time randomly starts or stops

• The Infrared beam may not be solid:

  • Change the batteries on the Black Box. use brand-new alkaline batteries (do not use rechargeable batteries)

  • Align the beam, may need to bring the black box closer in order to get a solid beam

  • Check that the tripods are on solid ground, vibrations or shaking may cause the beam to get off

  • clean the lenses with a soft microfiber cloth and IPA. Be very gentle as the lenses are plastic and will scratch if sand or dirt is rubbed. never use paper or your shirt. lens scratching is not covered by our warranty.

  • Check that you have the right version of the timers for your sport. Under the gates you will find a “Narrow” or a “Wide” engraving.

    • The Narrow is for sports with human athletes, the distance from the gray to the corresponding black box can be no less than 4ft and up to 8ft to 10ft. More than 10ft could cause the beam to be too weak to be reliably detected by the gray box.

    • The Wide is for sports that need a much wider gate, such as for horses, cars, etc. The Wide gates can not be closer to 20ft and can not be used to time human athletes. The beams are very powerful and the optics are extremely sensitive (in order to reach all the way to 150ft+) so when they are too close or tested in a room with walls and ceilings the beam will bounce around and not be properly cut. You need to test these in an arena or race track at the prescribed distances.

• Start IN-BEAM false starts:

  • It can be hard to completely block the beam and keep it blocked until the run starts, especially for youth and slight runners. look at the recommended gate setting for ways to set the gates in ways that are easier to block