Software to calculate DIN settings?

[DaveTV]

Talking to my friend who is setting up youth programs at our local ski area.
PROBLEM: There are hundreds of kids in this program and every time they come in, they have to re-calculate their DIN settings on the rental gear. Kids can't even tell you what they weigh or what their bootsole length is, so this is a real bottleneck. They would like to track each kid electronically with pertinent info, including DIN setting calculated from the variables (weight,height, boot sole, ability etc) so when they come in they can set them up quickly. I am pondering developing something in Microsoft Access to do this, wondering if anyone knows of an algorithm or any software to assist in this? Any thoughts appreciated!

[CaddyDaddy77]

I think if you use the aforementioned variables and compare it against the din chart it should work just fine, now designing that so it works in access or another program is another thing.

Let me know if you really do this, it could be a real time saver for groups in a rental shop.

Cool idea.

[fez]

Probably the easiest way to do this would be a simple web form with a script of some sort and a database. Personally id go with php and mysql on an apache server.

I dont know much about access, but i doubt it would be very difficult.

[dude_le_skibum]

keep it simple. access could do it easily or go vB, easy does it

[laseranimal]

let us know how it turns out

[timmay]

we use an application called Sport Select here at bachelor:
http://www.sport-select.com

its excellent for what you are looking for:
customer db (height/weight/shoe boot conversion/ability)
auto-din settings

i don't know the specifics of the youth program, but i'm guessing if its non-profit you could probably get a deal.

technically wise, the app is built under unix and re-compiled for windoze, runs off any system and can be used by multiple computers off a network share. flat file database.

if you have any ?'s about it drop me a PM.

tim

[L7]

Originally posted by timmay
we use an application called Sport Select here at bachelor:
http://www.sport-select.com

its excellent for what you are looking for:
customer db (height/weight/shoe boot conversion/ability)
auto-din settings

i don't know the specifics of the youth program, but i'm guessing if its non-profit you could probably get a deal.

technically wise, the app is built under unix and re-compiled for windoze, runs off any system and can be used by multiple computers off a network share. flat file database.

if you have any ?'s about it drop me a PM.

tim

How do you like the sport select? We hate it here. Every year there are more promises made and every year it underwhelms. I wasn't even aware that it could do DIN settings. Could be it's just so cumbersome to get all the info into before calculating the DIN that the guys just do it by hand.
This year (again) the promise is to have reserved clients all entered before they get here, maybe that will allow better untilization. Do you do walk in clients though the whole system while they're here? To me it's just a huge cumbersome time waster that never fulfils it's potential. Be interested in hearing another view on it.

[timmay]

good god, another sport select user! perhaps we should start a support group. well, it isn't my favorite system in the world, and this time of year sucks some arse, i think i have installed about a dozen new updates in the past week alone.

we have a very ghetto, smoke and mirros "online rental" interface into SS, kinda slick for the guests, but still a very manual process on the back end (basically downloading a text file and importing into the system), as far as shop flow, customer info is still hand keyed in by a cashier, so the bottleneck on the front end is very heavy during holiday periods.

when it works smoothly, it is okay, but when it tanks, i freakin hate life. needless to say i think we are looking into some different stuff for next season.

[CaddyDaddy77]

Watched a shop that was using sport-select, or something like it at Copper. I can't believe the amount of time the customer spent at the kiosk trying to set-up everything, if you have someone that is savy it's not too bad, but definitely not what I would call a customer-friendly system.

I like the idea of generating DIns, but am a little worried on trusting anything but myself. Is a computer indemnified?
Cool idea, great for groups, and people who register thru the net, but I wouldn't shell out much for a kiosk for typical customers.

??

[L7]

timmay Yea that's our trouble, huge bottlenecks created. Just don't see that what we get out of it is jusifies the amount of time it takes to input into it. Our actual POS is a different system on the same terminal so most of it is done twice to boot. Last season the big decision was we HAVE to get rid of it. Yet here we are going into another season with it.

Caddy, You mean a customer was left to deal with it!!! It is not intuitive and not user friendly and every step has to be guided by the user it doesn't go to the next step. I can't imaging giving the client that impression of the operation, it's bad enough we subject our staff to it.

I'm open to info on any good software for ski rentals out there. I would tend to rely on a computer before a chart. It's real easy to misread the chart.

[timmay]

L7- sucks to enter customer data 2x. not sure if you have checked out RTP (www.rtp.com) a bit spendy, but a pretty turnkey POS system with a pretty slick rental module.

They do have a customer sign in portion where folks can either swipe a drivers license (if it has a mag stripe) or a credit card and will pull most information from both.... if they are a return customer it is that much easier to process the rental... something that sport select also has, but just isnt' as intuitive.

well, i feel your pain on the sport select front, have you met the man behind the program before?

[CaddyDaddy77]

The system at Copper appears to have been the RTP system, like I said I just kinda watched some folks going through, didn't really get a chance to walk through it. I remeber the customer sign-in post but didn't see anyone using an DL, or CC, but that is a pretty slick option.

Always trying to figure out a way to streamline our shop and make it a bit more friendly.
I'm all for having a system where I can track customers, trends, sales and inventory all together, kind of a no-brainer, now to show bean-counters that it make sense.

And yes, L7, the computer is probably a lot more reliable than the typical hung-over tech.

[alpental07]

Here you go (I know I am 3 years late) but you inspired me I put together a little web-application (i.e. software), and created a "DIN Setting Calculator".

Let me know if you would like customizations.

www.dinsetting.com

[Tuckerman]

Here you go (I know I am 3 years late) but you inspired me I put together a little web-application (i.e. software), and created a "DIN Setting Calculator".

Let me know if you would like customizations.

www.dinsetting.com

Its a good start. I got a NA DIN setting which is impossible. Also you need a selection for type +III. But I do like the roll the dice option.

[Arno]

handy site - gave me the calculation i was expecting

you should replace those markers on the homepage with ninja 916s for full maggot approval though

[RootSkier]

All this complicated shit for DIN? Jeebus, get an old computer running Excel and just keep a spreadsheet. Search by last name. It will take 2 seconds per kid after the initial 10 second entry.

[Tuckerman]

All this complicated shit for DIN? Jeebus, get an old computer running Excel and just keep a spreadsheet. Search by last name. It will take 2 seconds per kid after the initial 10 second entry.

What he said.

[iceman]

I wonder why this thread didn't go into the archives?

[ColinB]

Its a good start. I got a NA DIN setting which is impossible. Also you need a selection for type +III. But I do like the roll the dice option.

Technically III+ and I- are not part of the DIN specification, though some binding manufacturers support it. The other problem with trying to create a one size fits all simple application is that the chart is slightly different in some spots for some binding brands, so it needs to have an option to select which brand you have. That being said, the Wintersteiger computer systems can also calculate din for you, based on the brand of the binding, unfortunately I have been less than wowed by their software so I haven't pushed for my shop to move away from paper and pen.

[soul_skier]

ha, my din should be at 6.25. Thats why I probably got laughed at when I brough my 190 w105s w/ 920s in to get tuned, the guy asked me if I actually skied them, or if it was for a friend.

[TahoeHuckerSchmucker]

ha, my din should be at 6.25. Thats why I probably got laughed at when I brough my 190 w105s w/ 920s in to get tuned, the guy asked me if I actually skied them, or if it was for a friend.

heh....similar story here.

the guys in my local shop hadn't even ever seen 920's before!

[Tuckerman]

the chart is slightly different in some spots for some binding brands

Could you give an example? Say a skier type II 5'11" 180# BSL = 316 age 20. I'm guessing that will come out the same no matter who's chart you use.

[ill-advised strategy]

Could you give an example? Say a skier type II 5'11" 180# BSL = 316 age 20. I'm guessing that will come out the same no matter who's chart you use.

testing my memory...


I'm guessing..... 6

just a guess. am I right?

edit: dammit! it was 7. fuck ass

[NorCascader]

yeah...after viewing that sight I"m going to go turn my Naxo's down to 6 1/4 turn.
I don't get it.
When I was 10 my din was at 8?

I call bullshit on DINCALCULATOR

[Tuckerman]

yeah...after viewing that sight I"m going to go turn my Naxo's down to 6 1/4 turn.
I don't get it.
When I was 10 my din was at 8?

I call bullshit on DINCALCULATOR

Maybe you were a fat kid with a big feet.