Colorado time systems Championship Start System Manual

Instruction Guide
Electronic Start System
Championship Start
F875 Rev. 0704

Colorado Time Systems
Corporate Office
1551 East 11th Street
Loveland, CO 80537 USA
Sales: 1-800-279-0111 or [phone]
Service: 1-800-287-0653, x256 or [phone] x256
FAX: [phone]
Web: www.coloradotime.com
Email: [email protected]
Part Number F875 Rev. 0704
© 2004. Colorado Time Systems. All rights reserved.
FCC Compliance Statement for Wireless Microphone
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference.
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Unauthorized modifications or changes made to this device not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance voids the
user's authority to operate the equipment.

Table of Contents
1 Introduction
Receiving Your Equipment ...................................................1
Scope of this Instruction Guide ............................................2
Championship Start Features ..............................................2
Championship Start Specifications ......................................4
2 Setup
Installation ............................................................................ 9
Wired Microphones ..........................................................9
Wireless Microphones ....................................................10
On/Off Switch................................................................. 11
Battery Charging ...........................................................11
Setting the Volume Controls .........................................12
Configuration Diagrams ................................................12
3 Using Your Electronic Start System
Starter’s Microphone .......................................................... 15
Strobe Light......................................................................... 15
Timer Output ...................................................................... 16
Operating Notes .................................................................. 16
4 Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Maintenance ........................................................................ 17
Battery............................................................................ 17
Cable Harness ................................................................ 17
Storage............................................................................ 18
In Case of Difficulty ............................................................18
Troubleshooting .................................................................. 19
Returning Your Championship Start for Service ..............21
Replacement Parts......................................................... 21
A Appendix A
FCC Information ................................................................. 23
Wireless Microphone......................................................23
Table of Contents
i

Table of Contents
ii

1
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Colorado Time Systems Champi-
onship Start electronic start system. Its multi-purpose de-
sign makes the Championship Start perfect for use as an
electronic start system or a limited public address system.
Instructions for both of these applications are included in
this instruction guide.
Receiving Your Equipment
When you receive your Colorado Time Systems equipment,
follow these steps:
1) Open all shipping boxes.
ûNote: We recommend that you save all shipping boxes and
packing material. You are responsible for damage to your
equipment if an item is returned improperly packed.
2) Check for concealed damage immediately upon receipt of
equipment. Report any damage directly to the freight car-
rier.
3) Use the Packing List included with the shipment to take
an inventory of all items. If you believe one or more parts to
be missing, contact our Customer Service Department imme-
diately at 1-800-CTS-0653, x256 in the U.S. and Canada, or
at [phone] or email:
[email protected]
Introduction, Receiving Your Equipment
1

Scope of this Instruction Guide
This instruction guide addresses all issues related to the in-
stallation and normal operation of your new Championship
Start electronic start system. A complete maintenance and
troubleshooting section covers the most common problems
that are user correctable. For any repairs or problems not
found in this instruction guide, call Colorado Time Systems
Customer Service Department, extension 256, toll-free at
1-800-CTS-0653 (U.S. and Canada) or [phone] or
email: [email protected]
Championship Start Features
Your new Championship Start electronic start system con-
tains a number of advanced features which make it versatile
and easy to use. Each Championship Start has two built-in
12VDC rechargeable batteries.
ûNote Your Championship Start System can be operated only
from battery power, keeping AC power away from the pool
deck and reducing the possibility of electric shock.
With its optional multiple speaker configurations and acces-
sories, the Championship Start is a powerful start system.
¨Drives speakers mounted under the starting blocks for
an extremely consistent start tone across all lanes.
¨Drives Speedlights across the front of relay judging plat-
forms mounted on starting blocks. Speedlights level the
playing field for hearing impaired athletes. They offer all
athletes a visual cue, and experience practicing with the
type of start system used at championship competitions.
¨Supports a wireless microphone as well as two wired mi-
crophones.
¨Supports an underwater speaker for underwater recall
and training options.
There are two speaker circuits associated with the Champi-
onship Start System. The main speaker circuit includes the
speakers mounted under the starting blocks. There is no vol-
ume adjustment for the start tone from these speakers.
The auxiliary speaker circuit includes any additional speak-
ers associated with the Championship Start System. For ex-
Introduction, Championship Start Features
2

ample, a speaker you have mounted on the backstroke pole
would be on this circuit. The volume control knob (labeled
AUX SPKR) for this circuit adjusts the volume of the start
tone from any auxiliary speaker(s).
For both speaker circuits, the individual volume controls for
each microphone are used to adjust the volume of that mi-
crophone's output at all speakers.
The Championship Start can serve as a limited public ad-
dress system, allowing you to make announcements to your
swimmers at practice and to the swimmers and spectators at
a meet.
Add to these features the peace of mind you get from know-
ing that Colorado Time Systems stands behind you with
more than thirty years of expertise in designing and building
accurate, reliable and innovative products. Ease of operation,
low maintenance and superior customer service make Cham-
pionship Start the obvious choice.
Mounting Options Place the Championship Start module on a tabletop, mount
it on the wall with the wall mount kit, or use the tripod
Model TR–2. Do not use a standard camera tripod.
Functions
¨Start system: 0.25 second dual tone electronic blast with
simultaneous strobe flash. Simultaneous speedlight flash
for relay judging platforms with speedlights.
¨False start recall: repeating dual tone from all connected
speakers, including underwater.
¨Training tool: train with start tone used in competition,
and communicate with swimmers through an optional
underwater speaker.
¨PA used to address swimmers and spectators.
Wired/Wireless
Microphone
Used to address swimmers, start the race and recall in the
event of a false start.
Speakers 6–watt/45–ohm moisture and corrosion resistant reflex
speaker used as lane speaker. Championship Start can drive
up to 12 lane speakers.
10–watt/8–ohm moisture and corrosion resistant compres-
sion speaker used as AUX speaker. Maximum of two speak-
Introduction, Championship Start Features
3

ers can be connected to the AUX speaker output on the
Championship Start front panel
Underwater speaker for underwater recall and training.
Speedlights LEDs across the front of a Colorado Time Systems relay
judging platform that flash simultaneously with the Champi-
onship Start speaker tone and strobe light, giving swimmers
the fastest possible start. Championship Start can drive
Speedlights in up to 12 lanes.
Strobe Light Bright 360° strobe light flashes with start tone. Gives tim-
ers/officials a reliable start reference, and provides a visual
cue to hearing impaired athletes.
Battery Power Safe, reliable internal gel-cell batteries (2) with external
charger. Championship Start will operate while charging.
Expandable You can add an extra speaker for the far lane or mount one
to the backstroke pole. Add an additional microphone for ref-
eree or far side of pool, or officials at the timing table.
Practicality Interfaces to all Colorado Time Systems electronic timers us-
ing optional start jumper cable, models SJ–50 through
SJ–200.
Championship Start Specifications
Physical Height: 13.25" (33.7 cm)
Width: 13" (33 cm)
Depth: 5.75" (14.6 cm)
Weight: 17.4 lbs (7.9 kg)
Introduction, Championship Start Specifications
4

Figure A: Front Panel
Front Panel The Championship Start electronic start system front panel
contains the following controls and connectors:
¨Two standard microphone inputs
¨Independent volume control for each microphone input
(two standard and one wireless). Microphone volume is
independent of Start Tone volume.
¨Power On indicator (green LED)
¨Low Battery indicator (red LED) provides an early indi-
cation that the battery level is getting low. Performance
may decrease with continued operation. Recharge batter-
ies or connect AC power converter as soon as possible.
¨AUX Speaker volume control that affects the auxiliary
speaker start tone levels
Introduction, Championship Start Specifications
5

Figure B: Left Panel
Left Panel The Championship Start electronic start system left panel
contains the following controls and connectors:
¨On/Off switch for attached strobe
¨Mounting holes for mounting auxiliary speaker
¨Auxiliary speaker connector
¨External Power connector for AC power converter, which
charges the internal batteries and provides operational
power
¨Fuses: an AC power converter circuit fuse and one fuse
for each battery; all fuses are 5x20mm, 5A, slow-blow
¨Unit On/Off Switch
Introduction, Championship Start Specifications
6

Figure C: Right Panel
Right Panel The Championship Start system right panel contains the fol-
lowing controls and connectors:
¨On units that are designed for use with a wireless micro-
phone, the wireless microphone receiver settings.
¨Connector for additional wireless microphone receiver
¨Speedlight connector
¨SPKR: Audio/Start Tone output for lane speakers
¨Start signal for Timer (Normally Open). Normally Closed
option is available but must be set at the factory
¨External Strobe
¨Wallplate Connector: A 10-pin military-style locking con-
nector that reduces the number and complexity of con-
nections and cables needed for facilities with in-deck
wiring. Includes signal lines for Speedlights, Speaker,
Timer Start, and External Strobe.
Introduction, Championship Start Specifications
7

Introduction, Championship Start Specifications
8

2
Setup
This chapter contains instructions for setting up your Cham-
pionship Start electronic start system and its accessories to
meet your competition and practice requirements. The in-
structions in this chapter cover standard Championship
Start configurations; your set up may vary depending on spe-
cific requirements and optional equipment.
Installation
Connect the Championship Start to the wall plate, a cable
harness, or to a deck plate at one side of the starting end, ei-
ther at lane 1 or at the last lane (6, 8, 10 or 12). If you have
purchased a system which includes multiple speakers, the lo-
cations for the Championship Start available to you may be
limited by the location of the speaker cable harness or wall
plate.
ûNote: Use only the speakers provided by Colorado Time Sys-
tems. Attaching any other type of speakers to the Champi-
onship Start can cause your start system to fail.
The start system module should be positioned so that the
strobe is easily visible. This allows officials and spectators
can start their watches from the strobe, improving the accu-
racy of watch starts.
ûImportant: Your Championship Start System can be operated
only from battery power, keeping AC power away from
the pool deck and reducing the possibility of electric
shock.
Wired Microphones Two jacks for wired microphones are provided on the Cham-
pionship Start front panel (shown in Figure A on page 5).
These microphone inputs are identical and can be used inter-
Setup, Installation
9

changeably. Each microphone input has an independent vol-
ume control for optimum voice quality.
ûNote: Your Championship Start electronic start system is de-
signed for use only with factory-supplied microphones. For
reliable operation, do not connect any other devices to the
microphone inputs.
Wireless
Microphones
The Championship Start System can be ordered wire-
less-ready or upgraded to use a wireless microphone. For
wireless Championship Start systems, the primary wireless
microphone receiver is built into the unit. The settings and
adjustments for the wireless receiver are on the right panel
of the Championship Start System (see Figure C on page 7).
Receiver(s) Place the Championship Start System, which contains the
wireless receiver, in a location that allows for the fewest vi-
sual obstructions between it and the wireless microphone
transmitter. A wireless microphone will function up to 350
feet (107 meters) from its receiver. When using the wireless
microphone, point the antenna on the Championship Start
System straight up.
An additional wireless microphone can be added to a wireless
Championship Start System with an external receiver. For
secondary wireless units, place the external wireless receiver
where there will be the fewest visual obstructions between it
and its wireless microphone transmitter, and point the an-
tenna on the external receiver straight up. There are no user
servicable parts on the receiver.
Squelch To adjust squelch, rotate the squelch knob counter-clockwise
until a loud rushing sound is heard at the speakers, then
slowly turn the knob clock-wise until the rushing sound is no
longer heard.
Channel Select Channel select allows you to select one of eight available
channels.
ûNote: The reciever and the transmitter MUST be set to the same
channel for the wireless microphone to work properly.
If you are using two wireless microphones at the same loca-
tion, the second receiver/transmitter pair needs to be a mini-
mum of two channels away from the first. For example, if
the first receiver and transmitter are set to Channel 4, the
Setup, Installation
10

second receiver and transmitter can be set to any channel
except channels 3 and 5.
RX IND When the LED labeled RX IND is lit, the receiver and its
transmitter are set to the same channel and the receiver is
receiving a signal from the transmitter.
Transmitter The person using a wireless microphone will have both the
transmitter and the wireless microphone. The transmitter
has a clip so that it can be attached to a belt for convenience.
The transmitter sends a signal from its microphone to the
receiver in the Championship Start System (or to the exter-
nal receiver, which transfers the signal to the Championship
Start System) for distribution to the speakers.
Low Batt To check the battery, press the PTT button on the micro-
phone and release it. If the LED labeled LOW BATT blinks,
the battery is OK. If the LED stays lit, replace the battery as
soon as reasonably possible.
The transmitter uses one 9 Volt battery. The battery com-
partment opens from the back of the transmitter. To change
the battery, depress the textured area on the battery com-
partment cover and slide the cover away from the transmit-
ter. Replace the battery, making sure the positive and nega-
tive terminals on the battery are aligned according to the di-
agram on the battery compartment, and slide the cover back
into place.
Other than replacing the battery, there are no user-service-
able parts on the transmitter.
On/Off Switch To turn on your Championship Start system, press the
power switch until it clicks over to the On position. The
power switch is on the lower left side of the unit, as shown in
Figure B on page 6. Always remember to turn off your
Championship Start when it is not in use, so that you don't
discharge the battery.
Battery Charging If the Low Battery indicator (red LED) on the Championship
Start front panel is lit or the start tone drops in volume or
becomes longer, the batteries are getting low and need to be
recharged. The external AC power converter provided with
your Championship Start is safety designed both to power
the start system and for use as a battery charger.
Setup, Installation
11

Take care not to let the battery fully discharge as this will
damage the battery and greatly limit the ability of the bat-
tery to properly operate the equipment. You can extend the
life of the battery by recharging the battery from 12 to 24
hours immediately after each use and insuring that the
on\off switch of the unit has been placed in the off position
when not in active use. To recharge your battery simply
place the power switch in the off position and plug in the
equipment to a 110 VAC 60 HZ outlet for 12 to 24 hours.
Setting the Volume
Controls
With your Championship Start turned on, rotate the volume
control for the desired microphone or auxiliary speaker(s) on
the front panel clockwise to increase the volume. Rotate the
volume control counter-clockwise to decrease the volume.
Microphones Test the volume level by using the desired microphone. The
microphone volume controls on the front of the Champion-
ship Start affect only the PA volume. If you are using multi-
ple microphones, you can adjust the volume for each one sep-
arately.
ûNote: To avoid feedback noise, do not hold the microphone
close to the speakers when testing the output volume.
Auxiliary
Speaker(s)
The volume knob for the auxiliary speaker(s) adjusts the vol-
ume of the start and recall tones at any auxiliary speakers.
Main Speakers The start and recall tones always function at maximum vol-
ume at the main speakers under the starting blocks; they are
not adjustable.
Configuration
Diagrams
The following block diagrams illustrate typical configura-
tions for your Championship Start with in-deck wiring or
on-deck. For more specific configuration information, con-
tact your Colorado Time Systems representative.
Setup, Installation
12

Figure D: Championship Start In-Deck configuration
Setup, Installation
13

Figure E: Championship Start On-Deck configuration
Setup, Installation
14

3
Using Your Electronic Start System
This chapter explains how to use the many features your
Championship Start electronic start system offers.
Starter’s Microphone
Wired and wireless microphones are operated in the same
way.
Starting a Race To start a race, hold down the push-to-talk switch and press
the start button on the top of the microphone.
Public Address To use the starter’s microphone for public address, press the
push-to-talk switch on the side of the microphone and speak
into the grille on the front of the microphone.
Recalling a False
Start
To recall a false start, release the start button on the micro-
phone and then press it again. If you are using multiple mi-
crophones, the Championship Start sees all of the start but-
tons as a single button. As a result, all microphone start but-
tons must be released before any one of them is pressed
again to recall a false start. Make sure all starters are aware
that they must immediately release the start button after
each start.
Strobe Light
The strobe light flashes automatically whenever the start
system receives a start pulse. Allow 30 seconds between
strobe flashes for the strobe circuit to recharge. If the strobe
circuit has not had time to recharge fully when your Cham-
pionship Start receives another start pulse, the strobe light
will not flash.
Using Your Electronic Start System, Strobe Light
15

Timer Output
When properly connected to a CTS electronic timing system,
such as the System 5, System 6 or Dolphin, the Champion-
ship Start automatically sends a start pulse to the timer
whenever the microphone start button is pressed. If your
electronic timer does not start properly, check the start cable
connections both at the timer wall plate or cable harness and
at your Championship Start. Many electronic timers, includ-
ing all Colorado Time Systems timers, require a Normally
Open (N.O.) start pulse. Others require a Normally Closed
(N.C.) start pulse.
ûNote The Championship Start works only with Normally Open
start pulses. If your timer requires a Normally Closed start
pulse, contact your Colorado Time Systems representative
for factory modifications.
Operating Notes
Using your Championship Start electronic start system dur-
ing training sessions is one of its useful features. Swimmers
quickly become accustomed to electronic starting and
thereby improve their start reflexes.
The volume controls on the Championship Start front panel
affect only the PA volume. The start and recall tones always
operate at full volume (except for the AUX speaker). If the
start tone drops in volume or becomes longer, the battery is
getting low and needs to be recharged.
Strobe
Light/Speedlight
Usage
If coaches, parents and spectators attempt to start their
stopwatches from the start tone, they will not get accurate
starts. The relatively slow speed of sound, especially in the
pool environment, results in late stopwatch starts for observ-
ers at any distance from the speakers. Educate your coaches,
parents and spectators to use the strobe and/or starting
block Speedlights to trigger their stopwatch starts. The
strobe and Speedlight flash is unaffected by poor acoustics
and the fast speed of light ensures that all observers see the
flash at the same time, resulting in more accurate stopwatch
times. The strobe and Speedlights also ensure fair starts for
hearing-impaired athletes.
Using Your Electronic Start System, Operating Notes
16