Live timing is crucial. We designed a system for reliability and ease of use.
Overview
The process is straightforward. Here's a summary: set up the equipment, configure your event in RaceReady (refer to this article for guidance), create the race order (some do this before registrations are complete, while others do it afterward), and then activate each moto when the gate drops and deactivate it when the last racer crosses the finish line for the final time.
Equipment Setup:
Set up your truss gantry over the finish line.
Attach the overhead antennas and run their cables to the RFID Electronics Hub, positioned near the base of the truss gantry.
Connect the four antennas to the receiver.
Ensure the RFID Electronics Hub has a reliable power source (POWER THE UNIT ON AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE PRACTICE BEGINS).
Power on the unit using the power strip.
Make sure riders have properly applied RFID stickers under their visors.
Ensure your computer is connected to the internet, as most of the remaining tasks will be performed on it.
Cellular + WiFi Antenna Unit: If you have a cellular + WiFi antenna unit, follow these steps:
Attach it as high as possible on the gantry using zip ties connected to the cables.
Connect the LTE cables to the WAN ports on your router (the black "Digi" unit inside the RFID Hub).
3.Attach the 2.4 cables to the WiFi ports on the router. Be careful to make the correct connections to establish an internet connection.
By following these instructions, you'll be ready to efficiently manage your event using RaceReady.
Software
Make sure that riders register for the race. Without any registered riders, our system will not allow you to create a race order and start timing the riders—this is quite obvious.
If you require assistance in guiding riders to register, you can direct them to this article that provides detailed instructions on how to register for an event.
To access the event within your promoter account, navigate to your Dashboard, select the event from the event menu, and click on "Manage Race."
3. Build your race order quickly and easily with RaceReady's builder. Navigate to the Race Order tab, where you will find the classes listed on the left and the races displayed on the right. Simply click and drag the classes into the desired races. You can combine multiple classes within a single race, but please note that the RaceReady system will notify you of any conflicts as you build the race order. The interface will resemble the following image:
4. The small circle next to each class indicates the number of racers registered for that particular class. You can modify the race order by simply dragging and dropping the individual races within the builder. Continue rearranging the races until you are satisfied with the order, ensuring that any conflicts are either acceptable or resolved.
To test the functionality of your RFID system, follow these steps:
Access the Raw Reads tab on your event management page.
Ensure that all equipment is powered on.
Run a transponder tag or two across the finish line.
Check the raw reads list to see if the transponders are detected.
Note that transponders must be positioned perpendicular to the RFID beam for accurate readings.
Transponders placed parallel to the beam may not be read at all, which is why we recommend installing them on the underside of each helmet's visor.
5. Once your race order is built, you're ready to run live timing. On the top right of the Race Management dashboard, select the three dot menu icon and select "Live Timing":
Here's what you'll see:
Notice the small sun/moon icon located at the top left of the page. You can use this icon to toggle the color scheme between light and dark modes, depending on the lighting conditions of your screen.
Now, let's break down the different sections:
The left section allows you to select a race that you want to control. Within the selected race, you can choose a specific moto and perform timing operations such as starting, stopping, or restarting the timing. A green icon next to the race indicates that timing data has been recorded for that particular race.
The bottom right section is divided into three parts: Entries, Not Scanned, and Lap Count. When you start timing a race, the Race Entries list displays all the participants who are expected to be in that race. The Not Scanned section shows the list of participants who have not yet successfully scanned their transponders, helping you identify any scanning issues early on. The Unassigned Tags section notifies you when a tag is detected that has not been assigned to any participant in the race.
In the top right section, you'll find the live feed where laps are displayed and stacked on top of each other. As a racer passes under the gantry, their lap should instantly appear in this section.
If you notice that someone has failed to register in the RFID system, perhaps because they lost their transponder or it got compromised, you can manually enter them using the Transponder Override feature located in the top right corner of this section.
This functionality comes in handy when a registered racer uses a different helmet without a transponder, and you discover this during the race. You can immediately enter their bike number for the laps they have completed so far and continue to enter their data each time they cross the finish line until the race is over.
When you need to stop a race before starting the next one, you can select "Stop" in the left-hand section or click on "Next". In rare cases, if necessary, you can also restart the race. However, please note that restarting the race will delete all the results recorded for that race. So, use caution when using this option and only do so if it's absolutely necessary.
Before any riders in the next race cross the finish line for the first time, select the race from the Race Order and start it.
Once all the races are completed, you can navigate to the Manage Race section of your profile and view the results in the Results tab.