One unique feature of Lightning AccuTimers is their ability to be operated without additional help. Practice barrel runs and see your interval times (if measured) and overall time without needing someone else there to shout out the time or be forced to get out of your saddle to walk over to the timer. Your practice time will be more effective.

One of the hallmarks of Lightning AccuTimers is their accuracy (and that is why it is right in the name!). A quietly kept dirty little secret is that timers drift over temperature and what is accurate at room temperature could quickly become useless in hot or cold conditions. Our systems have built-in accuracy of 0.001 seconds (1 millisecond) over extreme temperatures from a teeth-chattering edge of freezing (32°F) to a Nevada desert-floor outdoor oven (160°F). How many other arena timers even try to make this claim???

Another feature provided by Lightning AccuTimers is interval timing. With the appropriate additional equipment, your overall time is supplemented to measure time around each of the barrels. This provides more precision about a run to determine where you can improve. Lane time can be used for archery where the start line and finish line are at different locations.

OK, other systems claim to work in direct sunlight – but you have learned otherwise. And ingenuity leads to a solution: run around and swap locations of the electric-eye units, create a sun umbrella with masking tape and a nacho-chip paper tray, or – the most expensive – setup a backup system at a different height.

Upgrade your system to Lightning AccuTimers and that all goes away. We have rigorously tested our systems in direct sunlight from early in the morning through sunset. Simply put: they work. (For those of you who enjoyed the challenge of getting your vintage electric-eye to work in bright sunlight, we sincerely apologize.)

Not surprisingly, arena timers will experience heat, cold, sun, dust and – in our case – dirty looks by our competitors. Lightning AccuTimers operate in all of these outdoor conditions and can even handle some light rain. If you accidentally take it swimming, remove the battery immediately and dry it out. Seriously, it takes a lot to ruin these units.

Do not let the small size and light weight let you think these are fragile units. While the beacon and detector units may not withstand being stepped on by anything larger than a Shetland pony, we expect them to be knocked over or dropped on a regular basis – just like we did throughout testing (although not always intentionally). After all, we designed them to survive such punishment. A worn box may have a number of scratches or chips in it (or even dog teeth marks), but it will still work and the warranty remains intact.

Our handheld units are even more rugged because you need to carry them and, inevitably, you will drop them and even step on them. In fact, we step on them too -- just because we can! Plus, we enjoy the look of surprise followed by joy in our buyer's eyes when they see just how sturdy these units are built.

Simply put: wires are a pain! You have to unwind them and then find a route that is safe for people and protects the wires from breaking. Ugly, messy and, frankly, archaic. With Lightning AccuTimers wireless design, those issues simply do not exist. Screw in the antenna (where needed) and you are ready to go!

You can set up the tripods, place the units, power them up, and align a personal arena in a couple minutes or a professional arena with a full set of interval timers in less than five minutes. Quick setup also means rapid disassembly and packing up.

Operating any timer should be simple, at least that is our philosophy. Operation of the console units and rugged portable handheld unit are the same. Moreover, it is intuitive. In fact, Lightning AccuTimers are so simple to operate, we probably wasted a lot of time writing the user manual because you will never need to read it.

With the use of modern technology, Lightning AccuTimers only weigh ounces. Even when you include the batteries, complete personal arena systems weigh around a pound with the professional systems only being a couple pounds more. That means you can easily carry your system -- anywhere. The case often weighs more than the electronics!

Lightning AccuTimers do much more than just barrel racing. Our powerful and versatile systems support multiple events that includes lane timing (archery), reverse lane timing, roping, team roping, figure 8 (split time), relay, sorting, penning, cutting, and rough stock. Why buy different timing systems for different activities when Lightning AccuTimers can do it all!

Lightning AccuTimers use either AA and 9v batteries that are available everywhere. Although alkaline batteries are recommended (for more accurate battery life tracking), there are no restrictions. Use any other type: NiCd, NiMH, modern exotic types or your grandfather's carbon-zinc. These are easily replaced at any time, so you don't have to worry "did I recharge?" or "did I insert a customized fresh battery?" before you leave home. This keeps your wallet happy as well.