Cheap Watch/Timer for Refereeing

[Yaweesh]

Hi,
I thought some of you would be interested in my views on a basic watch/timer that I've started using for refereeing. It is not as multi-functional as some of the others I've seen mentioned on here - the Casio one in particular - but it was cheap!

Its a Geonaute 200 timer, and basically, it is a digital watch with only 4 functions (displays). Time, Stopwatch (chronograph), Countdown timer (you can set any time interval), and Alarm.

Setting it up is very simple, as is switching between the modes, and the stop/start button for timing is top right, which is the natural position for me when worn on the left wrist. I like the fact that the display is very simple - just the mode you are in, and is quite large (I wear contact lenses when reffing which makes it difficult for me to see a small digital display).

Just before KO, I write down the actual time, and then one button press to change mode, then start the stopwatch running (so 2 back-ups !!), one button press to switch to the countdown timer mode, then time the period as normal - stopping and starting the countdown as necessary. There is an audible alarm at the end of the countdown if you let it run that far - but it is not so loud as to alert the players, and if you set the interval to repeat, it is limited to 3 short beeps.

So far it has been very comfortable and reliable, with no unexpected stop/starts (apart from the usual operator mistakes !)

I don't want this to sound like an ad - so lets just say I picked mine up for under a tenner from a large sports goods warehouse place, (named after Daley Thompson's sport !)
Cheers

Simple to set and operate.
Large "clean" display
Waterproof
Stopwatch (count-up) and timer (countdown) run concurrently
Coloured versions available - steady now !
Cheap
-
Strap is non-replaceable
Can't disable the sound signal

 

[Phil E]

I love a good watch (gadget) thread :biggrin:

Nothing wrong with cheap if it does the job. :biggrin:

I am thinking of asking the wife for one of these for Christmas. It's not as cheap as the Geonaute, but it's cheaper than a lot of other things I was going to ask for!
I particularly like the fact that it keeps vibrating while the watch is paused, so you can't forget to restart it.

Spintso Referee Watch

View attachment 2484

 

[Yaweesh]

Unfair - gazumped by a wrist-borne TV !!

Seriously though - that does look like a nice piece of kit, and sounds like it has had some referee input into its design. Vibration alert is definitely a bonus over audible alerts (I don't mean the old guy that starts shouting "time ref" as soon as the game kicks off).

Personally, the display is probably too small and overly cluttered for me, and I'm finding a simple single mode frees up my addled brain to concentrate on the million other things going on.

Interestingly, Santa is buying my wife a Garmin Forerunner 2, which has a countdown timer, a HRM and a GPS tracker - it also happens to fit my wrist !!

Cheers

 

[Phil E]

Interestingly, Santa is buying my wife a Garmin Forerunner 2, which has a countdown timer, a HRM and a GPS tracker - it also happens to fit my wrist !!

Which you can upload to google maps.
We have had a few example maps on here.

 

[ddjamo]

if you get one phil...please report back regarding ease of use...that looks like a great watch!

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

if you get one phil...please report back regarding ease of use...that looks like a great watch!

It's got a special 60s timer for PKs. When it runs out a huge Claxon goes off and a hook pops out to hang up your whistle on! :biggrin:

 

[ddjamo]

cool LLP...I noticed too that there's a timer to keep you on pace for 40 pk's per match too...should come in handy for some of you...

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

cool LLP...I noticed too that there's a timer to keep you on pace for 40 pk's per match too...should come in handy for some of you...

:biggrin:

 

[FlipFlop]

does it have a timer for the 10min bin? That stops and starts with the main timer? Now that would be useful.

 

[Guyseep]

I bought an inexpensive casio watch with the largest display. It has a regular watch mode, a stopwatch and a few other features I dont use for referreeing like the alarm.

The things I like are:
- the large basic display (no concern about looking at a bunch of jumbled numbers)
- in stopwatch mode it also has a small realtime readout in the bottom left, so if I accidently stop time I can still refer to real time and the time I recorded as play starting.

The one bad thing is it doesn't have a count down timer.

Do you guys prefer a stopwatch (count up) or countdown timer to keep track?

 

[crossref]

Do you guys prefer a stopwatch (count up) or countdown timer to keep track?

countdown -
the players ALWAYS ask me 'how much longer' and NEVER ask me 'how long have we had'

 

[SimonSmith]

Two watches:
The main one - stop/start etc - is countdown.

I use the second one as a stopwatch - because my scorecard details the time of the score (and yes, that has come in handy with disputed scores) and because I count 'up' for the bin.

YMMV

 

[Ovey]

I've got one of the Casio RFT-100s and think it's ideal. I generally start the stopwatch and timer (set to 40 minutes) as we kick off (using the silent vibrate function to remind me we;'ve had enough fun)! I also leave the interval timer set to 10 minutes and start this in the event of a YC being issued (since the vibrate occurrs for this too). If I have 2 YCs then I'm a bit stuffed, but otherwise the "system" seems to work.

My other wrist just has an analogue dive watch that I spin the bezel to the start time for a 40min reference.

 

[Ovey]

Forgot to say that the stopwatch (if stopped during play) acts as a stopwatch but also there's a running clock on the same display. (Due to my work PC the "Edit post" function didn't work!!

 

[Dixie]

My other wrist just has an analogue dive watch that I spin the bezel to the start time for a 40min reference.

Why not spin it to the end time? If you start at 14:17, it prevents you having to do the maths while the game goes on around you.

Someone once posted that the Casio RFT-100 can display both countdown and stopwatch at the same time on a spilt screen. Does anyone know how to do this?

 

[Phil E]

Someone once posted that the Casio RFT-100 can display both countdown and stopwatch at the same time on a spilt screen. Does anyone know how to do this?

The main stopwatch screen has two count up timers showing. When you pause the stopwatch function only one of them pauses, the other one keeps going in real time. When the vibrate goes off you just look at the pause/un pause timer and can instantly see how much overtime you have to play. This has the added benefit that if you forget to unpause, the real time, timer is still working, so you at least have a rough idea how long to play for.