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hansD
Guest
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 Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:02 am Post subject: timekeeping device |
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Hi,
just wondering what the various clubs are using for the time keeping.
We currently use a digital stopwatch, but members find it not the most
easy thing to use.
Hans Donner
The Netherlands |
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Joy
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 5:07 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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"hansD" <jhdonner@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1157569379.441160.231470@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Hi,
just wondering what the various clubs are using for the time keeping.
We currently use a digital stopwatch, but members find it not the most
easy thing to use.
Hans Donner
The Netherlands
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That's what we use. It can take a little training the first time you use
it, but most of us catch on pretty quickly.
Joy |
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John Fleming, DTM
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:40 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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On 6 Sep 2006 12:02:59 -0700, while chained to a desk in the
scriptorium, "hansD" <jhdonner@gmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | $Hi,
$
$just wondering what the various clubs are using for the time keeping.
$We currently use a digital stopwatch, but members find it not the most
$easy thing to use.
|
One of my clubs we use a standard digital stop watch and a set of
coloured "tubes".
At my other club, we use a standard digital stop watch and a set of
manually operated timing lights.
For pharmacy speechcraft, with my group we use a standard digital
stopwatch and a set of coloured cards--except for one year when I
misplaced my cards. That year we used a standard digital stop watch and
three colour sample cards from the paint section at Home Depot.
--
John Fleming, DTM
Edmonton, Canada
Attitude Boosters Toastmasters (7022-42) - Member
Chamber Toastmasters (5594 - 42) - Immediate Past President
A scientist can discover a new star but he
cannot make one. He would have to ask an
engineer to do it for him.
- Gordon L. Glegg |
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Michael
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:02 pm Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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Hi Hans,
We've a contraption an electrician made up years ago. There is a long
cable which plugs into an electrical socket. At the other end is a
small metal box with three small bulbs (green, orange and red). A
little bit back along the cable is an identical metal box and back
further again there are the controls - general on/off button and a knob
to illuminate the bulbs.
I've seen other clubs around here which successfully have an all in one
- box, buttons and lights.
-Michael |
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wordkyle
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:06 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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About ten years ago our club bought a timer that was advertised in the
Toastmasters magazine. It cost about $139 (American), but it has been
well worth it. It's small -- about the size of a large paperback book.
Using the various settings, we can time almost any speech, with the
green, yellow or red light coming on at the appropriate time.
Mechanically, in ten years we've had one problem that was quickly fixed
by a member's spouse. Otherwise, the timer has been faultless.
Ours was made by Performance Electronics in Palo, Iowa. If Google is
accurate, this company appears to have gone out of business. I dread
when we have to try to find a replacement.
hansD wrote:
| Quote: | Hi,
just wondering what the various clubs are using for the time keeping.
We currently use a digital stopwatch, but members find it not the most
easy thing to use.
Hans Donner
The Netherlands |
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Joy
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:03 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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"Michael" <newsgroup_40@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1157619753.704125.110900@d34g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Hi Hans,
We've a contraption an electrician made up years ago. There is a long
cable which plugs into an electrical socket. At the other end is a
small metal box with three small bulbs (green, orange and red). A
little bit back along the cable is an identical metal box and back
further again there are the controls - general on/off button and a knob
to illuminate the bulbs.
I've seen other clubs around here which successfully have an all in one
- box, buttons and lights.
-Michael
|
Both of my clubs have all-in-one timing lights. One club has a small wooden
box with three small lights on top, and switches for each light. The switch
for the yellow light turns off the green light, and the switch for the red
light turns off the yellow. It was made by a member of the club. My other
club has a larger system that was built in plastic portable file case, which
has a handle. It stands up so the 4" lights show light traffic lights. The
club paid an electrician $40 to build it.
Joy |
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Larry in Honolulu
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:54 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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In article <1157648773.179023.113440@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com>, "wordkyle" <wordkyle@yahoo.com> wrote:
| Quote: | About ten years ago our club bought a timer that was advertised in the
Toastmasters magazine. It cost about $139 (American), but it has been
well worth it. It's small -- about the size of a large paperback book.
Using the various settings, we can time almost any speech, with the
green, yellow or red light coming on at the appropriate time.
Mechanically, in ten years we've had one problem that was quickly fixed
by a member's spouse. Otherwise, the timer has been faultless.
Ours was made by Performance Electronics in Palo, Iowa. If Google is
accurate, this company appears to have gone out of business. I dread
when we have to try to find a replacement.
hansD wrote:
Hi,
just wondering what the various clubs are using for the time keeping.
We currently use a digital stopwatch, but members find it not the most
easy thing to use.
Hans Donner
The Netherlands
|
Timing devices are always a hassle, and I've always been amazed that someone
hasn't come up with an elegant solution. However I have a good friend who owns
a small electrical engineering firm specializing in prototypes. I explained
what was needed to have an automated light set with all the various times
available that Toastmaters speeches use. He looked into it for me and said
he'd have to sell it for $200 minimum to make anything at all on it, and my
belief is that most clubs don't have that kind of money or wouldn't pay it.
The best ones we have around here were made by a retiree but are no longer
available. They are in a black plastic project box from Radio Shack that's
about 6" x 10" x 2". In the front of the box are 3 flashlight lenses and bulbs
with gels in red, amber, and green over them, and a rotary switch on top that
just cycles through green, amber, red, and off as you turn it. It's powered by
2 D cell batteries so is completely portable and will run most of a year
before the batteries need replacing.
Larry Lands DTM PDG |
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Colin William
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 3:58 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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"Larry in Honolulu" <noway@none.com> wrote
| Quote: | Timing devices are always a hassle, and I've always been amazed that
someone
hasn't come up with an elegant solution. However I have a good friend who
owns
a small electrical engineering firm specializing in prototypes. I
explained
what was needed to have an automated light set with all the various times
available that Toastmaters speeches use. He looked into it for me and said
he'd have to sell it for $200 minimum to make anything at all on it, and
my
belief is that most clubs don't have that kind of money or wouldn't pay
it.
|
I've wanted such a device not just for TM, but also for use in the classroom
(where I am MC, evaluator and timer all in one). I keep intending to check
with the electrician program here or the EE programs over at Purdue U across
town to see if some student org is interested in doing it as a learning
project, but it's somnething I'd be willing to pay for.
Colin |
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Larry in Honolulu
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 3:48 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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In article <4mbff0F56v95U1@individual.net>, "Colin William" <colintwilliam@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: |
"Larry in Honolulu" <noway@none.com> wrote
Timing devices are always a hassle, and I've always been amazed that
someone
hasn't come up with an elegant solution. However I have a good friend who
owns
a small electrical engineering firm specializing in prototypes. I
explained
what was needed to have an automated light set with all the various times
available that Toastmaters speeches use. He looked into it for me and said
he'd have to sell it for $200 minimum to make anything at all on it, and
my
belief is that most clubs don't have that kind of money or wouldn't pay
it.
I've wanted such a device not just for TM, but also for use in the classroom
(where I am MC, evaluator and timer all in one). I keep intending to check
with the electrician program here or the EE programs over at Purdue U across
town to see if some student org is interested in doing it as a learning
project, but it's somnething I'd be willing to pay for.
Colin
|
Of course I have one low-cost (assuming you have a laptop) solution that at
least one club I know of uses. On our district website I have a speech timer
page, which is just written in Javascript and runs on your browser. It
emulates a set of timing lights and has all the normal Toastmaster speech
times available. It's intended for our members to use to practice their
speeches and it works quite well.
Because it's a web page, once it's loaded you don't need to be connected to
the internet. The direct link is http://www.district49.org/speech_timer.htm
You could also just put it locally on a laptop and a link on your desktop to
it, and voila, a free set of timing lights (after you discount the value of
your laptop!). If you want the actual files, I can email them to you. Just go
to our district website and send an email to the webmaster (me).
Larry Lands DTM PDG
Finalist 2001 World Championship
webmaster www.district49.org |
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Eric Matto
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:34 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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| Quote: | Of course I have one low-cost (assuming you have a laptop) solution that
at
least one club I know of uses. On our district website I have a speech
timer
page, which is just written in Javascript and runs on your browser. It
emulates a set of timing lights and has all the normal Toastmaster speech
times available. It's intended for our members to use to practice their
speeches and it works quite well.
Because it's a web page, once it's loaded you don't need to be connected
to
the internet. The direct link is
http://www.district49.org/speech_timer.htm
You could also just put it locally on a laptop and a link on your desktop
to
it, and voila, a free set of timing lights (after you discount the value
of
your laptop!). If you want the actual files, I can email them to you.
Just go
to our district website and send an email to the webmaster (me).
|
I have a program which I downloaded from the internet which does the same
thing. We tried it with a laptop at a club meeting once; the problem with it
is that you need to turn the laptop around (i.e. with the screen facing away
from the front) whenever you need to type in a key, for example to start or
stop the timing.
--
Eric Matto, DTM, PDG
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Treasurer, Voice of Experience Advanced TM Club #583400-60
Member, Mississauga Valley Club #8277-60
Member, Creekside TD Club #864603-60 |
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Colin William
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:52 pm Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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"Larry in Honolulu" <noway@none.com> wrote
| Quote: | Of course I have one low-cost (assuming you have a laptop) solution that
at
least one club I know of uses. On our district website I have a speech
timer
page, which is just written in Javascript and runs on your browser. It
emulates a set of timing lights and has all the normal Toastmaster speech
times available. It's intended for our members to use to practice their
speeches and it works quite well.
|
Thanks for the suggestion. I actually have speech timer software that I
downloaded, which i use for practicing at home. I'm just not entirely sure
that it'd be bright enough for my students to see in my classrooms (right
now I have colored folders that I hold up above my head).
About twice a year I do a google search to see if anyone's manufacturing
something useful, but haven't come upon one. Some local folks I know here
have the one from performance electronics, though, and it makes me jealous
:-)
Colin |
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John Fleming, DTM
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:52 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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On Sun, 10 Sep 2006 10:52:55 -0400, while chained to a desk in the
scriptorium, "Colin William" <colintwilliam@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | $"Larry in Honolulu" <noway@none.com> wrote
$> Of course I have one low-cost (assuming you have a laptop) solution that
$> at
$> least one club I know of uses. On our district website I have a speech
$> timer
$> page, which is just written in Javascript and runs on your browser. It
$> emulates a set of timing lights and has all the normal Toastmaster speech
$> times available. It's intended for our members to use to practice their
$> speeches and it works quite well.
$
$Thanks for the suggestion. I actually have speech timer software that I
$downloaded, which i use for practicing at home. I'm just not entirely sure
$that it'd be bright enough for my students to see in my classrooms (right
$now I have colored folders that I hold up above my head).
$
$About twice a year I do a google search to see if anyone's manufacturing
$something useful, but haven't come upon one. Some local folks I know here
$have the one from performance electronics, though, and it makes me jealous
$
|
I was just suggesting to a Speechcrafter yesterday that, as an aiid to
timing speeches at home, she could use the timer on the stove. The
limiation is that you can only set the lower or the upper time limit.
But from the point of view of having a readily available and cost
effective timing aid, it's hard to beat.
--
John Fleming, DTM
Edmonton, Canada
Attitude Boosters Toastmasters (7022-42) - Member
Chamber Toastmasters (5594 - 42) - Immediate Past President
A scientist can discover a new star but he
cannot make one. He would have to ask an
engineer to do it for him.
- Gordon L. Glegg |
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wordkyle
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:33 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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Well of course this brings up using an egg timer or some other cooking
timer. I have a digital cooking timer that I use at home. (The same
one Alton Brown uses on "Good Eats"!)
John Fleming, DTM wrote:
| Quote: | On Sun, 10 Sep 2006 10:52:55 -0400, while chained to a desk in the
scriptorium, "Colin William" <colintwilliam@hotmail.com> wrote:
$"Larry in Honolulu" <noway@none.com> wrote
$> Of course I have one low-cost (assuming you have a laptop) solution that
$> at
$> least one club I know of uses. On our district website I have a speech
$> timer
$> page, which is just written in Javascript and runs on your browser. It
$> emulates a set of timing lights and has all the normal Toastmaster speech
$> times available. It's intended for our members to use to practice their
$> speeches and it works quite well.
$
$Thanks for the suggestion. I actually have speech timer software that I
$downloaded, which i use for practicing at home. I'm just not entirely sure
$that it'd be bright enough for my students to see in my classrooms (right
$now I have colored folders that I hold up above my head).
$
$About twice a year I do a google search to see if anyone's manufacturing
$something useful, but haven't come upon one. Some local folks I know here
$have the one from performance electronics, though, and it makes me jealous
$:-)
I was just suggesting to a Speechcrafter yesterday that, as an aiid to
timing speeches at home, she could use the timer on the stove. The
limiation is that you can only set the lower or the upper time limit.
But from the point of view of having a readily available and cost
effective timing aid, it's hard to beat.
--
John Fleming, DTM
Edmonton, Canada
Attitude Boosters Toastmasters (7022-42) - Member
Chamber Toastmasters (5594 - 42) - Immediate Past President
A scientist can discover a new star but he
cannot make one. He would have to ask an
engineer to do it for him.
- Gordon L. Glegg |
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betsy_in_va
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:55 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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Hmmm... now all you need to do is find a recipe for something that
needs 5-7 minutes to bake. When you start to smell fresh baked cookies,
that can work as your one-minute warning! |
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Eric Matto
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:08 am Post subject: Re: timekeeping device |
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| Quote: | I was just suggesting to a Speechcrafter yesterday that, as an aiid to
timing speeches at home, she could use the timer on the stove. The
limiation is that you can only set the lower or the upper time limit.
But from the point of view of having a readily available and cost
effective timing aid, it's hard to beat.
|
Though not that portable :-)
Most people have cellphones these days, and many of these have a stopwatch
function included.
--
Eric Matto, DTM, PDG
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Treasurer, Voice of Experience Advanced TM Club #583400-60
Member, Mississauga Valley Club #8277-60
Member, Creekside TD Club #864603-60 |
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