At our Y, we have the old-fashioned analog pace clocks, which can be a bit hard to see when your goggles get fogged up during practice.
But we also have a 6-lane Daktronics digital timing scoreboard with timing pads, etc., but it's only used for meets.
I am hoping that some engineering types out there might provide answers for the following questions:
Do any reputable vendors make an inexpensive timing console that would work with our scoreboard and let us run the normal clock function in one of the scoreboard lanes? Obviously, our $1500 Daktronics console will do this, but the aquatics director was told to remove the console from the pool deck after meets because the humidity of the pool environment is really hard on electronics. Is there something cheap that we could use as an alternative?
If not, does anyone have experience with portable digital pace clocks? Again, the Daktronics and Colorado Timing Systems and similar corporate Big Boys make deluxe customizable versions of these that allow for all kinds of neat little tricks, but alas they tend to cost in the >$1000 range. We don't need all the bells and whistles. All we need is an easy to see, digital clock that our team can afford. Any recommendations?
Thanks!
Yeah, it's Larry Day's clock. I have two of them and take at least one to every practice. They work very well.
It depends on how big a team. I've run practices in four lanes before using two clocks, each set up midway between each pair of lanes. Works well.
For big teams, I agree.
We just have three lanes. Do you put it on the bottom right by the wall so people can see their times when they touch? Do they start by looking underwater and waiting till the send off? Or do you synchronize it with the old fashioned wall clock and use the underwater one just for finishes?
Yeah, it's Larry Day's clock. I have two of them and take at least one to every practice. They work very well.
It depends on how big a team. I've run practices in four lanes before using two clocks, each set up midway between each pair of lanes. Works well.
For big teams, I agree.
We just have three lanes. Do you put it on the bottom right by the wall so people can see their times when they touch? Do they start by looking underwater and waiting till the send off? Or do you synchronize it with the old fashioned wall clock and use the underwater one just for finishes?
