'Big-G' Restoration Project, Breathing life back into the old track.... Options

[jimk04]

Tested the sensors last night and right enough as per our suspicions - lane 2 was amiss...the earth wire was adrift of the sensor.

Wired back up and all 4 lanes seem to read the correct values when tested with a meter.

Only thing now is the PC seems to have thrown a wobbly....maybe the cold....It booted up first thing, but then crashed and went dead!

Hey ho, one step forward.....!

Ian has taken it away for the big hammer treatment.!

[Ian B]

haven't had a chance to look at it yet, but strong suspicion it was something to do with the weather! I’m certain I’ll have it up and running by Thursday…

[Ian B]

Computer Still Dead! I gave it plenty of time to dry? If that was the problem, but it still doesn't work so it's time to delve deeper

[lee.bes]

Good stuff on the track guys Dave L came good with the lane 2 suspicions. I'll email him and thanks him for the help.

Wouldn't surprise me if the coldness in that room has killed the PC...we've been having loads of problems with our machines this week standing in cold warehouses, they are basically big PC's as well.

I'll loads the SlotMaster software onto my laptop next week so we can test and run the track from that if Ian has no joy!

[Ian B]

I suspect it was more the damp than the cold our server rooms are COLD!
Anyway it was the PSU and it is now replaced all back up and running

Perhaps we need to think about some sort of protection for the future?

[delta]

Delta !!.

I know who you are !!.

Jamie.

Can you remember the "Magnet Fest" at Tag Models ??.

How the devil are you ?, How are you getting on ??, Still in the retail world ???.

Where are you these days, could we expect a visit ??.

VBR Chris.

ps: Glossop ??!!.

Eyup Chris! How the devil are you? I'm doing well, been living in Glossop for close to 6 years now. I've not worked in retail since 2009, and I currently have a 9-5 office job earning more than I ever did in retail. Not loads more, but I'm not complaining

I occasionally check out these forums to see what people are up to. I don't get over to Gainsborough very often though, usually just when I'm across at my parents, and that tends to be at weekends these days...

Not sure if I'll be across over xmas, but if there's running on the Thursday then I may well do - someone will have to lend me some cars though, the tyres on mine are probably like granite!

I do indeed remember the 'Magnet Fest' at Tag! I remember the F1 car I had there (Scalextric McLaren MP4/10), where the magnet I'd put on it was so powerful that you could drive at full throttle around the whole track, even around the sharp hairpin! Kinda took all the fun out of it really...

[Mick Kerr]

Diff tack, I seem to recall a prob at Wolves, where the neg was cut off by the timer and one had zero braking at the end of a race.

The problem you mention would be an easy one to over look, as the SM system does cut the negative feed to cut the power after 3 mins, and the brakes are on the negative circuit. One we will have to test!

Hi Guys,
Hope everything is going to plan.
I'm certainly looking forward to racing on the track at the Trans-Am event.

As regards the above issue. It's simple really.
You must cut the power between the PSU and the controller sockets and not between the controller sockets and the track.
It doesn't matter whether it's the negative or the positive that's being cut either.
In other words , the controllers must always remain connected to the track for the brakes to work.
It's obvious when you see it written down but not quite so obvious when you're working upside down amongst all the wiring under a track.
Wolves wasn't the only place where this issue cropped up. (It's now been sorted).
Anyone who raced at the Donington Festival will remember the same thing happening there.
Everyone ended up on the floor at least once and I seem to recall that Chris wrecked his quickest car in one such incident.

Tested the sensors last night and right enough as per our suspicions - lane 2 was amiss...the earth wire was adrift of the sensor.

The Slotmaster system looks for each lane in turn, and stops looking when it doesn't find one.
It's programmed for 6 lanes so on a two lane track it will only find two and operate quite happily like that.
If it only finds one, two or three on a four or six lane track it will operate those lanes quite happily.
When this happens it is always the next lane in the sequence that has a problem and the system will not look beyond that lane.
It just assumes that the ones it has found are all that exist.

Cheers.
Mick.

[jimk04]

Thank for that info Mick. We did get it all sorted and the system would seem to be working well. I did forget to check if we had brakes when the power is cut tho!

[Ian B]

It’s all coming together now, all working, just playing with the cosmetic side of the track, won’t be long till we are actually racing on this track!

[CJA]

Nice photos Ian, thanks for posting.

As anyone can see from the wall scenery, the track is set in a far flung tropical island region, perhaps just East of Java !!??.

That would explain some of the rumblings heard, although they usually coincide with poor marshalling !!.

VBR Chris.

[Ian B]

Jim I have spoken to Lee (Jnr) I should have the fuses tonight

[jimk04]

Great was just thinking about that!

[Ian B]

I have a batch of Manufacturers Decals/Stickers for Big G

[lee.bes]

Good stuff Ian...the track is really looking now with the new curtain and all the stickers