Colorado Time Systems Deck Clock

From Libre Aquatics Wiki, the free aquatics reference

The deck clock is a portable LED clock made by Colorado Time Systems (CTS). Whenever a water polo controller or timing console is sending it scoreboard data, the upper row of 5 in digits carries the game clock and the lower row of 10 in digits the shot clock; when nothing is being sent, the clock shows the time of day.¹² With no controller attached, several deck clocks keep the same time over the air, so the product doubles as a pace clock for training. CTS now sells it as the Deck Clock for Training.³ The clock runs on two internal gel-cell batteries or on mains power.¹

Role in training and competition¶

The clock has two uses: timing matches and pacing training.

In water polo, a team must shoot within 28 seconds of gaining possession. Timekeepers run that count, and the World Aquatics rules require the time remaining to be shown on one or more shot clock displays that officials and players can see.⁴ The NFHS high school rules ask for more: at least two shot clocks per game, and preferably four, one in every corner, showing whole seconds only. They also require the game-clock buzzer to sound different from the shot-clock buzzer.⁵ The deck clock puts the shot count on its large lower row and the game time on its upper row. CTS lists it among its water polo shot clocks and says its built-in horn gives the game and the shot clock different tones.⁶² Neither rulebook names a product, and none of the CTS documents cited here says the deck clock was tested against either one.

Out of competition the same unit shows the time of day, and CTS markets it as a pace clock.²³ A handheld segment timer can also drive it through interval sets. Deck clocks then show the rep time and the rep number.⁷ The shared background on pace clocks is in the pace clocks overview.

The earliest dated document for the clock is the first known edition of its user guide, F985 Rev. 201505, from May 2015.⁸ The CTS catalogue of the same year lists it both with the water polo shot clocks and with the training equipment.⁶ The 2011 edition of that catalogue covers pace clocks but does not mention a deck clock. The product was therefore introduced between 2011 and May 2015; no source gives a launch date. CTS still lists it in 2026.³⁹

Design and construction¶

The enclosure is molded polyethylene. CTS describes it as water resistant, sun resistant and free of corrosion, with a handle for carrying and a base shaped to resist tipping.¹² The 2015 catalogue adds that the digits and circuit board are conformal coated.⁶ The unit stands 32 in (81.3 cm) tall, 18.5 in (47 cm) wide and 12 in (30.5 cm) deep, and weighs 30 lb (13.6 kg).²

The upper row holds four 5 in (12.7 cm) digits. The lower row holds two 10 in (25.4 cm) digits.² Three colour options are sold: all red, all amber, or amber and red mixed.²³ An ambient light sensor adjusts brightness to the surroundings, and the horn is mounted inside the enclosure.¹

The radio and its antenna are also internal. F985 calls the radio certified but, unlike the slim pace clock guide, prints no FCC identifier for it.¹ The clock’s control board, with its DIP switches, sits behind the left-hand large digit, under a weather cover held by nine screws.¹

Display modes¶

What the clock shows depends on whether scoreboard data is arriving.

Condition	Upper row (5 in)	Lower row (10 in)
Receiving scoreboard data	Game time	Shot time
No data, default	Hours and minutes	Seconds
No data, time shifted	Minutes and seconds	Blank
Driven by a segment timer	Rep time	Rep number

In time-of-day mode, deck clocks that share a channel and PAN ID keep one time between them. The shared time also reaches CTS slim pace clocks and scoreboards on those settings.¹ One clock is made the leader and holds the time; every other clock is set as a follower. F985 warns that the followers will misbehave if more than one leader is set. A new time entered on the leader goes out to the followers once its menu is closed.¹ The leader and follower roles are a later addition. The 2015 edition of the guide has no such setting: every clock carries the hour and minute menus, and a time changed on any one of them is passed to the rest.⁸

The upper row can be switched to show minutes and seconds, which leaves the large digits dark. Brightness has three fixed steps plus an automatic mode that follows the light sensor.¹ A WTTC-1 or a System 6 can override the sensor and set a fixed brightness.¹

Wireless link and addressing¶

The clock listens on the CTS 2.4 GHz scoreboard network. A controller and the displays it drives must share a channel (0–11) and a PAN ID (0–15). The controller must also have each display’s module address switched on.¹ Displays sharing all three settings show identical data. Two controllers sharing all three settings garble the displays.¹ CTS multiplies the 12 channels by the 16 networks and says one facility can run 192 games at once.⁶ Factory settings are module 1, channel 4 and PAN 0.¹

All three settings can be made either from a single push button or on DIP switches. Holding the button for two seconds opens a nine-item menu:¹

Leader or follower
12- or 24-hour format (leader only)
Hours (leader only)
Minutes (leader only)
Time shifting: the upper row shows HH:MM or MM:SS
Intensity: low, medium, high, or ambient light
Channel, 0–11, with a further step that turns the radio off
PAN ID, 0–15
Module address, 1–6

Settings take effect only when the menu is exited.¹ The 2015 edition lists eight items, the same as above without the first.⁸

The DIP switches reach further than the menu. Switch bank S1 sets the module address in hexadecimal, and F985 lists 01 through 1E as valid, with 1F as a test mode. That is thirty addresses where the push button offers six. Bank S2 sets the channel on its first four switches and the PAN ID on the other four.¹ F985 does not explain the difference. In practice the controllers CTS pairs with the clock address modules 1–6.⁷

Connection to controllers and consoles¶

F985 names four sources of data, and later CTS documents add a fifth.

Tabletop controller. The WTTC-1 sends game and shot time once it shares the clock’s channel, PAN and module. It also sets the horn’s tones and volumes.¹ The current WTTC’s two scoreboard ports can also drive a deck clock by cable.¹⁰
Handheld controller. The WHC-1 sends game and shot time on the same terms.¹
Sports timing console. A System 6 or a System 5 with its water polo program loaded can feed the clock. Two of the console’s scoreboard channels must be at their factory defaults, channel 1 shown on module 1 and channel 2 on module 3; the console’s Define Module submenu restores both in one step. On a System 6 the game setup must also be set not to show running tenths.¹ The console reaches the clock either through an R-xxDC data cable or wirelessly through a WA-2 adapter set for multisport scoreboards.¹² The WA-3 guide covers the same job: it lists deck clocks among the MS- multisport boards and requires them to be at address 1 in that mode.¹¹
Gen7 timer. A Gen7 timer sharing the clock’s channel and PAN sends the time of day only.¹
Segment timer. The WHC-2, released after F985 was printed, runs interval sets on deck clocks.⁷

F985 names both the System 6 and the System 5. The 2015 catalogue and the current product page name only the System 6.¹⁶³

Power and batteries¶

The clock runs on two Powersonic PS1270 sealed gel-cell batteries or on mains power. F985 gives the internal supply as 150 W, accepting 100–240 V at 50/60 Hz and at most 2 A. The datasheets describe the same input as 120/240 VAC, autosensing.¹²

Mains power is allowed only indoors and away from water. F985 requires battery operation outdoors or anywhere near a pool deck, and says the clock should be charged only indoors.¹ The clock charges whenever it is plugged in, shows green indicators while charging, and switches to a trickle charge once the cells are full. CTS asks for at least eight hours of charging after every use and recommends leaving the clock plugged in during storage. The clock turns itself off before the cells discharge far enough to be damaged.¹ The 2015 edition gives the thresholds: a red battery lamp on the front comes on once the two cells in series have fallen to 22 V, and the clock powers down at 20 V.⁸ None of the CTS documents cited here gives a run time.

The clock ships with the batteries’ red leads disconnected, and they must be connected before first use.¹ Replacement cells are CTS part R-420-003. They are always replaced as a pair, and are reached from under covers at the clock’s feet.¹ CTS sells the same part as the battery for its start systems.³

Documentation and availability¶

Two editions of the user guide are known. F985 Rev. 201505 (©2015) is the earlier. It has the eight-item menu, gives the battery thresholds, and ends with a European declaration of conformity.⁸ F985 Rev. 202007 (©2020) is the edition CTS hosts. It adds the leader and follower setting and a section on the Gen7 timer, and it drops the European declaration.¹ Both editions give the same three MS- model numbers.⁸¹

The European declaration in the 2015 edition is not specific to the deck clock. It covers the CTS multisport scoreboard family as a whole, with the model given only as MS-XXXX. It was signed in Loveland on 17 January 2013 and cites the EU low voltage, electromagnetic compatibility and RoHS directives then in force.⁸ Its date is therefore not evidence that the deck clock existed in 2013.

CTS lists the clock under three product pages: as a deck clock for training, as a game and shot clock for water polo, and in a water polo package with the WP-1700 portable scoreboard.³¹²¹³ None of them shows a price. The company’s online shop has listed a factory-refurbished single clock as DC-1500.S at US$1,760, reduced from US$2,350, with a one-year limited warranty.¹⁴ Two dealers checked in September 2026 sold new clocks only in pairs, KAP7 at US$4,900 a pair and Recreonics at US$5,140.99.¹⁵¹⁶

Specifications¶


Type	Portable multisport game, shot and pace clock
Part number	`DC-1500`, `DC-1501`, `DC-1502`²³; model numbers `MS-0043`, `MS-0044`, `MS-0045`¹
Upper digits	Four, 5 in (12.7 cm): game time, or time of day²
Lower digits	Two, 10 in (25.4 cm): shot time, or seconds²
Digit colour	Mixed red and amber, all red, or all amber²
Brightness	Low, medium, high, or ambient light sensor¹
Wireless	2.4 GHz; channel 0–11, PAN ID 0–15¹
Module address	1–6 by push button; `01`–`1E` by DIP switch, `1F` test mode¹
Factory settings	Channel 4, PAN 0, module 1¹
Horn	Internal; tones and volumes set per function from the tabletop controller¹
Dimensions	32 × 18.5 × 12 in (81.3 × 47 × 30.5 cm)²
Weight	30 lb (13.6 kg)²
Enclosure	Polyethylene¹
Power	150 W supply, 100–240 V, 50/60 Hz, 2 A max¹; datasheet: battery or 120/240 VAC autosensing²
Batteries	Two Powersonic PS1270 gel cells, UL recognized (MH20845)¹
Low battery	Red lamp at 22 V; shutdown at 20 V⁸
Standards	UL 48; CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 207; FCC 47 CFR 15 Subpart B, Class A; ICES-003¹
Manufacture	Loveland, Colorado²

Part numbers and accessories¶

CTS has used two sets of numbers for the clock. The 2018 and 2023 datasheets and the 2026 product page use ordering numbers that follow digit colour.²¹⁷³ Both editions of the user guide, from 2015 and 2020, use three model numbers in the MS- series, which CTS uses for its multisport displays and prints on each unit’s serial label.⁸¹¹¹ Neither set of documents refers to the other, and none of them says which MS- number matches which DC- number.

DC-1500, mixed red and amber digits²
DC-1501, all red digits²
DC-1502, all amber digits²
DC-1500.S, factory-refurbished clock¹⁴
MS-0043, MS-0044, MS-0045, model numbers from F985, colours not stated¹
R-420-003, replacement battery (Powersonic PS1270), used in pairs¹³
WTTC-1, wireless tabletop controller²
WHC-1, wireless handheld controller²
WHC-2, wireless handheld segment timer⁷
WA-2, 2.4 GHz wireless adapter for a timing console¹
R-xxDC, data cable from a timing console¹

References¶

Colorado Time Systems, Deck Clock User Guide (F985 Rev. 202007). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹ ↩³² ↩³³ ↩³⁴ ↩³⁵ ↩³⁶ ↩³⁷ ↩³⁸ ↩³⁹ ↩⁴⁰ ↩⁴¹ ↩⁴² ↩⁴³ ↩⁴⁴
Colorado Time Systems, Deck Clock datasheet (Rev 05/18). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³
Colorado Time Systems, Deck Clock for Training (DC-1500) (current listing, as of 2026). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰
World Aquatics, Competition Regulations, Part Six, 9 and 21.12. ↩
NFHS, Swimming, Diving and Water Polo Rules Book 2012-13, Water Polo Rule 1-2 (Clocks, Score). ↩
Colorado Time Systems, Complete Timing, Scoring, Training and Display Solutions catalogue (2015). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Colorado Time Systems, WTTC Water Polo User Instructions (F1071 Rev 202501), scoreboard ports. ↩
Colorado Time Systems, 2.4 GHz Wireless Adapter WA-3 User Guide (F1045 Rev. 202007), multisport boards. ↩ ↩²
Colorado Time Systems, Game/Shot Clock for Water Polo (DC-1500). ↩
Colorado Time Systems, Wireless Portable Scoreboard and Shot Clocks (WP-1700 / DC-1500). ↩
Colorado Time Systems shop, Deck Clock / Pace Clock (DC-1500.S), Refurbished (September 2026). ↩ ↩²
KAP7 International, Colorado Wireless Shotclock Pair (September 2026). ↩
Recreonics, Colorado Time Systems Wireless Deck Clocks, pair (September 2026). ↩
Colorado Time Systems, Water Polo: Colorado Time Systems’ Deck Clocks datasheet (Rev 07/23). ↩

Last updated September 25, 2026.

Manufacturer	Colorado Time Systems
Part number	`DC-1500`, `DC-1501`, `DC-1502`; manual model numbers `MS-0043`–`MS-0045`
Type	Portable multisport game, shot and pace clock
Digits	5 in upper row, 10 in lower row; red, amber, or mixed
Wireless	2.4 GHz; channel 0–11, PAN ID 0–15, module address 1–6 by menu, `01`–`1E` by DIP switch
Controllers	WTTC-1 , WHC-1 , WHC-2 , System 6 , System 5
Dimensions	32 × 18.5 × 12 in (81.3 × 47 × 30.5 cm)
Weight	30 lb (13.6 kg)
Power	Two Powersonic PS1270 gel cells, or 120/240 VAC autosensing
Introduced	By May 2015
Status	Current
Manual	Deck Clock User Guide (F985 Rev. 202007)