QUOTE "anyone know how this is done ???"
No, but I'd like to.. there must be some more info somewhere - perhaps Germany.

 

Hello,
you can find more information about the electronic on the german forum .
It's an simpel timerbased solution. There is also an schematic at the end of the thread.
Hopefully helpfull for you...
Ralf

 

Thats it

Thanks a lot

 

I would love to learn how to utilize this tech. But you post the german link, as if we all speak german. Im confused

, how is that suposed to help without a translation?

 

One helps oneself, there are translation tools freely available on the net.

 

QUOTE (frantory @ 21 Mar 2007, 04:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I would love to learn how to utilize this tech. But you post the german link, as if we all speak german. Im confused

, how is that suposed to help without a translation?

It appears that the person who posted the video was German.
Babelfish is a reasonable tool for translating the page.
Just paste the link into the the space for url's, pick your translation, and your off. Of course making sense of the translation can be a challenge.

It should be enough for a start,... at least for me it is.

 

Hi Thunder1969 et al,

I will soon post the blueprints for the collision free lane switch. My friends and I have designed two versions so far - one based on a timer that disables the lane switch for half a second when a car passes a reed contact mounted under the lane oposite to the lane switch; the other solution needs less electronics, is more robust but requires cutting one lane. Both versions can be done by yourself given you know how to use a soldering iron.

Kind regards from Germany

gertbue

QUOTE (Thunder1969 DK @ 17 Mar 2007, 05:27) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi all

I am pretty new at slot racing, i recently bought two sets of pro-x.
I race a lot by my self so i use ghost cars.
the cars crash a lot and that bugs me, then i saw this on youtube

click here


click here

anyone know how this is done ???

 

QUOTE (gertbue @ 21 Mar 2007, 17:13) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Thunder1969 et al,

I will soon post the blueprints for the collision free lane switch. My friends and I have designed two versions so far - one based on a timer that disables the lane switch for half a second when a car passes a reed contact mounted under the lane oposite to the lane switch; the other solution needs less electronics, is more robust but requires cutting one lane. Both versions can be done by yourself given you know how to use a soldering iron.

Kind regards from Germany

gertbue

Hi Gertbue, would you be able to post a "how to" along with that blueprint?

 

Yes, we here at SlotForum like lots of pictures...

Welcome to SlotForum and we all look forward to details on your invention!

 

Gertbue,

Your invention is quite intriguing. Very nice of you to offer to help us out.

Vielen dank!

Brian

 

Hi everybody,

Here is the first blueprint for a no-crash-lane-switch (other blueprints follow when fully tested):

No Crash Left Lane Switch

The no-crash circuit described here uses the minus power rail of the slot oposite to the lane switch as a sensor; a section of the slot is isolated by cutting it 2,5 inches from the edge of the forerunner lane:

The part list:

3x 1N4001 50V 1A
1x OPTOCOUPLER TRANSISTOR TYP: EL817
1x ALU ELKO SERIES 128 175° 4,7µ 25V
2x BC 337/16 = BC 337/25 = BC 338
1x RESISTOR 0,25 W 5% 1K BF 0207
1x RESISTOR 0,25 W 5% 1K2 BF 0207
1x RESISTOR 0,6 W 1% 1K6 BF 0207
1x RESISTOR 0,25 W 5% 4K7 BF 0207
1x RESISTOR 0,25 W 5% 10K BF 0207
1x LED 3 MM L-934ID-5V RED

Mount the electronic parts as shown below:

Next position the circuit beneath the lane:

I will post the blueprint for the no-crash right lane switch in about a week from now.

Best regards

Gertbue

 

Wow, thanks so much, Gertbue! I'm going to get started this weekend!

OH... just one question. What's the best way to cut the rail? I'm afraid if ruining it.

 

QUOTE (h00ch @ 23 Mar 2007, 02:23) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>OH... just one question. What's the best way to cut the rail? I'm afraid if ruining it.

I used a coping saw (see pictures; note that we do centimetres in Germany: 2.5 inches roughly equal 6.5 cm). Actually, you don't need to cut the rail; instead you can remove (pull out) the connector from the minus rail of the lane preceeding the forerunner lane. This way you can undo the modification by putting the connector back again.

 

Thanks Gertbue, but I'm not sure what you mean by "remove (pull out) the connector from the minus rail of the lane preceeding the forerunner lane". Sorry!

 

QUOTE (h00ch @ 23 Mar 2007, 14:38) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks Gertbue, but I'm not sure what you mean by "remove (pull out) the connector from the minus rail of the lane preceding the forerunner lane". Sorry!

Not being a native speaker can be tough

Sorry for the confusion.

A picture says more than thousand words (NB: this setup for left lane switch only!):

 

Thanks Gertbue. Your English is fine. My brain is not.

 

Hello,

It took a few more weeks; finally, here is the no-crash circuit for the right lane switch as promised.

No Crash Right Lane Switch

The no-crash circuit for the right lane switch uses the plus power rail of the slot oposite to the lane switch as a sensor; a section of the slot is isolated by cutting it 2,5 inches from the edge of the forerunner lane (note that the following figure views the lane from beneath so that the switch appears to be to the left):

The part list:

3x 1N4001 50V 1A
1x OPTOCOUPLER TRANSISTOR TYP: EL817
1x ALU ELCO SERIES 128 175° 4,7µ 25V
1x BC 337/16 = BC 337/25 = BC 338
1x BC 327/16 = 25
1x RESISTOR 0,25 W 5% 1K BF 0207
1x RESISTOR 0,25 W 5% 1K2 BF 0207
1x RESISTOR 0,6 W 1% 1K6 BF 0207
1x RESISTOR 0,25 W 5% 4K7 BF 0207
1x RESISTOR 0,25 W 5% 10K BF 0207
1x LED 3 MM L-934ID-5V RED

Mount the electronic parts as shown below:

Next position the circuit beneath the lane:

If everything is built properly, the additional LED indicates when the lane switch is blocked:

Credits:

All circuits shown above are designed by Ralf, also known as GORA; I had the privilige to translate to English and make Ralf's work available to the slotforum. I hope you find Ralf's and my contribution useful; we hope you are successful in building your own no-crash lane switches.

Regards

Gertbue

 

Have any other SlotForum members started putting this together? I started gathering all the components today, but will have to wait until Monday to buy a couple of parts I couldn't get today.

Gertbue: Are there any plans for the double lane change track?

 

QUOTE (h00ch @ 26 May 2007, 23:12) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Gertbue: Are there any plans for the double lane change track?

Hello h00ch:

I have done the double lane change track in the meantime; it is simply a combination of the right and left lane change track, so you have two electronic circuits mounted instead of just one. I will post some pictures in the next couple of days.

Kind regards

Gertbue

 

My local electronics store doesn't carry the EL817 Photocoupler Transistor. Is there somewhere online I could get this from? I tried searching in Google, but all I came up with was data sheets and Chinese websites.

 

Hello h00ch,
some alternative types are
the PC817 from Sharp,
the K817P from Vishay or
the SFH1617 from Vishay.
Or any oher equal 4-pin optocoupler with an transistoroutput and the same pinout...

Regards
Ralf

 

Thanks Ralf, it looks like I can get the Sharp one instead.

I have some questions about the other parts. The descriptions of the parts seem very specific.

Can you tell me what I need to look for for this part: "ALU ELCO SERIES 128 175° 4.7µ 25V" My parts store didn't know what the "ALU ELCO SERIES 128 175°" referred to.

Also, what does the "BF 0207" for the resistors refer to?

Finally, I'm not sure what to make out of these transistor part numbers?
BC 337/16 = BC 337/25 = BC 338
BC 327/16 = 25
What does all that mean? Thanks!

 

Hello,
let me try it...
The "ALU ELCO SERIES 128 175° 4.7µ 25V" is an polarized capacitor with 4.7µF for 25V. Important is only the overall size of the capacitor.
BF207 stands for the casesize of the resistor. An better choice is the case 0204, because the resistor is smaller.
The number after the slash '/16' is the the current gainclass of the transistor.
So the BC337/16 is sufficient. The BC337/25 or the BC338 are only alternative transistortypes.
It's the same case for the BC327/16 or BC327/25. The second one is only an alternative type.
If it's an problem for you to get the BC-types, i can search in cross reference lists for 2N-parts...
Ah, by the way, the 3mm-Led is an simple red LED in an T-1 case without an buildin resistor...

Regards
Ralf

 

Thanks Ralf, very much appreciated.

 

h00ch:

While you are working on your first project, the latest improvement may be of interest to you: I have modified my "forerunner tracks" so that the cut-thru sensor lane can be bridged; thus the track works like a normal/standard track again if needed. Here is how:

When the slide switch is in the open position (i.e. the sensor lane is not bridged) the no-crash electronic circuit will operate as specified. When the slide switch is in the close position the sensor lane is disabled, i.e. the no-crash electronic circuit is out of operation and the lane change track works like before; collisions are possible again (might be still fun

).

Regards

Gertbue