Speed Stacks Cable for G5 Timer (2.5 mm - 3.5 mm)

Speed Stacks Cable for G5 Timer

Speed Stacks Cable for G5 Timer is an original Speed Stacks data cable. It connects the G5 timer to the Speed Stacks Tournament Display, so the time from the timer appears on the big screen. This is exactly the setup you see at the stations during WCA competitions, but the cable is just as useful in a club, at school or for home practice with a display. The cable has no power plug. It only carries the signal from the timer, so it does not power the display.

Cable design

• Two different jack plugs: 2.5 mm on one end and 3.5 mm on the other.
• Length approx. 2 m. The timer can sit on the mat in front of the competitor, while the display stands further away, where spectators can see it clearly.
• Thin, lightweight lead with a diameter of approx. 1.8 mm. It doesn't get in the way on the table and is easy to coil up and pack in your bag together with the timer.
• Colour: black.

What it's useful for

Most people buy it as a replacement when the original cable from the display set gets lost or starts to fail. Plugs and leads wear out over time, especially when the equipment often travels to competitions. That's when a spare cable comes in handy for every organizer and club.

Using the same standard (2.5 mm to 3.5 mm), you can also connect the timer to a computer through the microphone input, e.g. to send times from the timer straight to csTimer. Whether this works depends on the computer and the type of audio socket. Laptops with a single combined headphone and microphone socket usually need an adapter.

Original or third-party?

2.5-3.5 mm cables bought in an electronics store don't always work well with the timer. Users report that with third-party cables the timer can stop on its own or fail to start properly. The original Speed Stacks cable is designed for this set, so this problem is unlikely.

Tested with our timer

We tested this connection with our free cube timer (the "Cable timer" tab): you start and stop with your hands on the timer, and times are saved automatically in a session with ao5 and ao12 averages - just like in csTimer.

• SpeedStacks G5: the data socket is on the bottom and is recessed - push the plug all the way in (a plug that isn't fully inserted = no signal). The G5 has a strong signal, so the most important setting with it is a microphone boost of 0 dB.
• Work via cable: SpeedStacks G4 and G5, QiYi, QiYi Mythical and Sengso.
• Don't work via cable: MoYu and YJ timers - in our tests they didn't send any signal through the socket.
• Laptop with a single socket (headphones and microphone combined): you need a TRRS splitter, and you plug the timer cable into the "microphone" part. On some laptops this kind of socket doesn't detect a microphone at all - in that case a USB sound card with a separate microphone input helps.
• Windows: in the sound settings, select the microphone from the socket (not "Microphone Array" - that's the built-in microphone), set the input volume to around 30%, the microphone boost to 0 dB and turn off audio enhancements. If the signal is too loud, the time on the screen freezes.
• Phone: a timer plugged straight into the phone's socket doesn't work - the phone doesn't recognize it as a microphone. With a splitter the signal gets through, but in our tests it was too loud and distorted. On a phone, the QiYi Timer Bluetooth Adapter works best - no cable needed.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: Speed Stacks
• Purpose: connecting the Speed Stacks G5 timer to the Speed Stacks Tournament Display
• Connectors: 2.5 mm jack and 3.5 mm jack
• Length: approx. 2 m
• Cable diameter: approx. 1.8 mm
• Weight: approx. 18 g
• Colour: black