Cheap lap counter ?

[jonaswal]

I saw two different personal lap counting systems recently @ the BCA, but forgot to ask to the owners about them.

Do you know any reliable, not too expensive product ?

Thanks !

[soobah]

any reliable, not too expensive product ?that also works with a pink no-windows body!

Most of them use infrared i think, so the transponder needs visual contact with the receiver. But you can always put it outside the body..

I don't know any specific products though :blush:

[crashingbird]

a friend of mine recently bought the DirtChampDesign (http://www.dirtchampdesign.com/newsite/) infrared system.

It works with a wireless decoder on a little tripod, not always easy to put it on a 'safe place' at the track, for instance, you can put it under the wall, at BCA, so the 1/8th guys don't wreck it :woot:

Here's some info on an another infrared system fromRobitronic (http://www.rcshortcourse.com/forum/electronics/17339-timer-lap-counting-system-any-good.html )

There's also a system that works with the regular AMB transponder, but I think it's a more specific system for a MiniZ track
ILap timing systems (http://www.rclapcounter.com/)

You can also share the costs with some of your racing friends ! :thumbsup:

[janus_77]

Just give a stopwatch to Martin ?

[mattybucks]

a friend of mine recently bought the DirtChampDesign (http://www.dirtchampdesign.com/newsite/) infrared system.

It works with a wireless decoder on a little tripod, not always easy to put it on a 'safe place' at the track, for instance, you can put it under the wall, at BCA, so the 1/8th guys don't wreck it :woot:

Here's some info on an another infrared system fromRobitronic (http://www.rcshortcourse.com/forum/electronics/17339-timer-lap-counting-system-any-good.html)

There's also a system that works with the regular AMB transponder, but I think it's a more specific system for a MiniZ track
ILap timing systems (http://www.rclapcounter.com/)

You can also share the costs with some of your racing friends ! :thumbsup:

The I Laps system does not work with AMB transponders.

[crashingbird]

that also works with a pink no-windows body!

Most of them use infrared i think, so the transponder needs visual contact with the receiver. But you can always put it outside the body..

I don't know any specific products though :blush:

it's safer to make a little hole in your side windows, and tape or screw it in from the inside though !

And for the pink windows, use a wide black marker and do like those guys (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPVUa29kHu8&feature=related) did in there heydays :-)

[jonaswal]

The dirtchampdesign looks great !!

They say 4-7m, which is really better than the robitronic, which says 1,5m max...

Martin, you pay half ? http://forum-images.hardware.fr/images/perso/meganne.gif

[mart3pop]

the price is a bit steep !

i want to try that idea i have first (building a foot trigger for my 3VC's chrono system)

[adam_u]

Being a bit of a timing geek I found there's a stopwatch app for android (and probably for iphone) called Ultrachron Lite which will speak lap times to you and which you can start/stop/lap using the volume rocker switch on the side of the phone - so then all you need is some sort of way to attach to the back of your tranny (elastic bands), stick an earpiece in and then lap away...

I modified a cheapo case for the phone to have a couple of 'buttons' over the rocker so they are easier to press

I would only use it during testing/practice personally as it still means you need to press a button as the car passes you, and as my driving is bad enough I don't need any additional distractions during a race, but it's a low cost way of seeing lap times - provided you have the hardware of course...

[mart3pop]

that's a nice find ! ( we happen to both own androids )

thanks for sharing :thumbsup: i'm downloading it straight away

if i could figure out a way to trigger it without harming my driving it'd be awesome

Being a bit of a timing geek I found there's a stopwatch app for android (and probably for iphone) called Ultrachron Lite which will speak lap times to you and which you can start/stop/lap using the volume rocker switch on the side of the phone - so then all you need is some sort of way to attach to the back of your tranny (elastic bands), stick an earpiece in and then lap away...

I modified a cheapo case for the phone to have a couple of 'buttons' over the rocker so they are easier to press

I would only use it during testing/practice personally as it still means you need to press a button as the car passes you, and as my driving is bad enough I don't need any additional distractions during a race, but it's a low cost way of seeing lap times - provided you have the hardware of course...

[adam_u]

that's a nice find ! ( we happen to both own androids )

thanks for sharing :thumbsup: i'm downloading it straight away

if i could figure out a way to trigger it without harming my driving it'd be awesome

No problem at all :) - yeah that's the thing, you really need the button to fall in easy reach of your finger on the back on the tranny so you can press it without too much disruption to your driving...pressing the tiny rocker switch on my 'MK I' design may well have contributed to me clipping a track marker and ripping the front right hand corner of my Lazer! :blush: - I'll post a pic up of how I bodged it and it may well inspire you on to a better solution! :thumbsup:

[mart3pop]

you really need the button to fall in easy reach of your finger on the back on the tranny so you can press it without too much disruption to your driving...pressing the tiny rocker switch on my 'MK I' design may well have contributed to me clipping a track marker and ripping the front right hand corner of my Lazer! :blush:

hence the footswitch idea... i think moving a few toes should be pretty harmless to laptimes. I'll stop at my local electronics shop to see what switches they stock.

Bypassing the toggleswitch on my transmitter should be easy, and it's built-in chrono is sufficient.

But making an USB footswitch for my HTC desire would be perfect :woot:

[jonaswal]

There are dozens of applications like that...

I'm looking for an app that you can control with the voice (ie shouting "'LAP!!!" @ each lap)

There is one on apple store, but haven't found anything like this for android...

Any programmer here ? :D

[flipside]

I use the laptimer of the transmitter. It is a simple system that beeps every X seconds. So if you hear the beep, remember where on track you were, and next lap see if you passed that point or ran behind when it beeps again. If you are in front all the time, lower the laptime a bit and vice versa.

Not only does that give you an idea of laptimes, it also promotes consistency a lot more :-)

I also sometimes use it during racing, and can usually predict my fastest lap pretty accurately.

And above all, it costs nothing.

[feniks]

i still have an oroin one if U are intrested give me a call

[jonaswal]

i still have an oroin one if U are intrested give me a call

I'm definitely interested !