Nielsen-Kellerman SpeedCoach XL3 Instruction Manual
Also see for SpeedCoach XL3: Troubleshooting
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Ten years ago, Nielsen-Kellerman introduced itsfirst speed computer, aptly named the"PaceCoach." I was the cox for the U.S. women'seight under head coach Hartmut Buschacher, andNK generously sent us a unit to use for training.Weembraced it immediately. For the first time,coxswains and rowers were able to see their 500msplits instantaneously. The PaceCoach also gavespeed in meters per second, stroke rate, distancetraveled, and you could program the unit for timedand distance pieces. Because the technology wasso new to the rowing world, USRowing asked meto write an article for American Rowing magazine.We named it, "Demystifying the Pace Coach”, and itdetailed how coaches and teams could truly usethe unit to optimize training.Now, a decade later, NK continues to show whythey are the leaders in developing on-the-waterrowing feedback equipment. When they asked meto test-drive the new Speed Coach XL and write apiece on how to make the most of it, of course Icouldn't resist. A lot has changed since theintroduction of the PaceCoach-most significantlythe XL's ability to transmit the speed readingsfrom the in-shell unit to the coach's motorboat. Nolonger does the coach have to rely on asking a coxto shout out readings during a piece, or have towait until after the piece to find out the splitaverage from the rowers.Install it and GO!As soon as the XL wiring and impeller are installedyou can slide the XL unit onto its mount andimmediately start watching your splits. If you haveone in your coaching launch, go ahead and turn onthe "radio" feature and experience transmittingyour splits from "boat" to "coach" in real time fromas far as 400 meters away. Your coach will see theexact same data you're seeing: splits, meters, time,stroke rate, even heart rate if you're using the heartrate monitor feature. Some rowers and teams willbe content with this and go no further. My advice:Don't stop there!The unit is so easy to use that all of us who testdrove it did so without receiving instructions. Themenu is virtually self-explanatory. A few things I'dadvise you to check out and take advantage of:- Go ahead and name your unit something"speedy," and plug in the "Group Name" & "PrivateID." This allows your coach to know which boat heor she is monitoring, and also ensures that no oneelse can intercept your readings.- Notice that the "time of day" is displayed in thelower right hand corner. If you're at a regatta, plugin "regatta time." And it even has military time forthose international races. No worries aboutgetting to the starting line on time now!Really Using the FeaturesNow that you've got all of this instantaneousfeedback, how do you use it? Odds are you boughtthis unit because you're on a competitive teamand/or you want to truly monitor your trainingprogram. That's exactly why we embraced the XL'spredecessors on the National Team. Here are a fewways to truly use the SpeedCoach XL's information:Steady State/Aerobic Base training: Back in myday, we would actively use the "pace" reading withthe goal of maintaining a certain split range for theentire workout. I'll use some of these examples aswe monitored everything that we did. Our splitgoal for 4 x 20 minutes at stroke rate 20 was 1:50-1:52 (/500). With the XL, the heart rate feature isvery handy for this workout. A typical heart rate formost of our rowers was 140-148. But if someone'sheart rate was soaring by the end of the workout,we knew that they were either working too hard tomaintain the target, or maybe they were feelingunder the weather. Now with the XL, the coach canmonitor pace, distance traveled, elapsed time andheart rate simultaneously and LIVE.*Technique evaluation: With instantaneousfeedback literally at the coach's fingertipsthroughout the workout--the XL seriouslyadvances how a coach can implement technicalimprovements. Now when a coach is giving thecrew instructions on things to change-like quickerleg drive at the catch, unified body swing timing,or even just cleaning up the finishes-s/he can seehow it affects the speed immediately. A really coolthing to witness is how a technical improvementby ONE person in an eight can often improve thesplits a couple of seconds.Race Level: The things you can do here are prettyamazing. Because the unit is so versatile, you cando racing pieces and interval work using meters,strokes, and/or time. You can even combine all ofthose measurements in one workout. For a raceprep workout of 4 x 500m, for example, I canactually program in 30 minutes for warm-up.ThenI'll plug in 500m, 5 minutes rest, and "loop" it fourtimes. Last, I'll add a 20 minute cool down. BecauseI can input all of these items in ONE workout, it's agreat training tool for coxswains for warm-upTraining with the SpeedCoach XLby Yaz Farooq14At present, NK can only guarantee interference-free readings for XL heart rate monitors when there is only ONEchest-belt transmitter within a 6-foot range of the heart rate sensor at any time. As a result, it is possible to use twomonitors in most pairs or doubles by placing the stroke seat sensor close to the stern end of the seat deck, andthe bow-seat sensor close to the bow end of the deck. In larger shells, the monitors and sensors will need to be atleast two seats apart (i.e. at 2 and 4 seats, not at 2 and 3 seats). In larger team boats, it is likely that heart ratesystems in adjacent seats will interfere with each other. (This includes having a rower wear a personal heart ratemonitor in a seat adjacent to a rower using an XL4.)BatteriesThe SpeedCoach XL uses a lithium-ion battery, similar to the one used in cell phones. These batteries are bothrechargeable and user-replaceable. To charge your XL, simply slide it into the charging station. The screen willindicate that the unit is charging and what percent of the battery is charged. A dead battery requires 5 to 7 hoursto fully charge. It is not necessary to let the battery completely drain between charging - frequent charging willnot diminish the battery’s life.Daily battery life is diminished faster with frequent backlight use, and when transmitting or receiving data.Typicalbattery life from a full charge:Unit Backlight off Backlight onCoach Unit 16 hours 13 hoursBoat Unit 24 hours 18 hoursRadio off 92 hours 39 hoursThe battery indicator can be used as a guide to estimate how much battery life remains on your SpeedCoach XL.When the battery is fully charged, there are five bars comprised of 5 pixels each on the battery indicator.Each pixel represents approximately the following amount of time:Unit Backlight off Backlight onCoach 1 pixel = 38 minutes 1 pixel = 31 minutesBoat 1 pixel = 1 hour 1 pixel = 43 minutesRadio off 1 pixel = 3.6 hours 1 pixel = 1.6 hoursThe battery in the XL should last 3 to 5 years before it needs to be replaced (depending on use.) Replacementbatteries are user-installable. Contact NK to purchase a new battery.When your battery is completely drained or replaced, or following a full system reset, the battery indication willbe estimated until the unit has been fully charged. The battery icon will be a solid battery rather than an outlineto indicate the estimate mode. When the battery has been fully charged, the battery indicator will be calculatedexactly again.The memory and settings (except date and time) will be saved during a battery drain or replacement.It is highly recommended that users DO NOT open the battery door unnecessarily. Once the battery door is open,the Speedcoach is not waterproof.The battery door must be reinstalled (with the battery door's o-ring) for the unitto be waterproof again. Instructions are supplied with replacement battery packs or online: www.nkhome.com.AntennaWhen attaching the antenna, finger tighten only, no more than four full turns. Over-tightening may damage theantenna. Do not over-tighten!The antenna may be removed simply by unscrewing it at its base. This plug is a water-tight connection, and theXL’s waterproofness will not be diminished if it is used without an antenna attached. However, it is recommendedthat you leave the antenna attached whenever possible, even if the radio function is turned off. This will ensurethat the plug stays dry and does not corrode. The carry pouch provided with your XL has a slot in the sidedesigned for use with the antenna attached to the unit. Simply slide the antenna through the slot first, then fit theunit into the case and zip closed. Additionally, there is a loop in the pouch that the antenna can fit into when notattached to the unit.13 |
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