Hands on with the Fastime 22 Solar Assisted Stopwatch

The solar assisted Fastime 22 stopwatch

Fastime 22 – solar assisted stopwatch

Features

  • Solar panel
  • One/Two Fast Finish
  • Curved screen
  • Single display
  • Time, date and alarm
  • Vibrant yellow, rugged case

Introduction

The Fastime 22 is unique to our line up of stopwatches. At the time of writing this ‘hands on’, it is the only stopwatch currently available from our online store that boasts a solar panel.

This zero memory, single display stopwatch offers timing up to 12 hours (1/100th second for the first 30 minutes, then in one second increments thereafter) and a One/Two Fast Finish function. Other features include time (12 hour or 24 hour), day, date and an alarm.

Hands On

After taking the Fastime 22 from its packaging for the first time, the vibrant yellow colouring and smooth, oval shaping are immediately obvious. The stopwatch sits nicely in the hand and the build quality makes the Fastime 22 feel capable enough to withstand rough handling. The wide lanyard included is well made and feels comfortable around the neck.

Rather unusually, the Fastime 22 sports not one or two, but three mode buttons in addition to the Split/Reset and Start/Stop buttons. Regardless of whether you’re right or left handed – your finger or thumb will never be far away from a mode button on this stopwatch! Each button sits almost flush with the case, but protrudes just enough to make them easily accessible by touch alone. The Split/Reset and Start/Stop buttons give a quiet beep when pressed during stopwatch mode.

The display features large, 12mm high digits, with the split seconds (or seconds when in time of day mode) showing on the readout with a red tint – unusual, but really quite effective. The clear, curved screen that protects the display looks pretty tough and fits in well with the overall design. The only drawback with this style of curved screen is that it tends to distort the display when observing the stopwatch from more acute angles, however this is a minor quibble that isn’t generally encountered when the stopwatch is in real use.

Above the display is the Fastime 22's key feature – the solar panel. It should be noted that this is a solar assisted stopwatch, rather than fully solar powered, so the solar panel effectively helps to extend the life of the battery. Fortunately this does mean that timing isn’t lost if you pop the stopwatch in your pocket whilst its running!

Functionality of the Fastime 22 is straightforward and easy to use. The time of day and day of week are indicated during time mode, with the an alarm function available if required.

Pressing any one of the mode buttons will switch to stopwatch mode where timing can begin. The Start/Stop button can be used to pause/resume timing as required and the Split/Reset button to take lap times or zero the timer. The One/Two Fast Finish function allows the first and second place times to be easily recorded using a combination of these two buttons.

Further presses of the mode button will allow the user to set the time/day/date and alarm.

Summary

If you’re looking for a stopwatch that offers simple timing functionality with the added benefit of solar power, look no further than the Fastime 22. The smooth curved design, feels solid whilst also sitting nicely in the hand. A wide, comfortable lanyard and large display are welcome additions.

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