Colorado IV Timing System Set-up

1. Push the console power switch to the "ON" position.

2. Press the "Battery Check" button to determine remaining battery life.

3. Press "SET-UPS" soft button on consoled is play. The display will now show three soft buttons: "UP", "DOWN" and "RECORD SET-UPS."

1. Press the "DOWN" soft button to display each set up option.
2. Use the number keypad to select individual options.

4. First "SET-UP" directs the console to automatically pick up the starting signal from the starter system.

Select Start and select Automatic to use starting signal from the starting unit.

5. Second "SET-UP" directs the console to pick up the finish signal from each lane's prime button.

Finish/Buttons - usually select Pad (Prime) and One, Two or Three Buttons (Backup Finish).
Also select Compare Pad-Button Difference.
If you will be using three buttons, or two or less buttons and some "A" or "B" button harness positions do not work and these buttons are moved to the "C" position, then select Three Buttons (Backup Finish).

If you are running button finish only with no touch pads, then select Two or Three Button (Prime Finish) and no other selections.
In this case the "A" button is plugged into Prime (on the harness, this is where the pad is normally plugged into), the "B" button into "A" on the harness, etc.

6. Third "SET-UP" controls the console's audible signal volume. A "beep" is sounded each time a lane's prime button is pressed. It defaults to the loudest volume (3) for a noisy meet.

Hardware Setup - Set speaker volume to 3 (highest level). If too loud you can set lower.

"Never select Low Swimming I/O Voltage."

7. Fourth "SET-UP" directs the console to store cumulative and lap splits for later printing.

Splits - You can select both options. They are Print Cumulative Splits and Print Splits by Lap.

8. Fifth "SET-UP" directs the console to store times to 0.01 seconds.

Timing - Select Timing Accuracy = .01 seconds.

Select Display Time Warning Messages.

Check that the Near End Pad Split Delay is set at 15 seconds. [This can be raised higher for Relays if you desire, just make sure that it is not set so high that the pad will be dead when a swimmer is finishing their length.]

Far end-split delay is normally at 15 seconds.

9. Sixth "SET-UP" tells the console about the pool: how many lanes are active, short or long course, yards or meters.

Select either Lanes Normal or Lanes Reversed.
Normal is used when the closest lane to the Colorado Timing Unit is lane 1.
If Lane 6 (or 8 for an eight-lane pool) is closest, then set up for Lanes Reversed.

Set Lanes in Pool to the number of lanes that you have (6 or 8 usually).
Select either short (25 Yards or Meters) or long (50 Meters) course.
Select race distance units in either Yards or Meters.

If you have far end pads for splits then select Far-End Splits.   

Note that if you are using this, and starts for 1 length events (25 in short course or 50 in long course), and the starts are at the far end of the pool (where the far end split pads are), then you will need to turn Far-End Splits off for the one length events only and then back on for the rest of the events.

If you forget to turn off far end splits for a single length event, you will hear beeps as the pads are touched and buttons pushed, but nothing will show on the console. If this happens, change the race distance from a 50 to a 100 (press 100 on the console), then press quit to not enter race type, etc. The pad and button times should now be visible. Store/print this race, reset, and then fix the far end splits setup) turn off) and set the race distance back to 50.

10. Seventh "SET-UP" tells the console about the scoreboard: Ensure it is always set to High Speed and High Brightness.

Time/Date Scoreboard - Always select High Speed (Data Transmission).
The Times to Step a One-Line scoreboard should be 1 second,
One-Line Scoreboard Sequence time should be 3 to 5 seconds.
The Display Results in Lane or Place Order should always be in Lane Order. This setup determines whether the Lane number is displayed in the first position on the scoreboard with place second, or vice versa.

11. Eighth "SET-UP" tells the console how it should handle the printer: type sizes and print when "Store/Print" Key is pressed.

Printer - Option 0 Always Print on Store/Print Key should be selected.
For Type size, start with selecting number 6, Pica.
Set the printer (if necessary) for 10 CPI (Characters per Inch).
Select Print 6 Lines Per Inch. You can adjust these and the printer settings as needed to get correct print outs.
Under Store/Print Format you should normally have Race Summary & Form Feed ONLY.
Select the type of printer that you have for option 1, if your printer is not in the list then experiment until you find one that works; try Epson or IBM first.

12. Ninth "SET-UP" tells the console which meet schedule to choose.
Check for prior User Defined meets under Option (#7):

Event Sequence - If there is not time to set up the events and distances in advance, or it has not already been done for you, then select Option 1 for None.

I recommend that you set up the events and distances beforehand if at all possible, so select User Defined, then the Option to Edit/Review the selected sequence.

13. Last "SET-UP" tells the console the "date and time."

Time/Day - If the date and/or the time is not correct, these may be reset by using the options under this menu. Normally you will not have to change this.

14. Record set-up by pressing the "RECORD SET-UP" soft key

15. To get out of set-up, press the "QUIT" key

16. Remember to print Setups:
        From Main Menu press Setups key,
        Move pointer to Printer Setup Menu (ie press down key twice),
        Press soft key for Print Setups.

About How To Time a Race General Running Information Setups to Remember
USS Timing Rules Setup Before Meet Starts Entering Event Data Quick Reference Table
Timing System Levels   Capturing Times Troubleshooting
Time Collection Colorado V Setup Soft Key Menu Options Printable Version