Haverhill, MA – Lynx Headquarters is closing for our annual extended winter break for the holiday season. The Haverhill office will close Wednesday, December 23rd at the end of the work day. We will reopen at 9:00 AM (Eastern Standard Time) on Tuesday, January 5th. 

Limited technical support will be available during our winter break by calling the office and following the prompts to leave a message: (978) 556-9780. You can also submit a tech support web form, and it is possible that you may receive a response via email.

2020-2021 Holiday Schedule:

Close: Thursday, December 24^th 2020 

Re-Open: Tuesday, January 5^th 2021

What does a FinishLynx operator who spends his year timing meets do during a global shutdown?

Answer: He rebuilds and restores outdated computer hardware.

Many in the timing community know Roger and his father Tom Jennings as they were some of the earliest adopters of the Lynx timing systems. So it comes as no surprise when we receive an email from Roger saying that he’s rebuilt a period-correct computer and has connected the Lynx Silver Bullet to it and a scoreboard. Even better, it’s capturing images.

You can read more about the beginnings of Lynx and how Tom and Roger played their role in our 25th Anniversary blog post.

Early Days of FinishLynx

Roger’s original computer was purchased in 1990. It was an Intel 386 running at 25mhz, 2 megabytes of RAM, and a 80mb hard drive. It had a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) controller card which was used to communicate with the FinishLynx timing box — these were also used as a controller card for high-end internal and external hard drives at the time.

From Roger:

At the time the initial beta (alpha?) release of FinishLynx, finish image was limited by the amount of RAM in the computer. There was no disk cache or toggling on/off of image, so you would hit the space bar and FinishLynx would capture an image until RAM was filled up, then it would display the image. I used to have a little chart that would let me know how much image length (in seconds) I could capture at different frame rates. I think I could squeeze 30 seconds out of the slowest frame rate setting. If the race finishers didn’t fit within that time/RAM limit, they’d be looking for hand-times. However, even in the limited form, FinishLynx was already far, far ahead of anything being used for fully automatic timing in the US.”

The next FinishLynx beta release allowed the toggling off/on of image capture, even though I was still limited by my measly 2mb of RAM, it was a game-changer, allowing my former 30 seconds of image, if done correctly, to 1-2 minutes of finishers. To get more image it was as simple as buying more RAM — which I did from 2mb to 8mb (the maximum for my computer). Not a cheap investment in 1992, it was about $45/megabyte, but it’d quadruple the amount of image I could capture, a major investment for me at the time.

By the end of the summer in 1992, FinishLynx added hard disk cache to the image capturing which enabled a seemingly endless amount of image length (limited to the size of the hard drive). Also FinishLynx had full integration with database software (Clerk of the Course) and scoreboard displays, television running time clock/results.

This iteration was fairly similar to the functionality of the FinishLynx of today, it was light years ahead of anything else used in the US or Internationally.

My 2020 computer that I used in my modern test was the exact same system, with an upgrade to 8mb of RAM and a 100mb hard drive.

Rebuilding the Original Computer & Capturing Image Today

With a mission to build a period-correct computer that could run the original Lynx Silver Bullet, Jennings took to eBay and the local Goodwill to find the equipment. While some of the original hardware is more difficult to locate than others, he was miraculously able to score a monitor at Goodwill for a mere $5 that was slated to be tossed. Because so much was unknown in the early days of computers, there hadn’t been any product standardization yet. This makes finding RAM that much more difficult, because each generation of computer had a new type of chip. In the end, Roger’s rebuilt computer is a nearly exact replica of the computer that he first used almost three decades ago.

With his restored computer set up, he was able to connect the Silver Bullet and a Seiko display board (from the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics), and was off to the races (so to speak).

Final Takeaways

The backward compatibility of Lynx products has always been a key focus, and Roger’s latest project is the ultimate example of that backwards compatibility. With it, systems that are purchased can be added to and expanded as needs grow over the years without the need to buy a completely new system. While we’re not saying you’d necessarily time your next track meet with a 27-year-old Silver Bullet, we think it’s pretty remarkable that you could.

Thank you to Roger Jennings of Flash Results for sending these images & story!

Do you have your own timing-related hobby or story to tell? Email marketing@finishlynx.com to be featured on our blog.

July 2020 – FinishLynx Version 11.00 has been released and is available to download from our FinishLynx Software & Downloads webpage. We encourage all FinishLynx users to update their software immediately to stay up to date with the latest features. The major feature with this version includes an update to the Time Trial plug-in. The Time Trial (TT) Plug-in will now be more flexible and give new options to help manage group (wave) starts. Keep reading below to find out more about the TT update plus other helpful updates included with 11.00.

Time Trial (TT) Plug-in Update

As we look forward to road races starting back up and cross country season, we expect many races will begin adopting new practices to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. One of these practices will be in the form of utilizing wave, or group, starts. In response to how to manage these wave starts, we’ve added flexibility to the Time Trial plug-in. You will no longer be limited to using the ID as the key field associated to a start signal. If a race is started with a wave for each team or school, select the Affiliation field and assign each start accordingly. Another option is to use the License or User3 field to pre-assign a wave to each participant. This will allow you to easily deal with last-minute changes before or even during a race. Watch the video for details on the updated Time Trial plug-in.

Lynx Wind Module Improvements 

With FinishLynx 11.00, the Lynx Wind Module will send readings back to the wind gauge when an event receives a reading, when a reading is selected from the list, and when a reading is manually entered. This is intended to allow controlling the wind gauge from FinishLynx and displaying the reading on a Gill E49821 & E49822 Countdown Timer in Wind mode connected to the Standalone Wind Gauge Controller using only 1 serial port.

Scoreboard Module Improvements

When the running time is in the Paused or Finished state, the scoreboard module will re-send the data if anything in the Event changes. This is intended primarily to allow a wind reading that comes in while in one of these states to be sent out immediately, but it will allow any Event data to be sent immediately.

Lynx Data Port (LDP) Plug-In

The Lynx Data Port (LDP) Plug-In is the latest addition to the FinishLynx plug-in family and gives a new solution for remote applications to access FinishLynx event data over the network. LDP is meant for programmers that have specific objectives such as streaming image frames or analyzing it using AI technology. If you’re interested in knowing more about he Lynx Data Port (LDP) Plug-In, contact Tech Support.

Downloads

View and download the complete release notes here.

April 1, 2020 – Want to keep timing, but are stuck at home? LynxCube is our brand new camera plug-in that enables all Vision and Vision PRO cameras to be transformed into video game consoles. We know that times are tough right now with events getting cancelled and many people going stir crazy in their homes, but we believe that LynxCube is the perfect solution to stay safe while continuing to do what you love. We are happy to provide timers with a way to hone their FinishLynx skills from the comfort of their own couch.The goal of the LynxCube video game is to build your timing setup and successfully time various races in order to level up and become the best photo-finish timer that the world has ever seen! Some features of the game include customizing the race you’d like to time, choosing which equipment to use, and capturing & evaluating the results. The more accurate you are, the more points you will receive. As you receive more points, your character will level up. Each new level unlocks new backgrounds, races, and equipment that you can use for your virtual timing setup.  If you’d like a challenge, you can set your difficulty level to high. This means that anything could happen, whether the rain clouds decide to open up, or an angry athlete’s mother wants to give you a piece of her mind. It’s up to you to decide how  to handle each scenario. However, it’s important to note, if you leave your camera out in the rain with no cover, you may find that you received little to no points for that race.

You may be thinking: why should I care about points? Well, let us tell you. Since there aren’t many live races to be timed at the moment, we will consider the completion of this game as a certifiable Lynx training course. If you complete level 100, you will be honored with the title of Super Mega Ultimate Powerful Master of FinishLynx Timing (a rare honor). We will even send you a certificate in the mail! Imagine having that kind of title on your resume?

We have a feeling you may have already guessed, but APRIL FOOLS! We hope you enjoyed the post and encourage you to share it if you enjoyed it.

There is no denying that we are all going through difficult times right now. As a company, we realize that people are experiencing great amounts of uncertainty and fear, but we hope that in these dark times you are able to find pieces of light. That is why we are continuing with our annual April Fools tradition. The current state of the world is something to take seriously, which we can assure you that we’re taking every precaution necessary. As we have said before, we are facing this challenge together and will emerge even stronger than ever before because we will have faced it together as the Lynx family. We are thinking of you all and hoping that you are safe and well until we are able to get back at it and better than ever!

April 30, 2020 – [UPDATE] The Massachusetts stay-at-home order and non-essential business shutdown has been extended through Monday, May 18, 2020. As stated below, Lynx is still offering Technical Support via email or phone and will be taking orders via email. Orders that can be processed electronically can be completed immediately, with all other orders shipping after the tentative new reopen date of May 18, 2020.

March 31, 2020 – [UPDATE] The Massachusetts stay-at-home order and non-essential business shutdown has been extended through Monday, May 4, 2020. As stated below, Lynx is still offering Technical Support via email or phone and will be taking orders via email. Orders that can be processed electronically can be completed immediately, with all other orders shipping after the tentative new reopen date of May 4, 2020.

March 24, 2020 – With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to develop, Massachusetts Governor, Charlie Baker, issued all non-essential businesses to close their offices to all employees, customers, and the public beginning March 24, 2020 at 12pm EST through at least Tuesday, April 7^th at 12pm EST. For this reason, Lynx has closed its headquarters in Haverhill, MA.

During this shutdown period, we will only able to complete orders that can be delivered via email (ex. Serial Numbers). However, we will still be offering Technical Support via email and over the phone, and all other orders will ship after our expected reopen date, April 8^th, 2020.

Please be safe and well until we are all able to get back at it and better than ever!

How to Reach Lynx:

Technical Support

Email: support@finishlynx.com

Phone: (978) 556-9780

Placing Orders

Domestic Sales: domsales@finishlynx.com

International Sales: intlsales@finishlynx.com

Something we really enjoy here at Lynx is getting to know the people who use our products. Just like our own business, each of our customers have their own story – how and why they started, the challenges they faced along the way, and so much more. That’s why we started asking our community for their stories. It’s so interesting to hear from people all around the world who may disagree on some things, but have one thing in common: they think FinishLynx is the best!  For our latest installment of the FinishLynx Timer Spotlight, we spoke with Don Passenger and Lindsey Wieck, the father-daughter timing team who went from timing races with Popsicle sticks and stop watches to using FinishLynx cameras to capture about 500 events every year.

Name: MichianaTiming.com

Locations: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin

Number of Events: About 500 per year

Briefly tell us about your business.

Our business, MichianaTiming.com, times about 500 events each year. Our primary areas are track, cross country, road races, and triathlons in the states of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The company was co-founded by Don Passenger (dad) and Lindsey Wieck (daughter). Lindsey is the owner of the company and handles all aspects of financial management.

What is one thing that makes your company unique?

We are re-sellers, or dealers, of FinishLynx equipment, so we sell what we use and use what we sell, which makes for good support for our Lynx purchasers.

How long have you been in business?

Ironically, nobody knows when or how our business started. We began by timing races with Popsicle sticks and stop watches and just kept automating more and getting better. Eventually, we bought our first Lynx camera about 11 years ago- used- and it is still in service today along with several dozen other cameras. We started chip timing ten years ago, and we just continue to grow in our knowledge and use.

Is there any advice you wish you had received when you first started out?

Respect the relationships others have built… and value the relationships you have built.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your business?

Timing at its core is really hard work and so the challenge is finding enough talented crew members to handle 6-10 events on any given day while maintaining the quality our customers deserve (which we view as including not just race directors/meet managers, but also coaches, participants, and spectators too). We are lucky to have about eight key people who help make our company grow and thrive.

What three words would you use to describe FinishLynx? 

Accurate, stable, awesome.

Which products and accessories are a part of your usual timing set up?

• RadioLynx
• Display
• IdentiLynx (amazing)
• Auto Capture Mode (should be mandatory)
• EtherLynx Vision

Are there any features you would like to see added to the system?

Don: I have shared my next goal with the Lynx engineering team and I think it will be amazing and revolutionary, but it is a secret.

Lindsey: A siren to scare people off who might inopportunely cross in front of your camera 🙂

What has been your favorite race so far and why?

We have several, but the Manistee National Cross Country Invite is maybe the best because of how well organized it is.

If you could time any type of race in the world, which would it be and why?

Don: The Olympics because as a child it was my goal to participate in the Olympics, but my athletic skills were just short of that standard.

Lindsey: I really love some of the amazing FinishLynx art I’ve seen created and would love to be in the right place with the right athletes to make some of my own!

What made you start timing? What keeps you going (favorite part of the job)?

We feel that we are giving back to a sport that gave us so much in life and helped make us who we are. We don’t really know how or when we started. It was just helping friends or timing events for teams we coached, but then we found we had a talent for it and it just kept growing.

Please feel free to share any other information that you think is interesting or relevant to the timing community.

One of our favorite parts of timing, which was enhanced by our opportunity to be a dealer, is the network of friends that we have nationwide. On any given day we may get a dozen or more calls ranging from former Olympians who time, to a first time mom and pop, or local school getting things clicking for the first time and missing one step. We enjoy problem solving and it gives us satisfaction to be able to assist others.

We are very thankful for Don and Lindsey for answering these questions for our Timer Spotlight Series. We loved hearing all about your company and what you’ve been through!

Interested in being a part of our Q&A? Please send an email to: marketing@finishlynx.com

To learn more about MichianaTiming: Click Here

To learn more about photo-finish timing systems: Click Here

New year, new goals! You don’t need 2020 vision to see that the accuracy and reliability of FinishLynx timing equipment is essential at any track meet at every level. Soon enough it will be the spring track season, and if you’re honest with yourself, are you ready for that? Get your camera off the shelf and on the track! Don’t worry, we’re here to help. 

Follow these steps to become a FinishLynx wiz for this track season:

1. Take your camera off the shelf.

This may seem obvious, but we feel as though it needs to be said. Whether you are a seasoned Lynx user, or a novice learner, now is the perfect time! We understand that everyone comes from different backgrounds and levels of timing experience, so we have numerous resources available for users to become more familiar with their equipment. That is why we are presenting you with every resource we have available, all on one page.  Speaking of, that leads us into our next step…

2. Start the learning process or refresh your brain with our online resources.

Quick Start Guides – Lucky for you, we have a QSG for every product that we ship! There should be one included with the equipment you purchased, but they are also located on our website for any time that you may need to take another look. These documents are essential for learning how to use FinishLynx systems. We provide step-by-step instructions on how to set up the technology and get it up and running for your race.

Online Manual – Another go-to resource for becoming a FinishLynx master is our online, searchable, mobile-friendly software manual. This manual is provided to help first time users set up and run FinishLynx so that it will become as familiar and easy to use as a computer. You can begin with the “Getting Started” section, or you can look up more specific topics if you’re having trouble with a particular piece of equipment or system. This manual stays up-to-date and new information is added each time the FinishLynx software is updated. 

YouTube Tutorial Videos – More of a visual learner? Not a problem. Our YouTube channel has plenty of technical support videos from the basic hardware setup to more advanced functions within the FinishLynx software. We even have a playlist called “New User FinishLynx Timing System Setup“. Head over to our channel and break out the popcorn to start learning the ins and outs of preparing your hardware and software for your next meet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Since we have quite a bit of experience providing technical support for FinishLynx products and accessories (28 years to be exact), we have put together some of the more common questions that our tech support team has run into over the years. This includes topics about purchasing FinishLynx, Camera Setup, FinishLynx Software & Networking, and more. Fore more detailed information on how to set up your timing system, you should refer back to our Quick Start Guides, or, as always, our technical support team is just one phone call away.

3. Get to know our technical support team.

Call or Email – Speaking of technical support, here’s how to get in contact with them! We pride ourselves on our ability to help customers in unlocking the full potential of FinishLynx technology. We have 24/7 support via our main line: (978) 556-9780. The team can also be reached by emailing support@finishlynx.com.

Technical Support Training – Still stumped? Lynx does offer on-site group training for new FinishLynx users. Please submit a form here and a member of the Lynx training staff will be in touch shortly.

4. Get Social!

Over the many years that Lynx has been around, we’ve watched as the community of timers and operators has grown. On Facebook, we even have a FinishLynx Sports Timers group where members can post technical questions or brag about their latest race (we love the photos- please keep them coming!) You may even be able to get in touch with a Lynx user in your area who could train you on how to use your system or just give some helpful tips. 

In addition to Facebook, you can also connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Every Friday, we tweet a timing tip of the week, which can be helpful for timers to discover specific resources we have online or practical tips that they wouldn’t have known about otherwise. On Instagram, we love re-posting our customers’ content, so once you figure out your system and are ready to show off a little bit, be sure to tag us or use the #FinishLynx hashtag.