Mike Lycett

Carol Surely catching & scanning defeats the principle of ETS though?

Forthview I have my views just like everyone else has and I can voice them too. I don't get offended if people differ from my point of view & you shouldn't do either. Life's too short & this is only a hobby. I get wound up by people's attituides too you know, but I don't bite....

Chris Little wins well with these - he has a "golden pair".. Think his 1st Open SNFC Newbury was a Learemans cross pigeon

I'm sure Chris would like to win a 3rd 1st Open in the SNFC in 2006. Tha'ts all I'm saying....... Not sure of his other wins. At a GUESS I'd say 2004 and 2002? I know they were Newbury and Falaise... I think. Mike

Well, i'm sure he'd rather win one in 2006 than in 2010 !

Having won 2 x 1st SNFC in the last couple of seasons I feel sure that Chris will be only too kenn to try and make it a third as soon as he can Mike

Hyacinth I never mentioned the USA cos I didn't know their figures - but in Europe I do know the figures and the UK (RPRA) come out well - even though our membership is declining its true. If ETS DID come into play i'm sure plenty would be upset. Me, I'd probably HAVE to have it - even though I don't really want it. If our biggest competitors get it, I can't afford not to race on the same footing as them - this is precisely why its unfair. I don't fly to get beat & I certainly am not prepared to give people an obvious advantage. How many more would feel like me? LOADS. I've always said that for ouro wn loft it would be a good thing - but i'm just looking out for the other geezers - manyo f whom don't wanna throw theier Toulets out and buy an STB let alone anything else!!!

Tell you what IS interesting though. Belgium, Holland, Scotland etc all have ETS in place - the RPRA doesn't (Agree?). Have a guess who has lost LEAST amount of members in the last 10 years? When you get the right answer I wonder why that is the case?? Mike

Done !

Alan Send me a PM & I'll give you his mobile no. Mike

Tony C - you are bang on. Conventional is fairer. As for Stall traps- I wish everyone in my town would use 'em - I'll show you who's quicker!

Hyacinth I don't believe I ever spoke down to you or anybody else. I'm not always right, I know that, but I do have opinions but i'm more than capable of expressing them without stooping to personal attacks that I felt that I was subjected to. If I upset anybody then I apologise 'cos it certainly isn';t intended - however, if I feel someone is having a "pop" then you bet I'll respond. Like Sid Barkel said before "I aint no dartboard & I aint no pin cushion either". Regards Mike

Right For email its gemsupps@boltblue.com (If memory serves me right) Gemthepax, Strike & Hormoform are 3 of the best products on the market for me. We use it at least 3 times a week all year round and last season had 16x1st, 12x2nd, 10,3rd,11x4th & 11x5th. G10's have Gemthepax inside them.. You can either by the G10's on their own, but Gem have started to add them into their mixture now (about 9% I think). Our birds have reared on their "Breeding Plus" which has the G10's in it - but we raced swith adding G10's to the mixture last season before they went on sale to the public. Brian Wall used us as a "guinea pig" and we were impressed - 'd always been a hater of pellets You could argue that you don't need Gemthepax if you use G10's, but I still give the Gemthepax. I think its too good to compromise on Mike

This is one of the stickingpoints for me. In my town we have about 30 lofts & each and every one of us flies "open door". Up in Scotland I think they do use traps a bit more than us down here. What is unacceptable to me is that to have the system in place at your lofts you have to ultimately re-design your loft & i'm not prepared to do that at all. Our home environment is one of the reasons why our birds race well & I'm not gonna compromise that for anybody - and I'm not talking about expense personally - although I acknowledge it is an issue for many. I want someone to show me how I can fly Open door with ETS and have our birds hit the back of the loft without me having to catch them. Am I asking for too much? Hyacinth's system is obviously ok for her & that's fine .. That's her opinion & she has a right to it - personally (my opinion) I'd leave the sport before my birds came home from a race like that (no disprespect intended Linda) Part of the romance is catching the bird & getting it in the thimble. Every week I bet we al here of "the one that got away". It always happens - even to Old Hands. Happened with me last year. Houdini was 2nd in one race & i know he should have won it - didn't tell anyone what went wrong though. He hit his box & had his rubber removed - that was his job done - it was me that fluffed it & got beat by .6 of a yard. Take that away from us & to me, we've got precious little left. Same joy as distance racing. I've only ever sent 2 pigeons to Bergerac - 557 miles. Both home on the day. The excitement of catching the pigeon cannot be replicated by sitting watching him drop into a trap. Bugger that for a game of soldiers! That's what I say when I say i've "seen" it in action. Watched it loads of times on the continent but its not as enjoyable as standing near the dors waiting for the bird to go THUD and hit his box Mike

Of course ETS will be passed at swome point by the RPRA in the UK. To be honest it would be a tremendous thing for our loft. I often have to work weekends & miss the birds etc... What I was saying though was that I don't think it is right for the RPRA to implement it & the fanciers of the RPRA obviously feel thew same. If they didn't it would have got passed. I'm not an expert on ETS - never said I was. I said I've "seen" it in operation loadso f timesi n various countries & I don't like it - its not for me. I WILL go into my reasons for my feelings, but for the moment I want to understand what Clockman was saying about it being placed on the wall??? Please explain to me how this works. I've only ever seen it in operation on stall traps, sputniks, landing areas etc... I don't want to alter my loft in any way shape or form.

Hang on a minute then! This is crucial !! Our birds - like most birds in the UK fly through an open door and hit the back of their box - BUMP. They do'nt touch the top of the loft, the floor, the garden or anywhere else. They only ever hit their box - just like good widowers should One question and only question only at the moment. Unless I implement some kind of "chute", "trap" "landing area" "sputnik" can I not use the ETS system? My birds fly straight through an open door & I'm not prepared to change anything to our loft. Can ETS work if I fly an Open Door- just like the vast majority of guys here in the UK do?

Forthview = Can you oblige please tellingm e precisely how the ETS works on open door. i.e Where the sensors are etc?? Thanks mIke

Rose Now we're beginning to get to the crux of one odf the issues! Mike

DD - I haven't started on my points yet. It'll be obvious when I do. For now, I wanted to be clear on what process was in place that rejected the ETS - jyst in case some people didn't know the process. Next up, all I'm asking for at the moment is a thorough explanation of how the ETS system works on an Open Door trapping system considering this is the way that the overwhelming majority ofv fanciers in the UK trap their birds. I won't move on until I'm clear on the trapping system / Open door / ETS process Mike

PeterPau - Every Club had the option. If your Club diidn't then I'd discuss it with either your Club Sec. or Region Sec. Paper balloting all members? I'm sure it would be viable in the ideal world - but that comes at a cost & the current process encompasses all fanciers without the cost so there's nothing wrong with the procdess - and "Yes" - it is fair to say that it got slaughtered. Hyacinth... Before I pick up on points made by Saddler, can you please explain to me the use of ETS when you only use an open door trapping system please? Mike

Back for a sec.. Hyacinth (Linda)... Yes, I know - I haven't started on that bit yet. As for me condeming ETS it was each and every Region that voted against it! Unfortunately, I'm not THAT powerful and persuasive!!! If only I were!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D

DD – Sorry for the delay. Been busy and I’m off out in a bit so I won’t be online much tonight. Before we start on the ETS can I just make one thing clear. In England we do not have our heads in the sand on this issue. It’s been debated in both the RP and BHW for years now and has had a complete and utter airing. People either see things one way or the other. There is no fundamental right or wrong answer. We have our opinions whether we are for or against. I wonder how many people actually understand the Club/Region/.Council structure within the RPRA. It is this body that has just kicked the ETS in to touch in the UK and therefore we need to understand how it works 1. Each and every single club within the RPRA has the right to elect a delegate from its local club to go and vote at its Region “for” or “against” on any matter. That delegate has one vote - irrespective of the size of club. The delegate votes how his club has mandated him to vote – not how he/she wants to vote personally. 2. We are members of the West Midlands Region – the biggest in the UK. For arguments sake, let’s say that the West Midlands have 100 clubs within its fold. That’s 100 votes representing each and every fancier within that Region. For arguments sake, let’s say they vote on the ETS and 80 Clubs say “no” and 20 clubs say “yes”. The West Midlands Region then goes forward and votes “no” on the issue at Council. 3. The issue (ETS) then gets discussed at Council whereby it receives the mandate from each and every Region. Every Region has followed the procedure in Step 2. Therefore, each and every fancier from each and every club within the UK has effectively had their say. It cannot be fairer! It can’t can it? What other way is there that’s fairer than that?? Now, at the last Council meeting the ETS was put to the vote and it got slaughtered. Therefore, it is accurate to say that the members of the RPRA (45,000 people) overwhelmingly are not in favour of the ETS system. If you personally are in the RPRA, and want ETS, but your Club didn’t use its delegation, then I’m afraid that is not my problem – it is yours and your local Club’s problem. If I was passionate about an issue I’d make sure my vote counted on the issue For me, for tonight, I’m off. When I return though, can someone answer me this? Do you have to have a stall trap / sputnik etc fitted to use this device or can you use it still trapping through “open door”? Cheers Mike

Thank you for your welcome & timely intervention Webmaster. I hope we can discuss the issue without the personal attacks DD - I'll reply to your point when I have a bit more time. I'm leaving for work now & its not a 2 sentence reply unfortunately Mike

I know you're english Linda - but you're still throwing the accusation.. Aren't you?

Hyacinth So.. We English know "squat" and are incapable of "looking at something objectively"? Is that what you are saying???..... : :