RACE DAY PREPARATIONS

1. Approach to timing using UHF RFID
2. Things to do before the race
3. Race day

If you made all the required preparations beforehand, rest easy. There’s nothing to worry about, just go to the race and do your job.

Place the equipment in the car the day before to make sure you get to the race location on time the next morning. If the registration service will require your equipment, plan to arrive at the location at least half an hour before the registration office opens. You should be at the location at least two hours before the race starts. This will give you enough time to setup and test the equipment.

Check the power supply. Always be prepared for loss of power. Make sure the batteries are charged and that either the UPS or the generator are connected and ready. Every lost second and lost read will result in issues and increase the time required to process the results.

Test the internet connection if it is required to connect to the checkpoints or for publishing the results.

Properly connecting the antenna cable is of utmost importance. Double check everything, remove damaged cables and replace them with spares. After connecting, protect the cables from mechanical damage.

After installing the equipment, test the read area and adjust the antenna position if required.

Timing a large, complex event isn’t a one-man job. Get an assistant to help you on the finish line, gather information and give you a hand when something unexpected happens.

If at all possible, provide a parallel manual timing system, or record all passes on the paper. Should anything unexpected happen, or if the equipment fails or if the participants make an error, this data will be a huge help. For tight decisions, the use of a camera is indispensable.

For 100% accurate results, RFID, camera, and manual recording should be used if at all possible.

Put aside some time for testing. If the finish area is close to the start area, you will have enough tags and participants for testing. Use the software to setup a test race as a trial run before the real thing. If the finish is far from the start, take a few tags with you and do a trial run before the real event as well.