chicagokenji

I have the opportunity to build a track on a parking lot here at work. We did it the last few Summers. We set it up in the morning and bash in the afternoon until it gets dark.

We'll have regulary eight people there this Summer every week. This year I'd like to have actual racing happening

I may have a line on using an AMB system, but just in case I can't get it I'm wondering how other people have run a race and counted laps?

Four racers a a time, four marshals at a time and each marshal is responsible for watching one car at a time?

I also think there's lap scoring programs for a laptop that you use a different key on the keyboard for each racer and depress it as a racer crosses a line...but I'm not sure.

any ideas?

Is this the best forum to ask this question?

BimmerDriver

I remember doing this in the 80's. The track was "divided" into 8 or 10 sections. There were a couple of (human) lap counters who put a tick mark on paper every time the car crosses the finish line, when the horn sounds at the end of the race everyone stops their cars asap ( ). The cars' locations are noted... if 2 cars have the same number of laps and sections, then the car closest to the next section finishes ahead to the car behind...

AMB is so much nicer

AZRCaddict

iTrader: (9)

at the old place we raced we did it by hitting a key 1 2 3 etc

1=green & and have a green thing on the number 1 on the keyboard
2=blue & have a blue thing just like 1
3= orange & etc

the way you could tell the cars apart was they had a velcro fuzzy dots on the hoods of their bodies

i dont remeber the name of the system but someone should be able to help you out with the name.

we did though eventually get transponders

Mr. Shookie

iTrader: (9)

lapsfree

download here.
http://www.rctiming.com/

They will email you with an activation code and you can use AMB or tap the keyboard.
The Hobby Shop here uses it for 18th scale off road adn parking lot racing..
You need a good caller to call out numbers to the guy hitting the keyboard cause that person should only consintrate on hitting the keys.
That is a pretty good system but not everyone will be happy.
Give it a try? You can also hook it up to the PA system and the program will speak the running order and tell people when they are to be on the track.
Hope that helps,
-Shookie <><

tallyrc

iTrader: (12)

we use it (lapsfree), it works fine. but the "fanatics" won't come out to play since we don't have transponders... we have fun without them. i assume they are at home twidling their thumbs or something instead....

themanimal

then tell them to pony up 3k for a transponder set-up. I don't think people realize how expensive these units are.

Put some posts online. There are lots of analog (AMB 20) systems getting sold as people upgrade to the AMB RC system. You can't use personnal transponders with the 20 but nobody seems to complain that much. We just bought a complete system for 1k.
Cheers,
Brian
Manager, c-n-craceway
woodland, WA