# "Beacon" Lap Timer feature **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature requests\ **Created:** [April 11, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201 "2026-04-11T03:50:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/u/Solless)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/1 "2026-04-11T03:50:17Z")
Hey devs, was just wondering if it’s possible to add a “beacon” feature into RealDash for adding tracks or simple layouts when racing. AEM CD5/ CD7 Have this feature where you press the “Beacon” button at the desired start/ stop position and then the dash display picks up that GPS location and uses it for lap times. I though this may be easier to do rather than manually adding the coordinates for each track like you guys do now. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/user_avatar/forum.realdash.net/realdashdev/32/6_2.png) [@realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/u/realdashdev)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 7:04am UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/2 "2026-04-13T07:04:34Z")
Possible, yes. I will put this into feature request list. ---
**Author:** ![Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/u/Solless)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 5:43pm UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/3 "2026-04-13T17:43:55Z")
Awesome, look forward to seeing what else you guys come up! ---
**Author:** ![realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/user_avatar/forum.realdash.net/realdashdev/32/6_2.png) [@realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/u/realdashdev)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 7:06am UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/4 "2026-04-14T07:06:59Z")
This is technically easy, but requires UI work, which not our favourite. Also, our current system allows these added tracks to become available for all RealDash users at the same time. While this ‘beacon’ feature would be nice for temporary tracks and running around your home town cityblock, there is a risk that we get less track info requests and that means less new tracks would be available to other RealDash users. Also, hitting lap time into a ‘circle’ (single GPS point) is much less precise than what we currently do with lap timer. Just to let you know why I’m not super excited about this, but can see the benefit. ---
**Author:** ![Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/u/Solless)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 5:06pm UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/5 "2026-04-14T17:06:35Z")
Completely understand. My main thought behind it was because a lot of tracks I go to are privately owned (I race in the north east) so a lot of the start/ stop stuff isn’t marked or easily able to find. ---
**Author:** ![Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/u/Solless)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/6 "2026-09-15T00:02:15Z")
Hello, I was wondering if you have any ideas on how I’d be able to go about having the lap timer time out? For example when I pit out from ending a session the lap timer still continues to count until I cross the start/ stop line again. My sessions I do are typically an hour apart and even when I turn the car off and back on the lap time is still increasing. ---
**Author:** ![realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/user_avatar/forum.realdash.net/realdashdev/32/6_2.png) [@realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/u/realdashdev)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2026, 7:44am UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/7 "2026-09-15T07:44:44Z")
> [@Solless](#): > > when I turn the car off and back on the lap time is still increasing. That sounds like app is not really closed when car is turned off. But for the issue, what would you suggest? Resetting lap time every time speed goes to 0, or some other event? ---
**Author:** ![Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/u/Solless)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/8 "2026-09-15T14:21:57Z")
So if I turn ignition off, I believe the head unit just goes to “sleep”. If I turn it off at say 5:36 on the lap time and then turn it back on, it will resume from 5:36. What’s your opinion on creating some sort of action to stop the lap? It could then be configurable to do it via a trigger with vehicle speed, maybe with just a button or even based on a timer. ---
**Author:** ![realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/user_avatar/forum.realdash.net/realdashdev/32/6_2.png) [@realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/u/realdashdev)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 8:12am UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/9 "2026-09-16T08:12:49Z")
My best guess would be to just reset the timer if speed goes to zero. If you stop at the track, your lap is ruined anyways, excluding the racing with pitstops. ---
**Author:** ![ElaraHong](https://forum.realdash.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@ElaraHong](https://forum.realdash.net/u/ElaraHong)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2026, 11:17am UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/10 "2026-09-21T11:17:45Z")
A beacon-based lap timer would be really useful, especially if the timing is consistent from lap to lap. It’d be nice to have a way to set the beacon location and then review individual lap times afterward, rather than only seeing the current lap time. ---
**Author:** ![Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/u/Solless)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2026, 6:51pm UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/11 "2026-09-21T18:51:01Z")
Do you think that’s easily doable with a trigger? I was also trying to add a text speak when I get a new “Best Lap” but had a brain fart after it kept repeating itself over and over again lol. I’d like it to announce that “That was your fastest lap” just once. ---
**Author:** ![realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/user_avatar/forum.realdash.net/realdashdev/32/6_2.png) [@realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/u/realdashdev)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 6:23am UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/12 "2026-09-23T06:23:59Z")
> [@ElaraHong](#): > > review individual lap times afterward, rather than only seeing the current lap time. For My RealDash subscribers, track sessions are uploaded to My RealDash for review. ---
**Author:** ![realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/user_avatar/forum.realdash.net/realdashdev/32/6_2.png) [@realdashdev](https://forum.realdash.net/u/realdashdev)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 6:27am UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/13 "2026-09-23T06:27:34Z")
> [@Solless](#): > > Do you think that’s easily doable with a trigger? I think I will add a new “Reset Lap Timer” action as a quick patch. Then you can easily add a button to reset. I don’t like the idea for automatically resetting per speed. ---
**Author:** ![Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Solless](https://forum.realdash.net/u/Solless)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 11:12pm UTC](https://forum.realdash.net/t/beacon-lap-timer-feature/10201/14 "2026-09-24T23:12:59Z")
Love it, I appreciate you taking inputs from the community and making changes based on them. Look forward to messing with that change.