Timers
 

What is your most/least favorite timer with pros and cons?
> stopwatches, smartphones ball bag
> small watches velcroed to face masks and indicators
> kitchen timers hanging on backstops
> stopwatches hanging from the belt of BU
> other
What say ye?

Around here we are told to put the timer in plain view on the backstop. For the most part everyone just uses kitchen timers. I have seen a guy that has an indicator with a built in timer, but I believe he told me they were no longer made. I know another guy that took a cheap digital watch face and glued it to the back of his indicator just as a timer for himself so he wouldnt have to go look at timer on fence.

Most favorite?
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg


Least favorite?
Anything that requires me to do hours:minutes math! ;)

https://www.google.com/images?q=tbn:...UPMaNt2RkIwYWA

This is the best for me.

Love the score-book 'time piece' (its the b est way to play this game), but for 'timed' games, I have a 'lady's ironman timex watch strapped to the inside of my mask. Very few know I even have it there or if I am checking time.

They'd probably notice me holding my mask out at arm's length to read the timer! :cool:

Maybe they'd figure it's just a crib sheet of rules? :D

Reminds me of a local D2 coach. She gave me her lineup and I looked it over. I tried to hand it back to her to and asked if she wanted to check it one last time. She gave me a 'look' and said, "Mark, if you want me to read that you're going to have to drop it on the ground." :D

I didn't realize what she meant until I got my own 'cheaters'. :eek:

Not so funny any more. :mad:

Where's SRW?...evidently they have a whole room full of timers that they have confiscated from umpires that insisted on hanging them on the fence.....:)


Personally, I have a cheap digital watch with a countdown timer that I just keep in my ball bag.

Robic sc502

I use this...

http://www.meijer.com/assets/product...5828_A_400.jpg

It allows me to add an hour (to avoid the freaking end of time beep) and I like that with the 2 timers I only have to reset every other game.

Don't hang that timer on the fence here in Seattle. I WILL remove it for you. You will NOT get it back until the end of the tournament. We WILL have a discussion about time management after the game. I will make the discussion long enough that you WILL be late to your next game.

Yes, I am dick.

What is your aversion to displaying the time for all to see?
And if you know you're a dick, why do you continue to be one?

Are you assuming, with your question, that he doesn't LIKE being a dick? What would make you think that? ;)

As a recruiter, trainer and assignor, and occasionally a UIC, I see myself as a manager of a business and my product is umpires. I think a happy staff is more productive. Plus I've worked for guys who lead by fear and intimidation and it's not fun.

Ok, I guess joking around is not your thing, either.

SRW and the Seattle-area umpire association are fully capable of defending themselves, but as I understand it the prohibition against timers on the fence is a long-standing policy in the Seattle area that all umpires should be aware of. The penalty for ignoring/rebelling against/being ignorant of the policy being seizing of the timer is also well established, and the dressing down described may be appropriate in light of all of that.

It is a policy that from time-to-time is on the receiving end of some lighthearted ribbing on this board.

I understand that, I've been on this board since '04 and for some reason didn't have posting privileges til last month. I was wondering what his reasons were.

Patrick, read through this thread from 2008. It should explain what you're asking.
http://forum.officiating.com/softbal...own-timer.html

Reading through that old thread, I saw that someone had posted about the timer I've been using for the past few years. I love this thing! It has a clock, countdown timer and alarm. The face plate slides closed so you can put it in your pocket or ball bag without accidently bumping any of the buttons or damaging the display. It's turned out to be one of my most often used and trusted pieces of umpire equipment.

But....I was shocked to see that this simple little timer sells for $45! No way would I pay that. I found mine at a garage sale for fifty cents!

My Countdown Timer

If you get away from the medical field it should be cheaper. For example, here it's $30, and here it's $26. With a little more searching I think you can get it for less.

I did find that timer for a cheaper price on other websites. Even $26 seems kind of high for something that can't cost more than a couple of bucks to manufacture. But if mine ever dies on me, I might just have to spring for a new one. This is the best...timer...ever! :D

I still have a working Honig's 45C indicator with the timer/clock thing in it.

Don't know why those are not available any more, but I see them on E-Bay once in a while.