Pigeon Network

Good morning, We have arranged three training sessions for the new RPRA Results Software, to take place at the BHW Show of the Year next week. One session is reserved for NIPA club representatives, and the other two will be for representatives of other clubs. Please note: you only need to attend one of the sessions. The sessions will take place in the Opera House Circle Bar on Saturday 18th January from 10am-11am and 11am-12pm, with a third 12pm-1pm slot especially for NIPA clubs. (Please ask a member of the Winter Gardens staff for directions, if you need.) If your club is sending a representative to the training would you please confirm their attendance by emailing racingsupport@rpra.org with your club name, rep's name and your preferred session. We look forward to seeing you then. Regards Ian Evans Chief Executive.

Software 2020
The RPRA results software is free to all its organisations. To obtain your free copy please contact Ian Evans, ianevans@rpra.org to be added to the installation process on a first come first served basis. Each organisation requires the link to download the program and usernames and passwords are managed by the RPRA. A secretary may run more than one organisation. You only need to have the program on one machine, but you will need a username and password for each different organisation you manage.
The software is designed to manage any size of organisation, Nationals, Combines, Federation and Clubs. All types of races are catered for example prize money, pooling, points, nominations etc.
How does the software produce results?
Clubs can produce results using the manual option which is like using existing club software or they can download data from different ETS clocks to make life easier. Clubs can post their result to the RPRA results website with a click of a button. Internet access is not required when producing results, a tethered mobile phone will be adequate to send or receive data.
Federations
A Federation secretary can download all their clubs’ results from the RPRA Results website on Saturday evening/ Sunday morning following the race. The full result is automatically compiled and can be posted to the RPRA Results website. For many Fed secretaries that makes life much easier. The result can be further amended, prize money, points, pools added by the secretary and then posted to overwrite the initial result.
Combine Results
Like the Federation Secretary a Combine Secretary can download all Federation results at a click of a button and possibly an individual club not belonging to a Federation which flies with a combine. Again, the initial full result can be posted to the RPRA Results website and then be amended to add to prizes and posted again later to overwrite the previous result if necessary. The full Combine result can be compiled at a click of a button.
Nationals
All clock stations are set up the same as clubs e.g. MNFC29, with membership and distances. Clock station results can be produced at the ‘striking off’ of clocks and posted onto the RPRA Results website. The Race Secretary can download all clock station results and post a full result. Pools and prizes added later. The clock station can also send the data to their organisations cloud to assist pools and prizes to be processed. A final full result could easily be produced within 24 hours of the data arriving using this software.
RPRA
The RPRA can compile full National race results from any group of chosen organisations by simply clicking the download button. Again, the full result can be published as soon as the last organisation has uploaded their result to the RPRA Results website. If all organisations have their result completed by Saturday evening / Sunday morning the full compiled RPRA results will be complete.
Security
All ETS clock administration data, clock serial number, chip rings, life rings are sent to the RPRA cloud every time the clock is used for racing. The clock’s admin data can also be sent before the season starts to comply with RPRA rule 236. The software allows all clubs especially National organisations to synchronise ETS clocks at the marking of a race. This informs the Nationals of the times which the birds were marked, the clock serial number used, and the chip and life rings marked. Should a clock be lost or stolen, the RPRA will be notified through the software.
Improvements for secretaries
The software is designed for one computer to manage any number of organisations. A person may run a club, fed, combine and a national all from the same computer with different accounts, username and password.
Broken computers
If your organisation’s computer is broken or lost. The program can can synchronise your database and you are back up and running with all information restored. A brilliant use of the cloud.
Distances
The software allows club secretaries to obtain individual or all club member distances 24/7 for any listed RPRA race point. Select the race point(s) and simply download the distances. They are ready to use.
Race Programmes
A race programme can be set up by a Federation and placed in their organisations cloud so that clubs can download it at a click of a button. This enables the secretary to manage a group of clubs. When you amend the race programme this automatically informs the RPRA. This will give pigeon racing real time information on all liberations. If you wish to change a race point simply amend your race programme and upload to your organisation, job to the RPRA done! If there is an issue you will be prompted to select another site. There is space to add number of vehicles, registration of vehicles for cross-Channel events and length of vehicle. This will save the secretary from having to send the information to the RPRA. Racing Support at the RPRA won’t have to manually type every race programme into their computer system and manage a lot of very basic mundane tasks.
RPRA Subscriptions
Any organisation will be able to identify any member who has already paid or not paid their RPRA subscription. This is automatically updated by the program.
Loft Latitude and Longitude (OSGB36)
A member’s loft latitude and longitude, held by the RPRA, is available to be observed so it can assist organisations in allocating sections. Please remember that the RPRA uses the OSGB36 datum and Google Earth uses WGS36 datum hence the conversion required for loft locations.
Members Access RPRA Results Website login. www.rpraresults.org
Every member has access to the website and their own personal
area. In the members’ area you will be able to.
• Observe all your birds’ performances during the season for all the
clubs you are in. Additionally, there is the function to export the data in Excel so that you can analyse your birds’ performances in greater depth.
• At the beginning of the season you can synchronise your ETS clock and have all your birds checked to see if they are registered correctly with the RPRA. If you have a few ‘strays’ you can use the RPRA free ring transfer system to get your flock in order. Please note that it is very easy to take any existing race results posted on the web and complete a query on whether the life ring is registered to the correct fancier. Please use the free RPRA ring transfer website to get your flock registered correctly.
• You can individually use the RPRA ‘Shopping Basket’ in the members’ area of the results website to pay your RPRA subscriptions, order RPRA individual life ‘V’ rings and purchase RPRA merchandise.
Future developments
Fanciers with the will to learn, have found the software easy to use. The ease of setup with all members, distances and race programmes means they are ready to produce results.
We hope that the software will make the secretaries’ tasks much easier and reduce workload in the RPRA. With any new software program, you will need some training and support. We have a training team ready to deliver the initial launch at Blackpool. We hope to get as many of you to attend the sessions delivered by our training team. The practical session will consist of running a full Federation race result. There will be a Q & A session at the end. The sessions can be booked on a first come first served basis. Please indicate your intention of attending the training session at Blackpool 2020 when you apply for your username and password.

All NIPA clubs must register with the RPRA regarding the club results programme, a number are still missing according to details given at the AGM.