PocketTimer Pro Manual

PocketTimer Pro User Manual

Overview & Timing

Main Screen

Along the top of the screen are four icons, which represent the four main functionalities of the software - Timing, Categories (Divisions, Age Groups, etc.), Racers, and Results. To switch to the different screens, simply tap on the appropriate icon.

An Options Menu button gives you access to various other features, including reading this manual. On some devices, the Options Menu is also accessible via a fixed (hardware) button on the device, and on still other devices (mostly tablets), you may see two or three horizontal lines along the bottom or right edge of the device which, when tapped, allow you access to not only the Options Menu but also the Back button and Home button.

Timing

Timing is extremely simple. Tap the Start button to start the timer; once you do, the button will change to read Record. Now to record a finisher, tap the buttons corresponding to the Bib# and then Record (e.g., tap 1-3-6 to record racer #136 crossing the finish line). If two (or more) racers finish in a tie, enter the first bib#, tap Record as they cross the finish line, then enter the second bib# and tap Same Time rather than Record. Clear is used to erase any numbers you are entering if you make a mistake (a mistake that you notice before you hit Record, that is).

As you enter the Bib#, the name of the finisher will appear to the right of the Bib#. This can be used to announce an approaching finisher before he or she has actually finished.

If many finishers are finishing in a tight bunch, and you don't have time to enter the Bib# for each one, try to enter the Bib# for the first finisher and then just tap Record for that finisher and each one that follows; you can fill in the Bib#'s later, as we'll describe next. Likewise if a finisher comes in with his or her bib not showing (perhaps on their back), just hit Record, and enter the Bib# later.

If you record a finisher without a bib, or if you record a finisher with the incorrect Bib# and you realize it after you hit Record, or if you hit Record by mistake, you need to edit that entry. When you have time, tap the entry in the list of finishing times, and a screen will appear showing the Bib# (if you entered one) and the time. Now you can tap Delete if the entry was erroneous, or you can correct the Bib# or the time and tap Update to update the entry. This is also a way you can enter a time you missed entirely. If someone is collected Bib# tags after the finish, and you find (for example) that #34 finished after #27 and before #22, just tap Record at any time, even after the race is done. Now tap that entry to edit it, enter the missing Bib# (34 in this example), and enter an arbitrary time somewhere between the time of racer #27 and racer #22. Of course the time will not be correct, but for purposes of scoring the race, it will serve the purpose just as well.

To stop the timer when the race is done, choose Stop Timer from the options menu. You'll be given a chance to change your mind before the time is actually stopped. You cannot re-start the time once you do this, and there isn't any reason to stop the time until you are absolutely sure you won't be recording any more finishers, so there's no need to be in a rush to do this; you can do it the next day if you like.

Sometimes you need to offset the time. Perhaps the race started an hour ago, and you weren't on site at the time (perhaps the finish line and start line are at different locations). To do this, just start the timer whenever you can. Now, once you have some way to establish the "real" time (perhaps using a watch that was at the start line), select Offset Time from the options menu. You can add or subtract time to the time shown on the running timer, and you can also repeat the operation if you don't get it quite right the first time.

Another use for offsetting the time occurs if you want the time in the results to show time of day rather the time since the start of the race. To do this, just start the timer at any time, and then, looking at your watch or any device showing the actual time, subtract precisely that number of hours, minutes, and seconds from the time using the Offset Time menu. The running time should now display the time of day, as if the race started at midnight (again, you can repeat the operation if you don't get it quite right the first time).

Settings

There are numerous settings which control the behavior of the software, which are accessed by choosing Settings from the Options Menu. The settings are divided into three groups — Recording, Scoring, and Input/Output. In the Recording section are several options which affect the recording of times and their display:

Record Tenths affects the precision of the times as they are displayed (in fact, the times are also recorded to a much finer precision, but since the accuracy of the times can't be any better than your ability to tap Start and then Record at precisely the correct time, there isn't any value in having such precision. Recording times to the nearest tenth of a second is meaningful, however, although whether it is relevant probably depends on whether you are timing a 5K or 10K or a 50K or 100M race. Because times are actually always recorded to millisecond precision, you can change the Record Tenths setting at any time, even after times are recorded.

Duplicate Bib#'s depend on your race. Some races involve multiple laps, and you will be intentionally recording the same bib# multiple times. Other races involve each bib# being timed only once, at the finish line. In such races, you can uncheck Allow, which will prevent you from recording any number twice. In general this is a very bad idea, because the first time you recorded that bib# may have been in error, and if you prevent the second occurrence from being recorded, you will miss a valid time. Much better to allow duplicate bib#'s to be recorded, and sort out later (typically from collected bib tags) which one was in error. Assuming you do allow duplicate bib#'s to be recorded, you can call attention to them in two different ways — one by checking Warn which will sound a buzzer when the same number is recorded again, and the second by checking Highlight which will highlight duplicate entries in yellow. Warn is most appropriate when you actually don't intend to record duplicates; Highlight is appropriate there and also for cases in which you are intentionally recording multiple times for each racer.

Read the other sections of the manual:

Registering your software

Neither Google nor Amazon give us any information about who purchases our software, they only tell us how many copies have been sold. It's not mandatory, but we very much appreciate your selecting Register Software from the Options Menu, which, when you fill out the form, will simply provide us with your name and email address so we can keep you informed about developments with the software. We absolutely guarantee this information will not be shared with anyone else, nor will it be used to send you information about anything but PocketTimer Pro or very closely related products. So please register.