SWIMSTART Electronic Start

The SWIMSTART Electronic Start is a portable start system for swimming made by International Sports Timing (IST), a division of Industrial Service Technology, Inc., of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It packages a public-address system, a start tone, a 360 degree strobe, and a false-start recall tone in a battery-powered case that sits on the deck or straps to the backstroke flagpole.¹²³ This article is a starting point; the start-systems overview covers the shared background that applies to every starter.

Design and hardware¶

The unit ships with a 40 watt speaker, a microphone, and a charging transformer. The speaker mounts on the right side of the case on a U-shaped bracket, rotates on its base to set the horn orientation, and connects with a polarized banana plug; the replacement part is SPEAKER40W-M, a 40 watt, 120 dB speaker whose listing gives a weight of 5 lb and dimensions of 11 by 9 by 7 inches.¹⁴ A second socket under the speaker accepts auxiliary speakers, and the unit supports two additional speakers.⁴ IST bridges the speaker’s power amplifiers to increase output.³

The case is aluminum with a black anodized finish, about 12 by 8 by 4 inches and 23 pounds.³ The 360 degree strobe uses a 6,000 volt xenon bulb behind an ABS plastic lens.³

The controls sit on the left side of the base unit. A volume knob sets the public-address level, and a keyed microphone socket with a locking ring holds the microphone plug, which stows on a clip when not in use. The power control is a momentary rocker switch that returns to its rest position after being pressed, with a status light beneath it: the light is green when the unit is on, red while the battery is charging, and flashing or off once the battery is fully charged.¹

Power comes from an internal 12 volt battery that IST rates at 12 to 14 hours per charge. Charging is from the supplied 110 V to 28 V AC wall transformer through a connector near the switch, and the status light shows red until the battery is full.¹³ IST describes an intelligent charging circuit that prevents overcharging, so the unit can be left on charge, and says the battery has no memory effect and need not be run down before recharging; the manual recommends running on battery power on deck and charging overnight after each use.¹³ The unit can run while plugged into a GFI outlet, but IST advises against it because electrical noise can be broadcast through the speaker.¹ Latching straps on the back of the case attach the unit to a backstroke flagpole, and no-tip feet let it sit directly on the deck.¹²

Operation¶

The starter works the system from the microphone: a bar switch on the side opens the public address, pressing the small top button while holding the bar switch sounds the start tone and fires the strobe, and holding the button past a three second continuous tone sounds the repeating false-start recall tone.¹ The microphone has a 15 foot cord.³ Public-address volume is set with the knob on the left side of the base unit, and IST advises the starter not to stand in front of the speaker to avoid feedback.¹ For start training, the speaker can be turned off so the unit fires the strobe alone.³

The optional SWIMSTART Remote Start is a wireless transmitter and receiver that lets an official trigger the start tone, the recall, and the public address without a cable.¹³ It uses 900 MHz radio in the 903.3 to 921.3 MHz band with eight selectable channels, and the receiver responds only to the transmitter’s encoded start and audio signals, which IST says prevents an accidental start or stray audio.³ IST rates the range at more than 100 yards and states the radio is FCC approved and needs no operator license.³ The handheld transmitter runs on a 9 volt alkaline battery, with a low-battery warning and an estimated 20 hours of continuous transmission; the receiver is powered by the SWIMSTART.³ One transmitter can trigger receivers on two starts at once, and the package can be added to other electronic starts.³

Audio¶

Beyond the case-mounted 40 watt speaker, IST has sold two external speaker accessories:

• The Far End 40 Watt Speaker (SPEAKER40W), a second 40 watt, 120 dB speaker that mounts on the backstroke flagpole at the far side of the pool with a mounting strap; its connecting cable is sold separately. The current catalog lists it as an extra 40 watt speaker with mounting strap.⁵⁶
• The under-block speaker system, a set of 6 watt lane speakers on a multi-lane cable, which connected as an accessory; it no longer appears in the current catalog.

Connections¶

The start output is selectable between normally-open and normally-closed contacts on a three-hole socket: IST’s own timing system, Colorado Time Systems, and Daktronics timing consoles use the normally-open side, and Omega timing consoles use the normally-closed side.¹ The socket has a center contact marked “common” for the cable’s ground tab, and a rubber plug fills the unused hole.¹ The start cable, part number SWSTRTCBL-25, is sold separately.²

Care and maintenance¶

For off-season storage, IST directs the user to fully charge the battery, then disconnect it from the wall transformer and wipe water spots from the case with glass cleaner and a soft cloth. After storage of a month or more, the battery should be charged again before the unit is used.¹

Specifications¶

Dimensions	12 × 8 × 4 in, aluminum with black anodized finish
Weight	23 lb
Speaker	40 W, 120 dB, case-mounted horn, bridged amplifiers
Additional speakers	Supports two; far-end SPEAKER40W on backstroke flagpole
Strobe	360 degree, 6,000 V xenon bulb behind ABS lens
Microphone	15 ft cord, talk and start/recall switches
Start output	Normally-open (IST, CTS, Daktronics) or normally-closed (Omega)
Start cable	SWSTRTCBL-25, sold separately
Volume	Public-address knob on the left of the base unit
Status light	Green on, red charging, flashing or off when charged
Battery	Internal 12 V, 12 to 14 h per charge
Mounting	Deck feet or backstroke flagpole straps
Warranty	Five-year limited (two years on batteries)

The warranty runs five years on the product and two years on the 12 volt battery; IST replaces the battery at cost for the remaining three years, and excludes in-deck wiring, deck plates, and wall plates, which carry a separate warranty.¹

See also¶

• International Sports Timing: the manufacturer
• Start systems: the start-system overview and governing-body requirements
• International Sports Timing lane speakers: the under-block speakers sold for this system
• Timers: the timing console a start system triggers

References¶

Footnotes¶

1. International Sports Timing, SWIMSTART Operating Instructions (rev. 30 June 2005) (dealer-hosted copy). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴

2. International Sports Timing, SWIMSTART ELECTRONIC START (current listing: top-mounted 360 degree strobe, 40 W speaker, microphone, charging cable, and mounting straps included; start cable SWSTRTCBL-25 sold separately). ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. International Sports Timing, SWIMSTART brochure (dealer-hosted specification sheet, with a SWIMSTART Remote Start page). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

4. International Sports Timing, 40 Watt Speaker (archived 20 July 2019) (SKU SPEAKER40W-M; 40 W, 120 dB; supports two extra speakers; 5 lb, 11 × 9 × 7 in). ↩ ↩²

5. International Sports Timing, Far End 40 Watt Speaker (archived 21 May 2022) (SKU SPEAKER40W; 40 W, 120 dB; backstroke flagpole mounting strap; cable sold separately). ↩

6. International Sports Timing, SPEAKER40W (current catalog listing: extra 40 W speaker with mounting strap). ↩