Guide for the functions and features of Zone4 mobile Android App.

Downloading Zone4 Android App

The Zone4 Go android app can be downloaded from the Play Store here: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/ca.zone4.dataacquisition

OR

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.zone4.dataacquisition

Navigating in the App

1. Once you open the App you will be shown the screen pictured here to the right. You will notice the three main options near the top of the screen; Keypad, Chip Times and Chip Pings. These represent the three types of timing data that the Zone4 App can collect and Sync with Zone4 Timing.
2. Navigate between all three simply by selecting them from the menu.
3. Next you will notice the two options at the top right side of the App. These are in order from left to right; the search function and the overflow menu.

Naming Device

The first thing you will want to do once you have downloaded the App is to give your device a name. This name will be how you will identify your device when you’re using Zone4’s online timing software.

1. First select the overflow menu on the top right side of the screen, then settings > device name.
2. Now give your device a name. Make it something unique and easy to remember such as your name or your club’s name as well as a unique number if you have more than one device.
3. Once this is done select ok and return to the main page.

Registering the App with your Organization

To assign times recorded through the app to an actual race, it needs to be linked to your club account in Zone4.  To do this, click the timing devices button on your club’s home page where you will find the device authentication code:

 

 

 

 

Then in the app, go to Settings under the ⋮ menu, select Club pin code.  Enter the code, click OK, and you should see your phone show up in the list of devices that can be added to your race.

Keypad

The Keypad is the manual data entry option on the Zone4 Android App. This can be used either as a backup timing system or as the primary timing system for small events or events with low volume.

1.  The functionality is very straight forward. Simply enter bib numbers of racers using the keypad then press enter at the bottom of the screen. These steps are pictured.
2. The times will be recorded at the moment when you press enter. You will then be able to see the time displayed at the top of the screen. When, on the left of the time entered, it says “synced” (as is shown) it means the time has been synced with Zone4’s online timing system. Otherwise it will say “local”.
3. You can use the backspace icon to erase bib numbers before they’ve been entered. Note that you cannot delete times once they have been entered because they are likely already synced. Any modifications have to be made in the online Zone4 timing software.
4. Once you have many times, you will be able to scroll through them or use the search function as pictured below to find the times you’re looking for. 

Chip Times

The second option is the Chip Times option. This is simply a list of all chip times that the phone has recorded. Chip numbers are displayed on the far left followed by the recorded time (note that this is not the time that the phone read the chip, but rather the time that the chip recorded when it crossed a loop). This is followed by the activator id number identifying the loop it crossed and lastly whether that time has been synced with the Zone4 server or not. As with Keypad times and Chip Pings you can use the search function to find individual chip times.

Chip Pings

The third and last option are the chip pings. Chip pings are recorded when any GoChip comes within approximately a 10m radius of the phone. This is not an accurate timing method, but can be very useful as a backup or for tracking racers in longer events such as ultra marathons or adventure races.

You will notice, just like with Keypad and Chip times, chip pings will display a chip number, time and whether that time has been synced with the web server. As with Keypad times and Chip Pings, you can use the search function to find times for individual bibs.

Filters

Setting Filters

Filters are simple a way of narrowing down the number of times to search through and can be very useful when trying to track the number of racers who have been through an on course point.

1. First select the search icon on the top right hand.
2. Once there you can select the window that you would like times to be displayed for. An example of this is pictured on the right.
3. When these are set, you will only be able to see racers who have a crossing event during that time period. This applies to every data entry mode (Keypad, Chip and Pings) and the search function. This can be very useful if you want to keep track of how many racers have been through an on course point.

Enter/ Exit Events

You will notice both an enter and exit events on the filter times screen. These are only relevant for Chip Pings. Enter events are the first time that a chip gets read. Exit events are recorded when a chip, that has an entry time, is not read for 3 minutes. 

 

 

Total Times and Unique Times

You will notice at the bottom of each screen a number of times and unique bibs as is pictured below.

The first number is the total number of times that have been recorded in the last 24hrs or within your time filter (if they have been set). The second -in parenthesis-is the number of unique bib times that have been recorded in case some have been read twice. If you have set your filters, unique times can become a very valuable way of tracking the number of racers that have come through a certain on course point. This can be especially useful for longer point to point races such as ultramarathons.

How to Turn off Beep on New Time

If you’re using GoChip timing the phone will beep every time it reads a chip. This is a nice easy way to verify that the chips are working properly and times are being recorded, but it can also get annoying pretty quickly. To disable it, select the overflow menu, then click settings and turn the Beep on new time to off as pictured below.  The toggle will turn grey when it is off.