When Time Drops is selected under Swimtopia Meet Settings (gear icon) > Timing Setup, an additional Time Drops timing system bar is displayed in the results entry interface.

This bar indicates the current Race number and maps the current heat to the corresponding Time Drops data file. 

All of the settings configured during setup can be changed from the Timing Setup screen by clicking on the gear icon.

If you just need to update the meet details in Time Drops, you can click the Update Meet Details button on the timing system bar without having to open the settings window.

When a race is started, the start adapter sends a signal to the timing controller which starts the timer of the event/heat on the Time Drops tablet.

When a swimmer touches the wall and a lane timer button is pressed, it sends a signal to the timing controller, which then sends the information to the tablet that the lane has finished and captures the swim time for that lane.

The tablet operator can control what heat is visible by clicking on the navigation buttons at the top of the screen. As they move to the next heat to start the next race, data is captured.

➧ The Race Begins

The race is started in Time Drops (right image). Until a heat is done, the timing system bar in Swimtopia Meet will show “WAITING FOR RESULTS" (left image).

➧ The Race Finishes

As each race is finished, the timing system will save a results file into the shared file folder. When new data files are detected for the corresponding race number (red boxed area below), the button label will change from “WAITING FOR RESULTS” to “LOAD TIMES.”

Click the button to import the times into the current heat.

➧ Times are Loaded in Swimtopia Meet

The times are loaded for Heat 1 after clicking the Load Times button. 

After loading times for Heat 1, when you move to Heat 2, the Load Times button will be grey and the system will tell you it is waiting for results.

When the heat is completed, you can load these times.

➧ Empty Lane Warning

Sometimes you may load times and see a message letting you know that you have pulled times into what should be an empty lane. One of two things could be happening here: you could be loading times into the wrong event/heat, or a swimmer may have been added to this lane.

If a swimmer was added, you can choose Add Entry and select their athlete info when it becomes available.

If the times were recorded in error, you can clear these extra times out by clicking the CLEAR button; however, there is no need to do this - these times will be ignored.

At the bottom of the screen, you will see the current Event # and Heat #. This info comes from the timing system (if you have turned on the Live Event/Heat bar).

If multiple races match your event and heat, Swimtopia Meet will choose the largest race number by default.

If there is a mismatch, you can open the race selector dropdown and select a race to import. The star in the menu highlights which option is currently selected.

➧ False Start

Editing the race number in Swimtopia Meet to keep things in sync is useful if the race number is thrown off by something unusual, like a false start.

If there is a false start and the starter needs to bring all of the swimmers back to the blocks, once they have issued the recall and all swimmers have stopped swimming, click the False Start link which will erase the running time and restart the watch.

Currently, the way you can combine heats in Swimtopia Meet is by moving individual athletes/relays to non-overlapping lanes within each heat (e.g., heat 1 to lanes 1, 2, 3, and heat 2 to lanes 4, 5, 6), so that both heats can swim simultaneously and score separately.

Time Drops will automatically combine the heats or events when the 'Combine Heats/Events' option is enabled in the Time Drops meet settings. Even if two or more heats or events are combined, the results will be split automatically into several result files for each heat and event. You can import the results in the usual way by clicking 'Import Results' for each heat separately.

Time Drops has put together a list of their top-reported issues and how to resolve them here - https://time-drops.com/troubleshooting.html

The top 3 areas they noted in the guide are:

1. Wi-Fi Issues
2. STC-1 connection issues
3. MM-Link connection issues

If this error occurs when you click on "Check Configuration" during your setup, your file directory selection does not match where Time Drops is saving result files.

➧ Solution: To resolve the issue, you need to select the correct data directory for sharing files between Time Drops and Swimtopia Meet.

There have been occurrences where the correct meet directory has been selected, but Swimtopia Meet is not seeing the "race data," resulting in this error.

➧ Solution: Changing the meet is not going to resolve this. Double-check the directory. Try selecting another directory, then selecting the correct one again. If that doesn't resolve the issue, delete the timing system integration and add it again. Green is good.

➞ Solution: Click "Change" and select the Current Meet again, and then Update.

We can’t find the race results file. Possible race hasn’t run yet, or they have the wrong meet selected. Make sure the meet in Swimtopia Meet # matches Time Drops.

The red MM icon indicates that the Time Drops tablet is not connected to the MMLink software. This could be due to being on the wrong network. This is an issue with the Time Drops tablet software, not the connection with Swimtopia Meet. 

➧ Solution:

1. Check if the button is connected - try to reconnect
2. Give them a spare button
3. Replace the battery in the non-working button

Time Drops comes with 3 buttons per lane. Each button hangs on a lanyard which is marked by a lane and button letter. For example, Lane 1A, Lane 1B, and Lane 1C.

The first time the system was set up, all of the buttons were assigned to the correct lanes. Now, you will just need to assign buttons if one runs out of batteries or stops working and you use the provided spare.

Here’s how to assign buttons if you need to. Click the three vertical dots from the top right of the Time Drops tablet and choose buttons.

In this example, you notice Lane 2A is not capturing times. When asked, the timer says they have been pushing the button. Ask if they have been hearing a beep? If it’s loud, they may not. Look at the button and see if you can see a red light blinking. If there is no beep, no red light, and no time, the button is either disconnected or out of batteries.

Click on the settings icon to open the menu, the select Buttons:

When you look, you see that there is a button missing in lane 2 and an unassigned button.

Press and hold to drag the button to the missing location:

Save the changes:

If the button is working, it should turn white. If it is grey, you will need to replace the battery. You can give the timer one of the spare buttons (set it up following the button set-up instructions) so they can get back to timing. Then you can replace the battery.

This means that the STC-1 Controller (the blue box hanging from the backstroke flags) is not connected.

➧ Possible cause: STC-1 controller was not turned on

Check the controller and see if you see any blinking lights. If you see no lights, try pressing and holding the power button.

➧ Possible cause: STC-1 controller was not connected at beginning of meet

Click the three vertical dots, to enter the settings menu

Select Connect Controller

See if there is a Red Sad Face or a Green Happy Face:

• If there is a red sad face, check to see if the tablet is connected to the right Wifi.
• If it is NOT connected to the right WiFi, click on the "Choose" button and select the correct Wifi, then go back to the TimeDrops app.
• If it IS connected to the right WiFi, click the "Copy to controller" button and this should transmit the Wifi information to the controller. You want to see a Green Happy Face.
• Swipe from the left edge of the screen to the right to go back to the Time Drops time interface.

➧ Possible cause: STC-1 controller is out of batteries

Check the battery level on the tablet. The controller will not run while charging, so if it is out of batteries, we cannot use the system anymore.

The starter adapter was not set up correctly. If your team uses a starter system, it may not have been started, or it may have been disconnected. 

➧ Solution: Start the system again.

The starter is added using the Button page on the tablet. Click the three dots to enter settings. Then select Buttons:

If the starter is grey - it has not been turned on (left). It should show as white (right side). Follow your instructions to turn on the starter adapter, or reference our example from the Integration Overview & Setup article.

If you see NO starter button in the starter lane at all, the starter somehow got disconnected.

Turn the starter on following the steps in above, and then it should show up as an unassigned button. You will then drag it over the A column next to the starter.

The starter should now be white (on) and connected. Be sure to SAVE your changes. Swipe from left to right to go back to Time Drops time main screen.

No worries! When back up and running/online, you will reconnect, choose the correct race number, and then continue pulling in results. It's possible to run the whole meet without pulling in times and just pull them in later.

If you have questions specific to your Time Drops timing system or setup, please reference their support resources below. Swimtopia Meet seamlessly integrates with Time Drops to pull in times, but they are the experts at helping you configure your timing system.

• Support Email: support@time-drops.com
• Troubleshooting Guide: https://time-drops.com/troubleshooting.html
• Time Drops Website: https://time-drops.com/
• User Manual: https://time-drops.com/user-manual.pdf
• Quickstart Guide: https://time-drops.com/quickstart.pdf
• Meet Checklist: https://time-drops.com/checklist.pdf
• YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TimeDropsTiming

➧ Support Resources

If you run into issues during setup or while testing that are not covered here, we have multiple options to assist:

• Submit a Support Ticket (Or click "Submit a request" at the top of any Help Center page)
• Business Hours Phone Support (M-F 9am-6pm CST): 877-856-2940 (Option 2)
•  
• After Hours Meet Emergencies: 877-856-2940 (Option 6)

➧ Meet Day Support

We're here to help! If you need assistance before or during your meet, we want you to be able to reach us as quickly as possible. 

Click on the located at the top right, and you can self-serve through our extensive topic-organized online Help Center, submit a support request, or contact us via phone. 

➧ Remote Troubleshooting

We also provide a remote troubleshooting option under the Help icon to create a read-only replay of the steps you are taking when an issue occurs. Before reaching out to us, slide the bar to Enable Remote Support, and retrace your steps to recreate the issue. Include the "Session Id" in your ticket or call.

• Android tablet: If the tablet has not been used all winter, the battery will most likely be dead. Give it a full charge, then turn it on and check for any operating system updates.
• Time Drops app: Check the Play Store for the latest version of the Time Drops console app. We regularly release updates with improvements and new features.
• Batteries: The batteries in the buttons and adapters should last several years, but it doesn't hurt to check. We recommend keeping spare batteries on hand.
• Function check: Make sure all parts are working correctly. If you encounter any issues, check our troubleshooting guide. If something isn't right, contact support@time-drops.com for help or to arrange a repair/replacement.
• Meet software: Check your laptop to make sure it runs correctly. Perform any operating system updates and check for updates to your meet management software.
• Pre-meet checklist: We have a pre-meet checklist to help make sure everything is set up correctly for each meet.