Hi

Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
- ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.

Cheers

Donal

donal.casey@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi
>
> Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
> - ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
> to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.
>
> Cheers
>
> Donal

Hi Donal,

Regatta Master is cheap and does timing, but it aint simple.

The very rough and ready Jillings method uses an Excel spreadsheet,
using the =NOW() function.
However, this does not work unless you turn off automatic recalculation.

Assuming you have a list of crews in start order in column A, then enter
the function =NOW() down the corresponding cells in col B until every
crew has a value next to it. At this stage they are all identical, i.e.
whatever time it was when you entered =NOW() the first time.
What you need to do is recalculate the value in B for each crew as it
passes the line. Select the cell you want to change, e.g. B1 and press
F2. The time disappears and the formula appears again. As soon as you
hit the Return key, i.e. as the bows of the boat pass over the line, the
current time will be entered in the cell. Assuming you have configured
your spreadsheet selection to move down rather than right when Return is
pressed, the cell below will now be highlighted ready for you to hit F2
and wait for the next crew to pass, hitting the return key again as it does.

Do the same at the finish line and then copy all the times from start
and finish laptops together and subtract them for elapsed times and
there you go.

If you do not turn recalculate off, hitting the Return key resets all
the cells with the latest times. The same happens if you use copy and
CTRL-V to paste the formula - it just zaps all your earlier times.

Can I just say that I have never personally used this, but I set it up
for a head once and they seemed quite happy with it for a few years.

Cheers,

David.

Thanks for that Dave..had tried on excel but came across the problem
you have mentioned(recalculating as per one cell). Will have another
crack at it.

Regards

Donal

On 1 Sep, 13:20, David Jillings <da...@bourbonstreetrevival.com>
wrote:
> donal.ca...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Hi
>
> > Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
> > - ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
> > to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.
>
> > Cheers
>
> > Donal
>
> Hi Donal,
>
> Regatta Master is cheap and does timing, but it aint simple.
>
> The very rough and ready Jillings method uses an Excel spreadsheet,
> using the =NOW() function.
> However, this does not work unless you turn off automatic recalculation.
>
> Assuming you have a list of crews in start order in column A, then enter
> the function  =NOW() down the corresponding cells in col B until every
> crew has a value next to it.  At this stage they are all identical, i.e..
> whatever time it was when you entered =NOW() the first time.
> What you need to do is recalculate the value in B for each crew as it
> passes the line.  Select the cell you want to change, e.g. B1 and press
> F2.  The time disappears and the formula appears again.  As soon as you
> hit the Return key, i.e. as the bows of the boat pass over the line, the
> current time will be entered in the cell.  Assuming you have configured
> your spreadsheet selection to move down rather than right when Return is
> pressed, the cell below will now be highlighted ready for you to hit F2
> and wait for the next crew to pass, hitting the return key again as it does.
>
> Do the same at the finish line and then copy all the times from start
> and finish laptops together and subtract them for elapsed times and
> there you go.
>
> If you do not turn recalculate off, hitting the Return key resets all
> the cells with the latest times.  The same happens if you use copy and
> CTRL-V to paste the formula - it just zaps all your earlier times.
>
> Can I just say that I have never personally used this, but I set it up
> for a head once and they seemed quite happy with it for a few years.
>
> Cheers,
>
> David.

David Jillings schreef:
> The very rough and ready Jillings method uses an Excel spreadsheet,
> using the =NOW() function.
> However, this does not work unless you turn off automatic recalculation.

Seems more expensive, less reliable and more error prone than a
startlist on paper and two (or 2x 2 as backup) stopwatches with lap time
memory. Of course, it does require some data input work afterwards.

On 1 Sep, 13:20, David Jillings <da...@bourbonstreetrevival.com>
wrote:
> donal.ca...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Hi
>
> > Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
> > - ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
> > to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.
>
> > Cheers
>
> > Donal
>
> Hi Donal,
>
> Regatta Master is cheap and does timing, but it aint simple.
>
> The very rough and ready Jillings method uses an Excel spreadsheet,
> using the =NOW() function.
> However, this does not work unless you turn off automatic recalculation.
>
> Assuming you have a list of crews in start order in column A, then enter
> the function  =NOW() down the corresponding cells in col B until every
> crew has a value next to it.  At this stage they are all identical, i.e..
> whatever time it was when you entered =NOW() the first time.
> What you need to do is recalculate the value in B for each crew as it
> passes the line.  Select the cell you want to change, e.g. B1 and press
> F2.  The time disappears and the formula appears again.  As soon as you
> hit the Return key, i.e. as the bows of the boat pass over the line, the
> current time will be entered in the cell.  Assuming you have configured
> your spreadsheet selection to move down rather than right when Return is
> pressed, the cell below will now be highlighted ready for you to hit F2
> and wait for the next crew to pass, hitting the return key again as it does.
>
> Do the same at the finish line and then copy all the times from start
> and finish laptops together and subtract them for elapsed times and
> there you go.
>
> If you do not turn recalculate off, hitting the Return key resets all
> the cells with the latest times.  The same happens if you use copy and
> CTRL-V to paste the formula - it just zaps all your earlier times.
>
> Can I just say that I have never personally used this, but I set it up
> for a head once and they seemed quite happy with it for a few years.
>
> Cheers,
>
> David.

Just tried it David. Mercifully easy!!!

Donal

On 1 Sep, 15:09, "donal.ca...@gmail.com" <donal.ca...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> On 1 Sep, 13:20, David Jillings <da...@bourbonstreetrevival.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > donal.ca...@gmail.com wrote:
> > > Hi
>
> > > Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
> > > - ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
> > > to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.
>
> > > Cheers
>
> > > Donal
>
> > Hi Donal,
>
> > Regatta Master is cheap and does timing, but it aint simple.
>
> > The very rough and ready Jillings method uses an Excel spreadsheet,
> > using the =NOW() function.
> > However, this does not work unless you turn off automatic recalculation..
>
> > Assuming you have a list of crews in start order in column A, then enter
> > the function  =NOW() down the corresponding cells in col B until every
> > crew has a value next to it.  At this stage they are all identical, i..e.
> > whatever time it was when you entered =NOW() the first time.
> > What you need to do is recalculate the value in B for each crew as it
> > passes the line.  Select the cell you want to change, e.g. B1 and press
> > F2.  The time disappears and the formula appears again.  As soon asyou
> > hit the Return key, i.e. as the bows of the boat pass over the line, the
> > current time will be entered in the cell.  Assuming you have configured
> > your spreadsheet selection to move down rather than right when Return is
> > pressed, the cell below will now be highlighted ready for you to hit F2
> > and wait for the next crew to pass, hitting the return key again as it does.
>
> > Do the same at the finish line and then copy all the times from start
> > and finish laptops together and subtract them for elapsed times and
> > there you go.
>
> > If you do not turn recalculate off, hitting the Return key resets all
> > the cells with the latest times.  The same happens if you use copy and
> > CTRL-V to paste the formula - it just zaps all your earlier times.
>
> > Can I just say that I have never personally used this, but I set it up
> > for a head once and they seemed quite happy with it for a few years.
>
> > Cheers,
>
> > David.
>
> Just tried it David. Mercifully easy!!!
>
> Donal- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I will use paper and stopwatches as back-up and probably have a video
set up start and finish for back up too. We have a couple of Psion's
at work and they are quite robust so may use them - (am thinking it
could b good if I could use the bar code reader against the numbers)
Donal

donal.casey@gmail.com schreef:
> [Use the Excel system and] I will use paper and stopwatches as
> back-up and probably have a video set up start and finish for back up
> too.

Dude! What happened to "a simple race timing program"? :)

On 1 Sep, 15:22, Ted van de Weteringe <myfulln...@xs4all.nl.invalid>
wrote:
> donal.ca...@gmail.com schreef:
>
> > [Use the Excel system and] I will use paper and stopwatches as
> > back-up and probably have a video set up start and finish for back up
> > too.
>
> Dude! What happened to "a simple race timing program"? :)

I normally do with stopwatches and a scrap of paper in a single with
someone taking finish times. Thats for a dozen boats but wanting to be
a bit more robust thats all

D

donal.casey@gmail.com schrieb:

> Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
> - ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
> to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.

I really like Neil's program:
http://www.invernessrowingclub.co.uk/rowgolfsoftware/index.html

There's a PocketPC / Windows Mobile version as well.

<donal.casey@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:0ba1893d-6600-4553-96bd-6ac9daf6af1b@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> Hi
>
> Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
> - ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
> to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.
>

Would this be for the Bradford mini head?

donal.casey@gmail.com wrote:
> On 1 Sep, 13:20, David Jillings <da...@bourbonstreetrevival.com>
> wrote:
>> donal.ca...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> Hi
>>> Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
>>> - ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
>>> to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.
>>> Cheers
>>> Donal
>> Hi Donal,
>>
>> Regatta Master is cheap and does timing, but it aint simple.
>>
>> The very rough and ready Jillings method uses an Excel spreadsheet,
>> using the =NOW() function.
>> However, this does not work unless you turn off automatic recalculation.
.... technical details snipped

> Just tried it David. Mercifully easy!!!

As an IT professional, much versed in the ways of computers, I'm very
wary of using laptops and such "in action" in the way suggested, at
least unless there is really adequate backup. And I mean really
adequate: belt, braces and string too. There's a world of difference
between getting something to work "on the bench" and delivering a
bulletproof service in a field, in the rain, with everything happening
very quickly and no hope of a re-run. I've seen it happen: the
operating system freezing at the most inopportune moment; the cursor
being moved somewhere you don't expect it, so that the time for boat "n"
is recorded under "n+1"; too much ambient light so you can't see what
the screen says ... and so on. And the basic problem is this: if the
laptop throws a tantrum you've nothing left, unless you duplicate it
using some other more reliable medium, such as pencil and paper; but in
that case you begin to wonder why you invited the Electronic Idiot along
in the first place.

We (the IT-oriented rowers, that is, of which there are a fair number)
could set about doing a proper design for a system to meet the
resilience, recoverability and ease-of-use requirements but it wouldn't
be particularly simple. Things like

* duplexed laptops, with data interchange between them , so that in the
event of a glitch on one the other had the same data.
* suitable for use in a muddy field, in the rain, in the half-dark of a
December day, or in bright sunshine at mid-day in April.
* Able to be set up by non-IT-experts
* Input from something other than a keyboard - a push button or keypad
or something, so that people don't have to crouch over the machine,
peering at it, and lose track of what's going on
* Interface to external time sources, maybe
* Auditable, so that if a time looks odd its provenance can be investigated
* Rapid start and restart
* Easy interchange of data to other systems, or else full results
production built in
* A locked "application mode" so that the app couldn't lose focus, or be
shut down inadvertently
* Radio link with race control, to receive last-minute changes of crews,
starting times, etc, and to send results back without delay
* Interface to a digital camera, for audit purposes?

--

Henry Law Manchester, England

On 1 Sep, 23:13, Henry Law <n...@lawshouse.org> wrote:
> donal.ca...@gmail.com wrote:
> > On 1 Sep, 13:20, David Jillings <da...@bourbonstreetrevival.com>
> > wrote:
> >> donal.ca...@gmail.com wrote:
> >>> Hi
> >>> Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
> >>> - ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
> >>> to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.
> >>> Cheers
> >>> Donal
> >> Hi Donal,
>
> >> Regatta Master is cheap and does timing, but it aint simple.
>
> >> The very rough and ready Jillings method uses an Excel spreadsheet,
> >> using the =NOW() function.
> >> However, this does not work unless you turn off automatic recalculation.
>
> ... technical details snipped
>
> > Just tried it David. Mercifully easy!!!
>
> As an IT professional, much versed in the ways of computers, I'm very
> wary of using laptops and such "in action" in the way suggested, at
> least unless there is really adequate backup.  And I mean really
> adequate: belt, braces and string too.   There's a world of difference
> between getting something to work "on the bench" and delivering a
> bulletproof service in a field, in the rain, with everything happening
> very quickly and no hope of a re-run.  I've seen it happen: the
> operating system freezing at the most inopportune moment; the cursor
> being moved somewhere you don't expect it, so that the time for boat "n"
> is recorded under "n+1"; too much ambient light so you can't see what
> the screen says ... and so on.  And the basic problem is this: if the
> laptop throws a tantrum you've nothing left, unless you duplicate it
> using some other more reliable medium, such as pencil and paper; but in
> that case you begin to wonder why you invited the Electronic Idiot along
> in the first place.
>
> We (the IT-oriented rowers, that is, of which there are a fair number)
> could set about doing a proper design for a system to meet the
> resilience, recoverability and ease-of-use requirements but it wouldn't
> be particularly simple.  Things like
>
> * duplexed laptops, with data interchange between them , so that in the
> event of a glitch on one the other had the same data.
> * suitable for use in a muddy field, in the rain, in the half-dark of a
> December day, or in bright sunshine at mid-day in April.
> * Able to be set up by non-IT-experts
> * Input from something other than a keyboard - a push button or keypad
> or something, so that people don't have to crouch over the machine,
> peering at it, and lose track of what's going on
> * Interface to external time sources, maybe
> * Auditable, so that if a time looks odd its provenance can be investigated
> * Rapid start and restart
> * Easy interchange of data to other systems, or else full results
> production built in
> * A locked "application mode" so that the app couldn't lose focus, or be
> shut down inadvertently
> * Radio link with race control, to receive last-minute changes of crews,
> starting times, etc, and to send results back without delay
> * Interface to a digital camera, for audit purposes?
>
> --
>
> Henry Law            Manchester, England

Agree with all of the above if you want to run a fair public event.

Nevertheless, I'm sure there is a market for a less rolls-royce
version for use in internal/private/training events (which I think
Donal has in mind) based on mobiles, most of which are pretty capable
and robust. I particularly like the idea of being able to use speech
recognition on mobiles. eg "54...GO...55...GO...56...GO" and out it
all comes in order with times. Then collate on the laptop with
equivalent from the finish line.

Hmmm...
Kit

Henry Law said the following on 01/09/2008 23:13:
> donal.casey@gmail.com wrote:
>> On 1 Sep, 13:20, David Jillings <da...@bourbonstreetrevival.com>
>> wrote:
uses an Excel spreadsheet,
>>> using the =NOW() function.
>>> However, this does not work unless you turn off automatic recalculation.
> ... technical details snipped
>
> As an IT professional, much versed in the ways of computers, I'm very
> wary of using laptops and such "in action" in the way suggested, at
> least unless there is really adequate backup.

We've got a before-race and results-production system (in MS Access)
which keeps all the information together and collates it nicely, but for
exactly the reasons Henry states we're still using stopwatches, pencils
and tape recorded backup to capture the actual times across the start
and finish lines.
It would be nice to save some of the 20 minutes that it takes between
the last crew finishing and the provisional times being available, but
it isn't the biggest problem we have on the day.

Alistair

On 1 Sep, 23:13, Henry Law <n...@lawshouse.org> wrote:
> donal.ca...@gmail.com wrote:
> > On 1 Sep, 13:20, David Jillings <da...@bourbonstreetrevival.com>
> > wrote:
> >> donal.ca...@gmail.com wrote:
> >>> Hi
> >>> Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
> >>> - ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
> >>> to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.
> >>> Cheers
> >>> Donal
> >> Hi Donal,
>
> >> Regatta Master is cheap and does timing, but it aint simple.
>
> >> The very rough and ready Jillings method uses an Excel spreadsheet,
> >> using the =NOW() function.
> >> However, this does not work unless you turn off automatic recalculation.
>
> ... technical details snipped
>
> > Just tried it David. Mercifully easy!!!
>
> As an IT professional, much versed in the ways of computers, I'm very
> wary of using laptops and such "in action" in the way suggested, at
> least unless there is really adequate backup.  And I mean really
> adequate: belt, braces and string too.   There's a world of difference
> between getting something to work "on the bench" and delivering a
> bulletproof service in a field, in the rain, with everything happening
> very quickly and no hope of a re-run.  I've seen it happen: the
> operating system freezing at the most inopportune moment; the cursor
> being moved somewhere you don't expect it, so that the time for boat "n"
> is recorded under "n+1"; too much ambient light so you can't see what
> the screen says ... and so on.  And the basic problem is this: if the
> laptop throws a tantrum you've nothing left, unless you duplicate it
> using some other more reliable medium, such as pencil and paper; but in
> that case you begin to wonder why you invited the Electronic Idiot along
> in the first place.
>
> We (the IT-oriented rowers, that is, of which there are a fair number)
> could set about doing a proper design for a system to meet the
> resilience, recoverability and ease-of-use requirements but it wouldn't
> be particularly simple.  Things like
>
> * duplexed laptops, with data interchange between them , so that in the
> event of a glitch on one the other had the same data.
> * suitable for use in a muddy field, in the rain, in the half-dark of a
> December day, or in bright sunshine at mid-day in April.
> * Able to be set up by non-IT-experts
> * Input from something other than a keyboard - a push button or keypad
> or something, so that people don't have to crouch over the machine,
> peering at it, and lose track of what's going on
> * Interface to external time sources, maybe
> * Auditable, so that if a time looks odd its provenance can be investigated
> * Rapid start and restart
> * Easy interchange of data to other systems, or else full results
> production built in
> * A locked "application mode" so that the app couldn't lose focus, or be
> shut down inadvertently
> * Radio link with race control, to receive last-minute changes of crews,
> starting times, etc, and to send results back without delay
> * Interface to a digital camera, for audit purposes?
>
> --
>
> Henry Law            Manchester, England

A useful device that we use is an MSF time signal receiver. This picks
up a broadcast clock signal, synchronising a PC clock to it. That PC
then acts as an NTP server, thus ensuring that all PCs on the network
remain in sync. Instead of stopwatches, we use clocks, each of which
is also synchronised to the time signal, and hence the computers. I
agree etirely - no matter how sophisticated a PC based system is,
you've GOT to have a reliable manual backup...

I wrote a program in MS Access which works very well except for:

a) User error - all the user has to do is press the "Return" key when
the timer says "Now". The crew number can be entered as the boat
approaches, or filled in afterwards in case several boats cross the
line together. Some people are very efficient at this. Others get
flustered or distracted or forget which button to press.

b) Laptop timer error. The laptops at the start and finish can get
out of step by up to 2 seconds during the day and need to be
resynchronised after each division. The MSF time signal receiver
sounds as though it would solve this problem, so I'll look into that.

Then there's the problem of providing power, either using miles of
cable or car batteries and transformers, since the laptop batteries do
not last the whole day.

We normally end up using the manual timings and keying them into the
computer (again, an Access database which works out times and prints
the results). We also record everything on cassette tapes in case of
queries.

Caroline

kdavies@kidare.com schreef:
> Nevertheless, I'm sure there is a market for a less rolls-royce
> version for use in internal/private/training events (which I think
> Donal has in mind) based on mobiles, most of which are pretty capable
> and robust. I particularly like the idea of being able to use speech
> recognition on mobiles. eg "54...GO...55...GO...56...GO" and out it
> all comes in order with times. Then collate on the laptop with
> equivalent from the finish line.

Go and visit http://developer.apple.com/iphone/
Can we expect a beta next week? Thanks.

On 1 Sep, 10:37, "donal.ca...@gmail.com" <donal.ca...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi
>
> Has anyone got a simple race timing program they are prepared to share
> - ideally either excel or for use on a psion data logger. Doesnt need
> to be frightfully efficient as only 20 or so crews in a division.
>
> Cheers
>
> Donal

One thing we found invaluable was to video tape the finish - including
the finish timer calling out the (stopwatch) time. Very cheap & easy
to do - great to see what actually happened in case of a problem
later.

Phil.

On 2 Sep, 12:15, Ted van de Weteringe <myfulln...@xs4all.nl.invalid>
wrote:
> kdav...@kidare.com schreef:
>
> > Nevertheless, I'm sure there is a market for a less rolls-royce
> > version for use in internal/private/training events (which I think
> > Donal has in mind) based on mobiles, most of which are pretty capable
> > and robust. I particularly like the idea of being able to use speech
> > recognition on mobiles. eg "54...GO...55...GO...56...GO" and out it
> > all comes in order with times. Then collate on the laptop with
> > equivalent from the finish line.
>
> Go and visithttp://developer.apple.com/iphone/
> Can we expect a beta next week? Thanks.

No. Thanks.

On 2 Sep, 14:21, kdav...@kidare.com wrote:
> On 2 Sep, 12:15, Ted van de Weteringe <myfulln...@xs4all.nl.invalid>
> wrote:
>
> > kdav...@kidare.com schreef:
>
> > > Nevertheless, I'm sure there is a market for a less rolls-royce
> > > version for use in internal/private/training events (which I think
> > > Donal has in mind) based on mobiles, most of which are pretty capable
> > > and robust. I particularly like the idea of being able to use speech
> > > recognition on mobiles. eg "54...GO...55...GO...56...GO" and out it
> > > all comes in order with times. Then collate on the laptop with
> > > equivalent from the finish line.
>
> > Go and visithttp://developer.apple.com/iphone/
> > Can we expect a beta next week? Thanks.
>
> No. Thanks.

Further to this discussion:

I have put together a free java application for mobile phones to help
time head races. No voice recognition, I'm afraid, but you can find it
here:
http://www.kitdavies.com/sw/racetimer/

Basically, it allows you to take the times as each race number passes
a timing point using a minimal number of button clicks. The list of
numbers & times can be saved on the phone and downloaded in csv format
to a PC.

It also supports auto filling in the race number (useful at the start)
and working with a base time to allow synchronisation with other stop
watches.

The link above should contain all info required, including what it
does, how to install it over the air and a users guide.

I gave it a trial run yesterday on one of our training sessions. It
seems to work well, but I would value input/suggestions from other
trials. Let me know if there are any questions.

Regards
Kit

kdavies@kidare.com wrote:
> On 2 Sep, 14:21, kdav...@kidare.com wrote:
>> On 2 Sep, 12:15, Ted van de Weteringe wrote:
>>> Go and visithttp://developer.apple.com/iphone/
>>> Can we expect a beta next week? Thanks.
>> No. Thanks.
>
> Further to this discussion:

Great :) (You do know I was (sorta) kidding, right? Both about the
platform and timeframe, of course.)

> http://www.kitdavies.com/sw/racetimer/
> [...] seems to work well, but I would value input/suggestions from other
> trials. Let me know if there are any questions.

Will give it a try as soon as I manage a useful connection between my
phone and Mac or after I install the provided Windows software in a VM.

On 22 Sep, 13:02, Ted van de Weteringe <myfulln...@xs4all.nl.invalid>
wrote:
> kdav...@kidare.com wrote:
> > On 2 Sep, 14:21, kdav...@kidare.com wrote:
> >> On 2 Sep, 12:15, Ted van de Weteringe wrote:
> >>> Go and visithttp://developer.apple.com/iphone/
> >>> Can we expect a beta next week? Thanks.
> >> No. Thanks.
>
> > Further to this discussion:
>
> Great :)  (You do know I was (sorta) kidding, right? Both about the
> platform and timeframe, of course.)

Yes of course :) Actually, I did take a look to see if it could be
done. There are toolkits for VR on Symbian which looked too low-level
and hard work, or J2ME speech synthesis (not what I wanted), but no
J2ME VR AFAICS. Though there seem to be various masters theses /
research projects in progress.
>
> >http://www.kitdavies.com/sw/racetimer/
> > [...] seems to work well, but I would value input/suggestions from other
> > trials. Let me know if there are any questions.
>
> Will give it a try as soon as I manage a useful connection between my
> phone and Mac or after I install the provided Windows software in a VM.

You should be able to install over the air. The link above has
details.
Kit