Timer jack cable (2.5 mm - 3.5 mm)

Timer jack cable 2.5 mm - 3.5 mm

A short audio cable with a 2.5 mm jack plug on one end and a 3.5 mm jack plug on the other. It connects a Speed Stacks timer to a computer. The smaller plug goes into the data port on the timer and the larger one into the microphone input on your computer. Once connected, times from the timer go straight to your timing program, so you don't have to type them in by hand after every solve.

How it works

A Stackmat-type timer sends the time through its data port as an audio signal. The computer receives it through the microphone input, and a program such as csTimer in Stackmat mode converts this signal into a time. This way you practice at home just like at WCA competitions: you start and stop with your hands on the timer, while statistics, averages and solve history are saved in the program.

What to check before you buy

• The cable connects to the microphone input, not the headphone output. On computers with a single combined audio jack (common in laptops and newer MacBooks) you may need an adapter or an external USB sound card with a separate microphone input.
• Timer compatibility. The cable fits timers with a 2.5 mm data port. It is most often used with Speed Stacks G4 timers. If you have a different model, check that it has this connector before you buy.
• Browser and settings. Browser-based programs need access to the microphone. If the signal doesn't come through, choosing the correct audio input or switching browsers usually does the trick.

Who is it for?

For people who already own a Speed Stacks timer and want to practice with it at the computer: speedcubers who want statistics from a real timer, and people who practice speed stacking. The cable does not replace a timer and does not measure anything by itself. It is only a connection between the timer and the computer.

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 the session with ao5 and ao12 averages - just like in csTimer.

• Work via cable: SpeedStacks G4 and G5, QiYi, QiYi Mythical and Sengso.
• Do not work via cable: MoYu and YJ timers - in our tests they sent no signal through the port.
• SpeedStacks G5: the data port is on the underside and 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 0 dB microphone boost.
• Laptop with a single jack (headphones and microphone combined): you need a TRRS splitter, and you plug the timer cable into the “microphone” part. On some laptops this jack 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 jack (not “Microphone Array” - that's the built-in microphone), set the input volume to about 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 directly into the phone's jack doesn't work - the phone doesn't treat 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

• Type: 2.5 mm jack - 3.5 mm jack audio cable
• Use: connecting a Speed Stacks timer to a computer
• Manufacturer: Zcube
• Color: black