one thing that a wireless connection would allow is to change the settings when the ref rips it from your hand to check it out.

[Mstrtal]

Oh I am sure that there is a device out there to interfear with a bluetooth signal. I know ya can buy devices off the net that will jam cellphone signals. If such is really becoming a problem then push to have the tuerny promoters invest insome. It would be funny though if some one DID have a Marker set up in this manner and some one else was interfearing with the signal...Watch the board fryfrom fast fluctuating signals. =)

[russc]

Originally Posted by frederic

Why would you need a wireless connection when players can turn on and off certain cheater modes on some boards instantly. I guess the one thing that a wireless connection would allow is to change the settings when the ref rips it from your hand to check it out.

The advantage would be that the player can be totally carefree while ramping BPS and FPS to unsafe levels, in the safe knowledge that their man in the stands has an eye on the chrono ref. This spectator with the laptop can turn the modes off at the push of a button if the ref starts waving a radarchron around, sight unseen.

[Painthappy]

Actually, this was talked about during the NPPL meeting and I didn't put it down, as I had no facts to back it up. So it seems to be legit. Now... while it is interesting, this is an easy catch I would assume. To actually GET the signal, there would need to be a device to pick it up, which would easily be seen.

Pre and post inspections of the guns may have to be mandatory... This is done in other technological sports such as NASCAR (which I know extremely little about) but I know they CAN look and tear your car apart if needed.

The truth is, new leagues will form that will not allow these types of markers, or require "stock" boards only. People will gravitate to those leagues, and these other ones that allow the cheating, or don't do enough to stop it, will die...

Or at least that is my prediction and/or hope.

[russc]

At least, that's what we hope. I still can't believe the audacity of someone who would increase dwell settings like that. They don't belong in any league.

[sgt-spam]

Originally Posted by russc

This is an interesting topic on PBN:



Apparently an article was written about this in Facefull magazine, too. He also claims that software can be loaded into Pulse hoppers to interact with the gun board settings through the RF chip. Even if this isn't happening, it's very possible. With the right boards and wireless connections, someone in the stands could easily manipulate gun settings on the fly. I think it's high time to enact an all-out ban on batteries in paintball, that or leagues will have to start giving out stock boards/hoppers.

Interesting... I've seen external antennas for WiFi cards, and used them myself for wardriving, but I've not seen antennas for Bluetooth... In fact, most of the machines I buy for business use have BT built in - without an external (or extended) antenna. BT range is poor, IMHO. I can leave my phone in the garage (out in the open) and walk down to the mailbox (50 feet or so) and drop a phone call. Consider first the size of a paintball field, and second, someone being at the top of a stand... Realistically, I don't see how they could get a connection. If it's a team mate at the edge of the field, then maybe...

Then again, it could just be the Molson talking. I sure wish the circuit (PRI) change-over went better this evening...