Attraction Cutback Water Coaster
- Thread starter Unagi
- Start date
I think actual numbers comparing the temperatures across the attractions could be quite interesting. So if someone could provide a comprehensive report of that, I'd be hugely thankful. Even something as simple as an Excel spreadsheet with the numbers thrown in for each attraction would be really cool. If someone wants to take that on.
- Feb 3, 2019
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Ok, I have used them often but never on water. I know out thermal imagers just see the reflection on water and shiny things like glass.
Thermal takes just what's on the surface. Even if you touched your skin and let go with a thermal you could look 'hotter' than you are. Infrared takes sub surface readings, so it can eliminate things like glare and contact warmth.
Ok, I am extremely famalier with thermal imagers, you might even say peoples lives depend on me using it and I have had extensive training on them. But for IR thermometers I thought they also worked by only reading the surface and focusing the surface image on a sensor inside the thermometer. I have one in my truck.....time to experiment.
I used an IR temperature gun to take readings from magnetic brake fins during station sojourns between regular dispatches, many years ago.
Let's not get into the wheres or whys.
The resulting temp readings were both repeatable and OMFG-high.
"Uhhhh, can someone go back to the book and double-check the critical temperature values for this alloy?”
Remediation ensued.
Let's not get into the wheres or whys.
The resulting temp readings were both repeatable and OMFG-high.
"Uhhhh, can someone go back to the book and double-check the critical temperature values for this alloy?”
Remediation ensued.
My point is I dont think a handheld IR heatgun will give you accurate readings....and so this is pertinant. What would probably work and how I keep check on my water and ice temps in my Yeti is a electronic thermometer with a exposed probe which is vacume sealed to keep it dry. A digital meat thermometer would work really good as well but will not pass security.
Here's a good link on it:
http://www.firecraftsafety.com/pdf/IR Thermometers explained.pdf
Reflective surfaces can effect the reading. So it uses the the radiant temp to come up with the temperature of something. The thermal would likely be better for the readings of something like this if you aren't looking to fully submerge something.
The point of my example earlier was that we use the thermal to get what the actual surface temp of different surfaces, the IR to get the temp of the air coming off of the surfaces. IIRC there's a setting though that can use the temp coming off to infer based on the air temp of where you are and where the laser is.
Basically you are right that the best reading would come from something submerged. Although I do think it would take longer than someone at WCUSA would be willing to give you in the slide pools.
What I use in my Yeti is basically a digital thermometer with the outer plastic case removed which directly exposes the temp sensor so that only has a very thin piece of vacume sealer plastic between that and the water. Mine reads accurately in only a few seconds. Its also very small and I highly doubt the medal detectors would see it.
Lol
This is parkfans folks! Guerilla thermometers in a water coaster thread. I unironically love it.
This is parkfans folks! Guerilla thermometers in a water coaster thread. I unironically love it.
- Feb 3, 2019
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A few thoughts from today:
They currently seem to have a problem with their dispatch. The automated "all clear" chime rings on the second launch. For some reason or another, they have decided that's not enough clearance. So they have a third guard up top watching for the raft to clear the third launch and manually giving a thumbs up to dispatch. This not only makes it more expensive to operate, it also slows down rider throughput. The line for cutback is easily 1-1.5 hours right now. My group has been splitting up and using single rider and that cuts down the wait to 20-30 minutes.
That ties in to my second thing, dispatch times are terrible. I timed 20 dispatches and they are lucky if they get a raft out within 60 seconds. With an average three riders per raft, that's 180 riders per hour which I think is pretty pathetic. Even if every raft was full, that's only 240 riders/hr. (For reference, I timed aquazoid and when they were in a good groove they could get rafts out every 18 seconds. This equates to a theoretical max of 720/hr. In practice with 3 riders per raft average and delays waiting for rafts to come up the lift, I think it's closer to 400/hr which is still double cutback's throughput).
I also took temps at hubba hubba, cutback, and aquazoid. All pools were a consistent 70 degrees.
They currently seem to have a problem with their dispatch. The automated "all clear" chime rings on the second launch. For some reason or another, they have decided that's not enough clearance. So they have a third guard up top watching for the raft to clear the third launch and manually giving a thumbs up to dispatch. This not only makes it more expensive to operate, it also slows down rider throughput. The line for cutback is easily 1-1.5 hours right now. My group has been splitting up and using single rider and that cuts down the wait to 20-30 minutes.
That ties in to my second thing, dispatch times are terrible. I timed 20 dispatches and they are lucky if they get a raft out within 60 seconds. With an average three riders per raft, that's 180 riders per hour which I think is pretty pathetic. Even if every raft was full, that's only 240 riders/hr. (For reference, I timed aquazoid and when they were in a good groove they could get rafts out every 18 seconds. This equates to a theoretical max of 720/hr. In practice with 3 riders per raft average and delays waiting for rafts to come up the lift, I think it's closer to 400/hr which is still double cutback's throughput).
I also took temps at hubba hubba, cutback, and aquazoid. All pools were a consistent 70 degrees.
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I took a look at the Cutback line today shortly after opening, watched exactly two boats enter the splashdown area in the span of a couple of minutes, and said. “Nope.” I don’t care if it’s the greatest water slide ever made. I’m not waiting 30 minutes, or 2-3 times that if I actually want to ride with my family, for Cutback.
Pencil me in for next year. ?
Not to be too negative about it (oops), but I don’t think about water slides the same way I think about roller coasters: I’ll probably be there for rope drop or suck it up and wait the hour for an operationally iffy big coaster, if it means not waiting another year. Just can’t muster the same effort for a water park ride.
That’s one less person in front of you in line.
Pencil me in for next year. ?
Not to be too negative about it (oops), but I don’t think about water slides the same way I think about roller coasters: I’ll probably be there for rope drop or suck it up and wait the hour for an operationally iffy big coaster, if it means not waiting another year. Just can’t muster the same effort for a water park ride.
That’s one less person in front of you in line.