Thinkify TR-290-B

[Tim Irvine]

Hey I have a couple of questions about the Thinkify TR-290-B. I know it can connect via Bluetooth, but can it also connect via cat 5/6? Does it have that option or is it only Bluetooth? Also, if anyone has one, how do you like it? Thanks!

[Nick Preston]

It can only connect via Bluetooth - there are no ports on it other than a plug for charging.  It has worked well for us.  The antenna has worked fine, we've had some connection issues at times, but that seemed to be the computer's fault (no built-in bluetooth, having to use a USB dongle), not the antenna's.

[Tim Irvine]

Awesome! I am kicking around some options. Is it possible to connect more than one to the same computer? Thanks

[Ohio Race Day]

It connects via Bluetooth only and its antenna is linear polarization so it reads out farther but in a more narrow pattern.  I have one and when it connects it helps catch those shoe tags that are on the wrong foot.  I also use a Bluetooth dongle on a 1' USB extension cable and hang it over the front of our table. I think we paid $700 for it.  The internal battery lasts for hours.  You can connect more than one to a single computer.  Agee has used them for capturing splits and for capturing a chip start from either side of the start line.  They are not perfect but they do work.  I'm guessing you'll get an 80% read rate from them so they are good as an "extra" antenna on the opposite side of a finish line where you can't run a wire.  I've thought about selling mine now that I got my mat antennas.  Not sure if I want to part with it yet.

[Brian Agee]

Thanks Nick for answering the Ethernet connection part of the question.

The TR290's are kind of like the wireless barcode scanner. The concept sounds great, but in the real world they cause more problems than they solve. After a few months of testing (with much optimism) I concluded that the TR290's just aren't reliable enough to used on the finish line. In my controlled tests they worked fine, but every time I took them to a race I always had issues establishing a connection, with reads showing up on the screen a couple of seconds after the runner had passed through the finish line, and with missed tags.

I really had high hopes for these devices, I purchased 8 or 9 of them for myself after my initial test (before trying them at a real event). I loved the fact that I could place them anywhere I wanted without running any cables, that there was no concerns about making sure the reader and computer are on the same network, that they are water proof, and that the built in battery can keep it doing for around 12 hours. The problem is that they use a Linear antenna, so if the tag doesn't come across at the proper orientation it can easily be missed. I was getting between 94% and 96% when I tried using them at real races. The Bluetooth connection was hit or miss (even with the newer TR290's with the external antenna), and there was often a delay between the read and when I would see it on my screen. So at every race I tried to use them, they caused more headaches then they were worth.

The TR290's also take up two COM ports, but only one shows up as "Connected" in the software. With the way they are installed, it appears that those COM ports are reserved for the TR290 once you've connected to it - so even if the TR290 is not being used the software sees that a Thinkify device might be attached and it tries to connect to it (which simply burns 5-10 seconds of time that is unnecessary). Of course the software has no way to know if the device is really attached or not until it tries to connect, so there is nothing I can do on my end to prevent that. With the TR200, when you unplug the device the COM port it was using is instantly available and the software can tell that it's not connected to the computer. I've tried to uninstall and disable the TR290 drivers and COM ports but every time I restart my computer they come right back for some reason (see the "Standard Serial over Bluetooth" items in the screen shot attached). Surely there is a way to remove them, but it's apparently not easy.

I've had my TR290's sitting untouched in my house now for over a year now. When people ask me about them, I tell them that they would be fine for non-essential jobs - like connected to a computer that can display people's names as they approach the finish line, as a remote photo capture point out on the course, or connected to the Results Kiosk so that it automatically prints performance labels as people walk up. When I eventually get around to the Photo Booth feature I can use the TR290 there too since it has the option to do an RFID scan to automatically link people to whatever photos were taken (at which point it emails each person their photo). The only thing lacking with the photo booth feature is some code that can reliably connect and disconnect from a wide array of webcams. I've tried all of the methods I've found online and none of them were 100% reliable. I might just have to pick a specific model of HD webcam and make everyone use that. I was hoping to be able to use whatever built in webcam the monitor might have, but that may not be practical.

[Brian Agee]

Yeah, I should clarify the post I just made after reading yours. I was getting 94 - 96% when using 3 or more TR290's. For that amount of money it would be better just to buy another UPS battery backup, reader, and antennas.

[Tim Irvine]

Well that clears up a lot of questions for me. Thanks guys for the info. 

[Brian Agee]

Oh, and with the TR290 your computer will have to have at least one USB 3.0 port.

[Nick Preston]

Brian, what is the reason for the one USB 3.0 port?

[Brian Agee]

Oh wait, the USB 3.0 port is required only if your laptop doesn't have built in Bluetooth. It's for the Bluetooth adapter that comes with the TR290's. 

Many of my laptops do not have built in Bluetooth, and some don't have a UBS 3.0 port, so they cannot connect to the TR290.

[esondag]

If there are people out there who want to use a TR-290-B, I just want to clarify that there is no reason that a USB 3.0 port would be required to add Bluetooth (via an adapter) to a computer that doesn't have it built in already. There are lots of Bluetooth adapters that connect to computers using the USB 2.0 standard. Looking at the specs for the TR-290-B on the Thinkify website, I see no reason why it would require a Bluetooth adapter that connects via USB 3.0. Bluetooth communication is dependent on the radio in the adapter, not the way it connects to the computer.

It's possible there is some confusion in the specs or the marketing materials between USB and Bluetooth. The Bluetooth protocol version is probably listed as 3.0 or 3.1 (it's up to 4.0 now) and USB versions of 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0 have all been common. I wouldn't doubt there has been some unintended cross-over of versions and terminology in advertising the device.    

[Rafael Fontela]

I may be all wet here but could the antenna be change to a low gain directional antenna and have you tried making the change in regedit HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\COM

[Brian Agee]

Unfortunately I don't have the time to look for specs, but the dongle they supplied me required USB 3.0. I discovered this only after hours of trying to get it to work on my development laptop (which does not have USB 3.0 or built in Bluetooth) and was informed by Thinkify that it had to be USB 3.0. I didn't try to research it any after that since my primary timing laptop and my backup laptop both have USB 3.0 and I was able to get it working without a problem on those. I'm sure you're right, you can probably go buy your own dongle that is 2.0 compatible.

[Brian Agee]

esondag, now I'm second guessing myself! :)    When I get home I'll plug the dongle into my laptop (which doesn't have 3.0) and test it out.  I know that the Dell S2340T 23" touch screen monitor I'm using at the results kiosk requires USB 3.0 and maybe I'm getting those confused. I'll post a reply as soon as I test it out.

On Wednesday, December 10, 2014 1:51:49 PM UTC-6, esondag wrote:

[esondag]

The Bluetooth dongle or adapter that Thinkify includes with purchase may require USB 3.0. How it connects to the laptop doesn't impact the Bluetooth wireless communication between the dongle and the TR-290-B, though.

If you use a USB 2.0 Bluetooth adapter/dongle instead of the USB 3.0 Thinkify dongle it will work equally well.

Sorry if this still sounds like gibberish! I tried to be clear as possible. :)

[Tim Irvine]

I picked up a TR 290 from Fred that was selling it in Marketplace. I have it connected to my computer but ART has not yet connected to it. Is there something I need to do to make the magic work? Thanks!

[JK Race Timing Systems]

It would be interesting to disable the internal antenna and fit an external yes connection so that a circular polarised antenna or mat could be used in its place. The results could be worth the effort

[Tim Irvine]

According to the Thinkify guys, it's basically the TR-265 module inside, likely minus the housing. I don't know if they have the option to use a different antenna, but he did tell me that inside the box the module does have a USB. 

[Ohio Race Day]

I'd gladly trade my TR290 for a TR265

[Tim Irvine]

I got it to work tonight. It was a matter of the wrong default password. Took me a few configurations to get the TR 290 and the TR 200 to both connect at the same time to ART, but once it did, they both worked like a champ.

[Jon Hughes]

Is there an adaptor that lets the Thinkify 265 be connected to a circular antenna. I have seen versions of the Thinkify being used as a backup finish line reader. I just can not determine if the 265 can be used in that mannor.

[Brian Agee]

Oh yes, I use the TR265 on the finish line at every race. Of course the main reader  does all the work, but having a TR265 there provides some peace of mind. You'll need a RP SMA on one end of the cable and a RP TNC on the other end. They also made adapters (see photos below).

[Jon Hughes]

Where is the best place to purchase an adaptor?

[Ohio Race Day]

Here's a 5' cable for $20 from WiFi Expert LLC on the Ebays.

Click This Here Link

Double check the listing before you buy to make sure I have found the right product

[Jon Hughes]

Thank you guys for the info. I feel foolish now. I have been using the Agee race system for about 1 year and never realized I had a backup reader sitting on my check in table.

[Brian Agee]

I'm not sure about the "series" of that cable though, if it's the same basic cable that is used for cable TV then that is not good enough to use between an RFID reader and an antenna (tried it once when I was first building the system - performed terribly). The lowest we offer now is the "LMR240" series. We used to offer the 195 series cables for 15' or less but over time found that these were more likely for the connector to come off the end of the cable. So it concerns me that it says "RG142", I'm assuming "RG" is the same as "LMR".?

[Ohio Race Day]

RG142 is that light brown military grade type cable.  So the Ebay photo is deceptive.  I have one other cable in this material and it seems fine.  It is supposed to be more heat resistant.  But it is the same diameter ).195 inch)

  RG142

[Jon Hughes]

My plan was to set it up connected to a totally separate computer use it as a back up system. I planned to use the adaptor and one of the cables I purchased from you (Brian). I will also use it to allow an announcer to call out names and times at the finish line. Is it strong enough to read the tags as they come across the finish line.

[Brian Agee]

Ok, good deal. Thanks for clearing that concern up. Didn't want someone to buy a bad cable and then it turn into hours of support while I try to figure out why the "reader" is not performing well. :)

[Ohio Race Day]

"My plan was to set it up connected to a totally separate computer use it as a back up system."

That might not be the best use for the little Thinkify reader depending on where you place it.  Brian normally recommends it to be used on the same primary computer.  I personally have had problems with running two separate RFID systems next to each other.

[Brian Agee]

If the antenna connected to the Thinkify reader is right there in the mix with the antennas connected to the big reader then I would expect the Thinkify reader to get very few (if any) reads - this is because the big reader is so much stronger that it basically "floods out" or demands all of the tags attention. Imagine two people yelling at you, but one of of them is about 4 times as loud.

I hook my Thinkify reader up to the same laptop as my big reader. This way, if the big reader goes down, then of course the Thinkify is already right there working and it is instantly the "loudest" reader that the tags will report to. So the hope is that it carries the load until I can get my big reader back up - and so far it has. I always make my finish line as narrow as I can get away with (without it being uncomfortable for the runners) - preferably 8' wide or less. This way all tags pass close enough for even the little Thinkify reader to pick up. I place the Thinkify antenna right next to the first antenna right on the finish line - this way if the main reader goes down the times captured by the Thinkify are reasonably accurate and I don't have to do any adjustments later.

The first year of doing "chip" timing I simply had the main reader plugged into a power strip that was going to the extension cord. Sure enough someone would trip over the cord or unplug it so that they could charge their phone (or something else dumb like that). So I had a few races where the Thinkify did so well I didn't even realize that my main reader had gone down at some point during the race (this was of course well before I added the 'status monitor' in).

All of this is based on the assumption that you're using hip or shoe tags. Within the last 12-18 months I've been doing only hip tags only, because these reasons: 

1. I find they come back looking brand new every time (not caked with mud or crinkled at the top).
2. Their is no risk of a wet pant leg cover it (if it's raining).
   
3. It's easier for people to take off after the race if they have stiff legs. No worries about lace-less shoes.
4. Shoe tags place the tag on the skinniest part of the body, so theoretically this is the best place, but you always have to worry about people cramming them through the top of the laces.

The Thinkify wouldn't perform so admirably with bib tags. It only pushes about 1/4 the power out compared to a big reader. I find that when the tags come across directly facing the antenna that it is very reliable as long as the tag crosses by at 6 feet or less from the antenna.

My favorite use for the USB reader is the Tag Check station during registration/packet pickup. After registration is over you can move it to the finish line and use it as a backup reader, results kiosk reader, or like you said - an announcer reader to show names of oncoming runners. No matter how many of these things I buy I always find a use for them. Love those little readers.