Checkpoints

Platform: 🖥️📱 Desktop and mobile

Checkpoints record split times along the course and enable real-time tracking in the announcer's window and Event monitor.

See also: Classes, courses, and maps, Event monitor, Announcer's window, Online control

How checkpoints work

A checkpoint is linked to a control code on the course. When a participant punches that control, the system records a passing — a timestamped record of the passage. Passings are collected from timing devices connected to the checkpoint.

The system calculates split times and intermediate positions from the passings. These are shown in:

  • Event monitor → Split times tab — real-time feed of passings, filterable by checkpoint, showing time, chip, class, participant, and club
  • Announcer's window → Checkpoint selector — filter the view to participants who have passed a specific checkpoint with split times and positions
  • Announcer's window → Show all checkpoints — when a class is selected, show all checkpoint columns side by side

Adding a checkpoint

Click Add checkpoint to create a new checkpoint. Each checkpoint has:

  • Checkpoint name — Descriptive name (e.g. "Radio control", "Hilltop"). Shown in the Event monitor and announcer's window.
  • Checkpoint type — Choose:
    • Start — Punch records the participant's start time.
    • Finish — Punch records the participant's finish time.
    • Checkpoint — Records a split time. The most common type.
  • Checkpoint control code — The control code that triggers the checkpoint. You can select from controls already defined on your courses. If you don't select a control code, you can manually choose which classes use the checkpoint.
  • Linked classes — If you selected a control code, the system automatically links classes whose courses contain that control. Otherwise you select classes manually.
  • Linked devices — Timing devices connected to this checkpoint. See Using devices at checkpoints.

Using devices at checkpoints

  • Navisport mobile app (Android) — Open the event in the mobile app and select Online control from the mode menu. The app connects to the event and sends passings from the phone's connected reader. The app keeps the screen on and dims brightness to save battery. Do not manually close or lock the phone.
  • Raspberry Pi (Jouni Aaltonen) — Raspberry Pi with Jouni Aaltonen's disk image. Configure the Pi to connect to your computer's IP address on port 50000. Check the Event monitor's Devices tab to confirm the device is connected to the correct event. If the device is not linked, double-click the warning icon to link it.

Both device types appear in the Linked devices list when editing a checkpoint and on the Event monitor's Devices tab (connection status and battery level).

Linking checkpoints to classes

Checkpoints can be linked to classes in two ways:

  1. Via control code — Select a control code for the checkpoint. The system automatically links classes whose courses contain that control.
  2. Manual class selection — Create a checkpoint without a control code and select classes manually. Define the distance from start.

For relay events, you can also select which legs the checkpoint applies to.

Checkpoint distance

When a checkpoint is linked via a control code, the system automatically calculates the distance from start based on leg lengths. The distance is used in the announcer's window.

Viewing passings during the event

  • Event monitor → Split times tab — real-time feed of all passings, filterable by checkpoint
  • Announcer's window → Checkpoint selector — filter by one or more checkpoints. Enable Show all checkpoints to see the full split time table.

Public results page

When an event has checkpoints, the Results page shows checkpoint columns for each class with the participant's time and position. If a participant is still on course, the system uses passings to estimate progress.

Deleting passings

Individual passings can be deleted from the Event monitor's Split times tab — useful for correcting test punches or device errors.

Practical example: Radio control at a middle-distance competition

You're organizing a middle-distance competition and want to show split times from a radio control to the announcer and spectators.

  1. Create a checkpoint named "Radio control" and select type Checkpoint
  2. Select the control code that corresponds to the radio control position on the courses — the system automatically links the correct classes
  3. Place an Android phone at the radio control with a reader and select Online control in the mobile app
  4. Check the Event monitor's Devices tab to confirm the phone appears as connected
  5. During the competition, the announcer opens the announcer's window, selects the checkpoint, and sees real-time split times and positions as participants pass the radio control