Head of the Hooch Rowing Race Relies on FreeWave Wireless Data Radios for Accurate Timing

BOULDER, Colo., Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- FreeWave Technologies, (http://www.freewave.com), manufacturer of the most reliable, high-performance spread spectrum and licensed radios for critical data transmission, is a trusted solution in several industries including, oil and gas, water/wastewater, military, electric power, renewable energy and several more.  Although FreeWave radios are typically used for utility and industrial grade applications, organizers of the Head of the Hooch rowing race have discovered an "outside of the box" application by using them for timing at the annual event in Chattanooga, Tenn.

FreeWave FGR2-PE 900 MHz radios are set up along the 5,000 meter (3.1 mile) racecourse, one at the start, one on a building roof to ensure line of sight, and another at the finish.  The radios are installed in conjunction with a dual chronometer timing system that offers accuracy down to a tenth of a second.  Each of the 2,000-plus crew's start and finish times are captured in the timing system database as they race and the FreeWave radios transfer the times from the start line chronometer to the timing computer system located at the finish line.  Originally, the start line time transfers were done over voice radio, but as the number of race participants has grown over the years this became impractical.

"We implemented this solution with FreeWave's radios because of the reliability and excellent performance they exhibited for a research project at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)," explained Bob Kerr, Principal Research Engineer at GTRI and 30-year member of the Atlanta Rowing Club, which organizes Head of the Hooch annual event.  "Using radios that are typically relied upon for industrial applications ended up being a great idea because they are highly reliable and can maintain a link under stressful interference conditions."

The FGR2-PE has both serial and Ethernet wireless connectivity and uses license-free spread spectrum for data communication over long distances.  It is compatible with other FreeWave FGRPlus family radios and offers a second, switched Ethernet port as well as two serial ports to meet the needs of a variety of automation requirements.  In addition, the FGR2-PE has improved noise rejection and additional performance enhancements that allow it to maintain wireless serial or Ethernet communications over long distances or in congested RF environments – making it perfect for a race taking place in busy downtown Chattanooga.

"The radios are easy to install and have provided a consistently reliable data link over the years," said Kerr.  "By updating our system to the FGR2-PE this year, we believe timing will continue to run smoothly for years to come."

"We are pleased to see that Head of the Hooch selected FreeWave radios for this unique application," said Ashish Sharma, chief marketing officer (CMO) and general manager of products at FreeWave.  "Our products unmatched flexibility, reliability and long range coverage have been trusted for utility scale industrial applications for years.  It's very rewarding to see them successfully deployed in a new way."

About FreeWave Technologies

Founded in 1993, FreeWave Technologies manufactures the most reliable, high performing, lowest power consumption, spread spectrum and licensed radios for mission-critical data transmission.  Through engineering excellence and a relentless commitment to best-in-class manufacturing, FreeWave customers enjoy superior radio up-time, range and the lowest cost of ownership available.  Based in Boulder, Colorado, FreeWave designs and manufactures radios that are the leading choice for oil and gas, utility, military and numerous other industrial applications.  Organizations that count on radio data communications for operational success – where failure and down-time are not an option – trust FreeWave for custom network design, system engineering and customer support that are unparalleled in the market.  For additional information, contact FreeWave directly at 866.399.4930 or at [email protected].  Visit the company's website at www.freewave.com.

SOURCE FreeWave Technologies

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