Dashr timing gates a designed to work indoor and outdoor. When operating outdoors on a hot sunny day, we have a few suggestions to ensure your testing goes smoothly.
1. Orient the laser towards the sun, so that you hit the shaded side of the athlete. Most fields are oriented north/south, so in the mornings you want to have the lasers pointing east and in the afternoons point them west.
2. Have the reflector set-up lower than the laser so that the laser angles down towards the ground. Orient the reflector so that it is angled back up at the laser so that it is relatively perpendicular to the beam. This is important because light/reflections behind the reflector are sensed by the laser, by angling it down - the backdrop is the ground, which stays pretty constant.
3. Place your phone on a tripod as close to the middle of the drill as possible - e.i. the 20 yard mark on a 40 yard dash. Keep a clear line of sight between the phone and the lasers (try to keep athletes from standing in-between the phone/laser), and remove a bulky case that could heat up the device and block the Bluetooth antenna.
4. Keep your phone from overheating.
5. For extended use outdoors in the sun and heat, make sure you use Heat Shields to prevent the lasers from overheating. Overheating can dim the beam and reduce range.
6. If you are setting up equipment ahead of an event, try not to leave the lasers out in the heat if you are able to avoid it. We recommend setting it all up - tripods, reflectors, etc. then removing the lasers and putting them back in the case. That way you can pull them out and pop them on right before testing.
7. Avoid white/bright clothing as they can be reflective. Some groups keep a dark colored penny with their system incase the conditions are extreme and an athlete has a reflective shirt.
8. Make sure you have fresh batteries, we suggest AA lithium ion batteries when available.
9. If the wind is causing the tripods to move, weigh them down. Do this by laying something on the base, like a water bottle.
