Sailing count down timer for the iPhone

Been a cat sailor for years and used many sailing count down timers, the problem with most of them is you have to look at them to know how much time is left. I decided that what I needed was an audible count down timer that would tell me the time instead of me having to look at it.

So I developed an application called AudibleTimer that does just that. You'll need an iPhone to use it but I've used it quite a few times. Of course you're wondering how I keep it dry, I bought an H2O Audio Amphibx case & waterproof earphones, which works well.

You can find more details here

--James

iPhone: £45/month for 2 years (minimum)
Waterproof armband: £70

Makes for a really really expensive timer. Attached to your arm so easy to bang around on a boom, mast, hull, whatever during a capsize.

My £9.90 Casio watch beeps every minutes, 30 seconds before the start, and each seconds for the last 10 seconds. It's dirt cheap, waterproof to 200m and doesn't need earbuds. And if I break it or lose it, it is easy to replace.

Your application is probably just fine, but I'm wondering if it is a case of too much technology to fix an issue well solved already.

Which Casio is that Pepin?

I would not even consider bringing my iPhone aboard the cat (way to expensive if broken), maybe on a yacht it would be ok though.

I had a Timex Ironman that did something similar with it's beeping sequences...

I really liked the countdown/countup feature, so I could track my elapsed time after the start...

I don't know, I leave it in my trailer box as this is the only use I have for a watch. Casio are not selling the same watches on all markets, and they are changing their model often, so I'm fairly sure you will not find the same model anyway.

What I did when I bought it was to find out which Casio modules had the feature I was looking for (a countdown timer with beeping, sometimes called "Yacht Timer") and bought the cheapest watch I could find with one of those module in it. Module in CasioSpeak is the innards of the watch. There are a small number of modules, and a lot of watch designs build around each of them. PDF manuals of the various modules are available on the web, so you can double check it will work for you.

Don't buy a Casio G-Shock because somebody told you it has the feature: there are countless models of G-Shock watches, and only some of them have the feature. Ask the person to tell you the module reference, it's engraved in the back.

I just had a quick google look and modules 2572, 3319 and 3781 definitely have the feature for example (The first one does moon and tide, the last two are dual analog/digital modules, so probably cost a little more than the barebone version).

I found the receipt from my watch buried in my email. It's this one. I paid £14.95 for it 3 years ago, on ebay, with shipping.

The garmin Foretrex does that too and has a countdown timer that you can bump up or down to the next even minute (if you are off a few seconds). It also will count up after the timer is expired. Though it does beep, they're too quiet to hear but you can download your gps track from it at the end of the day!

'nuff said.

Helps us blind folks, too.

Jake's constant touting of the foretrex made me just order one.

Well I guess I win the largest timer contest then: I have one of those.



I must admit it is unusable as a count down timer however, as I fix it on the spin pole, way too far to click on the buttons.

I've always used the Casios. They are cheap and reliable and I've lost plenty of them overboard because their one shortcoming is that wrist band. It will get hung up on stuff and get loose, then plop, it's gone. Now I put rigging tape over the clasp/buckle to keep it from getting snagged and lost.

On many of my earlier Casios I would swap out the black plastic wrist band for a $5.95 Velcro band and that worked for quite a while but then the velcro got old and I lost the last one overboard!

My latest model has a wrist band that is much harder to un-pin from the watch body so that is why I went with the rigging tape instead of the velcro band. I prefer the velcro band because it's softer on the wrist, but the tape works too.

When it comes to adding stuff to my boat, my fist question is, Do I really need that and what's it going to cost to replace when I break it or lose it...

I once raced with a collegiate racer who said they -never- use watches. I asked, "How do you know when it's time to start?" He said, "You look at the rest of the fleet and get up there in the front row with them, when they sheet in, you sheet in and go."

His reasoning was you can't really tell exactly where the start line is anyway, especailly when surround by other boats and you can't see either end of the line, so get up there and go and -hope- you don't get called over early.

Since then I have never paid much attention to my watch in the final 30 seconds, just concentrate on my position relative to the fleet.

I'm not sure I'm wild about taking a $500 phone on the water with me, unless its in a plastic bag, which is in a plastic bag, and all of that is placed in a drybag, and stuffed into the hull.

Matt has it down pat and wired shut. You cannot beat the Ronstan Clear Start.
1. BIG, BIG numbers to easily see. All the standard digital watches may have big numbers to tell time, but when you hit the countdown on them the minutes are big, but the seconds are very small.
2. You can switch to real time or countdown time and the countdown does not shut off and keeps counting down.
3. You can set it for any timing sequence, i.e., It has settings for 1, 3, 5, 10 etc. However, I just set mine to 1 minute and whatever the sequence might be for the day, I just hit the button that many times. If 3 min. seq., I click it three times and there is 3 minutes. Same with 5, 6, ten or whatever.
4. Best feature is when you miss the initial gun, but don't know how far off you are -- 10 seconds, 15, or what. No problem, just hit Sync at the next signal and your are right back on the money.
5.You can set it to count down to the start, and then count up elapsed time.
6. Or you can set it to countdown to the start and begin over. This is good for rolling starts, both for the racer and the RC that is timing it.
7. And it beeps like crazy. Matt forgot one thing about old timers -- can't hear either.

I don't have any trouble looking at my watch during a start because I wear it on my right wrist, which normally is my sheeting hand when starting on starboard tack. As I sheet in I can bring my hand up to eye level and see the watch easily, without looking down or around.

And yes, we do have them in stock on our store at www.OnLineMarineStore.com. Had to get a plug in here
https://store.catsailor.com/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=13178
Rick

Hey, don't forget about Crew! Buy your crew a $29.95 Casio and have your Crew count down for you, then hit you if you don't sheet in at 10 seconds to go!

Have crew say something like, WAKE UP and DRIVE!

Iphone's now cost $200 (300 for the "delux" version). I keep mine on my tramp to use the GPS application, in a $15 drypack without any problem. i do occasionally test the bag out to make sure its still waterproof.

Tim,
No crew except for that squirrel in my pocket. Been sailing Waves.

Funny, even though single-handing when talking about sailing I will say things like "we tacked on this big shift..." and Mary starts asking who was with me on the boat.

Regardless of the watch, I always throw away the band as soon as I get it and replace it with an Animal strap. They're a one-piece, all velcro strap, and plenty long enough to fit over layers of fleece, drysuits, etc.

Because they're one-piece, if you lose a watch pin, you keep the watch because the strap is still being held on by the second pin. (Guess how I know...)

Only problem is, I don't know if they're made anymore. I bought a few at my Hobie dealer a few years ago, she thought they were out of business.

Mike

Rick, you told her you were just talking to your -other you-, right?

Yep, the velcro strap is a must and a real watch saver.

Timbo, she hears me talking to "them" all the time.

Another vote for the ronstan clear start watch. I have the velocitek too but like pepin it's on the spinnaker pole. The buttons on it aren't reliable enough when it gets wet to use as a timer anyway.

If you want to see a very cool IPhone app for sailing (with timer) check out this app... not bad for $9.99

http://sailmaster.structure6.com/home.html

One of those Black Squirrels from P.I.B. no doubt.

They have laws about bringing them into Florida. How'd you git it past the border?

Trying to get the squirrels off of PIB so they quit robbing my bird feeders.

Andrew,

Thats a nice link to the application for the I phone, thanks.

It seems like a thread with a similiar title domes up every year or so. Intersting to see the technology changes from time to time.

i use the Free GPS application on my iphone. This one looks cool but its not very practical.

Color me a fan of the Ronstan.
I use two of them strapped on the boom. ( doesn't work on a close footed main like a H-16)
Why two you ask?
Before the start we have them both facing the same direction. After the watches are started with the sequence, we rotate one to the other side of the boom, and then no matter which tack we are on, we can see how much time is left until the start. Having them on the boom makes it unnecessary for me to position my wrist so I can see the time. Eliminates the need for communication, we can both see the watch. Also, both me and my crew can both see the time left until start no matter where we are positioned on the boat, ie light air when we are on opposite sides of the boat. Another benefit is that they are not on my wrist where they have a tendancy to get hung up on stuff when moving around the boat.
The only thing is you need to remember to take them off of the boom each evening when you leave the boat. They could grow legs and walk away.

Edited a little

I just waited because once everyone started bunching up at the line (especially if it's light wind), you can hear everyone else's beepers/timers/crew giving countdowns.

I've often forgot a watch, and based on the situation, like has been stated many times, it still wasn't a problem.

Now, how many people have forgotten to check the course number before the start at least once?

The Ronstan on the boom is nice, and can be rotated around instaed of buying/using two.

I used to use the timex Ironman too, and did like the count donw, then it starts to count up automatically after the start, as hass been indicated.

Lots of good choices

I like the Casio W-753-3AVCF. You can find it online for about $20. It has a large display, cheap, reliable, auto reset for rolling 5 minute sequences, and audible beeps every minute, then every second at 10 sec.
http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/from-froogle.asp?id=964733248&rf=froogle&dfdate=5_8_2008

I also switch the band to THE BAND. I've never lost a watch with this band
http://www.gearpipeline.com/c-17-watchbands.aspx

These are so cheap, I keep an extra in my sail box.

Again, notice the size of the seconds. After you turn 40, they even get smaller.., unless you have very long arms.
Since I am 72 in a few weeks, I KNOW I need big numbers.
Rick

I have always read the course number, but that doesn't mean I didn't foget to count how many W/L I did!

I even followed one guy around an extra upwind lap because he/she wasn't counting either! We both lost to the first person with an accurate count (which was maybe 4 minutes behind us rounding C mark)... DOH! By the time we realized the mistake, we were well windward of the finish (and the team in front was approaching A)

I use one of the big yellow watches, exact same as the ronstans, but yellow. Have it on the boom, move it from side to side when we tack and then its always visible to the helm and crew, and i as a crew don't have to keep looking at my wrist.

Krantz needs to hurry up and show off his new toy that he's been touting at the office all week :P