Discussion: Electronic timer

I occasionally hear people asking about where to get a timer that will beep at one- or two-minute intervals, maybe with a couple of warning beeps, the kind of thing that you might use at a start line. Alan Young and I just decided to make one, using a simple microprocessor. It will have a beeper, a pushbutton (for synchronizing with a clock), three switches/jumpers for selecting different operating modes, and up to eight LEDs for whatever. Power supply will likely be a 9v battery. I'll be writing the program for it, and I can make it do pretty much anything you can think of using those inputs and outputs. We're planning to get circuit boards made up, and I want to gauge if there's interest out there such that we should get some extra boards made. I'll make a wild guess that an assembled unit would cost about $25. Is this something that would interest any of you out there?

I think WCOC would be interested.

I would buy one for QOC and one for me.

EMPO could use one.

NTOA would get a couple. It's important to make the beeper LOUD. Also, if possible it would be helpful to have a timer (or just a counter) so that the user can verify what start interval has just beeped.

It would also be helpful to have an output wire that we can use to send small electric jolts to the start crew officials.

Okay, looks like there's interest (I also got several emails). One change is that I'm now thinking 9v battery (I changed the description above) because that will allow for a louder beeper. I wasn't originally planning on a display, but I just came up with a way to do it that would be an option (and add to the price), so I think we'll go ahead and put in that feature -- doesn't cost anything to add it to the design. Three LED digits is what I have in mind.

There's some uncertainty regarding the cost of the circuit board (my estimate might be too low), but I'll post an update when we get a better idea of the actual price.

(A trigger output to activate the officials is easy to do, but you'll have to add your own external high-voltage source.)

I don't know about Tom's idea - I think something to zap the competitors to attention would be better.

I'd think DVOA would probably use a couple.

Ideally, a timer display, as well as warning beeps at 1 sec. intervals for 5 secs preceding the loud on the minute beep.

I believe I saw such device in Greg's hands. It had a little device with display attached to it (sort of like a very small beeper that showed time) and it was beeping 5 sec in advance with a louder last beep. I think he got it from Russia and may still have it.
We used it at WCOC local meet for self-start, worked out great. Cost? You will have to ask Greg.

I will write a timer application for a laptop (with Windows of course:) with same functions and distribute it freely to anyone interested. Cost is $0. For start line you would need probably 2 laptops: one at the call line to show current start time silently and one at the actual start line with beeper on. Modern laptops would run 7-8 hours on batteries before requiring re-charging.

I think the point is to have a machine that costs less than the price of a laptop that you are therefore happier to leave outdoors, occasionally to get wet / muddy / dropped / ... If you can also sell a laptop for $25 then people might be more interested in this solution.

Yeah, I think I've seen Greg's device as well, and that's just the sort of thing we have in mind. If the Russian ones were available somewhere, that would be great. A laptop will also work, though this is lighter and maybe less affected by bad weather. Possibly louder, too. If Sergey's program will work for you, that's a fine option.

Yes, I would prefer the non-laptop method. Though, I wouldn't mind having some of those super batteries which run a laptop for 7-8 hours.

Yeah! 7-8 hours adds 5 to my poor thing.

Charlie was looking for such a thing back here: http://www.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/me...

Greg mentioned the source of his beeper in that thread.

I remember seeing the beginning of Charlie's thread, but I somehow missed most of the rest of it, including Brian's mention that he could make timers for people. Nevertheless, I'm going to proceed at least as far as getting the design done so we can figure out what the price will be, and then I'll let you know if we're going to proceed. Projected price looks pretty doable at this point.

I would be interested to get one for GVOC.

I would definately buy one for YOA. Bring some to Sask. for Canadian folks?

Stars Orienteering will buy one

Greetings. Yes, I have made a few of these devices, and had them at the Flying Pig this year to show - we even loaned one of them out. I am getting PC boards fabricated at this point, but the rest of the design work is done. Handheld case, built in 1W audio amplifier with speaker, and a jack to plug in external PA equipment if desired. Interval from 1-10 minutes, 30 seconds, or a programmable interval time. Also you can program the number of pre-beeps, if you want. We have the accuracy down to 1 second in 12 hours, so that issue is solved. I can also provide pictures if anyone desires. Since none of us do this for a living, we are just trying to muddle our way thru :) But we are making 20 in the first run, so if anyone has interest, please let me know. Also, due to the cost of all the components, the cost is going to be $35. I welcome any ideas or info, and if you want one, please be sure to contact me. Now if I could only run faster :)

Has anyone else looked into this VWR® Universal Stopwatch/Repeat Timer device that was mentioned by RJM in another thread?
http://www.vwrsp.com/catalog/product/index.cgi?cat...

For longer laptop battery life in the field, I'd suggest something like this:
http://www.absolutehome.com/web/catalog/product_de...
It has 120V outlets to power a laptops for hours.

Basically you are building a ALGE start beep at a tenth of the cost. Make sure the case is weathertight for those NorEasters.
http://www.phoenix-sports.com/alge_startbeep.htm

Pi, I thought that GVOC or SAGE already had a homemade start timer.

I am still interested in a device like this.

I saw k4bri's timer at the Flying Pig, and I was really impressed. Several of us met with him to discuss the interface, and exchanged a bunch of e-mails about exactly how the interface would work, and---to say it again---I was impressed.

I just posted a reply to usofclubnet where I was talking about start timers in general. The biggest reason to have one is so you can get rid of a really crappy volunteer job of watching a watch and blowing a whistle, or the even worse job of simultaneously calling people up and watching the watch and blowing the whistle. The fact that the competitors can count on the reliable start beep reduces a lot of stress for competitors and officials alike.

I want a start timer for non-SI local events, where I'm registering, starting, timing finishers, and everything else. A lot of times I just ask competitors to watch the stopwatch on the table and leave when it gets to the next minute. I think having a start timer (turned fairly low in volume) would make the whole process much less stressful for me, and it would appear to be much more professional.

I'm really surprised that SportIdent doesn't offer a special start box that would fit in their standard shell and would work like this:

You'd program it when you programmed all the other controls, so it would have the exact same time as all the others. You could program the interval (i.e., 30 seconds, 1 or 2 minutes, etc) and the number of pre-beeps. The display would show through the top, so it could show an event time. A few more LEDs would give it a nice bright flashing display. It might be programmable to come on early for early starters, and it might show a countdown to the first regular starter. (If the first start is 10am, it might come on at 8am and countdown 1:59:59, 58, 57, etc. It might even act as a start box, so you would need one less box at the start, and it would (in most cases) contain all the starters who went out on the course. It might have a setting that would allow start punching only in the first ten seconds of the minute to enforce staggered starts. It would have an adjustable volume beep and an external PA jack. It would probably need a rechargeable battery or just a better battery than most units. A back-up timer crew at the finish might also use a box like this just for the event time display (instead of a stopwatch set to some random time).

Another (seemingly) easy-to-design SI box might be a timer box with an audio output of time. It would have the same top-mounted display as the start timer. You'd plug it into a video camera aimed at the start, and it would have beeps every second or two or five, and it would verbally say the event time. If it was physically the same hardware as the start version, it might have a speaker in it, and one could just tape it near the video camera microphone to achieve the backup timing video. I know the standard is a big clock in the camera view, but those are pretty expensive.

In the meantime, though, I'm getting one of the simple start timers.

Big (enough) clock: $20.