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Sep 2019
11:02am, 6 Sep 2019
17,937 posts
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Dvorak
I wonder what a scanner or timer actually costs? New but outdated smartphones can be picked up for around £50. I've downloaded the app and had a play, and seen it action for scanning, and it works great, but I also wouldn't fancy using my phone in wet conditions.
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Sep 2019
11:05am, 6 Sep 2019
3,557 posts
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FreshStart
"Why not make use of the £00s worth of tech that we all carry around with us?"
What would happen if I had my phoned knocked out of my hand or it got damaged by rain? I tend to avoid using my phone outside when it's raining. Would I be able to claim for the cost of repair/replacement from parkrun? I doubt it.
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Sep 2019
11:06am, 6 Sep 2019
3,511 posts
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westmoors
I've got a phone similar to Eynsham Red's so won't be able to download the app. And if that means I can't volunteer to timekeep or barcode scan, then so be it.
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Sep 2019
11:07am, 6 Sep 2019
1,466 posts
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Salty Dog
I don't think it's right for parkrun to be putting any pressure on scanning volunteers to bring their own phone, download this app, stick it on flight mode for around an hour so be practically uncontactable, then potentially use their own data to upload results.
Are marshals eventually going to be asked to bring their own hi-viz vest? timekeepers their own stopwatch?
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Sep 2019
11:19am, 6 Sep 2019
131 posts
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George Smiley
If I have to use my 4G I'm now paying to volunteer ( ok may not be vast amount), as so many don't volunteer at all why should I bother?
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Sep 2019
11:23am, 6 Sep 2019
18,825 posts
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DeeGee
You know what might help, though?
If there was an official 'parkrunner' app, with results and sfun stuff, and this functionality was just included in it.
Which, if it had push messages when your result for the week was in, might save some of the cost of sending the text messages every week...
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Sep 2019
11:24am, 6 Sep 2019
5,229 posts
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TeeBee
HappyG my understanding around the airplane mode is so the timers/scanners can't be distracted by incoming calls or messages.
I have a couple of pretty old/knackered smart phones at home. I may offer them up.
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Sep 2019
11:25am, 6 Sep 2019
1,363 posts
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bonners
My problem is that my phone struggles with the touch screen aspect in the rain. Especially for the timing application does it get round that somehow?
As long as it works properly I don't think I'd have a problem with it,just that cheapskates like me tend to keep their phones for a long time and they can struggle a bit in all types of adverse weather.
Donating old phones seems to be a good idea
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Sep 2019
11:42am, 6 Sep 2019
273 posts
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Non-runner
I have a £5 PAYG dumb phone just for running and biking as I’ve already broken my smartphone by dropping it in the wet, it’s a personal thing but expecting volunteers to use their own phones is a bit much, there should be a bank of official phones, be they provided, donated or second hand, for this purpose. Oh for the simplicity of chip timing😊.
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Sep 2019
11:42am, 6 Sep 2019
4,841 posts
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Fragile Do Not Bend
We are trying to get some donations of old phones for volunteer that can’t/won’t use their own ones. I certainly wouldn’t want to put pressure on anyone to use their own phone but luckily most people don’t mind.
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parkrun Café
Jul 2025