Derby Talk

Sorry guys, but Joe Trela up in Michigan came in first. Watch this area of DerbyTalk to see his review on how the Light Tree worked out for him. Also, watch my web pages over the next weeks as I work out the details on remote control start gates, using the Light Tree as the trigger. www.newdirection...

Has anyone ever experienced getting 1 set erroneous times for 1 run in the middle of a set of rounds from a Judge timer? :?: One of my customers has confirmed that the Judge is suscetable to EMI if you intertwine my modular start gate cable with a 120 VAC extension cord. He was running GrandPrix an...

Would you be interested in writing a review? If so, contact me, and I will send you a light tree for evaluation, and pick up the shipping tab when you return it. This is a brand new product, and I would like some exposure. By the way, Randy Lisano has used it in several derbies, but I think he is pa...

Optional outdoor sensors for The Judge have been reduced in price to $29 plus $5 per lane. They work in full sunlight, although a little shade helps immensely in seeing the red indicator lights. On the subject of painting black lines at the finish line: Don't assume that black paint looks dark in in...

Nothing beats a snap open gate. The pegs disappear completely before the cars even think of moving. A cabinet door latch shown in photo makes an excellent choice when building a snap-open gate. If you have trouble finding this item, contact me.
http://www.newdirections.ws/faq.htm#Q11

Light Tree idea: http://www.newdirections.ws/lighttree.htm

The USB-Serial cable solution will be the only practical way to interface to finish lines for those having computers with USB only. The best place to set up your computer is at the start line, because the software designs the races, i.e. who is on which lane for each race. If you are down at the fin...

Oooooops, correction. I just re-read Randy's comment, and saw he was talking about the IR LED resistor, not the photodiode resistor. Sorry, Randy.

A laser is definitely overkill, unless money is no object. Small correction on Randy's reply. You get more separation by going HIGHER on the photodiode resistor. There is a tradeoff, the emitter remaining constant: The higher the photodiode resistor, the greater the sensitivity, but the slower the r...

My commercial product, The Judge, has two sensors available. The standard sensor is a photodiode that is driven into saturation by an infrared LED beamed into it. The car causes a shadow, and the diode rapidly comes out of saturation. The system is immune to flash photography because a sudden increa...

If anyone is building their own electronics for PWD, and having trouble finding LEDs, resistors, ICs, caps, etc, please drop me an email. I have a lifetime inventory that would make Radio Shack wince. If I have it, it is yours, all I need is the postage. I also dispense solid design tips on circuitr...

Hi. John here. I make The Judge. I have been reading over the posts and find them interesting. A few comments on points raised: A start gate that wants to open, but held back by a latch, is far superior in keeping results consistant. I supply a magnetic switch which is the most reliable start signal...