Scholastic Quiz Bowl, Buzzer System - PHONES-R-PHUN - 16 Players

Description

PHONES-R-PHUN
Scholastic Quiz Bowl System
We are pleased to announce our new Phones-R-Phun, Scholastic Quiz Bowl System.
This system works in two different ways.  First, it is a lockout system where the first player to buzz in locks everyone else out.  That player answers and if his answer is wrong, then the next player gets to answer.
The system can also work as a survey system.  Many colleges and schools use this method to determine subject knowledge and understanding.  A multiple choice question appears with four answers.  Each player presses one of the buttons (four on each phone) to enter his answer choice.  The system then shows the correct answer and advances to the next question.  An optional scoreboard can be shown showing the number of correct answers for each player.
The scoreboard is optional since not every player wants their score to be shown to the group or class.  However for the teacher or administrator, this is useful.  The scoreboard shows the subject understanding.
Of course each player can get a score too.  If twenty questions were asked and the player got all twenty correct, he would have 20/20 x 100, or 100%.  Or just 20 out of 20 would work too.  The survey mode could be a competition.  If sports questions were asked in a bar (Sports Bar?), the winner could get a prize.
The Phones-R-Phun system allows sixteen players to play using their cell phones as buzzers or input devices.  The included quiz system software is installed on your Windows computer.  Please see pictures.  Each phone connects to the system using WIFI.  You must have WIFI to use the system.
You connect to your WIFI router through your Windows computer on your network. You need to know the User ID and Password for your network (you already do).
THE PLAYERS DO NOT NEED TO KNOW THE USER ID OR PASSWORD OF YOUR NETWORK.
You install the PRP software on the PC.  Then run the software and enter each phone’s IP number, together with the player's name.  This is easy because when a button is pressed on each player’s phone his IP number will be displayed in the software.  You can also find it manually by looking in the phone’s settings.  Both IPhones and Android phones will work on the system.  Actually anything that goes on the Internet and has a software browser program will work.  A Chrome Book, Windows PC and Apple tablet will all work and so will a Kindle.  The Kindle must be able to access the Internet with it's Internet browser.   If you want to know if your device will work, just ask.
There is a small black box, called the R-Box that plugs into a free USB port on the computer.  The R-Box interfaces the phones to the computer using WIFI.  The R-Box  (contains the entire quiz system hardware) gets power from the computer's USB port. Each phone can easily transmit the answer since it is connected to your WIFI network.  SIMPLE.
The PRP software includes a question timer and selectable question point values.  The points can be varied from 0 to 25.  The Quiz Master asks a question and starts the timer.  Then the sixteen players buzz in by pressing their buttons on their phones.  The button is created in software on the phone.  The software keeps track of the order that players buzz in and allows each player to answer in that order.  Points are awarded or deducted for correct and incorrect answers.  It is also possible to have the players arranged in teams and team scores are tallied.  Look at the pictures.  Two teams are shown.  There are also sound effects for correct/incorrect answers and the question timer.
Everyone has a Smart Phone so why not use it to play a quiz game.  The quiz button software does not get installed on a player's phone.  It is a WIFI app.  In our testing the IP address for the quiz software was 10.0.0.73.  The software tells you this number.  It will vary with the location and router being used.  This is the number that each phone will use to connect in their browser.  Every phone will use this same number.
The first picture shows the sixteen players with 6 people who buzzed in.  Ray was the first to buzz in and the first to answer.  A horizontal yellow bar highlights the player who is answering, in this case, Ray.  If he answers correctly, he gets 10 points.  If incorrectly he loses 10 points.  The order that the players buzzed in is also shown.  If Ray was wrong then Ralph is next to answer and the horizontal yellow bar will highlight Ralph.  It is simple and fun too.  You can disable the points being subtracted from a player's score.  This way, players will be encouraged to answer.
The main form, showing the players and game action, can be easily resized to fill your monitor or projection screen, so everyone can easily see it.  Just click and drag the corner.
The last picture shows four teams with four players on each team.  Each team can also have a name.
LOCKOUT AND SURVEY MODES
The two modes are similar.  The lockout mode is more competitive since players can be on teams and scores are shown.  Each team or player says his answer.  This is the traditional college bowl type of game.  Each player's phone has four buttons.  A player can press any button to answer.  He can buzz in with any button.
Survey mode is used to determine the group’s knowledge.  Each player is not questioned for his answer.  The number of players with the correct answer is shown.  Questions do not have points.  There are no teams.  Question and answer sets do have to be created or typed in, before the quiz.  Pictures can also be shown with each question.  Songs or sounds can also be played for each question.  This is similar to
Name that Tune
.  Editing software is included to allow the questions and answers to be easily entered.  If you already have question sets they can be used and loaded into the software.  Your question sets should be in CSV format.  CSV means Comma Separated Value.  Using CSV, a question’s information (question, answers, point value, picture, song, etc.) is on one line in the file; separated by commas.  Text files can also be loaded with the question on the first line and the four answers on the next four lines.  This is described in detail in the manual.
MULTIPLE CLASS LISTS
The PRP system can be used in school with multiple classes.  A listing of sixteen names and IP numbers can be saved and retrieved for multiple classes.  When a new class arrives; that different class roster can be easily loaded.  There is no need to create a new list of players or students.  Each class list associates each player with his IP.  Minor changes can be made to a class list to add or delete players (students).  Whenever changes are made to a list; it can easily be downloaded into the PRP R-Box.
We are selling our Phones-R-Phun quiz system for 9.  This is less than the cost of a Smart Phone.  Everything you need is included: PRP software, R-Box interface box, and Operating Manual.  Shipping is free.  Have fun!