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TrakWatch is a stop watch for PalmOS (R) devices. TrakWatch is compatible with PalmOS(R) 3.0 or greater.
TrakWatch is optimized for recording laptimes and total times for up to four runners in a track race. The interface allows you to quickly and easily record laptimes and total times, and provides instant display of all runners' laptimes and total times. Data may be exported as a text report to the Memo Pad or as a .csv file for import to a spreadsheet such as Excel.
TrakWatch may be operated entirely by using your handheld's hard keys, allowing you to start and stop the timer and record laptimes without looking at the device. For close races you can watch the finish while still recording accurate times.
The freeware version of TrakWatch has the following limitations:
The registered version of TrakWatch costs $8.00.
Clicking the "Buy Now" button takes you to a PayPal secure transaction site. You can use a PayPal account to purchase TrakWatch, or you can choose to use your credit card.
The main screen of Trakwatch presents the application name Trakwatch, the stopwatch clock and the "clear" button on the top line. The next line shows the name of the race and buttons that allow you to quickly view results or save the data. The next line shows the runner's names and below that are runner's total times followed by recorded lap times.
During a race, while you record times, total times and laptimes for each runner are displayed.
The runner's total time is displayed immediately under their name. The laptimes are displayed beneath the bold line under the runner's name with the most recent lap time at the top of the column. Eight laps are visible on the screen. If more than eight laps are recorded, the display shows the most recently completed eight laps. All recorded laps are visible on the Results screen.
The default times and names loaded by TrakWatch are real. The first runner is Alan Webb and the time and splits are from his high school record mile run. The second runner is Jim Ryun and the time is his high school record that Webb broke. I couldn't find the splits for Ryun's race, so I just had him fall behind by an even amount each lap. The third runner is Steve Prefontaine and the time is his best mile time as a junior. Again, I made up the splits since I couldn't find them. The fourth runner is Roger Bannister and the times are from the first sub-four minute mile ever run. The splits are accurate.
The clock is operated by the handheld's page up and page down keys. The clock operates like a stopwatch--pressing the page up key starts the clock, pressing the page down key stops the clock. Times are recorded using the handheld's buttons as described in Recording Times in a Race. While the clock is running pressing the page up key will show the results screen to allow you to review lap times if more than 8 laps have been recorded.
Stopping the clock does not record a time, it simply stops the clock and reactivates the on-screen buttons to allow other operations. Final times are recorded in the same manner as lap times--using the handheld's buttons as described in Recording Times in a Race.
The TrakWatch clock stores and displays times rounded to the nearest one-tenth of a second. The raw data is recorded to the nearest 1/100th of a second. How accurately you can press the key is another issue. See Comments on Accuracy.
To record a runner's lap time press the hard key that is aligned below that runner's name. For example, on the default screen shown above, touching the DateBook key (the leftmost key) records a time for Webb. Pressing the PhoneBook key records a time for Ryun. Pressing the ToDo key records a time for Prefontaine. Pressing the MemoPad key records a time for Bannister.
When you record a time the lap time is calculated and the display is updated with the runner's total time immediately under their name. The lap time just recorded is then displayed under the bold line, and older lap times are scrolled downward.
TrakWatch manages the hardkey buttons on the handheld to record times when the button is pressed down. No repeat events are allowed, so holding the button down simply records one time. If another button is pressed while the first button is still down, the time is recorded for the second button. New times may only be recorded by a button when the button has been released and then pressed again. This feature allows very quick recordings of times for multiple runners without the necessity of looking at the screen.
Alternatively, you may record times during a race by using the on-screen buttons labeled with the runner's names. When using this method, TrakWatch records times when you first touch the on-screen button. This is somewhat different than the default PalmOS (r) method of button use where the button is only activated when you lift the stylus while in the confines of the button. This means that when you touch a button, a time is recorded. Touching the button and then dragging the stylus off the button before release does not cancel the operation--the time has already been recorded.
While the timer is running during a race, the results button is available to review results, and the configuration screen is available to change runner's names. You may only record times, however, when the main screen is showing.
Meet configuration allows you to use a Memo Pad Memo to define both events and runners for events for a meet ahead of time, then quickly load the configuration for a race with the simple tap of the "New" button on the main screen or the "Load" button on race configuration screen.
The meet configuration memo has the following format:
Meet Name
Event
3000
runner one
runner two
runner three
runner four
Event
5000
runner six
runner seven
Event
1500 heat 1
runner ten
"Meet Name" is the name of the meet and is the first line of the memo. This is also the name of the Memo File that you must give TrakWatch when loading a meet configuration. "Event" tells TrakWatch you are defining a new Event. An "Event" line must immediately follow the Meet Name. The next line after "Event" is the name of the Event you are defining. Following the name, up to four lines define the names for the runners in the event. You may define 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 runners. If you define more than 4, TrakWatch will notify you it is ignoring those runners.
In any one Meet Configuration file you may define up to 30 different events. TrakWatch will ignore more than that.
You may define as many meet configuration files with different Meet Names as you like. If you have already loaded a Meet Configuration and you load another, the first is erased and the second becomes the active one.
To load a Meet Configuration, select "Meet Config" from the main menu in Trakwatch. Enter the Memo Name (this is the "Meet Name" from the Memo) and TrakWatch will load the meet configuration.
To quickly configure a race, tap the "New" button on the main screen. This will clear the data for the current race, prompting you to save or verify clearing if you haven't saved the data first, then present you with the Event names defined in your meet configuration. Select an Event from the list and TrakWatch will load the Race Name and the runner names defined.
You may also access the meet configuration information by using the "Load" button in the Race Configuration screen.
You may change the data loaded for a race at any time after it is loaded by simply using the Race Configuration screen.
Of course, you can create your Meet Configuration Memo on your PC using the Palm Desktop Notes capability.
Tapping on the race title or selecting "Race Config" from the menu opens the configuration screen where you can change the name of the race, and change the names of the runners. To change the race name or a runner's name on this screen, simply tap on the appropriate entry and make your changes.
When you tap on a runner's name, if a TrakWatch Roster was found, the names from that roster are displayed in a sorted list for you to choose from. The list is scrollable and may contain up to 100 names. "Other" is always the first entry in the list, and if you want to enter a name not on the roster, select "Other" and add the new name. This name is not added to the TrakWatch Roster memo. See The TrakWatch Roster.
You can also save results from this screen by touching the "Save" button.
The other button, by default labeled "Seconds" changes the format of the result display between showing seconds for lap times to showing the lap times in mm:ss.s format, and showing cumulative times in mm:ss.s format instead of lap tmes. This setting is remembered. If seconds is shown as the format in the results screen, then seconds will also be shown on the main screen. If mm:ss.s or cumulative times are shown on the results screen, then mm:ss.s format is used for lap times on the main screen. The main screen always shows lap times, however, never cumulative times.
Text Laps in Seconds saves the data as follows:
Mile RunText Laps min:sec formats the lap times differently:
Webb
Time: 03:53.4
Lap 1 58.1
Lap 2 59.7
Lap 3 60.6
Lap 4 55.0
Mile Run
Webb
Time: 03:53.4
Lap 1 00:58.1
Lap 2 00:59.7
Lap 3 01:00.6
Lap 4 00:55.0
Laps in Seconds CSV creates a comma separated list of lap times in seconds suitable for import to a spreadsheet like Excel. A column is produced for each runner.
Raw data format consists of a comma separated list of the raw data recorded,
suitable for import to a spreadsheet like Excel. The times are in 1/100/ths
of a second.
Mile Run
Name,Lap 1,Lap 2,Lap 3,Lap 4,Total
Webb,5810,5970,6060,5500,23340
Ryun,5830,5990,6090,5520,23430
Prefontaine,5910,6070,6160,5600,23740
Bannister,5750,6050,6270,5870,23940
If you check the box labeled "Include Cumulative Times", then formats 1 and 2 will include the total cumulative time at the end of each lap in the report as well as the lap time. The cumulative time is always in mm:ss.s format.
I recommend that you power off the device manually between races to save battery life. As long as you are not timing a race, powering off is not a problem.
You may quit TrakWatch while the clock is running (by tapping the applications silk screen button) and then return to TrakWatch and the time will still be accurate as long as you have not allowed the device to power off.
You may view results while the clock is running by pressing the results
button. You cannot record times without first returning to the
main screen and you cannot save race results until you stop the clock.
In addition, TrakWatch takes some amount of time to update the
screen display from the time an event was recorded. During this time,
TrakWatch cannot record another time, since PalmOS does not
multitask. The worst case time for this when the display must be scrolled
is a little less than 1/10 second. This means that you will not be able
to record times for two runners that differ by less that the update time,
or about 1/10 second. When you choose to save data in the raw data
format, the data saved is the recorded time to the nearest 1/100th of a second.