Hi Doc, as I said earlier I will do this mod, but not until they reopen the airports here...when I do the mod I'll likely just cut the grey wire and put a switch in there that will be accessible thru the side of the track...I've got loads of the small switches that came out of my Carrera cars that were used to switch polarity
ARC PRO simple mod to switch the lap sensor into APB-mode
This simple modification switches the lap counting sensor of the ARC PRO into an APB-compatible mode.
The modification relaxes the ID-LED-to-guide-blade constraints of the ARC PRO enabling cars with surechange guides and/or cars with ID LEDs placed a long way back from the guide blade, still, to function correctly. This is achieved by switching the lap counting dual sensor into an APB-compatibility mode.
In making this modification, the analog lap counting function is lost.
The modification is straight forward... and done carefully can be reversed if necessary.
The modification is for DIGITAL use only.
The following nine photos show the procedure (no text)...
C
![Wood Rectangle Fixture Gas Bumper]()
![Font Audio equipment Gas Electrical wiring Electronic device]()
![Circuit component Font Gas Electronic component Fixture]()
![Audio equipment Gadget Gas Electronic device Technology]()
![White Technology Gas Audio equipment Fixture]()
![Gas Audio equipment Font Machine Wire]()
![Gadget Audio equipment Electrical wiring Font Gas]()
![Rectangle Wood Gas Machine Electronic device]()
![Electronic instrument Audio equipment Gas Gadget Musical instrument accessory]()
The modification relaxes the ID-LED-to-guide-blade constraints of the ARC PRO enabling cars with surechange guides and/or cars with ID LEDs placed a long way back from the guide blade, still, to function correctly. This is achieved by switching the lap counting dual sensor into an APB-compatibility mode.
In making this modification, the analog lap counting function is lost.
The modification is straight forward... and done carefully can be reversed if necessary.
The modification is for DIGITAL use only.
The following nine photos show the procedure (no text)...
C
Attachments
21 - 40 of 54 Posts
Once we get past lock-down there is another variant of this mod to share which involves a small plug-in module and one solder point. This does the digital/analog switching automatically - no extra switch required. I have promised to send of these modules out to forum friends who have offered to test the mod. So hopefully I can update on this at some point over the summer 
C
C
Hi Dr_C
I have slot.it and BRM cars that have the problem with the led and the new Arc Pro powerbase. i also have a old C7042, that I could use for this change. But my technical knowledge on doing those kind of changes is equal zero
![biggrin.png]()
Could you as a another example create a very good video for "dummies", so it was possible to create this change?
I am using Magic App for my Arc Pro powerbase, doing this modification would that have any impact on my Magic App RMS?
On my Scalextric track where the Arc Pro is connected I also use Oxygen system from slot.it, would that still work after doing this change?
Many thanks in advance
I have slot.it and BRM cars that have the problem with the led and the new Arc Pro powerbase. i also have a old C7042, that I could use for this change. But my technical knowledge on doing those kind of changes is equal zero
Could you as a another example create a very good video for "dummies", so it was possible to create this change?
I am using Magic App for my Arc Pro powerbase, doing this modification would that have any impact on my Magic App RMS?
On my Scalextric track where the Arc Pro is connected I also use Oxygen system from slot.it, would that still work after doing this change?
Many thanks in advance
Thanks Mr F
Bit the bullet yesterday and did the mod (I only cut and taped the grey wire)...had a race this afternoon and not one lap lost...
Using this mod to switch the ARC PRO into APB-mode... four lane start/finish lines become possible... but with limitations...
Putting the sensor phototransistors in parallel collector-to-collector and emitter-to-emitter becomes possible with the ARC PRO to double up the number of lanes to four. The approach is exactly the same as often used for the APB. In the image below, 5 laps were recorded for each of the four lanes. I will do some high speed trials over the weekend to ensure the extra capacitance of four phototransistors in parallel does not significantly reduce the ID detection efficiency at speed.
So far it all seems to be working fine.
Next the limitations:
1/ The powerbase must be v0.4 or in the case of v0.3 only after making the 510 Ohm sensor circuit resistor swap-out.
2/ This four lane solution only functions with the Magic unofficial ARC app - not the Hornby ARC app. This is due to the latter using the exit blade sensors to avoid double counts.
C
![Light Electronic instrument Gadget Audio equipment Line]()
Putting the sensor phototransistors in parallel collector-to-collector and emitter-to-emitter becomes possible with the ARC PRO to double up the number of lanes to four. The approach is exactly the same as often used for the APB. In the image below, 5 laps were recorded for each of the four lanes. I will do some high speed trials over the weekend to ensure the extra capacitance of four phototransistors in parallel does not significantly reduce the ID detection efficiency at speed.
So far it all seems to be working fine.
Next the limitations:
1/ The powerbase must be v0.4 or in the case of v0.3 only after making the 510 Ohm sensor circuit resistor swap-out.
2/ This four lane solution only functions with the Magic unofficial ARC app - not the Hornby ARC app. This is due to the latter using the exit blade sensors to avoid double counts.
C
Attachments
21 - 40 of 54 Posts
