[Mr_DJT]

Hi all,
i want to be able to plug in each controller at different points around my table, so that controller 1 isn't confined to station 1.
As such each controller will work on each station.

i'm planning on having 3 stations with 2 drivers at each.

I've knocked together a quick sketch to show what i thinking (now there's a scary place).

My primary thought was signal loss as the longest run is going to be 10ft

 

[Michael363672]

As long as only 1 controller is plugged in at a time that is fine

Lee did something similar on his OVAL

Michael

 

[Martyn_]

10 ft won't be a problem, as long as the connections are all well made.

 

[MPJBud]

I think I must be missing the point but if you want 2 controllers plugged in on each of three sides, does it matter that 1 and 2 are on the left 3 and 4 on the top and 5 and 6 on the right. That way any car can be id'd as 1 and any controller plugged in and the car can be started in any lane.

Surely the only reason for the connections you are planning is so that all 6 could be on the left or on the top or on the right, or any combination as long as the total is only 6 and there is no duplication

Martin 'Bud' Johnson

 

[injectorman]

Yup the best place to get the cable is an irrigation shop. Ask for 7 core (6 channel+earth). You can use 0.5mm sq. cable and you can buy it by the metre. Because you're only using one channel at a time at any one driver station you can also wire additional stations in series.

Rick

 

[Martyn_]

I thought that too MPJ, but then realised it was probably the ability for any pair of drivers to move to any station. Bit like racing on all the different slots at a race night.

 

[chris99]

QUOTE (injectorman @ 1 Dec 2011, 15:02) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yup the best place to get the cable is an irrigation shop. Ask for 7 core (6 channel+earth). You can use 0.5mm sq. cable and you can buy it by the metre. Because you're only using one channel at a time at any one driver station you can also wire additional stations in series.
Rick
"irrigation shop", what on earth is that - something to do with colonic aids?

 

[Martyn_]

Way things are going Chris99, they'll be opening a bunch in Kent soon! We west coasters , on the other hand, will be seeing a chain of "Bilge Pumps r Us" opening in the next year or so!

 

[Mr_DJT]

Thanks for te rely guys.
Yes only 1 controller on each number.
The reason is to be lazy and not recode the cars if you want to race a differs side of the board.
I was planning on taking individual earths to each port, but if I can get away with a common eart that would be fantastic.

 

[MartinT]

I did this for one driverstation only, and made it with a 12 position rotary switch (of which I used only 3 positions (for car id #4 , 5, and 6), but of course you can extend it to all 6 channels)

The reason I made it, was to quickly assign id 5 and 6 to pace cars. (by using the modded "old" (but awesome!) PBPRoSH+A method, press the small button on the controller) (the rotary is normally set to id#4, since that is the one that is always used by human beings, and only the id that is "active" has a connection to the controller (so the PB does not see the #5 and 6 connected during the race, hence the #5 and #6 cars are regarded as pacers (as they should) but you can quickly rotate the switch to 5 or 6 to assign an id to a car)
Of course I devised this ages ago, so I cannot easily reproduce how I wired it anymore...(well that will certainly help you...not

)

Anyway, good luck!

 

[ethobias]

Another way is of course to run wireless!!

SCS

www.slotcarsolutions.com

 

[Mr_DJT]

QUOTE (ethobias @ 12 Dec 2011, 14:24) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Another way is of course to run wireless!!

SCS

www.slotcarsolutions.com
Nice idea but at £250 for 6 cars that's a lot of pennies

 

[injectorman]

QUOTE (chris99 @ 2 Dec 2011, 01:30) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>"irrigation shop", what on earth is that - something to do with colonic aids?

They supply irrigation parts to the horticulture and agriculture industries. To operate all the solenoids a multicore wire goes from the control unit to each of the watering stations so they make 3, 5, 7, 9, and 13 core cable in 0.5 mm sq. Perfect for multiple digital slot car stations. I once had 7 stations around my layout with ability to access IDs 1-6 at any station. 7 core gives 6 IDs + one common earth.

Rick

 

[tahi.taringa]

Since there is very little power going down the wires, why not just use Ethernet cable? Chop up some cheap cables, and wire them up?

TT

 

[Mr_DJT]

I'm thinking of using this from maplin Linky

It's 20way so plenty of space to run control wires from my proposed power unit.