grunkles wrote:Would that affect the spread of the emitted beam or change the sensitivity to alignment of the receiver?
When you say sensor being taller, do you mean the emitter with the USB Battery? If yes, laying them on their side does has a small effect on beam angle but something you would not notice in normal use. If you did mean the sensor, there is no effect on its side.
grunkles wrote:One of the new receivers also rattles--looks like the lens/window is loose. Is it possible that the lens being misaligned is messing with the beam?
Once again, the receiver is the unit connected to the wire while the emitter is the unit with the battery. The emitter has a clear lens inside loosely fit to allow for expansion so it will have a small amount of play and could rattle like it is loose. The lens is 90 degrees to the beam and can not move in a way to have any effect on the beam.
The issue still sounds like emitter/sensor used at the finish line. Did you try what I suggested last reply of swapping start for finish beams? Also, the emitters and sensors are constructed in a way not requiring any weather protection like other company's beams. These are weather resistant units, not submersible, but can be in direct contact with rain and sun. Many times we find the clear containers some customers use to 'protect' these units actually creates a greenhouse effect and raises the ambient temperature quite a bit, which would be bad for the electronics.
You might want to send the emitters and sensors in to RaceAmerica for testing and possible repair.