Hi Dan:
I'll just add a bit more to explain why, in my opinion, it's advantageous to have both timer operators (if you have two) set up so they're both able to communicate with the start AND finish. I'm also very interested to hear what others suggest.
My comments apply especially when your timing room is some distance from the finish, and even when you're very close enough to see the finish, especially for technical events with short intervals. Even if the timer operator(s) can see the finish, I think it's better to have a finish controller out there on headset with another set of eyes (and here I mean human eyes, not photocells
that can be focussed on the finish, so that the timers can concentrate on managing the flow of the race with the starter and keeping the bib assignments straight when the DNF rate might get high. Having a finish controller watching the finish allows the timers to hear some important stuff about what's happening at the finish line, without having to pay close attention to it themselves (e.g. bib numbers crosing the finish, errant slippers crossing the finish, snow spray around the photocells, and believe it or not, even birds flying through the photocell beams!
Now, back to communications between timer operators and the start and finish. If both operators can hear the start AND finish, they both are aware of exactly what's going on at both ends and can each respond rapidly when they need to intervene on the timing machines or computer(s). It also gives you two brains focussed on the whole picture - this can be very valuable when you run a two-run race with a huge field of competitors. What the first brain misses due to brain fog brought on by a long day of repetition can often be caught by the second brain.
We usually put our Sys A operator in charge of voice communication with the start and the finish, and he/she is cueing the starter as the next interval approaches (we are still in the market for an audible start clock!) and acknowledging the starter's communications about who just went on course and who went into the gate. The sys A operator also acknowledges the finish controller's communications about what's going on at the finish and asks whether they can confirm the status on racers whose times may be running long (especially important when timer operators can't see the lower course and finish line).
We have our sys B operator on the same headset line, with microphone switched off or pushed out of position, but ready to be used if the sys A operator needs help with communication wiht either end.
I think maybe the approach you've been using there for a while (sys A timer operator talking to start and sys B talking to finish) is something that evolved back in the day when bib numbers were usually written on the timer tapes by hand as competitors crossed the finish. Now we're mostly using timers that allow the operator to key in bib numbers, or load them from a PC start list, or using PC software that lets us time on computers, it's probably more reasonable to have both machine operators aware and responding to info at both ends of the course.
Have you looked at the timing booklet at:
http://home.eznet.net/~vraguso/Book_4.htmlIt's got some good guidance in it. Some of it seems to be getting a little dated, though. See chapter 8 in particular.
Steve
