Lap Timer

I set up my timing and lap counter yesterday. I made some lane detectors using IR LED lights powered by a 6v power pack and IR sensors (Darlington type) the IR LED are in a small light bridge, the sensors are in the slot of my routed track. There was a little bit of fiddling with a soldering iron to make the cable up - I had to solder 4 wires on to a parallel printer connector - and then solder the sensors on the other end. For wire I used an old computer network cable, it has 4 pairs in it so I can do my 3 lane track and my future rally track.

For software I use Ultimate Racer and Laptimer 2000. Directions on setting up the detectors can be found on Laptimer 2000 or Ultimate Racer website and in the program (I made them Trackmate compatible).

The trickiest bit was soldering on to the little pins on the parallel port connector.

Cost - the sensors cost me $2.50 each and the connector was $2 - software is free - LED lights were $1 each and I needed some resitors $1 to adjust the voltage on the powerpack. The power pack was an old one and I bought a $1 connector to connect the circuit for the LED to it.

If you don't have a parallel port (some of the new computers don't) you can use a web camera and a piece of software for detecting via the web cam (Zone Trigger) - no wiring no soldering I haven't tried it - but have read on slot car forums that people are using it.

If you only have two lanes then you could buy the AFX laptimer and modify it to suit your 1/32 scale track - no computer needed.

Links -

Ulitmate Racer
Laptimer 2000
Zone Trigger
Sensor

cheers

DM