[boggy marshall]

Hi all
This is my first post after joining the forum so bear with me if I'm going over old stuff but Ive searched the forums and cant find the answer.
Ive been an analogue racer for many many years and have a permanent track of classic track with 4 lanes le mans starts and 4 lane pit lane,the question is can I extend the circuit to include a large section of digital?
Can I have a 4 lane start and can I keep everything in the classic part or would pits and lemans starts have to go (I dont mind if pits have to go as I could sell on and have digital pits)and apart from the track sections what else would I need? Would one power base power all 4 lanes? And which power base,the old 6 car or the new one
I hope the community can help me and I hope Im not asking stupid questions that have been asked before,many thanks in anticipation
Boggy

 

[ss67]

Hi & welcome!

4 lane digital certainly is possible with either old (upgraded to PBPro) or new 6 car powerbase.

If it helps follow some of the links in my signature below.

 

[boggy marshall]

Hi Simon
Thanks for the links so quickly I will go through them and hopefully they will help if I have more questions "I''ll be back"
Cheers
Boggy

 

[boggy marshall]

Hi again
Is the C7030 still the best powerbase after the upgrades?
Cheers
Boggy

 

[Ade]

hi
c7042 is nudging ahead in the options dept and is now available with the high power mod.After you have had a c7030 modded to pbpro+ high power and purchased your stock base of course it works out more expensive than going for a c7042.

With your classic track there will be need to use a lot of classic to sport convertor pieces where ever you wish to insert a lane changer as well as where you want to insert the powerbase.

The 4 lane start finish has yet to be shown on here using a c7042 but as the sensors are the same for both units the conversion will be straight forward if your handy with a soldering iron.

 

[MrFlippant]

No. The APB (C7042) now has, or will have, suitable and better upgrades than the C7030. When buying your first one, there's no contest.

 

[grimboracer]

Hi boggy

i would and did go for the C7042 and due to my lack of know how got rikorocket to do the 4 lane start finsh conversion. you just need to buy a digital lap counter or old 6 car power base for the sensor track and pop the lot round to rikos and bobs your uncle, one 4 lane start finish

 

[boggy marshall]

Hi Grimboracer
Another question... If I use the pb7040 and an old 7030 for the sensor track is the wiring the same as in Riko's four lane wiring thread, I'd love to drop it round to his place but as I live in France its a bit tricky!!!

 

[grimboracer]

hi boggy

best thing to do is send rikorocket a pm, mine had diffrent colour wires and i think the boards were slighty diffrent. it took him about 2 hours including time to watch highlights from the monico grand prix.

 

[boggy marshall]

Hi Grimboracer
Sent pm to Riko and reply explained everything,the guys on here are superb many thanks to you all
Cheers
Boggy

 

[TimmyB]

Hi Boggy,

Good decision going 4 lane digital.
I expect Riko's explained the chicane method of avoiding lap counting errors when 2 cars go through the sensor together.
It used to happen very frequently especially with 6 cars racing.

It took me a lot of experimentation to optimise the set-up.
The new "sport" chicane track often allows 2 cars through together, so they're no use.
The old "classic" chicanes work a treat; If you have one or two narrow pieces between the converging pieces, then the car exits with less sideways slide.

If the car is still recovering from the chicane slide as it passes the counter sensors, then it might miss the count.
If you have too big a gap between the chicane and the counter track then fast drivers will catch slow drivers in that gap.
Hard to believe but it happens often, probably because the counter has to be followed by a sharpish corner, slowing some more than others.

So my gap between the end of the chicane and counter track is half a length i.e. one classic to sport converter piece.
We still get occasional lap counter disputes, but there are many other causes of this.

You've got a lot more trawling through the forum archives to do before your digital system can run smoothly.

6 cars on 2 lanes is too crowded, but we've found 6 cars on 4 lanes doesn't provide enough traffic problems.
I'm looking forward to the 8 car PB.
No doubt someone on this forum will invent it soon.

 

[MrFlippant]

I believe that because of the way SSD works, 8 cars is not possible. Even one additional car makes the encoded data stream too long for reliable and responsive operation of all cars.
On the bright side, if more than 6 cars is important to you, but you've already got a heavy investment in SSD, oXigen will be an easy and relatively painless upgrade path, allowing up to 20 cars on as many lanes as you care to cram in. oXigen and a dozen cars would make 4 lanes a lot more fun, as I agree that 4 is too many for 6 cars, even for only part of the lap.
The tracks of the digital club I'm racing with are all 2 lanes, even after some experimentation with 4 lanes. It only takes two cars to crash, so it's a lot more about experienced drivers that makes the difference for 6 cars on 2 lanes fun, or carnage.

 

[TimmyB]

Now look what you've done.
I thought all the hard work, getting SSD to work, was all over.
Now you point out this oXigen thing that I'd never heard of before.
I've had a quick look at the multiple threads but will need to invest a lot more time later.

Just quickly:
I can see how we can race all those cars, but what about lap counting?
How much will 8 controllers and in-car chips cost?
- I'll actually need about 40 chips.
Any mod required for lane changing?

I'm off to read more, and ask further questions on the appropriate threads.

Thanks a lot Mr Flippant!

 

[MrFlippant]

Sorry.

Please post further oXigen questions in that forum. For now, your answers are:
1) Lap counting is magnetic and easy, but SSD lap counting works for Cars 1-6.
2) Err... a lot. oXigen is the next step up in performance and will cost more. Prices are, however, projected in the oXigen FAQ.
3) Nope. SSD lane changers work with oXigen as is. No mods needed.

 

[gorp]

oh how soon we forget about glad system

my 3 and 9/10 lane pbpsh track
still runs 2 and 9/10 lanes digital
and 3 lanes analog

just stopped by sf to see if anyone chipped slotit ford gt
but would be rude to some here for even asking
have a nice day

 

[boggy marshall]

Hi TimmyB
Yes got the explanation about putting in chicane and as I already have two goodwood chicanes side by side to creat a 4 lane squeeze this wont be a problem.
Now to throw a big spanner would it be possible to convert a 4 lane pitstop..............?
Thinking caps on chaps
Cheers
Boggy