Note : Each order includes 6 devices. E.g., "Qty 2" means 12 timers!

Introducing Electronic Sand Timers

Electronic sand timers are great! They improve on everything you enjoy about traditional sand timers:

• Customizable: Easily and quickly configured from 15 seconds up to 3 minutes
• Compact: Fits in the footprint of a traditional sand timer, but with a slim height that easily fits in your pocket or game box
• Simple: Just push a button
• Useful: A great addition to any game as a turn timer or a sand timer replacement
• No Waiting: Don't wait for sand to run out before restarting, just push the button to restart the timer immediately
• Visible: Easy to see from across the table
• Reliable: Won't get stuck like traditional sand timer, very durable, and more accurate
• Fun: Best of all, they're lots of fun to use!

What's Included?

Each order includes six fully-assembled electronic sand timers, plus...

• An instruction card explaining how to reconfigure the timer duration -- a QR code on the back directs you to a video if you learn better by watching
• A sturdy EVA foam tray used for safe shipping and for easy storage after arrival Batteries are not included

Are you a visual learner? Check out the short instructional video on how to reconfigure the timers!

Packaging

Every order is packaged with a custom tray made of sturdy EVA foam. The tray keeps the devices safe during shipping and makes a great storage solution after arrival.

3D Printed Cases

STL files for 3d printed cases are available for download on Thingiverse and, with extra support files, on GitHub. If you have a 3d printer or access to one at a local library, so you create your own sleek cases.

By themselves, the case holes do not allow much light through. For the light to really pop and shine, add 1.5mm PMMA cables or pieces of clear filament and trim them flush with the top. These serve as light pipes, funneling the light from the LEDs through the case and allowing the lights to be as bright as without the case. 1.5 PMMA cable is available through eBay or AliExpress, among other places. A very short strand is enough for dozens of cases.

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Development History

Electronic sand timers started as a personal project and eventually became a successful Kickstarter project.

The design went through several iterations before arriving at its current state. During each step, both supervised and blind testing were performed to ensure they were easy to use and reconfigure. It's durable, easy to use, and compact. It's also configurable to run between 15 seconds and 3 minutes, enough to accommodate most board games (and other fun applications!). BoardGameGeek.com has a list of board game sand timer durations.

The design is based around a PIC10LF320 microcontroller. It's tiny -- just 0.05" x 0.12" (1.3mm x 2.9), which is about half the size of a grain of rice in the picture.

I designed the first iteration six years ago. Since that time, my gaming group has used them both as sand timer replacements and as turn timers. We particularly enjoy how timed turns can heighten theme and excitement while encouraging AP-prone players to plan turns beforehand and enjoy a "good enough" decision over a "perfect" one. We have some games, even cooperative ones, that we won't play without an electronic sand timer. We store timers in the board game boxes and we've noticed the batteries last for years.