GENERAL PROCEDURE FOR RUNNING RACES (with the Timestopper Model TS200)

1. If you haven’t already read the section on DETAILED OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE TIMESTOPPER MODEL TS200, then do so now in order to become familiar with its detailed operation and how to read the meaning of its displays.



2. Assure that the START and FINISH SENSORS are installed in the track (see the section on INSPECTION AND INSTALLATION OF THE TS200 START AND FINISH SENSORS).



3. Cock the starting bar of the track’s starting gate to the ready (closed) or cocked position.   This will position the START FLAG into the slot of the start photo-sensor within the START SENSOR.



4. After the START SENSOR is plugged into the computer/display unit, and after the power module is plugged into a standard 120Volt-AC outlet and its coaxial connector plugged into the computer/display unit, then slide the Timestopper ON/OFF switch from its OFF position (down and away from the display) to its ON position (up and toward the display).



5. For each lane of the track, place a COLLISION BLOCK properly on the lane's FINISH SENSOR with the collision surface of the block facing the start end of the track and with the FLAG on the bottom of the block inserted fully within the photosensor slot of the FINISH SENSOR.   Remember that the collision surface is that vertical surface that lies closest to the FLAG.   Also be sure that the collision surface of each COLLISION BLOCK is lined up equally with the finish line from race to race and so that all lanes are alike.



6. Place racecars each with their front and back pairs of wheels straddling the guide rail of a respective lane of the track, and with gravity pulling the car against the track's starting gate, ready for the start of a race.



7. (If the display is not displaying a row of dashes, make sure the results of the previous race have been recorded, and then press and hold the front panel RESET/LaneSelector pushbutton for at least two seconds in order to reset the computer and display.)   Then to begin a race, let the start-gate starting bar on the track snap open by the force of the rubber band (or spring) attached to it.



8. As the cars cross the finish line, the Timestopper captures and holds their finishing place positions (first, second, etc.) as well as their elapsed race times.



9. Before setting up and starting the next race, cycle through the results of the just-completed race and record the place result for each lane number along with its race time.



10. To run the next race, repeat the operating steps numbered 3 through 9 as above.