My track timer stopped working at approximately 10:15 Saturday night.
The amount of time, effort, trouble, and waiting I had to get through to get a timing system for this track delayed its opening by nearly 4 months last year. I do not believe I am going to be able to get another of these custom-made Ninco timers modified for use with an HO-scale track. Through the one I have on my old Tyco track still works fine, the sensors are integrated into the track, and so that timer cannot be used on the AFX track, because I have determined that the problem is with the track sensors-or more specifically the wiring attached to the track sensors-and not with the timing unit itself or its connections.
This brings all racing to a stop until another solution can be found, and thus by extension, it brings everything relating to the track to a stop: the diorama, the scenarios, the tableaus, the spending and acquisition of new and interesting pieces for it all.
Its ALL on hold…for the second time.
The only other option I’ve found that might salvage this situation is an app called Lap Tracker than I can download and install on my i-Phone, which uses the phone’s camera as a sensor. It works very well and might be a viable solution, except for one major issue: it only times to the 10th of a second. The Ninco timer timed down to the 1/1000th second, and since many races are won by a margin that small, I doubt the Lap Tracker app will be adequate.
So the Sports Car 10-Lap Enduro, which was roughly 50% completed, is now called off; all drivers are being sent home and Drag City is closing down.
I now have to decide what I want to do next. One option is to dismantle the AFX track completely and restart by going back to the Tyco platform and designing and building a whole new track. That might be fun, but the concern is that the Ninco timer on that track is also unlikely to last forever, and once it dies as well, I’m looking at the same situation.
The other is to buy the complex “DIY” system from Track Mate in Canada and try to build it myself. What puts me off most about this option is that they do not make a light bridge for a 2 lane track-the smallest one they make is for a 4-lane. I might able to adapt, but it would look like shit. Would it be possible to use my custom light bridge that came with the Ninco timer with the other components of the TrackMate system? Knowing what I know, I don’t believe it would be, but I suppose that, since I have to figure out how to put it all together and make it work anyway, I might as well try it.
There will be a few days without posts here on the blog while I think through what the next step should be, in addition to taking care of a few other issues that have come up in the last week (nothing related to the hobby). I hope to be back with some more info and an update on a solution before the end of the week. If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear from you.
I’m really sorry to hear about the problem with the timer!