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Smith-Cotton

Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 12:29 pm
by cgrantmaledy
Hello all, I'm Grant Maledy, the new coach at Sedalia's Smith-Cotton. Couple of questions... Does anyone know when/if we have traditionally hosted here? I'm having some difficulty discovering what we've done in the past. Also, I would love to hear any thoughts on equipment recommendations, we have 4 sets of ZeeCraft's here, one of which appears to be functioning normally. I played for Salem in high school, but that's been long enough ago that I'm not really hip to current trends. Thanks in advance, looking forward to meeting you this season.

Re: Smith-Cotton

Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 2:21 pm
by Mickey0R0urke
I don't think that Smith-Cotton has ever really hosted anything other than maybe MSHSAA Districts before.

I think almost any buzzer system would be accepted for use at tournaments and Nationals (such as NAQT's Nationals in Chicago) as long as it's not wireless. Wireless buzzer systems have a history of malfunctioning after a while.

Let the board know if you have any more questions!

Re: Smith-Cotton

Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 4:10 pm
by cgrantmaledy
Very good. Thanks for the heads up on the wireless. Insofar as hosting goes, should I just choose the date that conflicts the least and move forward?

Re: Smith-Cotton

Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 4:28 pm
by Mickey0R0urke
cgrantmaledy wrote:Very good. Thanks for the heads up on the wireless. Insofar as hosting goes, should I just choose the date that conflicts the least and move forward?
That's definitely what you should do if you want to host. Email me (my email address is jacob.orourke.7 [at] gmail.com) or anyone else in the Missouri Quizbowl Alliance if you'd like to brainstorm ideas for a set. Also be sure to check out this thread and see if anything is being hosted on the date you want.

Re: Smith-Cotton

Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 8:36 pm
by Jeffrey Hill
Anderson Enterprises buzzers are on the inexpensive end of the spectrum (a little over $200) and are pretty reliable. I personally own 2 of the daisy-chain "Table-Top Button" sets. One thing I don't like about them is the tiny LED indicator lights, but you get used to them after a while.

BuzzerSystems.com also has some decent systems for a little more (starting around $300) and I'm not aware of any complaints.

I'm not a big fan of ZeeCraft systems - they are expensive (closer to $600), the telephone connectors break easily, and I find the shape of their "new improved design" rather annoying when wrapping up the cords and packing them up.

See the QBWiki page on buzzers for buying tips and a complete list of manufacturers.

Re: Smith-Cotton

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 3:50 pm
by dwd50
I'll second the Andersons - especially the table-top sets. Three things to plug and you're done. It's 7th Grader-proof (so far. Give them time.)