Race timing

[j5ive]

Just wondering what smaller clubs are using to time their races? We've had a few races up this way and have been using the old stopwatch and two way trick. It does the job but requires pretty intensive monitoring to keep it accurate and mistakes are easy made.

I was thinking laptop with some sort of stopwatch software. I found one that you can assign race numbers to each lap, this would make it pretty fool proof. But it would be great if we could make a switch of some sort to do the clicking. Anyone smart with a soldering iron? Maybe mod a keyboard or mouse to do the job with a strip floor button or a motion detector style of thing.

The other issue is the lag between the top and the bottom caused from the two ways. I know the pro kits use a wireless network to overcome this. Anyway that this can be done on the CHEAP?

Thanks, any help would be appriciated...

[Dazed&Confuzed]

The Seiko S149 printer stopwatches are the easiest and least complicated system. Try any Seiko dealer and have a look in their catalogue.
There is a grip switch that plugs into the stopwatch. Someone with a bit of electrical knowledge can cut the thumbswitch part off and connect an electronic through beam into the wiring that will work off a 12 volt car battery. The printer then records each time the beam is broken.
You can use one at the top and one at the bottom. The start and finish times can then be entered into a spreadsheet program to give you the results.
Hope this helps. I can send you a copy of the spreadsheet program if you want it.

[j5ive]

That be great, jonny@dirtclowns.com

Whats the stopwatch worth? And what do you use a sensors?

[Stinky]

The Rocky mtb cub used to own about 4 of these things, it would be worth talking to the Burkhartds or Dunns (if they are still involved with the club) as to what happened to them. They do not use sensors but are pretty much the best thing that you can get without going allout.

Are you guys still riding lots in 1st Turkey?

[Nige]

That system sounds like our old system except we built a portable start gate with an electic magnet. Once setup the gate would fall every 30 seconds realesing riders, all it need was one person to pull the gate buck up after the ride left. Alot easier to deal with than to braking beams.

[j5ive]

The Rocky mtb cub used to own about 4 of these things, it would be worth talking to the Burkhartds or Dunns (if they are still involved with the club) as to what happened to them. They do not use sensors but are pretty much the best thing that you can get without going allout.

Are you guys still riding lots in 1st Turkey?

Yeah few new tracks in there. Check out dirtclowns.com

Burkhartds recon they don't have any equipment- I know they do :P

It would be so old now anyways.