---
title: "How to Set up a Timing Point"
categories: [faq-timing, gettingstarted]
updated: 2026-09-23
summary: Set up a GoChip timing point with an activator, wire loop, Android phone, and loop checker, then verify it records chip reads.
---
## What is a Timing Point?

Timing points are physical locations on a race course where the timing equipment is setup to record the times of passing racers. Most often these are: Start, Lap and Finish.

![](/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/image.png)
*The timing point consists of a wire loop, a phone running the GoChip App, an Activator, and a loop checker*

## Before you begin

Gather an Activator, wire loop, loop checker, Android phone with the Zone4 GO app, and a numbered chip for testing. Set up the loop and phone at the course location where you want to record times.

## Activator Setup

1.  Unravel the Wire Loop and lay the loop on the ground in a rectangle. The timing loop should be at least **1.5 metres across in the direction racers travel**, or approximately 2 metres for cycling or other sports where racers may be travelling at speeds in excess of 50km/h, and as wide as the trail is in the other direction. Excess wire can be coiled up at the side of the trail.
2.  **Push the blue power button** on the activator to turn it on. All the LED lights on the Activator should now light up. These LED lights give you useful information about the state of your Activator.
3.  Wait for the Activator to sync its time:  
    – The Sync indicator **flashes orange** while the Activator connects to a satellite.  
    – It **flashes green** while syncing its time.  
    – It turns **solid green** when the time is synced and the Activator is ready to record times.
4.  Now **connect the wire loop to either port** on top of the activator. To do this align the white arrow on connector end of the wire loop with the white line on the Activator port. Push in the connector and twist the end piece clockwise to lock the connector in place. When the loop is connected, the loop LED on the activator will turn **solid green**.

![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img_59485449cc6e9.png)
*Activator Port and Connector End of the Wire Loop*

## Phone Setup

1.  Position the phone **5–10 metres after** the timing point. If you have received a phone stand, use it. The phone may also stay in somebody’s pocket, on a fencepost, or another safe location after the timing point.
2.  Turn on the Android phone by holding down the power button (found on the right side of the phone) for a few seconds. Open up the Zone4 GO application found on the home screen.
3.  In the Zone4 GO app, on the **KEYPAD** tab, enter a number such as ‘999’ and press the blue **+** button. This records a time for that racer number. The number and timestamp appear on the phone. If you have an internet connection, the status changes from **Local** to **Synced** when the time has been sent to the website. **Local** means the time has not yet synced to the website.

## Verifying that your timing point is set up correctly

1.  Walk around the wire loop while holding the **Loop Checker**. The loop checker will light up red while it is inside the timing field generated by the loop. This area should span the full width of the loop, about 1m on either side of the loop in the direction racers travel, and up to about 2 metres above the loop.  
    – if the loop checker light turns off in the middle of the field, your wires are too far apart. make the loop narrower.  
    – if the loop checker only lights up close to the ground, your wires are too close together. make the loop wider.
2.  Take any numbered chip (not the loop checker) and move it across the wire loop once. Make sure the chip begins outside the field (where the loop checker light is turned off), then quickly move it into the field and bring it back out again. This mimics someone crossing your timing point in a race.  
    In the phone app switch to the “**CHIP TIMES**” tab, and you should see the number of the chip you just passed over the loop appear at the top of the “Chip Times” list. The text on the right will update from *“Local”* to *“Synced”* when the time has been sent to the Zone4.ca website.  
    If you do not see the time in the list of chip times but all the lights on the activator are green and the loop checker lights up red, try rebooting the phone – sometimes they stop reading chips.

Your timing point is now setup and ready to record times!