This guide covers setting up the measurement rail, calibrating your takeoff boards, and running a long or triple jump competition with JumpRail. The same guidance is available any time from the Help button in the top-right corner of every screen in the app. All setup and calibration values are entered in metric units.
Before launching JumpRail, pair your Bluetooth laser rangefinder with your iPhone from the iPhone’s Bluetooth settings. Once paired, JumpRail connects to the rangefinder automatically every time it is opened.
A measurement rail is installed alongside the landing pit.
Secure two measuring tapes at the takeoff board foul line and extend them through the sand pit to the far end. Continue past the pit and secure the tapes tightly so they stay suspended above the sand and level with the takeoff board.
Position the rail parallel to the pit. The spotting laser mounted on the carriage must also be parallel to the takeoff board.
Use the spotting laser to “toe-in” or “toe-out” the rail until it is perfectly parallel to the board:
Mount the carriage, which holds the:
Install the reflector at the end of the rail the distance laser measures toward. The reflector is always mounted on the left side of the rail. Verify that the reflector and the measuring laser are properly aligned.
Open JumpRail and tap the Rail icon in the lower-left corner of the screen. Select the side of the pit where the rail is installed. This setting determines whether the measured laser offset is added to or subtracted from the tape measurement when calculating jump distances.
Attach a measuring tape to the center of the takeoff board and extend it through the pit so it remains suspended above the sand and level with the runway. This calibration must be completed for every takeoff board that will be used during the competition.
The measuring laser triggers automatically, obtains a distance reading, calculates the offset, and displays both the board identifier and the calibrated offset value. Repeat this procedure for each takeoff board used during the competition.
If an incorrect board number or distance is entered before pressing Enter, tap CLR to clear the entry.
Tap the Airplane icon to select the current competition flight: Flight 1, Flight 2, Flight 3, or Final.
After each round of competition, return to the Flight screen and select the next active flight.
Tap the Running Figure icon to enter the Event screen.
All calibrated takeoff boards appear as buttons along the bottom of the screen. Select the board used for the athlete’s attempt. If only one board has been calibrated, it remains selected automatically.
After the athlete lands:
The measuring laser triggers automatically and calculates the jump distance using the selected board’s stored offset. If necessary, tap Distance again to take a new measurement.
Once a valid distance has been measured:
These buttons remain disabled until a valid measurement has been captured. When Fair or Foul is selected, the current distance is saved to the database, the measured distance is cleared from the screen, and the recorded result appears in the lower-right corner as the most recently measured jump.
If a foul jump is being protested, record the jump as a foul and immediately tap Protest. The protest must be entered before any subsequent measurement is taken. The result is flagged in the database as a protested attempt.
Tap the Trophy icon to view recorded performances. The Results screen displays every recorded jump, including distance, fair / foul status, protest indicators, and flight information.
Tap the Running Figure icon to return to the Event screen.
JumpRail includes a configurable countdown timer for athlete warmups. The timer defaults to 15 minutes but can be adjusted using the + and − controls before or during operation.
When the countdown reaches zero, the message WARMUP COMPLETE is displayed prominently on the screen. Tap anywhere on the message to clear it and reset the timer.
JumpRail can broadcast live results and timer updates to multiple iPads running Traxxtar LaserPad (available on the App Store), letting athletes, coaches, spectators, and officials view results and warmup timing on larger displays throughout the event.
Results and timer updates are transmitted automatically whenever a jump is recorded or the timer changes.
Foul attempts are shown on connected LaserPad screens as a red flag indicator rather than a distance measurement.
If the laser rangefinder fails to return a measurement, the device itself may enter an error state. To clear the error:
This restores normal communication between JumpRail and the rangefinder.
Every JumpRail screen has a Help button in the top-right corner. It opens this same guidance inside the app, so you can check a step in the middle of a meet without leaving what you’re doing.
For anything not covered here, email official@traxxtar.com.
