Version 1.0
July 1998
Whether you downloaded the software from our Web site or received it in the mail, you should have a file called Splits.prc on your computer or floppy disk. Here's how to install it on your Palm Computing Platform handheld device (Pilot, PalmPilot, Palm III, or other equivalent devices such as the IBM Workpad):
Run the program InstallApp. Click on the Select button, set the List Files of Type to All Files, locate and select the file Splits.prc, and click Open. Now click on the Install button. The next time you HotSync your PalmPilot, the program will be downloaded.
Run the program INSTAPP.EXE, which is located in the C:/PILOT folder. Click on the Browse button, locate and select the Splits.prc file, and click Open. Now click on the Install button. The next time you HotSync your PalmPilot, the program will be downloaded.
From the Applications window on your PalmPilot, look for the icon labelled SplitTimer which looks like this:
Tap on the icon and you'll see the main screen of the program (the very first time, you'll see the "About" screen which gives you information about Stevens Creek Software; after you've seen enough, tap the OK button to get to the main screen)
If you have registered the software, and have obtained a serial number from Stevens Creek Software, you enter the serial number by tapping on the word *Unlicensed* in the upper right corner of the screen. When you do, you'll see this screen appear:
Use Graffiti (or the on-screen keyboard) to enter your serial number (supplied to you by Stevens Creek Software); when you're done, tap on the OK button. If you enter an incorrect number, the software will let you know. If necessary, tap on the Cancel button to dismiss the Enter Serial Number screen. When you have entered the Serial Number correctly, you'll see the word *Unlicensed* disappear from the main screen.
If you have a site license copy of SplitTimer, the Name field in the Enter Serial Number screen will also be a dotted line in which you can enter information. In this case, you'll need to enter your "site license name" in that field, as well as the Serial Number in the bottom field.
If you run into a problem, this probably means that when you provided your PalmPilot name to Stevens Creek Software, you did so incorrectly. Check the name in the Enter Serial Number screen shown above, and write it down exactly (including case, i.e., whether the letters are upper-case letters like THIS or lower-case letters like this) and email it to Stevens Creek Software technical support and wait for a new serial number to be provided to you.
SplitTimer is actually fully functional before you license it, with one rather important limitation - when you start the timer, the time doesn't start at zero, but rather the software selects a random time and starts there. You'll be able to see exactly what the software does, and how you use it, but the times won't be correct.
The timer displays three things - elapsed time, current pace, and projected finish time. Before starting the timer, you'll need to set the configuration so that these numbers are meaningful for your event. Tap on the Menu button in the lower left corner of your PalmPilot screen, and then tap on Settings from the Options menu that appears.
When you do, you'll see this screen:
We'll discuss each of these settings in turn, and as we do, you'll get an understanding of the different possible modes of operation of the SplitTimer software:
Split Distance: The person holding the PalmPilot running SplitTimer software is, at any particular time, standing at a fixed point in the race, like the 2 mile point shown in the example above. Units for the distance can be set in miles, kilometers, meters, yards, or feet. Setting the Split Distance affects the display of both the current pace and the projected finish time.
Total Dist.: This is the total distance of the race being run, like 10 km in the example above. Units for the distance can be set in miles, kilometers, meters, yards, or feet. This setting will effect the display of the projected finish time, but not the current pace.
Pace Units: Units of pace can be displayed in minutes per mile, minutes per kilometer, miles per hour, kilometers per hour, minutes per 100 yards, or minutes per 100 meters.
Fixed Location: One use of SplitTimer is for a race volunteer standing at a mile marker to call out the elapsed time, pace, and projected finish time. This person will be standing at a fixed location (the Split Distance), and you don't want to provide any possibility that they will change that number. Checking the Fixed Location checkbox does this. When Fixed Location is UNchecked, you'll see some additional controls on the main screen of the software which allow you to increment (and decrement) the location; we'll return to discuss that more later.
Auto-Increment Split Dist.: Checking this box will, under conditions to be discussed later, automatically increment the Split Distance. This might be appropriate for a coach standing at a fixed point on a track timing a single runner going around, or for someone in the press truck at the front of a marathon passing through successive miles. Note that checking Auto-Increment Split Dist. has no effect unless you also UNcheck Fixed Location (above).
Hide buttons when running: For the volunteer calling splits at an intermediate mile marker in a race, you may wish to make sure they have no possibility of "hitting the wrong button." As we'll see in a minute, there are two possible buttons which appear on screen when the timer is running - a Hold button and a Reset button. If Hide buttons when running is checked, these buttons will disappear.
Tap on OK once you're done adjusting the settings, or Cancel if you change your mind and want to leave the settings alone.
When you're ready to start the timer, you'll tap the Start button on the bottom of the screen (shown above). If you want to time with maximum accuracy, use this trick - five seconds before the race starts, put the stylus on the Start button and hold it down (in other words do NOT tap the stylus). The Start button will change to inverse video (white letters on a black background) while you are "holding it down." Now when the race starts, LIFT your arm or hand. This reaction (jerking your arm up) is your natural reaction to a loud sound anyway, plus you'll only be moving your arm or hand in one direction (up) instead of down and up (as would be the case if you tap the Start button when the race starts).
Depending on various settings (see above), you'll see one of the following three screens once the timer starts:
If you have Fixed Location and Hide buttons both checked, you'll see the screen above, which is most appropriate to a volunteer standing at a fixed location (the 2 mile marker of a 10K race in this example). Note that if you have multiple timers (volunteers at each mile marker, for example), each one will know that they are holding the correct timer by simply reading the main screen, where the fixed location is noted on the same line as the Pace label.
If Fixed Location is checked but Hide buttons is not checked, you'll see the screen above, with the Hold and Stop buttons displayed. The function of these buttons is as follows:
Hold: This button temporarily freezes the displayed time, so that it can be read by a coach, announcer, or whomever is operating the timer. For example, imagine a coach watching a runner go around the track. When the runner passes a fixed point, tap on Hold and the time is frozen so the coach can call out or record the time, pace and projected finish. The Hold button will at the same time change to be labelled Run. When you're done reading the times, tap Run and the timer will resume, returning to the current elapsed time (which includes the time when the display was frozen).
Stop: This button stops the timer, and displays the final time and pace at the finish. Once you tap it to stop the timer, the label on this button will change to Reset; tapping Reset will reset the timer to zero.
If Fixed Location is not checked (and Hide buttons is also not checked), you'll see the display above. In the lower left you see the Split control, which will increment (if you tap the up arrow) or decrement (if you tap the down arrow) the current location. The amount of increment (or decrement) is based on the distance at the first increment. In other words, if you start the timer with the Split Distance set to one mile, every time you tap the up arrow the current location (Split Distance) will increment by a mile. Again, this could be useful if you are in a fixed location on a track with someone going around, or if you are in a moving location like the press truck of a marathon.
Under Configuring Split Timer (above) we discussed the Auto-Increment function. The way this function works can now be explained. Every time you tap the Hold button to "read" a split, when you hit the Run button to "release" the split, the distance will automatically increment to the next distance to be ready to read the next split. So again, whether you're a coach calling out (and/or recording) times and pace at every 400m for a runner, or an announcer in a press truck of a marathon calling out stats on the lead runner, you won't need to constantly increment the split manually, because it will be happening automatically. However, if you are calling times for several people at the same time, then you'll want to use the manual increment mode.
Again, Stop will stop the timer and display the final time and pace, like this:
Stopping the timer: You stop the timer by tapping the Stop button (if it's displayed) or the Reset Timer item in the Options menu (which stops AND resets the timer). Whichever method you use, you'll be given a chance (actually two) to confirm that you really want to stop the timer, so it's pretty hard to stop the timer by accident. If you stop the timer using the Stop button, be assured that the time recorded as the finish time will be the time that you tap the button, not the time after you finish confirming that you really want to stop the timer.
Exiting the program: If you try to exit the program (either intentionally or accidentally by hitting one of the buttons on the PalmPilot), you'll be warned and asked to confirm that you really want to do that. This is intended to prevent a volunteer from hitting a button and exiting the program by accident. If you do click OK to confirm that you want to exit, you can return later to SplitTimer. The timer keeps going all the time, so the time will be accurate. The same thing is true if you accidentally or intentionally turn the power off to the PalmPilot; when you turn the power back on, you'll see that the timer is displaying the correct elapsed time.
Auto Shutoff: Under normal circumstances, the PalmPilot has a setting which automatically turns the power off when the unit hasn't been used for 1, 2, or 3 minutes. When the timer within SplitTimer is running, and as long as you don't exit from SplitTimer to another application, the Auto Shutoff feature is disabled. This means that the unit will stay on continuously, so that it doesn't shut itself off just as you are about to make a reading.
If you have any problems using SplitTimer, you can contact Stevens Creek Software in one of the following ways:
| By email: | pilotsupport@stevenscreek.com |
| By phone: | 1-408-725-0424 |
If you need this information quickly, you'll find it by tapping the "Information" icon immediately to the right of the word Stevens Creek Software on the screen.
The registration fee for SplitTimer is $19.95. If you haven't yet licensed your copy, you can do so in one of the following ways:
| Online: | http://www.stevenscreek.com/pilot/pilotorderform.html |
| Phone: | North America: 1-800-823-4279 Elsewhere: 1-408-725-0424 |
| Fax: | 1-408-725-0424 |
| E-mail: | sales@stevenscreek.com |
| Mail: | Stevens Creek Software 21346 Rumford Drive Cupertino, CA 95014 |
| We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards, and checks made out in U.S. funds. If ordering via fax, e-mail, or mail, be sure to include credit card type, number, and expiration date (if using a credit card), mailing address, e-mail address, and daytime phone number. Please note: A $3.00 order processing charge is added to any order which is not placed through our automated Web site order form (that is, via phone, fax, email, or mail). | |
Copyright 1998 by Stevens Creek Software
All Rights Reserved. SplitTimer is a trademark of Stevens Creek Software.