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Time - Race Timer

1. Overview e 3 What the Race Timer Software Does Race Timer User s Guide The Race Timer software turns a computer running the Windows operating system into a full featured recording stop watch It is an aggressive program and attempts to turn a computer into a single purpose device be preventing the operator from running any other software easily or accidentally Because timing a race is an intense activity requiring dedicated attention on the part of the person doing the timing by default Race Timer takes over the entire computer screen display and attempts to always be the top most window Race Timer is an easy to use program with only a few critical operations or commands All of these are accessible with single keystroke actions The features of the Race Timer software include being able to start the clock record places times and bib numbers edit times and bib numbers configure the location and format of saved data calibrate the computers system clock The following sections detail the features of the Race Timer software Starting the Race Clock The Race Timer software allows you to easily start the clock You can start the clock at the moment the race event starts or at a later time by entering in an elapsed time You can even later restart the clock to adjust times you have already recorded for a different start time Recording of Places Times and Bib Numbers The Race Timer software conveniently facilitates the hand reco
2. Cancel Restore Defaults Delete Button Hot Keys This option allows you to enable or disable the Delete key as a method for deleting recorded times If you checked the Disable Delete Button option the Delete Key option has no effect Otherwise pressing the Delete key will delete the last recorded time Timer File Type Race Timer supports the saving of data in three different formats They are a generic format for ease of reading a format utilized by the Pocket Timer software available from Stevens Creek Software a format utilized by the Race Director software available from Race Management Software We will add support for other formats upon special request Timer File Name You can specify Race Timer to save data to a file with the name of your choice It must be a file name that is legal in Windows version 3 1 Overwrite Existing Time Files This option tells Race Timer to overwrite any existing time file when saving a new time file If this option is not checked Race Timer will create a new file with each Save All or Save New Each file name will have a different extension The extension will be the number of the save Save Automatically This option supports automatic saving In situations where you do not have to remove any floppy disks during the timing process this option eliminates the need for the timer to remember to save Dialog Boxes e 37 Race Timer User s Guide Restore Defaults To restore the recommende
3. Generic Format The generic format is comma delimited ASCII with quotes around each field Each record begins on a new line The first field is the place number The second field is the time in HH MM SS HH format The third field is the bib number The third field may be empty for times recorded without bib numbers The following is a generic format file with three places 1 00 20 13 08 101 2 00 20 14 77 3 00 20 28 11 203 Pocket Timer Format The Pocket Timer format is comma delimited ASCII with no quotes around each field Each record begins on a new line The first field is the place number The second field is the bib number The third field is the time in HH MM SS HH format The second field contains a 0 for times recorded without bib numbers The following is a Pocket Timer format file with three places 1 101 00 20 13 08 2 0 00 20 14 77 3 203 00 20 28 11 Time Data Files e 42 Note that the time has no colons or decimal points Race Director Format The Race Director format is comma delimited ASCII with quotes around each field Each record begins on a new line The first two fields are blank and of unknown purpose The third field is the place number It is five digits padded with leading spaces for places with less than five digits The fourth field is the time in HHMMSSHH format The fifth field is the bib number lt is five digits padded with leading spaces for bib numbers with less than five digits
4. If the event has bib numbers with a maximum number of digits other than the default 4 set the maximum to the correct value If there is a chance that the computer may be turned off either inadvertently or intentionally and restarted to restore the race make sure the Auto Backup Times option is checked If the volunteer is responsible to record select times only then make sure the Rerd Select Frequently Asked Questions e 52 Times Only option is checked If the target drive for saving the time file is different than the default A change it to the correct value If it is a non removable drive such as a hard disk or mapped network drive then you should configure Race Timerto save data automatically This eliminates the need for the volunteer to concern themselves with saving data during the timing process Do this in the Configuration Settings Advanced dialog Make sure the Save Automatically item is checked With automatic saving on you need to specify appropriate Begin Saving at and Save Every time values If the target drive is a removable drive and it will be removed during the race for processing interim results then automatic saving needs to be off The volunteer operator needs to control when to save and has the responsibility to save Check the configuration and make any changes needed before you start the clock During the race when the volunteer operator is timing make sure Administrator level menu is off How do configure
5. The fifth field is five spaces for times recorded without bib numbers The following is a Race Director format file with three places 4 00201308 101 nn 2 00201477 nn 3 00202811 203 Transferring Timer Data Files Race Timer User s Guide The purpose of saving the time data to a file is to be able to transfer the data to other programs This allows you to utilize the time data for processing results Hard Drive Transfer to Other Software If you will be running results processing software on the same computer running the Race Timer software you can save the data to the hard drive Both programs Race Timer and the results processing software can access the hard drive and consequently the timer data files Floppy Disk Transfer to Other Computer If you will be running results processing software on a computer different than the one running the Race Timer software and the two computers are NOT networked together you need some way to move the timer data files from one computer to the other The simplest non network method to move the data between the computers is by removable media such as a floppy disk Set the target drive for saving the timer file to the floppy drive After you save the data to the floppy drive you can remove it and physically take it to the other computer Network Drive Transfer to Other Computer If you will be running results processing software on a computer different than the on
6. requires removable media such as floppy disks being hand carried back and forth between the computer running Race Timer and a computer running race results processing software such as Race Director or Run Score How do configure the software to only record select times You can customize Race Timer so that you can only record select times a time attached to a bib That is you must type in a bib number before you can record a time To configure Race Timer to only record select times check the Rerd Select Times Only option in the Configuration Settings dialog With this option set you must type in a bib number before you record a place and time You can later correct that bib number by typing in a new bib number and pressing the B key to associate it with the last recorded time How do decrease or increase the size of the Race Timer window By default Race Timer starts up and is displayed full size If you desire to change the size you must first have Administrator menu turned on Then select the Zoom menu from the Customize menu Under the Zoom menu select the desired screen size The menu items for sizes not supported will be grayed out or disabled How do configure the software for use by an unskilled race volunteer The theme for unskilled race volunteers is to keep their job as simple as possible Starting with the default configuration settings consider making the following changes in the Configuration Settings dialog
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8. Maximum number of places 15 999 16 bit 99 999 32 bit Demo version limited to 30 Maximum number of bib digits Configurable from 2 to 5 Maximum elapsed time when 90 hours starting the clock Maximum time length of event 100 Hours File name of Race Timer TIMER16 EXE 16 bit version program file TIMER32 EXE 32 bit version File name of Race Timer help file TIMER HLP File name of results data file RACETIME A default configurable Overview e 5 How This Manual is Organized Race Timer User s Guide This user s guide covers instructions for the operation ofthe Race Timer software It covers the operation and the features and the details required for an administrator to be able to configure and customize the software for different timing jobs This manual is more information than an unskilled volunteer would need to be able to use Race Timer for a simple timing device By referring to this manual an administrator will learn enough skills to setup the software for an unskilled operator and be able to quickly teach an unskilled operator how to effectively use Race Timer This manual starts with a description and explanation of timing in the chapter Background on Timing on page 7 The next chapter Installation and Start Up on page 11 details how to install the Race Timer software start the software and what the software does when starting up The next chapter Record Window on page 16 covers how
9. To get the most accurate timing possible with your computer you must calibrate the computer s clock against a known accurate time source The accuracy of computer clocks varies greatly from computer to computer and each different computer you use as a timing device should be calibrated Race Timer User s Guide Dialog Boxes e 31 Race Timer User s Guide Accurate time sources include a GPS receiver the WWV signal sounded at the top of each hour on AM radios even a good quality quartz clock will work To calibrate the computer s clock start the clock press the Start button at an accurately known time This starts the Computer s elapsed time display below Once started let the clock run for at least 10 hours To get the most accurate calibration let the clock run for an entire day After a know amount of time 10 hours in hours and whole minutes has transpired on the accurate time source stop the computer s clock by pressing the stop button To calculate the error and calibration factor enter the actual amount of time in hours and minutes that has elapsed on the accurate time source Then press the Calculate button To save the calibration information and exit this dialog press the OK button To abandon the calibration information and keep the previous calibration press the Cancel button Calibration Data The calibration data summarizes the date of the last calibration and the corresponding calibration s
10. access the Record Window See Record Window on page 16 You are ready to start timing the event and recording places Installation and Start Up e 15 Record Window Overview Race Timer User s Guide After you satisfy the Start or Restart the Clock dialog at startup Race Timer displays the main window This main window consists of a single interactive dialog box It provides easy control of recording times entering bib numbers editing bib numbers and saving data It is where you will spend most of your time during a timing job Race Timer Race Clock Started at 08 58 28 File Action Customize Help Time Place Time Bib Disk 8 00 21 49 13 52 1 E 9 00 21 50 56 23 1 a a 10 00 21 52 27 566 1 11 00 21 53 79 24 1 pa 12 00 21 54 32 1 13 00 21 55 54 62 1 abe 14 00 21 56 41 24 1 15 00 21 57 81 246 1 16 00 21 58 10 1 17 00 21 58 50 1 18 00 22 00 25 25 1 19 00 22 41 33 20 00 22 43 72 342 21 00 22 46 79 22 00 22 48 95 6 Last Recorded 23 00 22 49 43 Place Time Bib Te au x 24 00 22 51 44 45 Save All Times to Disk lt S gt Delete Last Time lt D gt Save New Times to Disk lt N gt Swap Last 2 Bib Hs lt W gt The Record window behaves a bit differently than typical dialog boxes To support the time critical fast paced process of timing there is only one dialog control that ever has the input focus The Record push button always has the input focus This way whenever you press the En
11. avoid overcharging If you are running the computer on AC power remove the battery avoid running the computer on AC power with the battery installed Once you begin using the battery let it fully discharge before you begin charging it Avoid over discharging the battery Run the computer until the battery is discharged and will no longer run the computer At this point begin charging the battery Do not leave a discharged battery in a computer especially if the computer s power switch is still on Store batteries at room temperature avoid extremes of cold or heat Store computers with the battery installed Computers have a internal clock that requires power even when the computer is off There is a small internal battery that powers this internal clock To make this internal battery last as long as possible store unused computers with their main battery installed The main battery will discharge over time Check its charge state every few weeks and when fully discharged recharge it Depending upon the age of the battery the battery stored in a computer may discharge in as little as a few days to as long as several months As soon as you discover that a battery is discharged charge it back up Even a battery that is stored outside of the computer will discharge over time Periodically check its charge state and when it becomes discharged charge it up When placing a battery in storage begin with it being fully charged As a battery ages it w
12. clock after the race has started on page 44 One additional piece of data needs to be entered into the Start or Restart the Clock dialog You must enter the First Place as the last place recorded on the first computer right before you press the OK button To move the input focus to the First Place edit box press Alt B After you start the second computer s clock you can begin recording finishers right where the first computer left off This is easiest to accomplish when there is at least 15 seconds between finishers Otherwise you may miss some finishers Is it possible to turn the computer off and then restart the timing process Yes If the configuration option Auto Back Times was turned on before you turned off the computer you can restart the last timing job When the Race Timer software starts up and the Start or Restart the Clock dialog comes up press the Restore Last Race button Press Alt R or just R There are some limitations to this You must restart and restore the last race within the same day that the race was started The accuracy of times after restoring can be Frequently Asked Questions e 45 affected as the length of time between shutting down the computer and restoring increases The reason for this is that computers have two internal clocks One is used while the computer is on and a different one keeps time while the computer is off The accuracy of these clocks are different and Race Timer only provides for calibra
13. correction factor The correction factor is the amount of time that is either added to or subtracted from the system time and how often it is added and subtracted Elapsed Time The elapsed time data indicates the computer s system clock elapsed time from the start of the calibration process It also contains data entry fields for specifying an actual elapsed time Starting the Calibration Process To start the calibration process click on or select the Start push button Alt S Do this at an exact known time in hours and minutes Be prepared to allow the computer to run undisturbed for at least 10 hours Make sure all computer s energy saving and suspend features are turned off so the computer will be running during the entire calibration process Stopping the Calibration Process To stop the calibration process click on or select the Stop push button Alt T Do this after 10 or more hours have elapsed Stop the process at an exact know time in hours and minutes Calculating the Calibration Correction After you have started and stopped the calibration process and entered the actual elapsed time into the hours HH and minutes MM fields you can calculate the calibration correction Click on or select the Calculate push Dialog Boxes e 32 button Alt C Once you do this the software displays the new calibration correction factor in the Calibration Data fields Saving the New Calibration Data To save the new calibration dat
14. in the middle of the timing process you must first select the Administrator menu Alt C A Then bring up the Start or Restart the Clock dialog by pressing Alt A S The Race Timer software pops up a message box giving you a chance to cancel this operation Choose OK to continue In the Start or Restart the Clock dialog specify a correct elapsed time for the start and start the clock See question How do start the Race Timer clock after the race has started on page 44 After you press the enter key and start the clock Race Timer asks you whether you want to keep all the existing times and adjust them for the new start time If you desire to get rid of all the existing times press the No button N How do start timing in the middle of a race at a particular place A situation where you may want to start timing in the middle of a race can occur if you are using one computer to time the first portion of a race and another computer to time a later portion where the first one left off You may wish to do this if the battery is running low on the first computer and turning off the computer to change batteries would disrupt the timing process If the density of participants crossing the finish line is high one person should continue timing on the first computer while a second person starts up the second computer The second person will then start the clock the way you start the clock after the race has started See How do start the Race Timer
15. interchangeable with the term disk A disk is a storage device for data It can either be removable such as a floppy disk or fixed such as a hard drive Typically the floppy drive is designated A and the hard drive is designated C Input Focus The term input focus applies to user interface items on the computer screen Items that can have the input focus include buttons edit controls and list boxes Having the input focus means that any key board input is directed to that item that has the input focus You can move the input focus from control to control using the Tab key When you select a control by clicking on it with the mouse or by using the hot key for it by holding down the Alt key and pressing the key that is underlined Windows moves the input focus to the selected control If the current selected control is any type of control other than an edit control you can select it by typing the underlined hot key without holding down the Alt key Num Lock This is a keyboard key similar to Caps Lock It puts the keyboard in a shifted state that makes certain keys produce numbers when hit A full size keyboard has a separate cursor and numeric keypad A notebook computer usually has the numeric keypad overlay a portion of the keyboard OK Button This is a dialog box push button with the label OK Clicking this button will exit the dialog box and save all the changes you have made during your session in the dialog box Glossary of Term
16. is a time consuming process You need to have at least a half a minute or more gap between participants crossing the finish line to give you enough time for changing a bib number without a missing a participant finishing Once you are in the Edit Bib s dialog you need to select the desired place and time to edit Press Alt T to move the input focus to the list of places Use the arrow keys to move through the list to select the desired place and time to edit To move the input focus to the bib number edit field press Alt B Type in the new bib number Save the changes by pressing the Save push button press Alt S To exit the dialog select the Close push button by pressing the Escape key or Alt C You can also move the input focus between the list box the edit field and the push buttons by pressing the Tab key How do clear the bib number from the last recorded time To clear the bib number from the last time just associate a blank bib number with the last time Make sure the Bib number field is empty If it is not press the Backspace key until it is Once it is empty press the B key How do swap the bib numbers of the last two recorded times To swap the bib numbers associated with the last two recorded times press the W key This situation arises when you type in a bib number for a participant expecting that participant to be the next finisher Then right before the finish line another participant passes the participant that yo
17. last recorded time you can delete it by selecting Delete Last Time Alt A D or D or Delete depending upon configuration If the extra time is not the last recorded time there is nothing you can do so just Frequently Asked Questions e 53 Other Race Timer User s Guide ignore it and continue the timing job The extra time will have to be removed during the results processing If you can you could make a note of the mistake and pass that information on to the person doing the results processing What do I do if missed recording a time There is nothing you can do so just keep on timing A time will have to be inserted during the results processing If you can you could make a note of the mistake and pass that information on to the person doing the results processing Inserting a time can introduce significant inaccuracy in the time for the participant that ends up with the created time The error of missing a time is more severe than recording an extra time Remember the first priority of the timing mission statement Record a time for every participant that crosses the finish line What do I do if recorded a time with an incorrect bib number If it was the last recorded time type in the correct bib number and press the B key to associate the bib number with the last recorded time Ifthe mistake occurred a few places back you can change it in the Edit Bib s dialog Accessing this dialog requires being in the Administra
18. my computer for Race Timer You should turn off all power saving features with the exception of powering down the disk drives Remove any screen saver programs and set the power saving features so that the screen stays on Configure the computer to always stay on avoiding suspend or sleep modes Set up the key repeat rate to the lowest value possible Set up the key repeat delay to the longest value possible The intention is to avoid inadvertently recording times by triggering key repeats by hitting the keys too slowly or hard or leaving the fingers on a key too long This is a common mistake made in the pressure of timing an event with lots of participants How do get Race Timer to save the time data in a generic file format for loading into a spreadsheet The default file format is the Race Director format This is a quoted comma delimited text file that can be imported into a spreadsheet It contains some extra blank fields of unknown utility If you desire a cleaner file format you can configure Race Timer to save data in a generic file format In the Configuration Settings Advanced dialog select the Generic option My race has bib numbers 1 through 999 how do keep the timer from entering bib numbers outside this range In the Configuration Settings dialog set the maximum number of digits on bib number to 3 Recovering from Mistakes Race Timer User s Guide What do do if recorded an extra time If the extra time is the
19. on The person doing the timing known as the operator or timer may be an unskilled volunteer or an experienced professional Overview e 1 Race Timer User s Guide Starting the Software To get ready to time an event the first thing you must do is start upthe Race Timer software Typically you setup Race Timer on a dedicated computer to be used solely as a timing device The software starts automatically when you turn the computer on Starting the Clock A critical step when timing an event is starting the official race clock at the start ofthe event Asthe Race Timer software starts up it first brings up the Start or Restart the Clock dialog This gives you the opportunity to start the Race Timer clock You can start the clock at the moment the event starts or you can start the clock with a pre elapsed time already on the clock To start the clock with an elapsed time already indicated enter the time into the hour and minute fields in the Start or Restart the Clock dialog Then select the OK button press the enter key atthe exact moment this time matches the official event clock time For example when timing a Marathon road race you may not expect any finishers until well after 2 hours into the race Instead of starting the computer and the Race Timer software at the start of the race you could start the computer 2 hours into the race If you are running your timing computer on batteries this would save precious battery power A
20. ooooooccnnononocicicinonononinacincnno nono nana nn anna no noni 30 Selected Place Time Bib Data ccccccncncncnncocncnnnnnnncnonononononononononononononononos 30 SAVING GNANGES cidcid di asute shee petditeivtsdnesedeansucessstieals 30 Closing Edit Bib Hs Dialog 4440rs40unnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnen 30 Calibrate System ClOCK cccececeeeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeceaeeesaaeeeeeeesaeeesaaesseaaeeseeeesaeeseaeeseaes 31 INSTUCIONS En e a a 31 Galibration Data a ita 32 Elapsed IM 32 Race Timer User s Guide Contents e ii Starting the Calibration Process 22240s4444nnnnnnnnnnennnnnnnnennnnnnnnnnnennn nennen 32 Stopping the Calibration Process 4400r2200nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nn 32 Calculating the Calibration Correction 222044240nnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 32 Saving the New Calibration Data 4usr200nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nn 33 SEASON A 33 INStUCUONS ica 33 Elapsed iMac ira esa 34 Beginning Start Place ooooocccinnnccninnccnncccnnnccnnnccnnnnncc narran cnc crac 34 Starting the Clock cian iria en 34 Restoring Last Race mia eaea ea EEE eE a E Ea ea TEE E E A EEA 34 Configuration SettidQS omoconninninnncnnnnnnnnncnnncccnnrnnn crac cnn rca rra 35 Maximum Number of Digits on Bib HS oooooonnnncinicccnnnicnoconnncccnanccnnnrnnnana cnn 35 Target Drive for Saving Timer File oooooonnnnnnnnincnnncnnnnnconnccnnnccnarccnnr
21. perfecttiming org celiabertoia yahoo com Copyright c 2002 2004 Perfect Timing All Rights Reserved Sep 92004 19 43 52 Unsaved Data Prompt If you attempt to exit Race Timer before you save all the data you will be greeted with a prompt informing you that you have not saved all the data Pressing Enter or N will bring you back to the Record Window so you can save Pressing Y for yes will exit the program with a loss of data Race Timer Unsaved Data Prompt x 2 Whoa you haven t saved all the time data yet Do you really want to exit without saving and lose data Race Timer User s Guide Dialog Boxes 39 Race Timer User s Guide Restarting Clock Prompt If you attempt to bring up the Start or Restart the Clock dialog after you have recorded times Race Timer greets you with a message box prompt informing you that you are about to restart the clock and have already recorded some time You can continue or cancel the operation by pressing the Escape key Race Timer Restarting Clock Prompt x N Whoa you have already recorded some times Restarting the clock will cause you to later choose between deleting or modifing existing times Restarting the Clock After you restart the clock and there are existing recorded times Race Timer asks you on what you would like to do with the existing times You can keep them and adjust them for the new start time select Yes or you can erase them select No Race Timer S
22. saving features of some notebook computers There are some other power saving features that you can employ that will not interfere with the timing process but will maximize how long your computer runs on a single charge of the battery First you can set your computer to turn the hard disk off as soon as possible typically after few minutes Another thing you can do is to set your computers processor speed to the slowest possible speed or power saving speed Just make sure you calibrate the computers clock with the same settings as that you use during actual timing There are things you can do to make your batteries usable lifetime as long as possible Batteries for notebook computers are expensive You may be able to get an old notebook computer for less than 100 00 but a replacement battery for the computer may cost over 100 00 So how do you maximize the service life of a battery and reap the most from your battery investment There are many different kinds of batteries and each may have slightly different guidelines on care Familiarize yourself with the type of battery you have and what the manufacture s care guidelines are In my experience here is what have found to work well in getting the longest lifetime out of a battery Charge the battery with the computer off Begin charging the battery only when it is fully discharged Once you begin charging the battery let it fully charge Once the battery is fully charged stop charging it
23. screen and always on top the context sensitive help feature is either not accessible or not visible The Help button in dialogs may be disabled Race Timer User s Guide Loading Calibration Data If the computer s system clock has not been calibrated the software displays a warning in the in the Status Line indicating the system clock has not been calibrated See section Status Line on page 26 You do not need to calibrate the computer s system clock to use the computer for timing a race The accuracy will be limited to the accuracy of the computer s system clock This accuracy varies from computer to computer and can be quite poor Some computers have system clocks that have errors of multiple seconds per day We recommend calibrating the computer s system clock before you use a particular computer for timing Once you calibrate the system clock Race Timer creates a file name Timer cal that stores the calibration data The file is located in the same directory as the program file Timer16 exe or Timer32 exe Upon startup Race Timer reads this file Loading Configuration Data Race Timer stores parameters that customize its operation and behavior in a file to preserve settings between timing jobs These parameters include maximum number of digits on bib numbers location for saving time data etc Race Timer creates a file named Timer cfg that stores the configuration settings The file is located in the same directory as the progr
24. this dialog box select Program Item and press the OK button This action brings up the Program Item Properties dialog box In this dialog box type in Race Timer in the Description field Type in the path and name of the Race Timer program file C Timer Timer16 exe Type in the path in the Working Directory field C Timer then press the OK button This will add Race Timer to the StartUp program group so Race Timer will start automatically when Windows starts up To create a short cut to Race Timer in the startup folder under Windows 95 or greater do the following Click on the Start menu click Settings then click on Taskbar amp Start Menu to bring up the Taskbar Properties dialog box In this dialog click on the Start Menu Programs tab then click on the Add button This brings up a wizard to walk you through the creation of a shortcut Within the wizard type in or browse to the race timer program file Timer32 exe Continue with the wizard by clicking Next Select to place the shortcut into the StartUp folder Continue through the wizard by clicking Next to the Finish Configuring the Computer To get the best performance and ease of operation out of the Race Timer software there are a few settings on you computer and software that you should make First you should setup your computer so that there are no other programs running when Race Timer will be running Make sure that your computer s power saving features will not interfere w
25. to disk Later when you are back in the Record window save the time data to make sure you have a file containing all the latest changes Closing Edit Bib s Dialog To exit the Edit Bib s dialog box click on or select the Close push button Escape or Alt C All changes you made and saved with the Save button are preserved If Auto Backup Times is on the back up file is refreshed to capture all the changes Race Timer User s Guide Dialog Boxes e 30 Calibrate System Clock The Calibrate System Clock dialog box walks you through the process of calibrating the system clock to an accurate time source To bring up this dialog box select Calibrate System Clock from the Action menu Alt A C You must have first selected the Administrator menu Alt C A Calibrate System Clock Instructions To getthe most accurate timing possible with your computer you must calibrate the computer s clock against a known accurate time source Next gt Calibration Data Last calibrated NOT Calibrated Correcting time 0 00 second every 0 10 seconds Elapsed Time Computer s clock HH MM 55 HH HH MM Actual Enter hours minutes Help Cancel Instructions At the top of the dialog box is an area that contains written instructions on how to calibrate the system clock To page through the instructions use the Next and Back buttons to move forward or backward through the instructions The instructions are
26. to use the Delete key the Delete Key option on the Configuration Settings Advanced dialog must be checked To delete the last recorded time if the Disable Delete Button is checked select Delete Last Time from the Action menu Press Alt A D Being able to disable the delete key prevents inadvertently deleting a time by accidentally hitting the D key Note the D key is next to the S key used for saving A clumsy key press of the S key may bump the D key Once a time is deleted there is no way to get it back How do record a time with a bib number a select time Type in the bib number and then press Enter when the participant with that bib number crosses the finish line To type in the bib number after you record the participants time press Enter when the participant crosses the finish line then type in the bib number then press the B key Pressing the B key selects the Associate Bib with Last Time push button Frequently Asked Questions e 46 Editing Bib Numbers Race Timer User s Guide How do I change the bib number for a recorded time You can change the bib number of the last recorded time quickly and easily Just type in the bib number and press the B key If you need to change the bib number for place other than the last recorded place you must use the Edit Bib s dialog To bring up the Edit Bib s dialog you must first be in the Administrator menu the press Alt A E Using the Edit Bib s dialog to edit bib numbers
27. visible but not active how do I activate it To quickly bring the Race Timer window to the top and make it active press the F2 key The F2 function key is the system hot key forthe Race Timer program The other way to activate it is to click the mouse inside the window What does the refresh backup function do and when do I need to use it The refresh backup function found as the Refresh Backup File under the File menu in the Administrator menu rewrites the backup file There is a remote Frequently Asked Questions e 58 Race Timer User s Guide possibility that the backup file will not contain the latest edits Selecting this operation will insure that it does If you avoid deleting more than a couple places back you can assume that the backup file will be kept up to date To be extra cautious you may want to select this operation right before you exit Race Timer Then if you decide to restart Race Timer and restore the last race you will be certain that the race will be restored as you left it Race Timer quit responding and recording times how do get it working There may be rare situations where Race Timer is visible on your screen but does not respond This can happen in the 32 bit version Timer32 exe if you bring up context sensitive help with the F1 key and the Always on Top option is on It can also happen if Race Timer is displaying a message box and you attempt to switch to another program When timing an event the ope
28. Clock are only available in the Administrator level menu Action Record a place with the current time and optional bib Action Delete the last recorded place time and optional bib Action Swap the bib numbers of the last two recorded places Action Associate the current bib with the last recorded Associate Bib with Last Place and time if the current bib is blank bib is cleared from time Action Bring up a dialog box for editing bib numbers for Edit Bib s previously recorded places Action Bring up a dialog box for calibrating the computer s Calibrate System Clock internal clock Action Bring up a dialog box for starting the clock or Start or Restart the Clock restarting the clock and adjusting any existing times Record Window e 22 Customize Menu Note that the Always on Top The Customize menu groups items that provide for customizing the Configuration Settings and appearance and the operation ofthe Race Timer software timing process the Zoom menu items are The following table lists the Customize menu items their hot keys shown by available only on the underlining and describes what each menu item does Items that are Administrator level menu checkable or toggle able are shown with a leading V The Zoom menu items Medium and Large may be disabled if your computer hardware does not support them Race Timer only supports changing its window size through the Zoom menu All but the Configuration Settings menu item change t
29. Configuration Settings dialog Race Timer uses this backup file to restore the last race If you do not elect to restore the last race when starting Race Timer the program will overwrite the backup file as soon as you start recording times If you wish to archive or save the backup file you need to rename it or move it so that Race Timer does not overwrite it during the next timing job How do configure the software to automatically save the data In the Configuration Settings Advanced dialog turn automatic saving on by checking the Save Automatically option You need to also specify when to begin saving and how often to save As a guideline begin saving after you expect the first finishers and save as often as your results processing team requires An example for a 5K road race would be to begin saving at 20 minutes and save every 2 minutes For a 10K road race would be to begin Frequently Asked Questions e 48 Race Timer User s Guide saving at 40 minutes and save every 4 minutes You can also specify the type of save to make There are three options available They are Save All Times with each Save Save New Times with each Save Append New Times after 1st Save All The simplest and recommended is to Save All Times with each Save You may desire to use the other methods if you are saving to a storage device that takes a long time to write to such as a floppy drive Why can t specify a directory or folder instead of a target dri
30. Race Timer window 52 How do configure the software for use by an unskilled race volunteer 52 How do configure my computer for Race Timer unenseneneeneennenen 53 How do get Race Timer to save the time data in a generic file format for loading into a spreadsheet uuursnnersnsnnsnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnennnnnnnnnnann nn 53 My race has bib numbers 1 through 999 how do keep the timer from entering bib numbers outside this range ooooncccinncinncccnnocaconcccnannnonananannnnnnno 53 Recovering from Mistakes 40rs40snsnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 53 What do I do if I recorded an extra time n0rsnsennnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 53 What do I do if missed recording a time uunsessssnnsnennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnn 54 What do do if I recorded a time with an incorrect bib number 54 The timing computer was turned during a race how do recover 54 The Race Timer clock was started at the wrong time how do recover 54 ON tin a daa dec Fahd 54 How do I time a relay event uunennsneensnneensnnnnnnennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nenn 54 How do maximize battery life 40ennnennnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnennnnnnn nenn 55 How do time a multilane event uuuuusensenesennnennennnnennnnnnennenennennennnnen 56 How do exit the Race Timer software unesesenseennesnnnennennnn
31. UD ates ss fa ease ite ad iia mea dates 48 How do save data oitirean eia rie iena aei a iee USEN EE Uii Eaa ENEE 48 Why am limited to 8 character file names 48 Does race timer keep a backup of the time data unnnn 48 How do configure the software to automatically save the data 48 Why can t specify a directory or folder instead of a target drive 49 How do get the software to automatically save across a network 49 How do get Race Timer to create a new file each time save data 49 What do I do if during saving a message box pops up indicating a file error 49 Calibracion n cone retiassbh a a a a a a a ARA 50 How do I calibrate the system clock ccceceeeeeceeeeececeeeeeeeeeeeeseaeeesaeeeeaes 50 Is it necessary to calibrate the system clock ersennseennnnennnnennnnnnn 50 Configuration 2 ee dl rl 50 Should time with Num Lock on or Off uueeeenseenessnnnnnennnnnnnennnennennnnennennnn 50 When should select Administrator menu seenseenneennnnnnnnnnnnnn 51 How do bring up the Administrator menu uesnsenssnennnnennnnnnnnnnnn 51 Should record times with the Space Bar or Enter Key nn 51 What is the best type of computer to run Race Timer ON nnnen 51 How do configure the software to only record select times 52 How do decrease or increase the size of the
32. User s Guide Race Timer By Perfect Timing Copyright 2002 2004 Perfect Timing 2791 Butch Cassidy Drive Bozeman MT 59718 www perfect timing org celiabertoia yahoo com Contents Overview 1 Introduction ea Re in a RL EL 1 Typical Timing Scenario uursorsnsnnnnnnnnnnonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnennnannnnnnnn 1 Starting the Software A 2 Starting the Glock u A A ee AE 2 Recording Times ni anni len 2 Entering Bib Numbers isane a E rre cnn cane creanme cnn 2 EditiNd 2 a aan ill Bull 3 Saving TIMO ica A AV A Re aa 3 Transterring Data AA is 3 EXI e ein el Bee 20 ee 3 What the Race Timer Software Does 2400nsunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nn 4 Starting the Race Clock irirangi a aieiaa aiia a a 4 Recording of Places Times and Bib NUMbETS oooooccconoccccnononcnonanoncncnonnnnnnnnns 4 Saving Times to File ooooncconnnninncinonnccnncccnoccnnnccnnonc conca nn 4 Calibration of Computer System ClOCKk oooonccincicinnccnnnconnnccnnancccnnnrnnn nana nancccnnns 4 Configurar A Aa 5 Editing Data nu ae Ha a eae 5 Specification Sai nnram a aaa A RAS 5 How This Manual is Organized ursnnsrsnsnnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnenn nen 6 Background on Timing 7 ESC DA o A a e et 7 A NN eh cet 7 A A 7 TINE a e 7 BD atado 7 A ESA nn 7 Select NIME Stai aaea ad aa adi 8 ENOSGlOCK ta ne ee A E A T 9 MM eaa EEE a E E a E a a 9 ACCULACY A E E 9 Saving
33. a click on or select of OK push button Alt O To abandon not save the new calibration data click on or select the Cancel push button Escape Start or Restart the Clock Race Timer User s Guide The Start or Restart the Clock dialog box allows you to start the clock or restart it if the clock is already started To bring up this dialog box select Start or Restart the Clock from the Action menu Alt A S You must have first selected the Administrator menu Alt C A Upon initial program startup Race Timer automatically brings up this dialog giving you the opportunity to start the clock Start or Restart the Clock Instructions To Start the Clock atthe moment the race starts Leave the Elapsed Time fields below blank or enter zero Then select OK press lt Enter gt key when the race start signal gun goes off To Start the Clock after the race has started In the Elapsed Time fields enter the time that will have already elapsed from the start of the race Then select OK press lt Enter gt key at the exact moment when the official race clock displays the Elapsed Time To Restart the clock for the last timed race Select the Restore Last Race button click on it or press Alt lt R gt key This action restores all the times and places from the race that was in progress before the timer program was shut down It restarts the clock as if the race is still in progress The option to restart and restore the last race is o
34. after the true start You would then correct the times outside the Race Timer software by adding the known difference in start times Frequently Asked Questions e 56 The Race Timer Software does not start up or run There are two versions of Race Timer There is a 16 bit version that runs on Versions 3 1 and 3 11 of Windows It s file name is Timer16 exe The other version is a 32 bit version that runs on Versions 95 98 ME 2000 and XP of Windows Its file name is Timer32 exe You can not run the 16 bit version on a 32 bit version of Windows Likewise you can not run the 32 bit version on the 16 bit versions of Windows There may be another reason why the 16 bit version does not run on the 16 bit versions 3 1 or 3 11 of Windows Race Timer utilizes undocumented multimedia extensions to support a running a background task for saving data without interrupting the timing process This requires the files mmtask tsk and mmsystem dll to exist in the System directory under the Windows directory Most installations of Windows have these files If not you need to reinstall Windows and make sure the multimedia features are installed How do I handle two or more people that finish in a tie Race Timer does not support ties Theoretically there is no such thing as a tie The difference may be very small but someone always is ahead of the other Your job is to do the best you can in timing the participants and recording times for all participants t
35. am file Timer16 exe or Timer32 exe Upon startup Race Timer reads this file The very first time you run Race Timer the configuration file does not exist so Race Timer creates one with all the default values Loading Participant Data Optionally Race Timer can load a database of participant data This allows viewing personal participant information during the timing process by typing in their bib number See Participant Information on page 26 for more information Prompt to Start the Clock After the initialization the program starts and by default the Race Timer software starts up in a full screen mode and forces itself to always be the top most window Full screen means that the program takes up the entire computer display screen Being the top most window means that the program is always visible active and has the input focus The results of being full screen and top most results in Race Timer being the only program visible and accessible Immediately after starting up Race Timer automatically brings up the Start or Restart the Clock dialog This gives you the opportunity to start the clock You can do four things in response to this dialog Your first option is to not start the clock at this time To choose this option select the Cancel button or press the Escape key This will exit the Start the Clock dialog box If you decide to record any times you will be recording the current real time as known by the computer s internal cl
36. an implied overall place Time Time is the elapsed time from the start of the event until the moment a participant finishes the event Each place has a time and only one time associated with it Bib Each participant must have a unique and convenient way to identify him or her For timing purposes this is an identifying ID number called a Bib bib number The word bib comes from the fact that a bib number is printed on a sheet of paper or cloth that the participant wears on their chest like a bib Timing Mission Statement Timing an event consists of three tasks In order of priority they are Race Timer User s Guide Background on Timing e 7 Select Times Race Timer User s Guide 1 Record a time for every participant at the moment they cross the finish line Associate a bib number with as many recorded times as possible Save the times for use in race management and results processing software The most important task is recording times Lower priority tasks such as capturing bib numbers and saving data must not interfere with higher priority task of recording participant finishing times These three tasks assume that the timing device utilized for recording times has been started correctly to reflect the correct time since the start of the event A select time is a time that has a bib number associated with it It is used as a fixed reference point for processing event results Select times indicate that the time fo
37. and their associated help text File Save All Times Save all times to disk overwriting a previous existing timer file File Save New Times Save new unsaved times to disk overwriting a previous existing timer file File Append New Times Append unsaved times to the end of existing file on target disk existing file created with Save All or Save New File Refresh Backup File Refresh rewrite the backup file Captures all edits to bib numbers from Delete Associate Swap Edit File Exit Quit the Race Timer program Action Record Time Record a place with the current time and optional bib number Action Delete Last Time Delete the last recorded place time and optional bib number Action Swap Last 2 Bib s Swap the bib numbers of the last two recorded places and times Action Associate Bib with Last Associate the current bib with the last recorded place and time if the current bib is blank bib is cleared from time Action Edit Bib s Bring up a dialog box for editing bib numbers for previously recorded places Action Start or Restart the Clock Bring up a dialog box for starting the clock or restarting the clock and adjusting any existing times Action Calibrate System Clock Bring up a dialog box for calibrating the computer s internal clock Customize Administrator Menu Toggle the administrator level menu on or off Customize Always on Top Toggle the timer window s behavior to stay always on top of other windo
38. are no recorded times Action Key s Bring up context sensitive help F1 Make Race Timer active and the topmost window F2 Exit Race Timer Alt F4 You can use the mouse to select or initiate actions or commands from the Record window The mouse interface follows the standard Microsoft Windows interface Position the mouse cursor over a push button and click or press the left mouse button to select the action associated with the push button The mouse also supports selection of menu items and scrolling of the list box A slight variation in behavior compared to other programs is that the input focus will NOT move to the clicked on push button The input focus will always remain with the Record push button allowing the Enter key to always record a time Record Window e 18 Title Bar or Caption The top of the Record window contains a title bar or caption This caption contains two items of information The first is the name of the program Race Timer The second is the time that the race clock was started Race Clock Started at The time the race clock was started is the actual or real time in 24 hour format at the moment the race started This time takes into account any elapsed time you specified if you started the clock after the race actually started This time is the actual time at the moment the race started even for events that last longer then 24 hours or that may have started on a day pre
39. b number contains select 2 3 4 or 5 You can do this by clicking the mouse on the desired radio button or using the Alt key with the desired number For example to specify 4 digits press hold down the Alt key and press the 4 key If the input focus is in any dialog control other than an edit box you can just press the 4 key without holding down the Alt key Specifying the correct maximum number of digits for bib numbers is important It prevents the entering of bib numbers that are longer than the race supports Target Drive for Saving Timer File You must tell the Race Timer software the location you want it to save data to There are radio buttons for the A drive the C drive or some Other drive Race Timer User s Guide Dialog Boxes e 35 Race Timer User s Guide of your choice If you specify Other you must type in the name of the drive It must be a single letter of A through Z Record Times With This option allows you to specify how you want to record times You can choose between using the Enter key or either the Enter key or Space bar Beep on Errors This option allows you to turn on or off the computer s audible beep signaling errors Common non critical errors that cause beeps are trying to type in a bib number with more digits than allows typing in keystrokes that do not map to valid commands or trying to record a time without a bib number when the Rerd Select Times Only option is set Calibrate Times Having t
40. bib number from the last time will be immediately updated in the list of places Editing of bib numbers in the Edit Bib numbers dialog are also immediately updated in the list of places For easy visibility the Record window has a large format display field for the time The time field displays the current race time if the clock was started or the current real time if the clock was not started The time format is hours minutes and seconds HH MM SS The display does not show hundredths of a second The time format has two digits for each unit and will have leading zeros if needed For example a time of 1 hour 1 minute and 1 second is represented as 01 01 01 The largest time displayed is 99 59 59 The time field updates approximately every second The display will also update when ever the clock is started restarted or if you calibrate the clock Right below the Time field is an editable input field that displays an optional bib number This field is in large format for easy visibility It is in the same font size and style as the Time field By typing numbers you control the value of the Bib field Using the Backspace key deletes the Bib field s last digit Editing and Updating Typing numeric keys either from the top row of the keyboard or from the numeric key pad will update the Bib display field You can type up to the maximum number of digits configured in the settings The maximum number of Bib digits is configurable from 2 t
41. correct edit box type in the value of hours or minutes or seconds At the moment the time on the official race clock matches the elapsed time you specified press the enter key This will close the dialog box and start the clock after the race has started Race Timer will display and record the correct race times as if the clock was started at the start of the event If started the clock at the wrong time how do restart If you have not recorded any times yet you can exit the Race Timer software and start it again To exit press Alt F4 You must exit by holding down the Alt key and simultaneously pressing the F4 function key You can exit this way even if you are not in Administrator menu There must be no recorded times to exit this way After you have exited restart the Race Timer Frequently Asked Questions e 44 Race Timer User s Guide software You can then start the clock after the race has started See the previous question How do start the Race Timer clock after the race has started on page 44 Another way to restart without exiting the program requires you to be in the Administrator menu Bring up the Start or Restart the Clock dialog by pressing Alt A S Then start the clock after the race has started How do restart the clock and get rid of all the existing times The situations where you would need to do this are probably associated with testing the software or during practice timing sessions To restart the clock
42. ction menu You must have first selected the Administrator menu Alt C A Edit Bib s x Place Time Bib Disk f HR A AAA IA Race Timer User s Guide Dialog Boxes e 29 List of Place Time Bib Disk s This list box is identical with the list box in the Record window See List of Place Time Bib Disk on page 19 The difference between this list and the list in the Record window is that you can select an item row in this list To select an item in the list click on it with the mouse or tab the input focus to the list and use the up and down arrow keys to move through the list When you select an item the list the place time and bib number data in the fields below the list is updated Selected Place Time Bib Data These fields display the currently selected place from the list The only editable field is the Bib field You can modify the bib number but only enter up to the maximum digits configured for bib numbers See Configuration Settings on page 35 Saving Changes To save your changes to a bib number click on or select the Save push button Alt S All saves become permanent This will update the list on places times and bib numbers in both the Edit Bib s dialog box and in the Record Window You must save each bib number you change before selecting a new item from the list to edit If there was a disk number associated with the place it will be cleared indicating that the new bib number has not been saved
43. d and default values click on or select the Restore Defaults push button This will load the default values into the dialog box To save the defaults you must exit the dialog box using the OK push button The following table lists the default values for all the Configuration Setting items Configuration Setting Item Default Value Maximum Number of Digits on Bib s Target Drive for Saving File RACETIME A Record Times with Beep On Errors Disable Delete Button Rerd Select Times Only Overwrite Existing Time Files Save Automatically Begin Saving at Saving Changes To save any changes you made click on or select the OK push button Alt O To abandon or cancel any changes click on or select the Cancel push button Escape The OK and Cancel push buttons will exit the dialog box If you press the OK button to exit the Advanced sub dialog and then press the Cancel button to exit the main Configuration dialog the changes you made in the Advanced sub dialog will still be saved Dialog Boxes e 38 Other Dialog and Message Boxes About Race Timer You access this dialog through the Help menu press Alt H A It displays version information copyright and contact information about the Race Timer software At startup Race Timer displays this dialog temporarily during initialization before the Record Window becomes visible About Race Timer x Race Timer PC Stop Watch Program Yersion 1 07 32bit Developed by Perfect Timing
44. e Timer program For example C Timer Timer16 exe Under Windows 95 98 ME 2000 or XP click on the Start button on the Taskbar This action brings up the Start menu Select the item on the Start Menu named Run This action brings up the Run dialog In the Open field type in the location and name of the Race Timer program For example CATimer Timer32 exe After you have typed in the program name press the OK button This will start the program Clicking on Race Timer Icon If you have created a short cut to the Race Timer program you can click on the Icon for the short cut Under Windows 3 1 this is an item in a group under the Program Manager Under Windows 95 or greater is an icon on the desktop or an item in the Start menu Initialization on Startup When the Race Timer software starts up it loads various information that it requires for operation This information is stored in files at the same location that the program file either Timer16 exe or Timer32 exe is located This information includes calibration parameters configuration parameters startup history and runner or participant data The About Race Timer dialog is displayed during program startup while this initialization process is taking place Depending upon the speed of your computer this initialization process may be nearly instantaneous or may take a few seconds Race Timer User s Guide Installation and Start Up e 13 When the Race Timer software is full
45. e key that accomplishes the action Record Window e 17 Mouse Interface Race Timer User s Guide Scrolling Action Key s Scroll to Top Home End Up Arrow or Left Arrow Scroll to Bottom Scroll Up One Line Scroll Down One Line Down Arrow or Right Arrow Scroll Up One Page Page Up Scroll Down One Page Page Down There are some other miscellaneous key strokes that cause certain actions The F1 function key brings up the Windows help application with context sensitive help about the Race Timer program There are a couple situations where the F1 key is inactive During the process of timing with the Record Window active the F1 key will only work ifthe Always on Top option is off When you start Race Timer and are automatically presented with the Start or Restart the Clock dialog the help feature is disabled If Race Timer cannot find the help file Timer hlp pressing the F1 key has no effect The F2 function key is the system hot key to activate and make visible the Race Timer program if it is already running You will only need to utilize this feature if you have turned the Always on Top option off and have other programs that you are running and activating Occasionally even with the Always on Top option on Race Timer will be visible but not active This only occurs with the 32 bit version of Race Timer The Alt F4 keystroke combination will exit the program This is available only when there
46. e new times to an existing data file press the E key Append requires a time file to already exist lt appends or concatenates the new times onto the end of the existing file The existing file must have been first created by saving all the times or saving the new times Once you have created a time file with the S or N key you can then append new times onto the end of the file with the E key You can do this over and over again as you record new times This keeps the time file up to date A good practice is to do a save all to create the time file and then keep the time file current by appending new times onto the file as you record times These actions of saving all the times saving the new times or appending the new times save data to the destination drive and file specified in the Configuration Settings dialog Why am limited to 8 character file names To maintain consistency between the 16 and 32 bit versions of Race Timer only 8 character file names are supported by Race Timer The intention is to also keep things as simple as possible when identifying the time data files and finding them for later use in other software programs Does race timer keep a backup of the time data Yes A backup of the timing job is kept in the file RACETIME A located in the same directory as the Race Timer program Timer16 exe or Timer32 exe Automatic backup is a configurable option To turn automatic backup on check the Auto Back Times option in the
47. e running the Race Timer software and the two computers are networked together you can set Race Timerto save the timer files to the other computer Set the target drive for saving the timer file to a mapped network drive that is accessible to both computers The results processing software can then access the timer data as well as the timing computer Time Data Files e 43 Frequently Asked Questions Starting the Clock Race Timer User s Guide How do start the Race Timer clock when the starting gun fires Make sure to start the computer and software at least a few minutes before the anticipated start of the event When the Race Timer software first starts up it presents you with the Start or Restart the Clock dialog At the moment the start gun goes off press the enter key This will close the dialog box and start the clock with the starting gun How do start the Race Timer clock after the race has started At least a few minutes before the anticipated finish of the first fastest participants in the event start the computer and the Race Timer software In the Start or Restart the Clock dialog specify an elapsed time amount This should be at least a few seconds ahead of the official race clock To move the input focus to the desired input fields for the elapsed time press Alt H for hours Alt N for minutes Alt S for seconds You can also use the Tab key to move the input focus between controls Once the input focus is in the
48. ennennnnennennnnnnn 56 How come can not see the online help sesnseennneenennennnnnenn 56 Why can t enter O s zeros in a bib number uuuursnnnerennnnenennennnnnn 56 How do time an event that lasts over 100 hours 22uennennnnen 56 The Race Timer Software does not start up or run uuneeennnnnennn 57 How do handle two or more people that finish in a tie 57 How do set things up to display participant information 57 How do time an event with multiple start times or waves 57 How do I run a different program when Race Timer is running 58 What are the most critical things to teach a volunteer operator 58 How do get the highest accuracy from the Race Timer program 58 The Race Timer window is visible but not active how do activate it 58 What does the refresh backup function do and when do need to use it 58 Race Timer quit responding and recording times how do get it working 59 Glossary of Terms 60 Race Timer User s Guide Contents e iv Overview Introduction Race Timer is a computer software program that turns a computer into a feature rich recording stopwatch Race Timer is a simple and single purpose software application that helps automate the timing of sporting events such as running biking or skiing races Race Timer allows yo
49. er 1 Megabyte RAM 1 Megabyte free space on hard drive Floppy disk drive The following items are recommended but not required Built in track ball or mouse pointing device Network connection Long life battery Software Installation Copying to Hard Drive The Race Timer software distribution consists of three files They are Timer16 exe Timer32 exe and Timer hlp Timer16 exe and Timer32 exe are the executable program files for 16 bit and 32 bit versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system Timer hlp is this manual in context sensitive help Race Timer User s Guide Installation and Start Up e 11 Race Timer User s Guide format that you can access from the Race Timer program Installation requires you to copy Timer16 exe or Timer32 exe and Timer hlp to your computer s hard disk at a location of your choice For the help feature to work you must locate the program file and the help file in the same directory Suggested locations are in a directory folder called C Timer under 16 bit Windows and in a directory called C Program Files Timer under 32 bit Windows Putting Race Timer in Startup Group To set up the computer so that Race Timer starts automatically add the short cut to the startup group or folder To do this in Windows 3 1 highlight the StartUp group in Program Manager drag the Icon then select the New item under the Program Manager s File menu This action brings up a dialog box called New Program Object In
50. f you need to start recording times with a place other than one enter it into the start place edit field Race Timer will then begin recording times starting with this preset place This is important if you are timing a portion of an event that does not begin with the first finisher Starting the Clock To start the clock press the OK button This will start the clock Restoring Last Race To start the clock for the last timed race and reload any recorded times press the Restore Last Race button Alt R This will start the clock as if the previous timing session is still going on If a backup file exists Race Timer will load the recorded times from the backup file Dialog Boxes e 34 Configuration Settings There are many customizable parameters and preferences available in the Configuration Settings dialog To bring up this dialog box select Configuration Settings from the Customize menu Alt C C You must have first selected the Administrator menu Alt C A Configuration Settings Maximum Number of Digits on Bib Number ES ie C3 HE es Target Drive for Saving Time Eile A Le C Other aA Record Times With Enter Key Only Either Enter Key or Space Bar Other Options l Beep on Errors Y Calibrate Times Help F Auto Backup Times M Disable Delete Button eo I Rerd Select Times Only Paz BEE Advanced Bestore Defaults Maximum Number of Digits on Bib s To specify the maximum number of digits a bi
51. hat cross the finish line You may get the finish order right and they may change order after the finish line before pull tags are collected affecting the results A caveat is that if the people are intentionally in a tie then they do not care if you get their places out of order If the participants are truly racing each other do the best you can to get their finish order correct They will appreciate it How do set things up to display participant information The first step is to create a participant file See Participant Information on page 26 for a description of the participant file The participant file must be named ANOUNCER TXT It must be located in the same directory as the Race Timer program the directory where Timer16 exe or Timer32 exe resides How do I time an event with multiple start times or waves Race Timer only handles a single start time for a timing session Time all participants as if they started in the first wave Your results processing software must be able to determine which wave a participant is in by bib number or division and enter in an offset time for each wave Race Timer User s Guide Frequently Asked Questions e 57 Race Timer User s Guide How do I run a different program when Race Timer is running Race Timer is designed to be the only program running The timing process is one that can be intense and easily disrupted by distractions Distractions lead to mistakes and inaccuracies in the tim
52. he appearance of Race Timer but not the behavior The Configuration Settings menu item brings up the Configuration Settings dialog box where you can tailor the behavior of the Race Timer software Customize Menu Item Description Customize Toggle the administrator level menu on or off V Administrator Menu Customize Toggle the timer window s behavior to stay always Always on Top on top of other windows on or off Customize Bring up a dialog box to configure system settings Configuration Settings Customize Toggle long descriptive labels for push buttons on Show Long Button Labels or off Small 480 pixels Medium pixels Customize Zoom Resize the screen to large size 1024 X 768 pixels Large Customize Zoom Resize the screen to largest possible size full Race Timer User s Guide Record Window e 23 Note that the help window will not be visible if the Always on Top feature is on and the Race Timer main window is full size Race Timer User s Guide Help Menu The Help menu groups items that provide for interacting with the context sensitive help for the Race Timer program The following table lists the Help menu items their hot keys shown by underlining and describes what each menu item does If Race Timer cannot find the help file Timer hlp the Contents and Search menu items will be inactive Make sure when you install the Race Timer program that you copy the program file either Timer16 exe or Timer32 exe and the hel
53. his option checked will cause Race Timer to correct all times using the current calibration data If the system clock has not been calibrated this option has no effect Auto Backup Times This option tells Race Timer to keep a backup of all the recorded times for the current timing session The backup is kept in the file RACETIME A located in the same directory that the Race Timer executable file resides Disable Delete Button This option tells Race Timer to prevent the timer from deleting times with a single key stroke If this option is checked you must use the Action menu to delete a time Disabling the delete button safeguards against accidentally deleting a time Since the D key is very near other active keys such as the E and S keys that you use for saving data if you are careless you can unintentionally delete a time Once you delete a time there is no way to get it back Dialog Boxes e 36 Race Timer User s Guide Advanced The Advanced push button brings up a sub dialog for accessing more configuration information Configuration Settings Advanced Delete Button Hot Keys Automatic Saving Vv FT Delete Key I Save Automatically Time File Name and Type Format C Generic Save All Times with each Save C Pocket Timer C Save New Times with each Save Race Director Append New Times after 1st Save All File Name racetime a Begin Saving at po Minutes M Overwrite Existing Time Files Save Every ea Minutes Help
54. ill discharge quicker even when being stored in an unloaded state To maximize the charge life of even old batteries charge them up right before you will be using them Frequently Asked Questions e 55 Race Timer User s Guide How do I time a multilane event Time each lane separately and independently as if there a multiple races Each lane represents its own finish line You need a timing computer dedicated to each lane Each lane represents a subset of the event The timing data is merged and combined in the results processing computer to produce finial overall results Multiple lanes are needed for events with large numbers of participants The multiple lanes afford may runners to finish near the same time without clogging the finish area and backup the finish chutes In addition you need results processing software that accommodates multilane time data How do I exit the Race Timer software You must be in the Administrator level menu and have the Always on Top menu item turned off Then you can select Exit from the File menu A sequence of key strokes become Alt C A Alt C T Alt F X How come can not see the online help The only way to see the online or context sensitive help for Race Timer is to turn the always on top feature off To do this make sure the Always on Top Menu item under the Customize menu is unchecked Or make sure the main Race Timer window is not full screen to expose the help window underneath To zoom t
55. ing process Running another program on the computer is a distraction If you absolutely need to run another program you must turn the always on top feature off To do this make sure the Always on Top menu item on the Customize menu is not selected by pressing Alt C T You must be in the Administrator Menu to access the Always on Top menu item When the always on top feature is turned off Race Time behaves like any other program and will run in the back ground if you bring up another application What are the most critical things to teach a volunteer operator The operator or timer must be efficient at recording times entering bib numbers and saving the data See the Timing Mission Statement on page 7 Show them how to How to record a time with the Enter key Enter bib numbers with the number keys How to delete the last digit of the bib number with the Backspace key How to associate a bib number with the last time with the B key How to save the times to disk with the S key How do get the highest accuracy from the Race Timer program There are three things required to get the highest accuracy The first is to accurately start the clock This is operator dependant The second is to accurately record participants as they cross the finish line This is also operator dependant The third is to calibrate the system clock You can improve accuracy of the first two items by practicing with the software The Race Timer window is
56. ingle key and the Alt key combination for invoking the action Notice the key is mnemonically consistent with the command name For example Record is accessed with the R key Delete is accessed with the D key Associate Bib is accessed with the B key and so forth The choice of keys is such so as to not interfere with the numeric keypad overlay on notebook computers Make note that the Enter key can only access the Record command Also depending upon configuration settings Record may also be accessed with the Space Bar and Delete may also be accessed with the Delete key The third column in the table lists the Record window s menu key combinations for accomplishing the same action Under the Action menu are the first four operations that have to do with recording times and bib numbers The three operations that have to do with saving data are under the File menu Operation or Action Push Button Menu Key Push Button Title Hot Key s Record Time lt R gt or lt Enter gt Enter R Alt R Alt AR Space optional D Alt D Delete Alt A D AAW Delete Last Time lt D gt Swap Last 2 Bib s lt W gt Associate Bib with Last Time lt B gt Save All Times to Disk lt S gt Save New Times to Disk lt N gt Append New Times to Disk lt E gt E Alt E Alt F E The arrow keys Page Up Down keys Home and End support scrolling the list of places The following table lists the scrolling action and th
57. ith the timing process Configure the power saving features so that the screen always stays on no screen savers Configure the power saving features so that the computer always stays on and powered up avoid suspend mode or sleep mode Configure the power saving features to power down the hard drive as soon as possible To avoid accidentally recording times set the computers key repeat rate to the slowest available value and set the computers key repeat delay to the longest available value This helps prevent extra key strokes that can occur with heavy handed operators or with clumsy fingers outdoors in the cold This forces the operator to make deliberate and separate actions with the keyboard To change the keyboard settings select Keyboard under Control Panel in Windows Installation and Start Up e 12 Starting Race Timer Automatic Startup For acomputer that is dedicated to being used as a timing device the Race Timer software should be set up to start when the computer starts up You can accomplish this by making sure the program file Timer32 exe or Timer16 exe is listed in the Windows startup folder or startup group See Putting Race Timer in Startup Group on page 12 If Race Timer is in the startup group of folder it will start automatically when the computer is turned on and starts up Using Run Command Under Windows 3 1 select Run under the File menu in Program Manager In the Run dialog type in the location ofthe Rac
58. lock is referred to as the system clock or the computer s internal clock The Race Timer software utilizes this clock for its timing functions Windows This refers generically to the Microsoft operating system lt may mean 16 bit versions 3 1 or 3 11 Or it may mean a variant of 32 bit versions NT 95 98 ME 2000 XP The term may also refer to screen items like dialog boxes or program screens Race Timer User s Guide Glossary of Terms e 62
59. me age sex city and state This feature is optional and requires an announcer file to exist in the Race Timer directory The announcer file must be named ANOUNCER TXT It must be comma delimitated ASCII containing the following quoted fields in the following order Bib Number First Name Last Name Age Sex City State Info1 Info2 The last two items are optional The contents of an example file containing two participants is 201 Vicki Kawa 48 F Bozeman MT 1 Mile Survivors 252 Lynnette Stern 44 F Helena MT 5K Survivors Record Window e 26 Race Timer User s Guide Error Messages When there is an error writing the time data file an error message displays in the status line The error message is ERROR SAVING DATA CHECK DRIVES Menu Item Help As you scroll through the menu items in the Record Window the Status Line displays a brief description of the highlighted menu item This information is handy for learning what each possible menu item does To see the menu item help information open up a drop down menu with the mouse or key board and highlight different menu items with the mouse or key board The Status Line updates automatically with the appropriate information for the highlighted menu item Once the menu closes the status line reverts to displaying the operating conditions of calibration date target drive and disk Record Window e 27 The following table lists the menu items
60. miliar with the Race Timer software The location can be the root directory on a floppy drive or a hard drive or even a network drive This is convenient for transferring time data into other software programs such as race management software You can periodically save data during the timing process This allows you to generate preliminary race results before the event is over Atthe end of the event save all the time data before exiting the Race Timer software Transferring Data After you save data you can transfer it to another computer or software program If the target drive is a floppy drive remove the disk and take it to another computer If the target drive is a hard disk open up another program on the same computer and load the file into the other software Ifthe target drive is a network drive a program on another computer on the network can access and load the file Exiting After the event is over you are ready to exit the Race Timer software Since it is critical to not exit the software before you are done timing Race Timer has built in safe guards to make inadvertently or prematurely exiting the software difficult To exit the software you must first select Administrator level menus and then turn off the Always on Top feature See Customize Menu on page 23 After this select Exit from the File menu or press Alt F4 If you have not saved all of the times before exiting Race Timer prompts you to save them before exiting
61. n the right hand can be typing in bib numbers and the left hand can be recording times with the space bar If you have Num Lock off the left hand can be typing in bib numbers and the right hand can be recording times with the Enter key The risk of having the Space Bar set up to record times is that it is large and easy to bump inadvertently recording times in error What is the best type of computer to run Race Timer on Since most timing jobs occur outside a computer that is portable and works well in an outdoor environment is best A ruggedized notebook computer that has a transrefletive display screen would be ideal The Panasonic toughbook is an example of this One that is also waterproof would be even better The downside of specialized computers for outside use is their high cost Older notebook computers with black and white display screens instead of color are inexpensive and their black and white screens afford better visibility in bright sunlight than newer color screen notebook computers An important consideration is battery life Being able to run off batteries is convenient and avoids the need for power cables at the finish line High quality batteries are available for even old notebook computers and worth obtaining Older notebooks that have slower processing speeds tend to require less power and can have longer battery life than newer notebook computers A 1992 era 33 MHz 486 AST Advantage notebook computer with a high capacit
62. nly available when the Start the Clock dialog comes up the first time during program start up Restoring all times and places requires a race backup file to exist Elapsed Time First Place HH MN SS Begin Recording Places Starting With Place 1 Restore Last Race Help Cancel Instructions Located at the top of the dialog are instructions detailing how to start or restart the clock The instructions detail three different starting scenarios The first is how to start the clock at the moment the race starts The second is how to start the clock after the race has started The third details how to restart the clock for the last race Dialog Boxes e 33 Race Timer User s Guide To start the clock at the moment the race starts press the OK button at the moment the start signal goes off To start the clock after the race starts requires you to first enter an elapsed time and the press the OK button at the moment the an official race clock indicates the elapsed time To restart the clock for the last race press select the Restore Last Race button Elapsed Time If you wish to start the clock with an elapsed time already on the clock fill in the time in these fields To move to these fields use the Tab key or the hot keys for the labels for the fields To move the input focus to the Hours field press Alt H You can enter up to two digits per field The maximum elapsed time is 90 hours Beginning Start Place I
63. nt a participant finishes the event A timing device must start at the exact moment the race event starts This becomes the official clock keeping the official race time Other timing devices can be started after the event starts by synchronizing them to the official clock A computer running Race Timer can be the official race clock if its clock is started correctly Accuracy The overall accuracy of timing an event depends upon the accuracy of the timing device and the ability of the operator to use the timing device Permanent Storage Time data has value only if you can recall it later for processing results Developing a persistent or historical record of the places and times of finishers for a timed event requires some way of permanently saving the data A recording timing device such as a printing stop watch time machine or a computer running Race Timer affords this ability Editing Mistakes will inevitably be made when hand timing events To make the timing data useful a facility for editing and correcting timing mistakes is imperative Having the time data permanently saved to some format such as a computer file makes editing possible Background on Timing e 9 Results Processing Race Timer User s Guide Combining Person Data with Time Data To be able to calculate results and determine event winners and age group places the time and overall place for each participant must be known This requires combining the time data wi
64. nt the place and move the previous recorded place information into the Last Recorded fields The main menu is a Windows standard menu bar It consists of four dropdown menus accessible by hot key or pointing device mouse Record Window e 21 File Menu Note that the Refresh Backup File and the Exit menu items The File menu groups commands for saving the time data to files and exiting Race Timer The following table lists the File menu items their hot are available only on the Administrator level menu Race Timer User s Guide keys shown by underlining and describes what each menu item does File Menu Item Description Eile Save all times to disk overwriting a previous existing timer Save All Times file Eile Save new unsaved times to disk overwriting a previous existing timer file Save New Times File Append unsaved times to the end of existing file on target Append New Times disk existing file created with Save All or Save New File Refresh rewrite the backup file Captures all edits to bib Refresh Backup File numbers from Delete Associate Swap Edit File Quit the Race Timer program Exit Action Menu The Action menu groups items that are actions associated with the timing process The following table lists the Action menu items their hot keys shown by underlining and describes what each menu item does The last three menu items Edit Bib s Calibrate System Clock and Start or Restart the
65. nto the last file created What do do if during saving a message box pops up indicating a file error If you can quickly remedy what caused the problem typically a floppy disk not in the drive then fix the problem and select Retry in the message box To select the Retry button press the R key or Enter key If you cannot quickly remedy the problem and you need to get back to timing chores then press the Escape key to get back to the main Race Timer window so you can continue timing Frequently Asked Questions e 49 Calibration Configuration Race Timer User s Guide How do I calibrate the system clock To calibrate the system clock you need an absolutely accurate time source You also need at least 10 hours preferably 24 hours Start upthe Race Timer software When the Start or Restart the Clock dialog box comes up dismiss it by pressing the Escape key You must then select the Administrator menu by pressing Alt C A Bring up the Calibrate System Clock dialog by pressing Alt A C Once the dialog is up you can read the instructions To page through the instructions press the N key for the next page or the B key to go back a page To begin the calibration process press the Start button You can do this easily by pressing the Alt S key or pressing Enter if the Start button has the input focus Do this at an exact known time on your accurate time source Make a note of this time After at least 10 hours stop the calibration proce
66. o 5 See Configuration Settings on page 35 for more information Once there are the maximum number of digits displayed you cannot enter any more digits To remove digits or for editing Record Window e 20 Last Recorded Main Menu Race Timer User s Guide the Bib press the Backspace key This will delete the right most last entered digit The following table shows the keyboard interface and actions that effect the Bib field Operation or Action Key strokes Effect on Bib Field Record Time Enter R Alt R Alt A R Space optional Associate Bib with Last Time B Alt B Alt A B Add a digit to Bib 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Delete a digit from Bib Back Space lt Records the place time and Bib adding it to the list and then clears the Bib field Associates the Bib with the last recorded time and then clears the field Adds a digit to the end of the Bib Will only add a digit as long as the number of digits is less then the configured maximum A 0 digit is not allowed as the leading digit Removes the last digit from the Bib Conveniently located right below the Record push button is a display of the very last recorded place time and optional bib number Refer to this information when editing the last recorded place time and bib number Recording a time will update the Last Recorded fields Deleting a time will remove the Last Recorded time decreme
67. o a smaller screen size press Alt C Z S To access this feature Administrator level menu must be on During the timing process you should concentrate on timing and avoid accessing the help features The appropriate opportunity to access help and learn about the Race Timer software is during a practice session or a session dedicated to setting up the software The help features of Race Timer will only be available if the help file Timer hlp exists in the same directory folder as the Race Timer program file either Timer16 exe or Timer32 exe If the help window is not visible even when you think it should be make sure you copy the help file Timer hlp into the same location directory as the program file Why can t I enter 0 s zeros in a bib number The first digit of a bib number must be a non zero digit 1 9 You cannot use bib numbers with leading 0 s You should be able to enter zeros after the first digit If you still can t it may be because Num Lock is on and you are trying to enter a zero using the normal O key which is remapped to the key for the numeric keypad To fix this turn Num Lock off or use the key usually the M key that becomes the 0 key with Num Lock on How do I time an event that lasts over 100 hours Race Timer is limited to timing events of less then 100 hours If all the participants finish in a span of time less then 100 hours you could time the event as if it is a shorter event started at known time
68. obably be faster and more accurate timing with Num Lock on Most notebook computers have a pseudo numeric keypad that overlays the regular keyboard Depending upon the computer even with Num Lock on you may still have to hold down a special function key like a shift key to access the numeric keys This is of limited value Race Timer is set up with the hot keys for the main window to avoid conflicts with the overlaid numeric keypad Most but not all notebook computers map U to 4 to 5 O to 6 P to J to 1 K to 2 L to 3 and M to 0 Frequently Asked Questions e 50 Race Timer User s Guide When should select Administrator menu If you wish to perform any of the Administrator level functions you must select the Administrator menu The Administrator level functions include Exiting Race Timer if there are recorded times Editing Bib s other than for the last recorded time Calibrating the System Clock Starting or Restarting the Clock after the initial opportunity when Race Timer first starts up Turning off the Always on Top feature Being able to Customize the Configuration Settings Resizing or Zooming Race Timer s main window size How do bring up the Administrator menu To bring up the Administrator menu make sure the Administrator Menu item on the Customize menu is checked To do this press Alt C A Should record times with the Space Bar or Enter Key This is a personal preference If you have Num Lock on the
69. ock not event time The second option is to start the clock with the start of the event To start the clock at the moment the race or event starts select the OK button press the Installation and Start Up e 14 Race Timer User s Guide Enter key when the start gun goes off This will start the clock at 00 00 00 00 The third option is to start the clock after the start of the event You must first enter an elapsed time into the hours HH minutes MM and seconds SS data entry fields in the dialog box This elapsed time must be at least a few seconds later than the current official race time Then at the moment the official race or event clock reads the same time as the elapsed time you entered select the OK button press the Enter key This will start the clock with the elapsed time you entered already showing HH MM SS 00 Note that the display resoluion in the Race Timer main window is one second eventhough times are recorded to a resolution of hundreths of seconds The fourth option is to restore and restart the clock from the last timing session This option allows you to shut down the computer during the event and restart right where you left off This feature may be useful if you need to shut down the computer to change batteries You can also recover ifthe computer was shut down by accident or to save battery life in a long event Once the clock is started and the Start or Restart the Clock dialog is exited you are free to
70. of a second HH MM SS HH The time format has two digits for each unit and will have leading zeros if needed For example a time of 1 hour 1 minute 1 second and 1 hundredth of a second is represented as 01 01 01 01 The largest supported time is 99 59 59 99 100 hours Bib The bib number column contains the optional select bib number associated with a place and time If no bib number was recorded this column is blank Record Window e 19 Time Bib Race Timer User s Guide Bib number 0 is not allowed and bib numbers cannot have leading zeros or non numeric characters For example 12345 is legal but 01 or A1 is not supported The number of digits in the bib number is a configurable settings option See Configuration Settings on page 35 for more information Disk s This column contains the save sequence number of the disk that the recorded place and time was last saved Ifthe place and time has not been saved to disk then this column is blank After saving times to disk the disk data is updated with the current disk You can also think of the disk as the number of times you have saved data This number is incremented each time you do a Save Allor aSave New Appending New times does not increment the disk The disk may or may not reflect the actual disk as labeled on the physical floppy disk Editing Updating All editing such as deleting of times associating a bib number with the last time or clearing the
71. or every finisher Consequently the times and bib numbers are meaningful but the place and order of finish is not The data from the two timing sources is combined Official places and times come from the first timing device Select times with bib numbers to help with synchronization of results come from the second timing device Breaking up the task of timing into two by dedicating one timing device to recording all the times and one timing device recording select times is a good strategy for dealing with large events with a high density of participants crossing the finish line If you can not get a select time for every participant you must get a complete list of all bib numbers in the correct order of finish This list is most readily obtained from pull tags from the bib numbers collected after the finish line at the end of the finish chute Background on Timing 8 The Clock Saving Data Race Timer User s Guide A timing device or clock is a central focus in a timed event such as a road race Many participants carry their own timing device such as a runner s watch An event must have at least one official clock to which all other timing devices or clocks are synchronized This is typically a large display chronograph a computer system a stop watch or all of the above The official clock must be started at the moment the event starts Start The elapsed time for an event has a duration from the start of the event to the exact mome
72. p file Timer hlp to the same location on your computer Help Menu Item Description Help Display the table of contents for the on line help Contents Help Display the search list for the on line help Es Help Display information about the program AA ___ nnemnntereren Record Window e 24 Push Buttons Race Timer User s Guide The Record window contains seven push buttons The left three are for saving data They correspond to the operations under the File menu The right four are for recording places times and bib numbers and editing bib numbers These four actions correspond to the items under the Action menu File Saving The following table lists the three push buttons associated with saving data The left column of the table contains the name or label of the push button The right column contains the description of what happens when you press the button These buttons will be grayed out disabled until there are recorded times available for saving After a save the Save New Times and Append New Times will be grayed out disabled until there are new unsaved recorded times available for saving Button Name Short Label Description Button Name Long Label Save All Times Save all times to disk overwriting a Save All Times to Disk lt S gt previous existing timer file Save New Times Save new unsaved times to disk Save New Times to Disk lt S gt overwriting a previous existing timer file Append New Times Append un
73. ppy Disk Transfer to Other Computer ursnuunssennnnnennsnnnnnnennnnnnnnnnnnn 43 Network Drive Transfer to Other Computer 240ussnsnnnnennnnennennennnnnnnn 43 Frequently Asked Questions 44 Starting the Clock iii Alta 44 How do start the Race Timer clock when the starting gun fires 44 How do start the Race Timer clock after the race has started 44 If started the clock at the wrong time how do I restart unen 44 How do restart the clock and get rid of all the existing times 45 How do start timing in the middle of a race at a particular place 45 Is it possible to turn the computer off and then restart the timing process 45 How do restart the clock and adjust existing times for the new start time 46 Recording TIMOS aiii a Ada 46 How do I record a place and time oonccccccccnnicccncccconnnononnnnno co nancn ran nnnann cnn 46 How do delete an inadvertently recorded time neenen 46 How do I record a time with a bib number a select time 46 Editing Bib NuMDerS iii liada 47 Race Timer User s Guide Contents e iii How do change the bib number for a recorded time ne 47 How do I clear the bib number from the last recorded time 47 How do swap the bib numbers of the last two recorded times 47 Saving
74. r a particular participant identified by bib number is precisely known In the strictest definition a select time does not indicate that the place or finish order for the participant is known There are two methods for obtaining select times The first involves a single timing source This timing method records all the places and times and randomly records bib numbers with some of the places and times The number of select times recorded depends upon the skills of the operator of the timing device and the density of participants crossing the finish line The highest priority task is recording a time for every finisher and then when possible recording a bib number Getting a select time is easiest when the participants are spread out or there is a gap between participants in an otherwise dense stream This gives the timer a chance to type in a bib number The second method utilizes two timing devices or sources One timing device is dedicated to recording a place and time for every finisher and may or may not attempt to record bib numbers The second timing device is dedicated to recording select times only The operator focuses on one participant at a time identifying and keying in their bib number The operator then records the participant s time as they cross the finish line Times and bib numbers are recorded for some finishers a select subset of finishers In general the second timing device will not be able to record bib numbers and times f
75. r saving data to and the current disk It also displays a single line of help information for a menu item when a menu item is highlighted If you put a participant or announcer file in the Race Timer directory the status line will display participant information when you type in a bib number Sys Clock last calibrated The first item in the status line is the date the system clock was last calibrated If the computer has not been calibrated the date is listed as NOT Calibrated Target drive for file filename ext is The second item in the status line is the file name and target drive for saving time data The target drive and file name is a configurable item See Configuration Settings on page 35 for more information The directory is always the root directory for the target drive Current disk is The third and last item in the status line is the number of the current disk This number is for reference only It helps with keeping track of how many times you have saved all the time data The disk number starts at 1 and increments by 1 each additional time you invoke the Save New or Save All action Appending new times to disk will not change the disk This number may or may not reflect the actual number of disks used or the labeled number on a floppy disk Participant Information Typing in a bib number that matches a participant in the announcer file will display the participant information This information includes the na
76. racy timing especially for longer duration events you should calibrate each computer used for timing If there is a chance that you are timing an event where official records may be set it is imperative that you calibrate the timing devices When establishing records the governing body that verifies the record may inspect the timing equipment and insure its accuracy Configuration Race Timer allows you configure and customize many features Some of these features include the format of the file that you save time data to the location of this file the maximum number of digits on a bib number and many others You can even configure the software to save data automatically at predefined intervals Editing Data A powerful feature that Race Timer supports is editing of recording data You can delete recorded times edit bib numbers change bib numbers and restart the clock and adjust all the recorded time for the new start time Specifications The following table lists the specifications and features of the Race Timer software Feature or Item Specification Accuracy of clock 0 1 seconds Assuming perfect ability on the part of the operator and assuming the computer s system clock is calibrated Realistically it is limited to the operator s ability Precision resolution of clock Varies from 0 02 seconds to 0 06 Limited by the computers clock tick and the version of the Windows operating system
77. rator should avoid switching to other programs or accessing the help feature For highest reliability Race Timer should be the only program running on your timing computer Keeping things as simple as possible helps avoid many potential problems To remedy this and quickly bring the Race Timer window to the top and make it active so it starts responding press the F2 key The F2 function key is the system hot key forthe Race Timer program If this does not work you may have to restart the computer and Race Timer A conservative approach to timing is to always have a backup computer system running Race Timer that you can switch to Frequently Asked Questions e 59 Glossary of Terms Race Timer User s Guide Accuracy How close a measured value is to actual reality is known as accuracy A very accurate measured value would be close to the real value The difference or error would be small A measured value with poor accuracy would differ significantly from the real value The difference or error would be significant Bib Number This is an ID number that uniquely identifies a participant of a timed event It also refers to the number worn by a runner This is usually a half size piece of paper that is pinned onto the front of the runner s shirt Calibration Calibration is the process of determining the error in the computer s system clock and then correcting this error to ensure accurate timing Cancel Button This is a push button
78. rding of places times and bib s for race events With a single keystroke you can record a place and time Just press the Enter key To enter a bib number type in a number then record the time with the bib number by pressing the Enter key as the racer crosses the finish line Saving Times to File The Race Timer software allows for the saving of recorded times to a computer file for a permanent record This file allows transferring place and time data into a other software applications designed to manage race results You can save times quickly and easily with a single keystroke Just press the S key Additionally you can configure the software to automatically without user interaction save data at fixed intervals While the data is being saved you can continue to record times without interruption Race Timer is multithreaded and saves the data in a background process allowing the foreground process of timing to continue Calibration of Computer System Clock The Race Timer software has built in features for calibrating the computer s internal system clock Computer clocks vary in accuracy and each computer should be calibrated separately Older computers and portable computers tend to have less accurate clocks than the latest generation of computers Although calibration is recommended you do not have to calibrate the system clock before using the Race Timer software To obtain the highest Overview e 4 Race Timer User s Guide accu
79. rface iii dE i iia 17 Mouse Interface cea i u use le 18 Title Bar Of Caplio td addii ai aai ad 19 Race Clock Started at roned ia i i a i a i LE conos 19 List of Place Time Bib DiSkH ooooocoononononiciccncconononanananano nono nancn ana n nn nono nara nan nn conoci 19 Place ns A ET A ee 19 TIME a A A A A Lt laa 19 BID iii ALI ie Re ata and teed 19 DISK HS a a sce ded dudes N ee een 20 Editing Updating a an ee ha 20 TANG ee ese ee ee Ne nee ee ee ee 20 BIDH nea a a en sense ee 20 Editing and Updalnge aeisi ied i aa 20 L st Rec rded es ah nee ea en a a deen Aes 21 Main MO sit ee a Eee Mev tee 21 File Meno A ee ee uaa 22 Action Ment sesi 28 ee un Re sea ann 22 CUSTOMIZE Menu er nee ae a 23 Help Menu ee rain len 24 PUSH B tl nS ui ae ae ee ee lan 25 File Saving a aa ern dn aed 25 Time Recording Bib Editing ee ec cence ee eeneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeeaeeees 25 Status Eine an e Sage ees acca A A a E id 26 Sys Clock last calibrated 440s4s40unnnnnnnnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn en 26 Target drive for file filename ext Sl o oooooccnonnccccnnnnoccconononnconononn coronan cnnnnnnnnnnnns 26 Gurrentdiskis Pio ad ee li ee 26 Participant Information oooccccnninnniccnnnccononccnn crac narran rar 26 Error Messages ie een een 27 Menu Item Help conoci dd ea eat 27 Dialog Boxes 29 Et BID ASA De ee Ener 29 List of Place Time Bib Disk S
80. rnnnnnrcnnnncn 35 Record Times With eeen eie e ia e ronca 36 Beep On ENOS erorar a aa o e A T end ae 36 Galibrate TiMes H He ernennen haufen 36 Auto Backup TIMSS rss ieta ia eiie E EEr ATE E R 36 Disable Delete Button 4ussernnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnennn nn 36 Advanced zn nisse een ee dee 37 Restore DefaullS ici abeto 38 E IN 38 Other Dialog and Message BOXES cooocococccocccccocccononananonnnonccnon nn nano cnn cnc n cnn nnna arrancar 39 About Race UMa raae oa nn 39 Unsaved Data PrOMPt cooooccccnnnocccononoccccnanoncnncnanoncnc nano cnn n nano cnn n nana nn nr a 39 Restarting Clock Prompt ursssessssnnsnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 40 Restarting the Clock s2s0ursnsunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnannnnnnnannnn 40 Max Elapsed Time Exceeded 4444444440nnennnnnennennnnnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnenn 40 File O Error a ots tes octave tidad 41 Time Data Files 42 What are Time Data Files eiaeaen indike iiaii aed aa S a 42 Time Data File Formatteren n eii aet a aa aia i e iaa 42 Generic Formatines en u nei ai 42 Pocket Timer Formatives eii iie esere i aea e e a 42 Race Director Formatesisenemiaa uyi iiia s aE ia EA a 43 Transferring Timer Data Files urs40u0rsnnnnnennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnennnnnnnn nen 43 Hard Drive Transfer to Other Software uuessseensnnensnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nenn 43 Flo
81. s e 61 Precision The smallest difference between two measured valued is called the precision or resolution For example a watch with a sweep second hand can measure times that can differ by 1 second It has a precision of 1 second A high quality digital stop watch can measure times that differ by 0 01 second 1 hundredth of a second It has a precision of 01 seconds A fine precision does not necessarily mean good accuracy The watch with the sweep second hand may actually keep better time than the highly precise digital stop watch The digital stop watch may precisely measure inaccurate values Pull Tags Bib numbers usually have a tag on the bottom that can be pulled and removed This allows you to collect bib numbers as participants finish It is helpful for generating a order of finish list by bib number Push Button This is a dialog control that upon selection performs some action The most common push buttons in Windows are the OK and the Cancel buttons Race Director This is a popular software package for managing races Radio Button This is a dialog control that you can select There are usually more than one radio buttons grouped together to represent a choice between options You can only choose one options out of the group Select Time A recorded place and time with a bib number associated with it System Clock All PC compatible computers have an internal clock that operates when the computer is running This c
82. saved times to the end of A Ti Disk existing file on target disk existing file Prend New Tino DRESS created with Save All or Save New Time Recording Bib Editing The following table lists the four push buttons associated with recording times and editing bib numbers The left column of the table contains the name or label of the push button The right column contains the description of what happens when you press the button Note that the Delete Last Time button may be grayed out disabled depending upon configuration settings Button Name Short Label Description Button Name Long Label Record Record a place with the current time and Record Time lt Enter gt lt R gt optional bib number Delete Delete the last recorded place time and Delete Last Time lt D gt optional bib number Swap Bib s Swap the bib numbers of the last two Swap Last 2 Bib s lt W gt recorded places and times Associate Bib Associate the current bib with the last Associate Bib with Last lt B gt recorded place and time if the current bib is blank bib is cleared from time Record Window e 25 Status Line Note that the announcer file name ANOUNCER TXT is not a misprint It has only one N to conform to a file name of 8 characters or less Race Timer User s Guide The Status Line contains information about the current operating condition of the software It displays the calibration date the name and location of the file fo
83. ss by pressing the Stop button press Alt T Do this at an exact known time on an even minute on your accurate time source The longer the calibration duration the more accurate the calibration 24 hours is recommended but 48 hours would be even better After you press the Stop button enter in the time from your accurate time source that elapsed between pressing the Start button and the Stop button Enter the hours in the edit box below the HH and enter the minutes in the edit box below the MM After you have enter the actual elapsed time press the Calculate button press Alt C The new calibration shows up in the Calibration Data field If you decide to use the new calibration press the OK button press Alt O If you decided to not use the new calibration discard it by pressing the Cancel button press the Escape key Is it necessary to calibrate the system clock It is not necessary but it is highly recommended Unless you calibrate the system clock the accuracy of the times you record are dependant upon the accuracy of the system clock Computers have notoriously inaccurate clocks They can be in error multiple seconds per day The longer your event lasts the greater the error With proper calibration the accuracy can be improved to 0 1 second Should time with Num Lock on or off This is a personal choice Some people have grown accustomed to the notebook style of numbers If you are skilled at 10 key data entry you will pr
84. t least a minute or so before 2 hours have elapsed in the race turn on the timing computer and start up the Race Timer software In the Start or Restart the Clock dialog enter 2 in the HH field As soon as the official race clock shows 2 00 00 2 hours exactly press the enter key This starts the Race Timer clock as if 2 hours have already transpired which they have Alternatively if you do not wish to start the clock and instead record the actual time you can elect not to start the clock by selecting the Cancel button or Escape key Any place and time you record will be in actual time of day time in 24 hour format Recording Times A ter starting the clock you are free to start recording times To record a place and time press the Enter key This will record the place and exact time you pressed the Enter key The place is a running tally of how many times you have recorded As each participant crosses the finish line press the Enter key This will record the place and time for each finisher Entering Bib Numbers If you can identify a bib number on a participant type the number in before recording their finishing place and time To do this type in the bib number and then press the enter key Recording times with a bib number is an important part of the timing process Having some times with bib numbers is required to synchronize the times with the list of bib numbers obtained from collected pull tags A place and time that has a bib n
85. tart the Clock Restarting the Clock x N You have restarted the clock Do you want keep existing times and adjust them for the new elapsed time offset and starting place Responding No will erase all existing times eee Max Elapsed Time Exceeded If you attempt to enter an elapsed time greater than 90 hours when starting the clock Race Timer informs you that you must specify a smaller value Race Timer Start the Clock Max Elapsed Time Exceeded B N You have exceeded 90 hours elapsed time You must go back and specify a smaller value Dialog Boxes e 40 Race Timer User s Guide File IO Error If you try to save to a drive or disk that is non existent full not ready or not write enabled you will be given a chance to either cancel the operation or fix the problem and retry Timer File lO Error x N Unable to save time data to A racetime a Make sure disk drive is ready write enabled and has enough free space available For appending make sure the file RACETIME A already exists For a fresh disk do a Save All or a Save New y Cancel before appending Dialog Boxes e 41 Time Data Files What are Time Data Files Data files are stored as ASCII files They are simple text only files that can be read by most word processing spreadsheet and file viewing software Most printers also provide for direct printing of ASCII files Time Data File Format Race Timer User s Guide
86. ter key a time is recorded You can still use the mouse or the keyboard to access other operations The only thing you can not do is move the input focus from the Record button to some other control Typically the Tab or Shift Tab key combinations move Record Window e 16 the input focus from control to control Since the Record push button is the only tab stop in the entire Record window the Tab key does nothing Keyboard Interface As a word of caution be careful if you configure use of the Space Bar or the Delete key It is easy to record times or delete times inadvertently when these keys are configured as active Race Timer User s Guide Since the Race Timer software will be used in situations where a pointing device such as a mouse is impractical outside an office all operations and actions available in the Record window are accessible through the keyboard In fact the most commonly used operations have more than one keystroke combination that you can use to select them For ease and quickness of use all timing actions have single keystroke access The Record window also supports the standard Alt key combination keyboard access You can access an action by holding down the Alt key when you press a command s hot key The following table lists the operations or actions and the keystroke combinations that invoke the actions The first column identifies the action and the push button for the action The second column lists the s
87. th the participant database The bib number is the key that links these two pieces of information The database of participant information is typically set up before the event The time data is imported into or combined with this database during and after the event Generating Results Once a time and place is known for each participant in an event you can sort the data by place age group etc This allows you to post and generate results for use by the participants awards ceremonies media etc Background on Timing e 10 Installation and Start Up Hardware Requirements The Race Timer software depends upon a host computer for operation The standard computer is a notebook class computer with the following required minimum specifications This is a very minimal system Old notebook computers that are obsolete by today s standards will work well as a timing computer In fact old notebook computers with black and white LCD displays are desirable because their display affords better visibility outdoors in bright sunlight Modern specialized notebook computers designed for outdoor environments with transreflective screens are ideal but expensive Modern computers era 1998 and later have the advantage of supporting wireless networking abilities that make transferring data convenient The following items are required PC compatible computer running MS Windows version 3 1 or greater Color or black and white VGA display 640 x 480 pixels or high
88. that will exit a dialog box It will exit the dialog box without saving abandons any input or changes you may have made Comma Delimited ASCII This is a type of file format that is simple and unadorned with special codes that may be proprietary to special software Each line in the file represents a record of information Different fields of information on a line are separated delimited by commas Configuration This is the process of setting up the Race Timer software to match the requirements of a particular timing chore You can also configure the software to adhere to personal preferences Dialog This is a window that contains screen controls that you the user utilize to interact with a particular program or piece of software Interactions include data entry option selections initiating actions and just viewing information Glossary of Terms e 60 Race Timer User s Guide Dialog Box See the definition for Dialog Dialog Control A child window in a dialog box is called a control Examples are push buttons radio buttons check boxes list boxes edit fields and static text fields Directory This is a location on a disk or drive in Windows The term directory is synonymous with folder Disk A disk is a storage device for data It can either be removable such as a floppy disk or fixed such as a hard drive Typically the floppy drive is designated A and the hard drive is designated C Drive This term is
89. tion of the clock that is use when the computer is on How do restart the clock and adjust existing times for the new start time To restart the clock after you have recorded some times you must be in the Administrator menu To turn on the Administrator menu press Alt C A To bring up the Start or Restart the Clock dialog press Alt A S Select OK to dismiss the message box warning In the Start or Restart the Clock dialog enter the correct elapsed time and press enter when the official clock displays the elapsed time See question How do start the Race Timer clock after the race has started on page 44 When the Restarting the Clock message box prompts you if you want to keep existing times and adjust them for the new start time press the Yes button Press the Y or Enter key Recording Times Race Timer User s Guide How do record a place and time The Race Timer program must be up and running It must also be active and accepting input Then all you do is press the Enter key How do delete an inadvertently recorded time To delete the last recorded time press the D key or the Delete key You can only delete the last recorded time Once you delete the last recorded time the previously recorded time becomes the last recorded time and you can then delete that time and so on To be able to delete times with a single keystroke the Disable Delete Button option in the Configuration Settings dialog must be unchecked To be able
90. to interact with the main window of the Race Timer software It describes the features and functions available in the main program window and how to access them This is followed by the chapter Dialog Boxes on page 29 that describes the secondary windows or dialog boxes of the Race Timer software This chapter covers editing of data starting the clock calibrating the clock and modifying configuration settings The next chapter Time Data Files on page 42 describes the time data files format The last chapter Frequently Asked Questions on page 44 addresses specific questions you may have about the timing process and the Race Timer software Overview e 6 Background on Timing Essential Data Recording results for arace event is a data gathering and data processing job Generating results from the data requires at least three essential pieces of information These include person place and time Person Enough information is needed to uniquely identify a person participating in the event At a minimum this usually consists of name age and sex and a unique identifying number called a bib number Age and sex are required to determine age group results and how an individual participant places within their age group Place Place is the sequence number of participants finishing the race It is the order of finish The first participant to finish the race is place one the second is place two and so forth Every recorded time has
91. tor level menu It also requires a significant amount of time and can disrupt the timing process It should be only done if there are large gaps between finishers If the density of finishers requires concentration on the timing chores then just ignore the mistake and keep timing The timing computer was turned during a race how do recover See the question Is it possible to turn the computer off and then restart the timing process on page 45 The Race Timer clock was started at the wrong time how do recover See the questions If started the clock at the wrong time how do restart on page 44 and How do restart the clock and adjust existing times for the new start time on page 46 How do time a relay event If you only need to record the overall time then you can just record the time when the last member of a team crosses the finish line If you need to record times for all team members then you need some way to indicate what are times for leg 1 versus leg 2 versus leg 3 etc You either need bib numbers Frequently Asked Questions e 54 Race Timer User s Guide that indicate the leg of the relay or you need to have different timers and computers timing each leg independently How do maximize battery life You must have your computer set up so that the screen always stays on and that the computer never enters sleep or suspend mode Unfortunately these requirements rule out some of the most effective power
92. u have typed in a bib number for You do not have time to type in the correct bib number and must record the time of the first finisher with the bib number of the second finisher Immediately pressing the W key after recording the second time will move the bib number from the first finisher to the second leaving the first finisher s bib number blank If you have time that meaning there is a big enough gap before the next participants reach the finish line you could enter in the bib number for the first finisher associate it with the second finisher and then swap the bib numbers The sequence of operations become enter in a bib number record a time record a second time enter in a bib number associate the bib number with the last time swap the two bib numbers An example of keystrokes for recorded two times with the bib numbers 1 and 2 when the participant with bib number 2 was in the lead until the last moment 2 Enter Enter 1 B W Frequently Asked Questions e 47 Saving Data Race Timer User s Guide How do I save data To save all the times press the S key To save just the new times press the N key The new times are times that you have not saved yet Saving all the times or saving the new times overwrites any existing file or creates a new file if an existing time file does not exist If you save just the new times with the N key the time file will only contain the new files not all the times that you have recorded To append th
93. u to record places times and associate an optional bib number with each time You can then save the times to a file on disk for easy transferring to other software applications used for results processing An unskilled volunteer only needs to learn a few commands to become proficient with Race Timer and be able to record times bib numbers and save the data These commands include recording a time by pressing the Enter key entering a bib number by typing in a number and saving data by pressing the S key Race Timer has features and options that allow a more experienced user called an administrator to tailor the program to specific timing job requirements For example you can configure the time data file to be compatible with the Race Director race management software among others This file format is comma delimited ASCII text and is also compatible with most database and spreadsheet programs This allows you to do results processing with the time data Race Timer runs under Windows 3 1 or greater and requires only a minimum computer system Typical Timing Scenario Race Timer User s Guide A timing job using Race Timer consists of a number of small tasks This section in a general fashion walks you through the tasks of a typical timing scenario It assumes that the software is already installed on a computer the computer s system clock has been calibrated and the software configured appropriately to start up when the computer is turned
94. umber associated with it is known as a select time Depending upon the race management software and the results processing software you utilize you can record select times along with your place and Overview e 2 The term Alt F4 indicates holding down the Alt key on the computer keyboard and simultaneously pushing the F4 key Race Timer User s Guide time data Or you can use a second computer dedicated to recording select times only The first timing computer will record all the places and times and the second will record a subset of times each that has a bib number associated with it This technique requires your results processing software to manage inputting the two separate files Editing If you make a mistake entering a bib number you can delete the last digits entered by pressing the Backspace key If you have already pressed the Enter key you can type in a new number and associated it after the fact by pressing the B key Saving Times After recording times you need to save them so you can use them in other software programs You can save allthe recorded places times and select bib numbers to a file by pressing the S key There are features to also append the unsaved times to an existing file save the new times to a new file or save all the times to a new file The Race Timer software allows you to configure where the file is stored Configuration is a task best leftto an administrator that is well experience with and fa
95. ve To make sure the time data file is easy to find you are limited to specifying a drive as the target location You can then quickly find the time data file in the target drives root directory If you need to save to a directory other than the root directory of a drive Windows allows you to map that directory to a drive name How do get the software to automatically save across a network To save data across a network you must map a drive to a location on the network Consult your Windows documentation on how to do this Once you have a mapped drive you can specify the name of that mapped drive in the Configuration Settings dialog Select the Other option in the Configuration Settings dialog Enter the name of the mapped network drive in the edit box located next to the Other option How do get Race Timer to create a new file each time save data In the Configuration Settings Advanced make sure the Overwrite Existing Time Files is not checked When this is unchecked each time you save a new file is created with a new name The name of the file is different in the extension which is a number that is incremented for each save For example the first time the data is saved the file name is racetime 1 The second time the data is saved the file name is racetime 2 and so on Only Save All Times or Save New Times will increment the save number and create a new file with a new name The Append New Times command only adds appends o
96. vious to the current day There is no way of telling from this time if the race started on a different day then the current day If you exited the Start or Restart the Clock dialog by pressing the Cancel button the clock is not started and you will be recording the computers system time The caption indicates this by displaying the following information NOT Started recording system time List of Place Time Bib Disk Race Timer User s Guide The Record window keeps a list of all the places with their times and optional select bib numbers that you have recorded You can view any portion of the list by using the mouse with the scroll bar or the scroll keys described above See Keyboard Interface on page 17 When you record a new place the list automatically scrolls up to show the newest recorded place at the bottom of the list Place The place column is a sequential number indicating the place or order of finish By default the place starts at 1 and increases by 1 for each participant that you record a time for The starting place can be set to a value other than 1 in the Start or Restart the Clock dialog The most recent recorded place will be at the bottom of the list This list will give you instant feedback on how many participants you have recorded Time There will be a time for each place in the list This time is the exact time that the Record button was selected The time format is hours minutes seconds and hundredths
97. ws on or off Customize Configuration Settings Bring up a dialog box to configure system settings Customize Show Long Button Toggle long descriptive labels for push Labels buttons on or off Customize Zoom Small Resize the screen to smallest possible size 640 X 480 pixels Customize Zoom Medium Resize the screen to medium size 800 X 600 pixels Customize Zoom Large Resize the screen to large size 1024 X 768 pixels Customize Zoom Full Size Resize the screen to largest possible size full screen Help Contents Display the table of contents for the on line help Help Search Display the search list for the on line help Help About Race Timer Display information about the program Race Timer User s Guide Record Window e 28 Dialog Boxes There are five supporting dialog boxes utilized by the Race Timer program Only one of these is usually seen during a typical timing job that is the Start or Restart the Clock dialog that comes up automatically when Race Timer first starts up The other four dialogs play a supporting role for calibrating the system clock adjusting the configuration settings and editing bib numbers These dialogs are used by an administrator level operator to setup the Race Timer software and tailor it for a specific timing job Edit Bib s The Edit Bib s dialog box allows you to change the bib number associated with any recorded place and time To bring up this dialog box select Edit Bib s from the A
98. y replacement battery runs about 7 hours on a fresh charge A 2002 era 1 GHz Pentium Dell Inspiron with a high capacity battery runs about 3 5 hours on a fresh charge This particular Dell can hold a second battery doubling the battery life provided you do not need removable media Frequently Asked Questions e 51 Race Timer User s Guide Removing the floppy drive opens up a second battery bay Without a removable media drive you would need a network to transfer time data during the timing process The absolute minimum system to run Race Timer is a computer with 386SX processor 1 Mega Byte of memory and a black and white VGA display running Windows 3 1 Old notebook computers can be found on auction sites like ebay Another highly desirable option is wireless networking Inexpensive wireless network cards for notebook computers are readily available Taking advantage of wireless networking requires a more modern notebook computer running a 32 bit version of Windows such as Windows 98 2000 XP etc Wireless networking allows for direct saving of the time data from the computer running Race Timerto a computer not at the finish line that is used for results process This allows for processing results while the race is in progress Preliminary results are available before the race is over for participants to view Final results are usually available soon after the event is over Without networking preliminary results processing during the race

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