The Compulink AUTO START System once armed to :ON

[Cglrcng]

Can anyone with the true tech knowledge (or not, since we all are subject to it's use), please explain the Compulink AUTO Start System once it is armed to the :ON position in as much detail as you can. (And if your name is Jeff Foster, your input may be especially valuable in this conversation...).

And does anyone know when it was first introduced and adopted by NHRA for use in competition?

And, though the Starter activates the system after both competitors are pre-staged, when does the timer start the 10 second (Sportsman), timeout countdown, after how many bulbs are lit (in our case of course the Upper Blue LED Rainbow and center White LED Line represents Pre-Stage, and Lower Blue LED completion of the circle represents Fully Staged).

I know the answers to all 3 questions above. I will pose the final question after a reasonable period of time has elapsed so that many with knowledge and wish to, have chimed in and responded, and please help participate, it may be important to all of us...And that final question I will pose later, I do not know the answer to. But, we all should.

My thanks to all that contribute to the thread in advance!

[Bobby Fazio]

For sportsman, it is 10 seconds to timeout and it starts when 3 bulbs are lit.

[Cglrcng]

Hiya Bobby and TY.

That answers questions 1 & 3, but not when it was instituted by NHRA, which is question 2. And thanks for the correction on seconds to timeout, different than the pros use.

I appreciate your input Mr. Fazio!

[1320racer]

Originally Posted by Bobby Fazio

For sportsman, it is 10 seconds to timeout and it starts when 3 bulbs are lit.

The number of veteran racers who still don’t know this is baffling.

10 seconds is for bracket/handicap tree, 7 seconds is pro tree BUT when racing at a new track to you, confirm with track management before your 1st hit.

[JP1738]

I'd be grateful if someone could explain to me how people can get timed out after 1 or 2 seconds if someone turns on a stage bulb (lighting 3 bulbs total) and turns it back off. Something about it starts the autostart and doesn't reset after the stage bulb is knocked back off and both drivers are pre-staged again. Seems to me like it would reset when it sees 2 bulbs again but apparently it doesn't. That's how dragster drivers are able to turn the wheel and dick people who won't stage straight away.

[1320racer]

Once 3 bulbs are lite, there’s no reset if you back out or turn your front wheels.

[Stephen & Horace Johnson]

i was timed out in atlanta div 2… my competition turned on his stage light and i went in next and it blinked twice and i went in again and put the stage light on and i was timed out… my dad went to the official and asked him what happen and he said the time started as soon as i blinked the stage light the first time… 7 secs…
i was red lighted….

[Dan Bennett]

Obviously, some things have changed (definitely was 7 at the beginning) but Jeff explained it to me that 3 bulbs was the trigger - period. It would not reset if someone backed out or if there was flicker after that. Once the requirements were met it would run to completion. I don't know if that was a design choice or just a function of the components they used.

[1320racer]

It was always 10 seconds for bracket/class racing/ handicap/sportsman tree.

[Dan Bennett]

I wish I could give you an exact date but it's something about the first thing to go...

It came into place and Jeff and I had lengthy conversations about it towards the end of my reporting for DRC. So that would be very late 90s or very early 2000s.