MD-300 User’s Manual Page 11
MD-300 User’s Manual Page 11 (Cont’d)
remove the Receiver or Transmitter. Align the unit on the
tripod such that the long tripod handle extends towards you
and the rear of the unit faces you.
Aligning the Electric Eyes
The infrared light from the Transmitter is emitted in a nar-
row beam. This beam must be aimed at the Receiver to en-
sure that the Receiver "sees" the light beam. The infrared
light is emitted and received through the solid black panel
on each unit – this is the front of the unit. Read the tripod
section to familiarize yourself with the tripods before at-
tempting to set up and align the Transmitter and Receiver.
To set up the electric eyes in the arena, first attach the
Transmitter and Receiver to the tripods as detailed in the
tripod section. Then adjust the tripods to the desired height.
The eyes should be high enough so that the light beam is
broken by the horse's body (not the legs).
Next, place the eyes on opposite sides of the arena. The eyes
can be separated by up to 200 feet. Aim the Transmitter in
the general direction of the Receiver and vice-versa. Plug the
cord into the rear of the Receiver now so that you do not
have to touch the Receiver after final alignment is complete.
Carefully align the Transmitter. Left to right alignment can
be checked by looking down either line on the top of the
Transmitter. The line should point straight at the Receiver.
Up and down alignment of the Transmitter is checked by
looking down the crack on the side of the unit. Adjust the
tilt such that the Receiver is directly in line when looking
straight down the crack on the side of the Transmitter.
When tightening the tripod adjustments after the align-
ments are made, make sure the alignment is still good –
tightening the tripod knobs may move your previous ad-
justment.
With the MD-300, alignment of the Receiver is also impor-
tant. Repeat the procedure described for the Transmitter
using the Receiver.
To check the alignment, follow the procedures outlined pre-
viously to turn on the Transmitter and to connect the cord
from Receiver to the Timer Console. Then turn on the Timer
Console and press the
SETUP
key. The first setup option dis-
played is the alignment status of the electric eyes. If the
eyes are properly aligned, "Good" is displayed. If not prop-
erly aligned, "bAd" is displayed. See the "Timer Setup -
Checking Electric Eye Alignment" section for more informa-
tion.
Even though the Timer Console may show "Good", if you have
not carefully aligned the eyes as outlined above, you may
have a weak alignment that is sensitive to battery condition,
dust, or sunlight. Always carefully align the electric eyes be-
fore use as outlined above.
Alignment Hints
With a little practice, you'll be able to set-up and align the
electric eyes in minutes. Below are some suggestions in the
event you cannot obtain alignment or the alignment is sen-
sitive to dust or sunlight.
• Make sure the cable plugs are fully inserted into the
Receiver and the Timer Console – push them in com-
pletely, a fraction of an inch can make a difference.
• Move the eyes closer together and re-align.
• Distance is reduced when the sun shines on the face of
the Receiver. If possible, switch sides with the Trans-
mitter to keep the sun from entering the Receiver. If not
possible to switch sides, construct a simple shade for
the Receiver.
• Check the condition of the Transmitter batteries as out-
lined in the "Checking Rechargeable Battery Condition"
section. If the batteries are dead, use an A/C adapter to
plug the Transmitter into an A/C outlet to operate. As
mentioned previously, if the batteries are severely dis-
charged, it may take several minutes before the Trans-
mitter operates properly even after the A/C adapter is
plugged in. The quickest way to restore operation to a
severely discharged Transmitter is to plug it in with the
switch turned off for one or two minutes and then turn
the switch on (leaving the A/C adapter plugged in) to
operate the Transmitter.
