New Tool for ChronoTrack Timers: Simple Port Activity Monitor

I put together a lightweight tool to help other timers quickly monitor read activity during events! It's a standalone program (no install or coding knowledge required) designed to make it easier to keep an eye on your devices and mats in the field.

What It Does

• Displays the number of reads per port on each device

• Shows the percentage of total device reads that each port represents

• Tracks how much time has elapsed since the last read on each port

It’s a simple way to catch potential mat issues early, troubleshoot unexpected behavior, and monitor your setup without needing to constantly bounce between systems.

Why I Built It

As a remote-first timer, I often manage two or three races at the same time. While it’s possible to monitor systems online, it’s always nerve-wracking knowing you don't have real visibility at the port or mat level. A system might appear online but still be operating sub-optimally—or an antenna could drop offline entirely without obvious warning.

A few experiences really pushed me to build something like this:

• A couple years ago, while timing a major stair climb, one of our box readers failed during the event. Thanks to redundancy, there was not impact to the event, but it was alarming how easily a critical component could go down unnoticed without the right visibility.

• In another race, one of our antennas failed mid-event. Again, redundancy saved the day, but it highlighted how much could go wrong if more than one component failed—and how easily issues could be missed without better monitoring tools.

This tool is built to make catching these kinds of problems faster and easier in real time, giving you more confidence during events.

How to Get It

You can download the tool here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ySzFSXqIDd1nKLStUMxBqmIyfc7na7WH/view

Quick Ask

If you found this tool helpful, please leave a comment below and let me know what you liked about it and what you’d like to see improved!

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