Event Information

Timer Tip Tuesday: Agee Race Timing Integration with RaceDay Scoring

Hear from Brian Agee sharing firsthand insight on using Agee Race Timing to pass reads to RaceDay Scoring

1. Learn how to set up and configure the integration between the two platforms
2. Discover best practices for a smooth workflow when using Agee and RaceDay Scoring together

Who should attend: Timers using or considering Agee Race Timing software alongside RaceDay Scoring

View Slides

Webinar Summary

What You’ll Learn

• What AG Race Timing is and how to get started
• How to link AG Race Timing to your RunSignup account
• How to add and configure readers in the software
• How to add participants from RunSignup or an external file
• What middleware is and why you might want to use AG Race Timing in that role
• How to create and configure a live file export stream
• How to set up the corresponding stream in RaceDay Scoring to consume those reads
• Best practices for race day setup and troubleshooting
• How multiple readers, cloud folders, triathlon setups, and camera triggering work within the integration

What Is AG Race Timing?

AG Race Timing is a timing software built on a philosophy of simplicity and reliability. Key characteristics include:

• 100% open hardware — works with any RFID tags and off-the-shelf readers (no proprietary hardware requirements or hidden fees)
• Compatible with Motorola/Zebra FX series readers (FX9500, FX7400, FX9600, FX7500), available new or on eBay
• Built to reduce training time, minimize tech support needs, and lower the risk of race day disasters
• Includes quality-of-life features focused on catching problems before they happen
• Designed to work alongside RaceDay Scoring — not replace it — giving timers the best of both platforms

Getting Started: Software Installation

1. Download the software from the AG Race Timing website under Timing Systems > Free Trial
2. Run the installer — if your browser flags it as an executable, click Keep and proceed
3. When the software opens, it will display an activation number — send this to Brian to receive a license key that unlocks all features
4. The license can be applied to any computer you own
5. Brian is glad to provide trial keys for as long as needed to evaluate the software

Linking AG Race Timing to RunSignup

1. Go to Settings > External Accounts > RunSignup
2. Click the Test button — log in if prompted
3. If you see Login Successful, the connection is established
4. From this point, all races you have access to in RunSignup will be available to pull into the software

Tip: If you ever see a reauthentication message, return to this screen and click the Test button again to quickly re-establish the connection.

Adding Readers

From the Settings screen, click the plus button to add a reader. Click the question mark button for guidance on locating the host name sticker on your specific reader model:

• FX7400 / FX7500 — host name sticker is on the top of the unit
• FX9500 / FX9600 — host name sticker is on the side of the unit

Type in the host name, add any description, and hit Save. Settings are configured once and do not need to be revisited for future races.

Adding Participants

Participants can be added in three ways:

From RunSignup (recommended):

• Open any race in the software and click Sync
• Choose whether to require assigned bib numbers, checked-in status, or both — pulling only the participants you truly want
• Dynamic bib assignment is supported: sync throughout the morning as participants check in, and your finisher counts will reflect only those who actually showed up

From a file:

• Use the Import button to load participants from any delimited file or Excel spreadsheet
• A YouTube tutorial is linked directly inside the import screen

Without participants at all:

• Adding participants is optional — the software will still capture and export all chip reads to the file stream even with an empty participant list
• Unknown reads are written to the output file regardless of whether a participant record exists

Note: Athlete type / category data from RunSignup custom questions can be mapped into AG Race Timing. The software will display all available custom questions and allow you to designate which one corresponds to athlete type, enabling division-specific scoring within the software if needed.

Understanding the Three Roles: Hardware, Middleware, and Scoring

Using AG Race Timing as middleware gives RaceDay Scoring users access to a fully open hardware ecosystem while also providing a completely independent backup scoring environment.

Benefits for RaceDay Scoring users:

• Access to open, off-the-shelf RFID hardware (some setups can be built for very low upfront cost)
• A fully independent backup timing and scoring system running in parallel

Benefits for AG Race Timing users:

• Access to RaceDay Scoring’s advanced capabilities for complex races, live splits, lap races, and results publishing to the RunSignup website

Setting Up the Live File Export (Making AG Race Timing Middleware)

This is the step that connects AG Race Timing to RaceDay Scoring.

In AG Race Timing:

1. Open any race in the software
2. Right-click on the participant list (even if empty) and select Export to File — note: you are not actually creating an export, you are setting up a live stream
3. Click the plus button to create a new export configuration
4. Name it something recognizable (e.g., RDS or Race Scoring)
5. Set the file type to comma-delimited text
6. Check the boxes for Bib Number and All Reads
7. Check the box labeled Export Live While Timing — this is what activates the middleware function
8. Hit Save and close the screen — do not let it create the file at this stage

The software will write reads to the folder specified in your settings. If a Live Export Path is set in settings, reads go there. If not, they go to the Backup Database path, and if that is also unset, they go to the Current Database location.

Important: The folder you point to must be clean — no other Excel, CSV, or text files should be in that directory. Subfolders created by the software are fine; other text files are not.

In RaceDay Scoring:

1. Go to the Streams tab and click Add Stream
2. For Stream Type, choose Custom or File (chip system type)
3. For File Type, choose AG Timing File
4. Set the path to the same export folder configured in AG Race Timing
5. Leave read dates, passing format, field delimiter, and file extension at their defaults
6. A detailed setup article is available in the resources linked at the end of this session

Cloud folder support: Mapping the stream to a locally synced Dropbox or OneDrive folder works on both sides of the integration with no known limitations.

How Reads Are Filtered and Written

The software does not write every single antenna read to the file — it intelligently filters to keep the file manageable:

• When a tag is detected, the first unique read is written immediately
• If additional reads of the same tag come in shortly after, a small number of those may also be written
• This prevents the file from growing so large it becomes unprocessable or impossible to open
• Despite this filtering, the write process is essentially real-time — reads go into a processing queue and are written out as fast as the computer can process them, typically within a second

RaceDay Scoring picks up those reads right away, making the full pipeline very fast from physical crossing to scoring system.

Running Both Systems Simultaneously

You can absolutely run timing in both AG Race Timing and RaceDay Scoring at the same time — including starting clocks, capturing chip times, and scoring in both. The one important rule:

Publish results from only one system. Choose either AG Race Timing (via Action Keys > Publish Results) or RaceDay Scoring — not both. Running both for timing and scoring in parallel is fine; dual publishing is not.

Triathlon and Multi-Location Setups

For events with multiple read zones (such as triathlon transitions):

• Each computer running AG Race Timing manages its own read zone and exports to its own separate folder
• RaceDay Scoring consumes each as a separate stream
• RaceDay Scoring’s gap factor setting handles the logic of parsing in-reads and out-reads from the same location
• AG Race Timing also has its own gap factor settings for additional control

Additional Features Worth Knowing

Tag Check Station

Set up one or more tag check stations near bib pickup. Participants wave their bib or goodie bag over an antenna and the display confirms their name, race, bib number, and age division — catching any programming errors or data issues before the gun goes off.

Age and Gender Verification

Right-click the participant list and select Verify Age and Gender to flag any entries that appear inconsistent — useful for catching data import errors or registration mistakes before race day.

DSLR Camera Auto-Triggering

AG Race Timing can connect to compatible Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras and send an automatic capture command every time a chip read is detected. A few things to know:

• No configuration is required — plug in the camera and the software finds it automatically
• Photos are stored locally on the camera, not on the timing computer (keeps your timing machine lean and stable)
• Disable power save mode on the camera to prevent it from shutting off during a slow early-finisher period
• On newer models (T7 and above), disable Wi-Fi to ensure the auto-trigger connection works properly

Brian’s take: For most situations, he finds the RunSignup mobile timing photo app — with a volunteer or family member taking photos that include both the clock and the participant — to be an equally effective and simpler approach, with the added benefit of providing backup data if something goes wrong with the timing hardware.

Announcer Mode

AG Race Timing includes an announcer station mode that displays participant information as reads come in, allowing an announcer to call out names and details in real time. Currently, reads captured in announcer mode are not written to the tag read file, though a future update is planned to add that capability as a backup data source.

SMS Results

With participants loaded, AG Race Timing can send instant SMS results to finishers at the moment they cross. This can serve as a standalone feature or a backup to RunSignup’s built-in text results capability.

Best Practices for Race Day

• Make all participant changes in RunSignup (or whichever registration platform you use) and sync down — never change data only in the local software, or results may publish with stale information
• Check your Windows date and time before race day — the timestamp written to the chip read file comes from the system clock, and an incorrect clock will create problems that RaceDay Scoring will have to work around
• Keep the export folder clean — no stray text or CSV files in the directory the software is writing to
• Sync participants throughout the morning as people check in for cleaner finisher counts and more accurate on-course numbers
• Use the tag check station at bib pickup as a first line of defense against programming errors
• If using dynamic bib assignment, choose the sync options that pull only checked-in or bib-assigned participants to ensure your counts stay accurate

Resources

The following resources will be included in the slides distributed with the recording:

• Creating an AG Timing Stream in RaceDay Scoring (knowledge base article)
• AG Race Timing website — software download and free trial
• AG Race Timing user group
• AG Race Timing software overview and new user training video
• RaceDay Scoring support: racedayATrunsignup.com
• Book one-on-one RaceDay Scoring training (link in slides)

Key Takeaways

• AG Race Timing is a powerful, low-cost middleware option for RaceDay Scoring users who want access to open hardware without proprietary fees
• Setup is straightforward — configure readers and RunSignup once, and the system is ready to go for every future race
• The live file export is what activates the middleware function — one checkbox in AG Race Timing and a corresponding stream in RaceDay Scoring is all it takes
• You can run both systems fully in parallel for timing and scoring — just publish results from only one
• Participant data doesn’t need to be in AG Race Timing for it to work as middleware, but adding participants unlocks tag check, SMS results, and backup scoring capabilities
• All participant data changes should be made at the source (RunSignup) and synced down — never edited only locally