Finally you can get rid of manual stopwatches, paper slips and wire harnesses for good! Just hand out our small, easy to use wireless buttons to the timers, and your swimming timing system is ready in minutes
Our wireless buttons don't need explanation. Just push as the swimmer touches the pool wall. Nothing to configure, reset or clear
Our start adapter works with common swim start systems from major vendors. Or, just use an extra button to start the race
NEW: Our wireless mini-starter can drive an external powered speaker and can both serve as a bullhorn and integrated start beeper.
The whole system is controlled with an easy-to use touch screen interface from a tablet. The tablet works wirelessly, so you can move to the best position where you can see the pool
Once the meet program is loaded into the tablet, the meet can be run mostly without any intervention. Only touch the system in case of false starts, last-minute added swimmers and other exceptions.
Just don't take them with you as you leave!
The Time Drops® system knows all the details of your meet, so your only job is to watch the meet progress and make adjustments, if there are last minute changes. We used years of experience to reduce repetitive tasks, and let you focus on what matters most: watching the race!
If you need to make changes to your meet, such as adding swimmers or heats, don't worry. Just export the updated program from your meet management program at any time, even while a race is in progress. The system will update automatically
Time Drops supports both LED video scoreboards and traditional numeric boards. On video boards, we even show time improvement and the names of relay swimmers.
We have a variety of scoreboard drivers, so you can turn almost anything with a screen into a mini-scoreboard, including TV's, iPads, or laptops
No scoreboard? Use the Time Drops Live! mobile app to follow the meet in real time.
| Don't want to install an app? Try our instant web app! | |
App is available for Android and iOS. Standard data and messaging charges may apply. Final official results may differ from the results shown in the app. Depending on usage patterns, we may impose separate fees for certain app features in the future.
No wires or harnesses. No heavy console.
The system can connect wirelessly to:
We import the entire meet program, including lane assignments, seed times, standards and records for a richer experience and more confident meet operation
Convert any TV into a live scoreboard with our Android based scoreboard app. Requries Android TV, Fire TV or Android-based streaming adapter such as Fire TV Stick (sold separately)
New! turn almost any screen into a scoreboard with our new multiplatform scoreboard app. Works on any desktop or mobile device!
The timing controller uses a swiss-made temperature-compensated precision clock with less than 0.01 s/hour deviation. Our proprietary radio transmission protocol will synchronize all the buttons to the central clock with an accuracy of better than 1/10,000th of a second. The races are started centrally from the start device, eliminating the delay which occurs with manually started stop watches.
Your team members do not need to pay extra fees to access the meet program and real time results on their phones. Usage of the app is included in your subscription for an unlimited number of meets.
Available for Android and iPhone. Certain 'Pro' features of the app may require separate fees in the future.
Our buttons and start adapters use the most advanced, ultra-low power, long-range radio modules available.
A single CR2032 coin cell will run for > 500 hours, good for several seasons. Additionally, our app will constantly monitor the battery health of all the devices and give you advance notice of any needed replacements.
Low capital investment for the initial purchase
No surprise charges because a part is broken or damaged - repair or replacement is covered by the annual subscription
Ideal for recreational or summer league swim teams.
If you have an existing LED scoreboard (numeric or matrix), we offer adapters and software packages to use your existing scoreboard
On matrix systems, you can show advanced information such as time improvement, records and standards
Available for numeric scoreboards with an RS232 interface and matrix displays from most vendors. Adapter not included in all packages
Time Drops is a semi-automatic or fully automatic timing system for swimming. The system is activated by a starting device and stopped at the finish by buttons pushed by the timers.
Instead of traditional plungers which are plugged into a cumbersome harness or deck plates, Time Drops uses small, keyfob-style wireless buttons. Our sophisticated software turns these buttons into a precise, reliable timing system which is affordable for everyone, even small recreational teams.
Time Drops uses commercially available wireless keyfobs which are otherwise sold as "Key Finders" similar to a Tile or Apple Tag. We repurpose them with a specially programmed firmware. The custom-built controller provides them with an extremely accurate reference clock, and all they have to do is to report if and when they have been pushed by the timers. The intelligent Time Drops app does the rest.
These buttons are made in factories which produce thousands of them each week. Because of this, we can achieve economies of scale which are unheard of in the low-volume swim timing market, and we pass the savings along to you!
Despite the affordable price, the smart design of the system guarantees a level of accuracy and reliablity that is equal to or even better than other, much more costly alternatives.
The Time Drops controller uses a proprietary radio protocol to get exact times from the buttons and the start adapter. The buttons and start adapters record every push and start trigger with a precise timestamp and send them to the controller. The system is not affected by transmission delays or interference as the time is latched in the moment the button is pushed. Any delay which may occur after that will only affect how soon the result is displayed on the screen, but will not affect the result itself.
The controller the uses Wi-Fi to transmit the times to the Time Drops app which runs on the tablet. This app will evaluate the events and will convert the time measurements into start times, splits and finish times as appropriate. Because all events are recorded, the app can recover from various user errors, such as a new race being started before the previous race is finished. The app will report the discrepancy and will let you start the race after the fact.
Once all swimmers have finished, the Time Drops app will transfer the results via Wi-Fi to a laptop computer, where they can be imported into your meet management system
We have a YouTube videoexplaining how it works in more detail
Other systems with similar (or less) functionality sell for many thousands of dollars. Instead of relying on a large up-front payment, we sell you the hardware nearly at cost and provide the software and support as a service. We want to establish a long-term partnership with your team. This way our revenue is tied to your continued satisfaction with our products and services. The subscription covers any hardware repairs or software support you may need, there are no long-term contracts, hidden cost or surprise repair bills.
Even with the subscription fee, the total cost of ownership over a 10-year period is significantly less than competing systems.
The Time Drops app works on most Android tablets with Android 7.1 (Nougat) or higher. We recommend at least 8 inch screens for pools with up to 6 lanes, and 10 inch tablets for pools with 7-10 lanes. This includes Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablets manufactured after 2019 (FireOS 6 or higher). A list of known supported tablets is available here
Absolutely! We have many customers who successfully replaced their aging timing system with Time Drops. You can keep using your existing scoreboard. The complete Time Drops system may be more cost-effective than replacing e.g. a broken wire harness or corroded deck plates.
We recently had a customer who found that their (wired) timing system was broken beyond repair on a Wednesday, received a Time Drops system on Friday, and was running their next meet on Saturday, including scoreboard! It's that easy!
Time Drops offers a wireless start adapter that works with commonly used swim starters such as CTS Infinity, CTS Championship, Daktronics Omnisport, IST or SST. This mode of operation is considered 'semi-automatic timing' as specified in USA Swimming rule 102.24.2B and is compliant with USA-S and FINA regulations.
If you do not have a start system, you can start the race manually with the included 'Start' button and a bullhorn.
Because the start is applied centrally in the Time Drops app, the timers do not need to push the button at start like manual stopwatches.
NEW! Introducing our new Mini-Starter. This starter is a great alternative for teams who do not have, or cannot afford a full-featured swim starter. This starter is the same size as the SA-1 start adapter, but comes with a microphone with built-in start trigger. Compared to a full starter, the mini-starter does not have a strobe flash and no speaker. It will require an external powered speaker or PA system. The mini-starter will send the start official's voice command to the PA system and also generate a beep when the start is triggered. The timing system is started wirelessly.
Your annual subscription covers most common situations, so you will not face any unexpected repair bills. Certain exclusions apply. Please see this table for examples
| Problem | What is covered in the subscription |
|---|---|
| A button breaks and becomes inoperable | Send the defective button in and we will repair or replace it at our discretion |
| A button no longer works due to an empty battery | Spent batteries can be easily replaced. Please try replacing the battery first before sending a button in for repair. We will charge a $10 battery replacement fee if we determine that a button which was sent for repair only needed a new battery |
| A button is lost | To qualify for a free replacement, the defective part needs to be sent in. Replacement buttons can be ordered for $30 ea. |
| The rechargeable battery of the controller no longer holds a charge | Send the defective controller in and we will replace the battery |
| The start adapter falls down and the case is cracked | Send the broken adapter in and we will repair or replace the adapter at our choice |
| A lanyard is torn or soiled | New lanyards can be purchased for $3 ea. |
| The tablet screen is cracked | As the tablet is purchased separately from the Time Drops system, it is not covered. |
Yes! The SA-1 start/touchpad adapter can be used with most touchpads on the market.
You will use one SA-1 adapter for each pad, and you no longer need a cable harness or deck plates to connect the touchpads to the system. With touchpads, the Time Drops system will become a fully automatic timing system per USA-S and FINA definition.
We support up to 12 lanes with touchpads on both ends
If you wish to order a Time Drops system with touchpad support, please contact sales@time-drops.com to obtain a quote.
Our system currently supports Hy-Tek Meet Manager*, SwimTopia's Meet Maestro, Swimcloud's Meet Manager and Splash Meet Manager.
All these Meet Managers are supported on Windows. Swimcloud is also supported on MacOS. The Time Drops app connects wirelessly to the Meet Management computer.
There are some YouTube videos demonstrating the integration:
* Please note that with Meet Manager, the "Timing Console INTERFACE" license is required to import results back into Meet Manager.
Because all of the devices in our timing system work wirelessly, a stable Wi-Fi connection at the pool area is required. In most cases, a mobile hotspot or mobile phone in Hotspot mode will be sufficient.
The most reliable option is to install a separate Wi-Fi router close to the pool deck which is separate from the pool's public Wi-Fi and used exclusively for timing and meet management. Internet connection is recommended, but optional. Our timing controller has a basic battery-backed Wi-Fi access point which can be used in case of power outages. If you want to publish your meet program and live results to our mobile app, an internet connection is required.
Thisvideoexplains the different Wi-Fi options
Despite their small size and low power consumption, the buttons have range of about 1,000 ft in open terrain. The range can be reduced by obstacles such as walls or crowds of people. For best operation, it is recommended to place the timing controller at the long edge of the pool in an elevated position, from where it has a direct line-of-sight to the start and finish areas. The timers should not completely enclose the buttons with their hands as this may reduce the signal strength.
Our new PB-2 buttons are IP67 rated. They will sink to the bottom of the pool if dropped in but will be fine if retrieved within a few minutes. The start adapter and the timing controller are IP65 water resistant and will not be affected by splashes or short drops into the pool (they float).
We are confident that the Time Drops system will exceed your expectations and will outperform other systems which cost many times more
Because we are so confident in the quality of our product, we do not charge outrageous "restocking fees" like some vendors. Should you not be satisfied for any reason, you can return the system within 30 days. Just ship it back in like new condition for a full refund (less Shipping and Handling)
If you are not happy with the system after that, just do not renew your annual subscription
We have some great documentation to help you use the system:
The User manual can be found here. For the initial setup it is recommended to start with our quickstart guide
We also have a YouTube channel with how-to videos
Lastly, there is a handy Meet checklist with helpful hints
No need to spend many thousands of $$$ to obtain a state-of-the-art swimming timing system. Our affordable packages can get you started with minimal investment. Each package includes the subscription for the first year, from $200/year thereafter.
Important: The subscription is required. After the first year, the system will not work without an active subscription
You will need additional devices, such as an Android tablet and a Wi-Fi router to operate the system. These are NOT included and need to be obtained separately. Your team may already have some or all of these devices.
If you have any questions about the Time Drops™ system, please send us a message.
support@time-drops.com
