# To trust the Stackmat or to trust your instincts



## Phlippieskezer (May 15, 2011)

Hello. I was just wondering: Do you guys ever get a solve so ridiculously awesome or so horribly bad, according to your timer, but it felt like an average solve?

I average 25 seconds, Roux.
I just got a 10.97 solve (according to my stackmat)... With 2-look CMLL. I honestly don't know what to think about this. Not skips. :fp

Dysfunctional timer, or awesomeness? I really don't know.


----------



## emolover (May 15, 2011)

Phlippieskezer said:


> Hello. I was just wondering: Do you guys ever get a solve so ridiculously awesome or so horribly bad, according to your timer, but it felt like an average solve?
> 
> I average 25 seconds, Roux.
> I just got a 10.97 solve (according to my stackmat)... With 2-look CMLL. I honestly don't know what to think about this. :fp


 
If you doubt it then use qqtimer.


----------



## Phlippieskezer (May 15, 2011)

But I can't replicate my time, or the solve. 
The scramble was from a random generator: http://www.worldcubeassociation.org...3&num=5&len=30&col=yobwrg&subbutton=Scramble!
By the way. I didn't save the scramble... Unless there's a way to retrieve an old one?

I probably should use qqtimer more, though. My stackmat seems to be rusty as of late. -.-

[EDIT]: The purpose of the thread isn't to help my case personally; that was just an example. But, how often does this happen? >.< I don't know whether to look angry at my timer and say "stupid mechanism" or to jump up and be merry, running around in circles in joy.


----------



## IamWEB (May 15, 2011)

I trust myself, and myself trusts the stackmat timer.


----------



## maggot (May 15, 2011)

Stackmat is a fairly accurate machine. This is why it is the only approved timer in the WCA. There have been many instances of timer malfunction but they are fairly rare. In my personal experiences, some of the reasons why a stackmat goes crazy are
1) the battery is becoming low
2) if your stackmat is connected to something other than a display using the data port
3) if you have an unusual magnetic charge in your body and are hovering closely to the timer
4) if it is broken
5) mistakenly stopping the timer mid solve (you would probably know if you did or not)
6) if you are having a lucky day.

It could really be one of many things.. if it was random and continues working fine many times after, it most likely was luck solve or accidentally stopping the timer mid solve. If was 2 look cmll and you avg around 20+, it was probably a timer malfunction.


----------



## DavidWoner (May 15, 2011)

emolover said:


> If you doubt it then use qqtimer.


 
Yeah because qqtimer never lags or starts late or anything like that.


----------



## daniel0731ex (May 15, 2011)

Buy the QJ Time Machine, because time is relative.


----------



## Chapuunka (May 15, 2011)

Were your hands very close to the timer at any time during the solve?


----------



## Lucas Garron (May 15, 2011)

Chapuunka said:


> Were your hands very close to the timer at any time during the solve?


This.

A timer can keep track of time better than you, assuming it's calibrated (probably) and you're sure you're using it correctly (maybe not). Hand scrapes are common, and if your Stackmat is low on battery, for example, it can be more sensitive.


----------



## Phlippieskezer (May 15, 2011)

maggot said:


> 1) the battery is becoming low
> 2) if your stackmat is connected to something other than a display using the data port
> 3) if you have an unusual magnetic charge in your body and are hovering closely to the timer
> 4) if it is broken
> ...


 
1) I think this is probably the most likely cause.
2) It was connected to nothing.
3) I have this strange (although I suppose somewhat healthy) habit of pushing my chair (which has wheels) 2 - 3 metres away from the timer when I'm doing a solve. It's very unlikely that I mistakenly touched it early... Unless I have a _really_ unusual magnetic charge. 
4) Seemed to work fine with all my other solves...
5) Same as 3.
6) Doubt it. 

Yeah, I'm definitely thinking timer malfunction. -.- Whilst it felt like one of my better solves, probably sub-20, it most certainly did not feel like a 10-second solve.


----------



## waffle=ijm (May 15, 2011)

Phlippieskezer said:


> I average 25 seconds, Roux.


 
There's your problem. nobody uses Roux cuz it's slow :3


----------



## PatrickJameson (May 15, 2011)

maggot said:


> Stackmat is a fairly accurate machine. This is why it is the only approved timer in the WCA.


 
There are a million more accurate timers out there. The reason(or at least a reason other than the one you provided) the Stackmat is the only approved timer is so we have a standard timing device for everyone. There's no question about whether someone had an advantage over another person because they used different timers if they use the same timers.


----------



## izovire (May 15, 2011)

I've done this a few times with and without a stackmat timer. What feels like an average solve that was actually very fast. It usually happens when I'm really relaxed and not thinking of anything... 

Other than that I think stackmats malfunction too often. It's so frustrating when it happens in competition


----------



## 5BLD (May 15, 2011)

It's happened to me many times when timing even with qqtimer before. What felt like an amazing solve was just... an average solve, and what felt like a terrible solve is... an average solve as well.


----------



## uberCuber (May 15, 2011)

qqtimer did a strange malfunction twice that I have seen: It was counting up like normal, and then suddenly when it reached ~25 seconds or so, it randomly jumped up to ~40, and continued counting normally. When it did so, it did not lag at all. It was weird.


----------



## Phlippieskezer (May 15, 2011)

uberCuber said:


> qqtimer did a strange malfunction twice that I have seen: It was counting up like normal, and then suddenly when it reached ~25 seconds or so, it randomly jumped up to ~40, and continued counting normally. When it did so, it did not lag at all. It was weird.


 
Maybe I had a similar malfunction, just jumping down.

Weird indeed.


----------



## Shortey (May 15, 2011)

DavidWoner said:


> Yeah because qqtimer never lags or starts late or anything like that.


 
You must have a shitty computer.


----------



## JonWhite (May 15, 2011)

Shortey said:


> You must have a shitty computer.


 
happens to me a lot. And my computer is not bad.


----------



## Rook (May 15, 2011)

My perception of time is really off, so I trust the timer. A 25 second solve does not feel like 25 seconds, regardless of what I'm using to time myself.


----------



## Specs112 (May 15, 2011)

waffle=ijm said:


> There's your problem. nobody uses Roux cuz it's slow :3


 
BLASPHEMY!


----------



## Ranzha (May 16, 2011)

When in doubt, video.


----------

