[downtowndeco]

I found this via ebay. It comes w/the two pieces of track epoxied together w/the light bridge and sensors in place w/a thin metal plate on the bottom to keep it all snug, safe in place It also included the software (LT2K) & cable to hook it up to my 15 pin printer port.

How easy was it to install? Very easy. My only hitch was my track is scenicked and the track is mounted so I had to fiddle w/that a bit more than if I was installing this on a circuit I was just building. That being said though, no problems.

I downloaded the CD & was ready to race. One small glitch (my fault, I forgot to click the right option in the port options menu) was solved w/a single email to the owner Paul, who got me fixed right up. It was all my fault, as he had spelled what I needed to do clearly in the instruction sheet that came w/the timer. In any case, great customer support.

Why do I like this so much? Because rather than trying to collect all of the various sensors, lights, software & cables to hook it all up it is pretty much plug & play. No worries about not lining the sensors/lights up properly etc. + I have someone to complain to if it doesn't work : ) The price for the whole system was around $100.00

While this may sound like a commercial I'm just a guy who bought the system & am happy with it.

Try either ebay or search facebook slot car lap timer.

 

[cryer-evo]

what features does it have ?

 

[downtowndeco]

The usual. Timed races, lane rotation etc. I think the software has been around for a while.

 

[cryer-evo]

Ok thanks do you have a link for it so I can find it and have a better look at it ?

 

[downtowndeco]

If you have a facebook account search for "slot car lap timer" At ebay search "HO lap counter"

 

[pfuetze]

http://www.gregorybraun.com/LapTimer.html

 

[cryer-evo]

hi there pfuetze is this a plug and play unit ?
as it looks like a kit to me ?

 

[Jimb0]

All the plans to make the stuff are on hoslotcarracing.com

You can order the cables ready made up. The software is free, I use it at home. If you are prepared to do some wiring/soldering yourself this can be made quite cheaply. The sensors are about a quid each from maplins, the cable is 3 or 4 quid a metre plus a couple of quid for the connector.

Then you just need a light source.

 

[downtowndeco]

It is not a kit. All you have to do is snap the track in place, plug in the lightbridge, connect the cable to your pc & download the software. It takes about 5 minutes. Ready to race. The lightbridge is connected to the track so it's perfectly aligned w/the sensors. The price was around $100 for a four lane unit.

 

[GregK]

QUOTE It also included the software (LT2K) & cable to hook it up to my 15 pin printer port.
Can you clarify, please? ....... a parallel port has 25pins, whereas a 15 pin port is usually a Joystick port.

 

[montoya1]

Interesting.

It is a kit as such, but somebody has made it up so it is plug and play for those that don't want to do it themselves. At that price you can see why

 

[downtowndeco]

I don't know PCs so all I can tell you is it has a 15 pin connector that is supossed to go into the printer port. I plugged it in & it works.

I reason I didn't want to do it myself is about every other week someone gets halfway through "doing it themselves" & they come on one of the forums for help because they got the wrong PC cable or they're having a problem with the light bridge or the reeds or one of the sensors or something. People think nothing of buying a controller that is preassembled and ready to go, yet when it comes to timing systems it seems that we're just expected to collect all of the various parts and put it together & try to figure out how to make it work. Baloney I say, I'm glad to see something like this finally on the market.

 

[downtowndeco]

Are you saying you think it's cheap or that you think it's expensive?

QUOTE (montoya1 @ 8 Jul 2011, 17:52) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Interesting.

It is a kit as such, but somebody has made it up so it is plug and play for those that don't want to do it themselves. At that price you can see why

 

[montoya1]

I can certainly see why, at that price, the fellow would make up the kits to sell on.

If the PC controls power to the track, and the software has all the bells and whistles, then it makes sense. It is certainly more productive than complaining about a lack of a new unit from AFX.

 

[Jimb0]

At that price it's not cheap but like you say, you could waste an awful lot of time messy about trying to get the right parts and getting stuff lined up correctly (I speak from experience!). Time that could be spent racing!

I like your collection of cars by the way!