A: Eagle Eye Timing offers a variety of meet management services relating to meet timing and information management for both track & field and cross country events. The featured capability behind the timing crew is the ability for fully automatic timing, or commonly FAT, which is the hallmark of the Finish Lynx timing system. Fully automatic timing is the contrary to hand timing races (eg., with a button timer or an ordinary stop-watch). The Finish Lynx system is a fully computerized digital photo finish timing system that has the ability to single-handedly time and photograph every competitor during any race. Thus, reliability on hand-timers is eliminated and their man power can be used elsewhere in contribution to the meet. Due to its digital photography of finish line motion, all doubts, uncertainties, and disputes of finishing places are instantly resolved. Since the Finish Lynx timing system is completely computerized and digital, it serves as the most accurate and effective method of timing and determining the outcome of races today.

Finish Lynx also works in collaboration with Hy-Tek Meet Manager software to deliver results automatically. Due to the brilliance of both Finish Lynx and Hy-Tek, results can be calculated and printed electronically within a minute after the completion of most races. Hy-Tek Meet Manager also computerizes and compiles entry form information into a database to build team rosters. The software program has the capability to automatically compute and organize useful reports such as performance list rankings, team rosters, heats sheets (ie., along with their corresponding lane assignments), field event flight (check-in) sheets, field event score sheets, track and field event results, meet records, meet scores/point totals, and several other useful reports. Through the use of Finish Lynx and Hy-Tek Meet Manager, Eagle Eye Timing can fully manage the information and computing related side of your athletic event.

A: Yes and no. The complication with Hy-Tek Meet Manager is that the program offers a variety of useful options that are not automatically available with the traditional purchase of the program. In many cases, users are unaware that some specific options must be ordered in addition to the standard software package to be accessible. The Eagle Eye Timing version of Hy-Tek comes completely accessible with all options that the program has to offer. Using a different copy of Hy-Tek Meet Manager risks the chances of limiting our capability if we do not know which options have been purchased for that particular copy.

If for instance, you wish for us to synchronize Hy-Tek Meet Manager with a scoreboard at your meet, you must have purchased the additional Hy-Tek Meet Manager Scoreboard Interface feature at the cost of $495.00 which would typically cover our basic equipment fees for a standard track & field meet. If your version of Hy-Tek Meet Manager does not have the Scoreboard Interface feature on the day of the meet, then your version could not be used in that situation. Everyone is welcomed to view the breakdown of Hy-Tek Meet Manager's additional features.

Many meet administrators wish to have their license title displayed along with results, performances lists, and other reports. This can always be done for report purposes by using their licensed copy of Hy-Tek Meet Manager. However, the licensed version that processes meet information and executes meet objectives must have all necessary options readily available. Our version of Hy-Tek Meet Manager is already accessible with all features including the scoreboard feature.

A: Our running events are typically timed using Finish Lynx fully automatic timing technology as well as at least two back-up button timers.

A: The Finish Lynx timing system is connected to the trigger hand off the starting official by a special sensor. When the starting official pulls the trigger of the gun, to start a race, the force of the gun initiates the start of the internal Finish Lynx clock. Keep in mind that there is no person to push any buttons to start the time as a timer would with any ordinary button timer. Now, the Finish Lynx timing system we use also includes a digital camera that is capable of taking 1,000 sequential, or chronological, pictures per second of the finish line segment on a track. This is remarkably similar to the phenomenon of the old cartoon flip books in which hundreds of pages of illustrations are used in sequence to make a five second cartoon clip. When the flip book opens, each page is released at a rapid rate so that the hundreds of still-frame illustrations are perceived as a short motion picture.

At the finish of a race, sequential photography of only the finish line segment is captured as the competitors cross the finish line. After the race, the sequential photography of each segment is automatically merged together by Finish Lynx in chronological order to form one photo finish picture (ie., from thousands of single frame photos). Thus, as a competitor crosses the finish line, a picture is taken of that person possibly hundreds of times in sequence. Nevertheless, each segment of the picture corresponds with the time it was captured according to the internal Finish Lynx clock. The picture is evaluated based on the segment in which each competitor's "torso" crosses the finish line. The finisher's time is derived at the segment, or point, in which the finisher's torso crossed the finish line.

A: First, the internal clock (watch) is initiated by the force of the gun (ie., sound), which travels much faster than human reaction can when working with an ordinary stop watch. At that point, we are able to achieve an automatic start without anyone having to press a single button to initiate the start of the clock. The only thing being pushed is the trigger on the starter's pistol.

Second, the Finish Lynx camera shoots pictures of the content of the finish line segment at up to 1,000 sequential frames per second. Each sequential finish line segment automatically corresponds to the time it was taken with respect to the internal clock which was automatically initiated before hand. With the Finish Lynx timing system, no one has to push a button each time a competitor finishes the race in order to record times. Thus, we have an automatically finish, and with both an automatic start & finish comes the term fully automatic timing, or commonly F.A.T.

Third, this method of evaluating sport is similar to the instant replay option used in the National Football League. These methods strongly support humility in a way that the limitations of judgment and perception are bypassed. As in the National Football League, the outcome of a competition should not be solely determined by judgment or perception. Football has the instant replay option which can overturn an official's decisions while track & field and cross country has Finish Lynx.

A: Finish Lynx timing can capture a finish line segment at up to one ten-thousandth of a second. This is very useful in many races in which the winner of the race could not be determined by the human eye. For instance, a 100M Dash race using Finish Lynx timing can actually be timed with a first place finisher at 10.5001, a second place finisher at 10.5002, a third place finisher at 10.5003, and so on. In many close sprint races there may be a window of less than one second in which all eight competitors finish. Anyone with finish line spotting experience will admit how tough it is to perceive and recall close races as such.

In almost every meet we work, the judgment of races are questioned when in fact every race can almost be questioned. Each questioner becomes enlightened to learn that their perception of the race actually turned out differently than what was captured by rapid sequential photography. In fact, finish line judges often make perceptual mistakes themselves. As mentioned earlier, a cartoon flip book illustrates a five second motion picture with hundreds of photos in sequential illustrations. The Finish Lynx timing system operates in the same manner as a cartoon flip book. Whereas most race results are conveyed in hundredth of a second, Finish Lynx timing can results to a finish in ten-thousandths of a second which is useful for breaking ties.

Also keep in mind that Finish Lynx timing is technology, and technology has its limitations and fallibilities as well as its strengths.

A: Although we do not have the ability to provide wind gauges at this time, we have and will work with your wind gauges. In that case, wind gauge readings shall be recorded for track events up to and including 200 meters and the Long Jump and Triple Jump. Wind gauge readings can either be manually keyed into results, or in some cases, the readings can be electronically transferred and interfaced with the proper equipment provided.