Remote Splits

[brett hardy]

I have a college cross country race coming up that wants on course live splits.  I have the equipment to do it.  Is it possible for them to be live in Arrow?  What is the best way to set it up?  Thanks!

Brett Hardy

[Brian Agee]

Yes, here are the steps you'll take:

Create the race on the main finish line computer. Set the number of "Laps" equal to the total number of times Arrow needs to accept. For example if you're timing a 10K and they want only a 5K split. Then set the number of laps to 2 and name each split in the "Split Descriptions" tab BEFORE you push the race to Arrow. Basically we're just letting Arrow know how many splits it needs to capture and what to name each split.

After you push the race (and split descriptions) to Arrow, you can now set each PC up to track only the number of splits that particular PC needs to track. So in this example you'll set up the finish line PC and the 5K split PC up to track just 1 lap in ART.

Both computers will need to be online of course. As they come through the 5K split, those times are pushed up to Arrow as their first split, then of course the 2nd time sent to arrow is their finish time.

If someone is missed at the 5K split, then of course their finish time will appear as their 5K split on Arrow, but the official results coming from ART will of course have everything correct.

When you import the 5K splits into the finish line computer (which I'd do when you're home after the race), then you can resync with Arrow if you want.

[Fall Line Fitness]

How does Arrow handle chip starts and remote split points? I have tested it a few times and can't seem to get chip starts to reflect if the first split is captured on a different computer. The Arrow dashboard is set to Chip Time so that is not the issue. I can get it to work on a single computer if that computer was the one that captured/had the chip starts imported into it.

I have several multi-sport events that use a time trial chip start (pool swim) which I capture on a few windows surface pros. I then import those chip starts into the finish computer throughout the event so finish times are accurate. But I have to wait to compile all the other remote points at the end of the event to create full split results which people get slightly annoyed about. Man would it be nice if by importing the chip start times into the finish computer, Arrow knew to use those as the racers start time. That way when they hit the first split point regardless of the computer, their split was accurate and not just based on gun time. Finding a way to automate multi-sport split results would be amazing. Compiling them during the event on a separate computer every so often and pushing them up is doable but it's distracting, and it always seems someone finishes right as you push it up.

It was also mentioned in a different post about allowing automated RSU results posting which would also be very nice! If it's possible to allow a similar option as above to RSU that would be awesome. 

Justin.

[Paulo Medina]

When do you start the split computer? Should the timer have all computers start at the same time, right? 

I wish there was a way to have each computer send only to their respective split name on arrow. We have used this on a 50k race with 3 remote splits and the online live results where very off when a runner was missed at a remote split point. 

[Fall Line Fitness]

The split computers can be started at any time (hours before) because it's the time-of-day stamp that is getting pushed up to Arrow not the clock time on ART. As long as no one will pass by the split point before the start. Just make sure all your computers' clocks are synced to the same time.

Instant/live results have to be considered unofficial for the reason you stated or hundreds of other possible things that can/will happen. I agree it would be nice if you could associate a split computer to a given split name, but I think that drastically complicates how Arrow works.

Justin.