# Looking for a cheap stand-alnone lap counter.



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

OK, the next project for my track is to find a stand alone lap counter, one that I don't need a computer for. Many years ago AFX had these neat 2-digit counters that would time to 9.9 seconds and count to 99 laps, that would be perfect for my application. I had an original pit station that not only counted and times but also required you to pit for fuel, but years of being stored in adverse conditions destroyed it. 

I had also considered the AFX Control Stations (http://www.afxracing.com.au/browse.asp?containerID=afx_new_items), I found them in fleabay Australia, two of them with with shipping would be $171.00 US....I really don't want to spend more than $50-$75. That's why I'm looking for the older ones AFX offered. So far I've check online auctions and haven't found any, hopefully you knowledgable people can help out.


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## BRS Hobbies (Feb 16, 2006)

I have something in the works, price will be $25 to $30 for a 2 lane lap counter. More than one can be used for multi lane tracks. The lap counter counts down from 0 to 99 laps, audible beep whenever a fastest lap is set and shows the fastest lap time of the race. I just have to make a few up and run some more tests just to make sure that it is 100% accurate with all types of cars.

Best regards,
Brian


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Brian, please keep me advised of your progress. I contacted an electrical engineering student at Fresno State about making a magnetic tripping lap counter and timer, she told me for 4 lanes just parts would be over $100. I've had one laptop stolen already from a slot car race it was being used at, I don't want to deal with that again if I can get a stand-alone system.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

For something REAL cheap, you can get ZipZap R/C car timers for just a few bucks, but you'd have to be creative about making it work for 2 lanes. You'd actually need 2 for that. I have one that I use just to see how fast I can run... works great if you're running alone just timing yourself, and it's portable--you can move it to any layout you want to run on. Definitely not real practical for a permanent racing setup, though...

--rick


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## Manning (Mar 2, 2004)

I experimented with the ZipZap counters about a year ago and couldn't get them to work with the HO slots. Not sure what I was doing wrong at the time. I may try them again just because.....


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I wish I could find one, I had several but they all disappeared. I liked them because they had a speed trap that helped resolve duplicate times. Manning, if you have a working one I'll give you $10 plus postage for it.


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## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

BRS Hobbies said:


> I have something in the works, price will be $25 to $30 for a 2 lane lap counter. More than one can be used for multi lane tracks. The lap counter counts down from 0 to 99 laps, audible beep whenever a fastest lap is set and shows the fastest lap time of the race. I just have to make a few up and run some more tests just to make sure that it is 100% accurate with all types of cars.
> 
> Best regards,
> Brian


Keep us posted please.


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## vaBcHRog (Feb 19, 2003)

Pete McKay said:


> Brian, please keep me advised of your progress. I contacted an electrical engineering student at Fresno State about making a magnetic tripping lap counter and timer, she told me for 4 lanes just parts would be over $100. I've had one laptop stolen already from a slot car race it was being used at, I don't want to deal with that again if I can get a stand-alone system.


 Pete,

The magnetic reed switches coast around $4.00 pluss shipping. The counters will be the problem. I use to buy counters at radio shack for around 10.00. 4 counters and some reed switches and you have a 4 lane system. If your handy with electronics Weird Jack use to have an article on his web site for turning a calculator into a single lane counter. If you search for LCD Totalizer you might find some cheap ones like Radio Shack use to carry

Roger Corrie


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## BRS Hobbies (Feb 16, 2006)

I will keep everyone updated on the lap counter.

Also, I have a Zip Zap lap counter new in the package if anyone is interested.

Best regards,
Brian


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

PM Sent


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## LeeRoy98 (Jul 8, 2005)

I have several of the MicroSizer lap counters that I would be willing to sell for actual shipping costs. Useful tool for testing single car tweaking. No value for actual races.
e-mail to boydgg (at) yahoo (dot) com your mailing address if interested.

Gary
AKa LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

In the program we normally run having a lap counter is not so much an issue. We have a complex method of qualifying (timing) and then progressing through rounds of heats, and then based on heat results the cars are placed in the mains. Most of our heat racers are 5 green flag laps (3 cars at a time, two cars desloted is a restart), our mains are 10 laps and the A Feature is 25 laps. We've always had enough people there to score laps for the racers. What is a bugger has been the timing. We have in the past used hand held stop watches and depending on who is timing for who, well, a few ticks on the watch can mean getting a good lane choice or a bad one.

With the ZZ timer I just ordered from Brian it will time single laps to the tenth of a second if I remember correctly, but it will also time 1, 3 or 5 laps and give an average time. In addition to being a timer it has an optical speed trap that gives both scale and actual speeds. In cases of duplicate times the speed through the trap would be the determining factor. For my application this works perfect, it's low tech and basically fool proof, and I don't have to pull up lanes to install it since I'm already using Zip Zap barriers for walls. 

Gary I am interested in your counters though, how do they trigger the laps?


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Got my timer today, not the Zip Zap timer like was originally planned, it was a MicroSizers instead. Which was actually a better choice becuase the timing features are better, it's a 0.00 place timer and has some interesting lap features. It wasn't hard adapting my qualifying section of my program to work with this timer.

Thanks Brian.


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