Microsizer lap counter, anyone got one?

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 9:57 am

I just got mine, and the first car I tried wasn't working with it, so I swapped bodies, and it worked. I thought maybe it was the dark color, so I tried another dark body, but that one worked fine too.

I think my body is just too darn shiny, and it's reflecting the IR signal right back, instead of blocking it?

Anyone else have that problem?

Anyways, it's frustrating that it didn't work my first try, but I think once I get the hang of it, it will make racing by myself a lot more fun.

VooDooMafia · Post by **VooDooMafia** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 10:03 am

I was gonna pick one up... are they worth the 9 bucks or so?

Also anyone have or can get a speed checker?

ph2t · Post by **ph2t** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 10:16 am

some pimps were talking on ausmicro about using the Tamiya speed checker. Aparently they're quite cheap ($10) on ebay.

ph2t.

VooDooMafia · Post by **VooDooMafia** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 10:22 am

ph2t wrote:some pimps were talking on ausmicro about using the Tamiya speed checker. Aparently they're quite cheap ($10) on ebay.

ph2t.

Yea but its the $15.00 shipping

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 5:24 pm

It's not super duper cool, just blinking LEDs, and horrible blippy noises, but does it's job of counting, and timing laps.

I think that makes it worth the 10 bucks, because I get bored driving my cars in circles, it gives me a challenge trying to beat my last time.

I think maybe I'll just stick a piece of tape on that car when I'm running it to make it work. If I have this problem with too many cars, then this thing just might turn into a joke. A bad joke played on me.

I just thought it was ironic the first car I tried didn't work, because you know how first impressions are. If I tried this car last I probably wouldn't have cared.

VooDooMafia · Post by **VooDooMafia** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:06 pm

crazydave wrote:It's not super duper cool, just blinking LEDs, and horrible blippy noises, but does it's job of counting, and timing laps.

I think that makes it worth the 10 bucks, because I get bored driving my cars in circles, it gives me a challenge trying to beat my last time.

I think maybe I'll just stick a piece of tape on that car when I'm running it to make it work. If I have this problem with too many cars, then this thing just might turn into a joke. A bad joke played on me.

I just thought it was ironic the first car I tried didn't work, because you know how first impressions are. If I tried this car last I probably wouldn't have cared.

Now I take it you are talking about the bit racer one. In the pics I have seen it looks like you have a very small space to drive through is this true?

SuperFly · Post by **SuperFly** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:36 pm

VDM, I got that impression the first time I saw the lap counter, too. I checked one out at the hobby store, and it is an adjustable gap. The distance is probably only dependent on the strength of the infrared light. I imagine you could make it over a foot wide, but someone who owns one should give that detail.

VooDooMafia · Post by **VooDooMafia** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:40 pm

yea I saw a thread once were some dude was making one with each car to have its own ID (upto 12 i think) and it would run with a computer so you could track all 12 at the same time.

I think it was at asmicro not sure but sounds cool as hell.

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:00 pm

It does seem to be the Bit Racer one, the reflector thing snaps into the timer, and looks like it's supposed to have a very narrow track, but on the other side there is some reflector tape in like some triangles to reflect the IR beam. The instructions says it works up to 8" away, which is perfect, because that's how wide my lanes are.

I just hate that the reflector piece is this big awkward thing obviously designed for another purpose, and it gets in the way. I'm gonna chop it down...or a piece of aluminum foil, maybe.

hogjowlz · Post by **hogjowlz** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:05 pm

well i hear that indoor tomato growers use mylar or the insulation panels with foil on them for max reflectivity.

Post by **CaboWabo** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 11:48 am

I had a mr. wizard setup with panels lined with huge sheets of reflective kevlar, it was like 7 times brighter than outside in there! lol

man that was a cool setup

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 4:43 pm

CaboWabo wrote: I had a mr. wizard setup with panels lined with huge sheets of reflective kevlar, it was like 7 times brighter than outside in there! lol

man that was a cool setup

Growing 'maters were ya?

The foil didn't work so hot for the counter. I'm going to try smashing it into those foils triangles, so it's in the same shape. Must be something to that shape that grabs the beams better.

micromatch · Post by **micromatch** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 9:46 pm

the directions say that the beam only reaches 8 inches

VooDooMafia · Post by **VooDooMafia** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 10:04 pm

micromatch wrote:the directions say that the beam only reaches 8 inches

Who reads directions?

If you always went by directions this would be a Bland world.

payaso · Post by **payaso** » Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:31 am

VooDooMafia wrote:If you always went by directions this would be a Bland world.

True, but we wouldn't have all those little extra bagies with important looking shit in em left over after a project.....lol

silla