Carlson's Slot Cars
Home of Custom made SensorTraks
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| This is a work in progress if you have a question(s) and it is not listed please e-mail me and I will add your question(s) to the list. |
| Q. What is the difference between the Original and Lite version of your SensorTrak. |
| Q. What software does your SensorTrak support. |
| Q. One lane does not work in Laptimer 2000. |
| Q. What is the computer's BIOS and why do I need to go into it? |
| Q. Can I purchase a 4 lane and run only 2 Lanes? |
| Q. How long after I order does my product ship? |
| Q. How can I pay for my Product? |
| Q. Do you have a US address. |
| Q. Shipping Overseas |
| Q. Do I need a power converter for use in Europe or Australia. |
| Q. What are common Laptimer 2000 Settings? POPULAR |
| Q. What is the difference between the Original and Lite version of your SensorTrak. |
| A. The only difference is in the method of connecting the computer cable to the track. Originally I made my SensorTraks with a connector which allowed the user to connect the computer cable to the side of the track all wires sat on top of the table. This method works well and is targeted for people that can not drill a hole in the table/floor the track sits on. Not all tracks sit on the floor or living room table, for these tracks I made the Lite version. To hide the wires and connector you will need to drill a 1" hole into the table directly below where the SensorTrak is going to be placed. The Lite version has less parts and therefore less expensive to make and that is why I choice to call it "Lite". |
| Q. What software does your SensorTrak support. |
| A. The hardware on the SensorTrak connects to the PC via the parallel port (LPT or Printer port). Any software that supports reading the parallel port will work with my SensorTrak. To name just a few, Laptimer 2000, SRM, UR3. All the mentioned software is free and a link to the programs site is located in the menu. |
| Q. One lane does not work in Laptimer 2000. |
| A. Laptimer 2000 is configured by default to use the game port interface. You need to configure Laptimer 2000 by selecting the "ports" icon and changing the default to LPT. As well you must check the box for "Trakemate compatibility". After the changes are made Laptimer 2000 will prompt you to restart the program for the changes to take effect. |
| Q. What is the computer's BIOS and why do I need to go into it? |
| A. Every modern computer has what is called a BIOS, the only
reason why us slotcar guys need to know why it exists is to
configure the on-board parallel port (LPT Printer port) for lap
timing. Not all computers use the same key(s) to open their
BIOS. In order to find out what key(s) are used to open your
computers BIOS I suggest you Google the computers make/model
along with the word "BIOS" you will find one site that tells you
how to open the bios. One thing I can say is this "If the
operating system (XP, Win98, Vista) loads then you have missed
your chance to open the BIOS" you need to try again. So now that
you are into the BIOS what do you do now? You need to change the
mode for the parallel port, most computers support several modes for the parallel port but only one of these modes will work with the software. Not all computer manufactures use the same term for describing the modes, one rule of thumb is this. Do not select EPP or ECP as these do not work, you should be selecting a mode that is described like this, COMPATIBLE, NORMAL, SPP (Standard Parallel Port) There may be more descriptors that I'm not aware of. I have a tutorial for testing your parallel port here. |
| Q. Can I purchase a 4 lane and run only 2 Lanes? |
| A. Yes for the Original version this is very easy, just do
not connect the second piece of track. However for the Lite version please specify at time of ordering that you would like to sometimes only run 2 lanes and I will add another connector that will allow you to disconnect the second piece of track. |
| Q. How long after I order does my product ship? |
| A. All US orders are shipped on Saturdays or Mondays using
USPS priority post. Not all orders will ship the following
Saturday. I do need a couple of days to make the order up and
test the sensors. I have a full time job and make the
SensorHarness in the evenings and the weekends. Please make
allowances for this. In order to ship from the USA I need to cross the international bridge, the US bridge authority charges me US 10.75$ to use the bridge if I intend to mail out parcels. Because of this additional charge I have to have at least 4 parcels for shipping or this additional charge does not make it economical to ship from the USA. |
| Q. How can I pay for my Product? |
| A. My web site links directly to PayPal which is my preferred method. However I will accept US and Canadian money orders. |
| Q. Do you have a US address. |
| A. Yes I maintain a US postal box. Please
E-mail me before shipping as I do not check this postal box
every day. Brent Carlson PO Box 1486 Sault Ste Marie, Michigan 49783 |
| Q. Shipping Overseas |
| A. The general price for shipping outside of Canada and the Continental US is $35.00US however please contact me for a more precise rate. |
| Q. Do I need a power converter for use in Europe or Australia. |
| A. For my SensorTrak I have AC Adaptors which have multiple plugs and work on 110 and 220 Volts @ 50 or 60 Hz. However I have yet to source a 220VAC version of my Tire Truer power supply. |
| Q. What are common Laptimer 2000 Settings? |
| A. I use Laptimer 2000 for testing my SensorTraks before
shipping, here are the settings I have on my Laptop and PC. Under the menu item "Edit" select "Settings". Select the "Ports" tab and find the section called "Printer", there are several check boxes and a dropdown list box. Firstly - I select the default option in the Dropdown Box: LPT1: 0x0378. This option should work for most people. Second - I check the box for "TrakMate Sensor Compatibility" Only check the other boxes if you have a "Track Power Relay" or "Track Call Switch" Installed. Next find the "Settings" tab, change the "Timer Resolution" from the default of 10ms to 1ms. For the debounce I have found the default seems to work but you may need to change it up or down. You can change the screen resolution to suit your own tastes. That is it, all other settings are for your viewing pleasure. Note: you will have to close and open Laptimer 2000 for the new settings to take effect. If you are still having problems with lanes not working please look here for instructions on configuring your parallel port in the BIOS. |