CHIP Timing
This is a listing of companies in the area that do chip timing. RRR does not endorse them. our intent is to give an easy way for race directors to find and contact them. If you have another company that we should list, let us know. We also recommend that you review our short piece below on "Some things to be aware of with chip timing"
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- Tri-3 Timing
Al Fielder (815) 222-2374 email: [email protected] - Racing Expectations Phil Taylor 815-513-8463 email: [email protected] - Tortoise & Hare Race Management Whitney Wilson Phone: 312-515-7353 email: [email protected] - Crossroads Events Ethan Page 812-208-0928 email: [email protected] - J3 Timing Tom Jordan 309-868-1843 email: [email protected] - Timing is Everything Alan Avery 217-698-8600 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] - It'sRaceTime,Inc Eric Arndt 309-838-9468 email: [email protected] |
Some things to be aware of with Chip Timing
Many race directors have turned to chip timing as a way to better manage or eliminate the problem of scoring an event. We hope to give race directors a better understanding about chip timing and what to expect from your chip timer. It is suggested that you get a quote spelling out exactly what the Chip Timer will provide. Along with that quote, be sure to ask for references. Also, be sure to contact some of those race directors that they provide as references to see how things went. Take an extra step and go observe a race that they are timing. Understand that the “Accuracy” of chip timing is less than 100%, we have spoke with a number of them and have yet to find one that claims 100% of the runners will be timed. The estimates in accuracy from the chip timers range from 95% to 99%. Put another way, 1 to 5 runners out of a 100 finishing may not be scanned. It is suggested you find out what kind of back up and or redundancy will your timer use. Some will video record the entire event. Others use more than one mat with independent systems as well. Know something about the system being used when the participant comes forth wanting to know why they were not in the results. As a race director or your volunteer who takes this complaint, try to find out the runners approximate finish time as that will help the timer find the error quickly. If the timer has no backup or redundancy, if something goes wrong, you will not have results or any way of getting results. You will need to provide accurate information for your timer both from your online registration site as well as all mailed in paper registrations. How you manage this information is critical to the outcome of results. Timer/Scorers cannot and will not catch the mistakes in your data. They only process what you give them and it is here that an old term is so true - “GIGO” Garbage In Garbage Out. How you handle your day of registration is critical as well. Have a defined system and do it accurately. Use volunteers that have an eye for detail and getting it right. Cost - $3-$5 on average per each participant: When getting a quote be sure to know what it includes and what you might need to provide or do.
Know what they will provide and do and what you need to provide. Start - Spell out what you need for a start: gun start or mats with chip starts, size of race and start area comes into play here. Timers can do either so know your race and your needs. Be in sync with your timer and do not start a race until you have checked they are ready to go and have given you approval to start. Race Bibs / Chips – Identify them on the front or back with the name of participant. Some timers and events try to eliminate this step and hand bibs out without names. It would work like this: John Doe walks up and asks for bib. Your volunteer checks a list finds that John Doe gets bib #506. Up to this point, seems ok but John also asks for three other people while he is there and those bibs are given to him as #605, #556 & #756. John goes back and thinks he has it right and hands out the bibs with no names. Two of which are now on the wrong runners. Ok you see the problem. Take the guess work out. Most timers will apply a name label to each bib. We suggest that the label include Name, Gender, & Age Group as it gives the runner a chance to see if they are entered correctly in the race. Some chip timers order bibs based on what you tell them. So if say you tell them 500, then that is all they may have for your race. So in effect, you may be capping your race at 500 as you will have no way to put bibs on more. Couple of ways around this one of course is that your timer does not care and has ample supply of bibs, or if you are committing to buying bibs, do so in a manner that you can use leftover ones the following year. This may mean committing to your chip timer as not all systems use or read one single type of RFID bib. Limited Number of Chip Timers – We have listed five that we see covering the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin area. As we find out about more, we will add them to our list. Our purpose in listing them is not to endorse but rather make the life of race directors a bit simpler. To the race directors - DO NOT WAIT until the last minute. On any given weekend during peak season, there are more events than chip timers. So, if you have found what you want/like, commit to them get a signed contract in place early. |
