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Old 2006.02.18, 04:52 PM   #16
bluegrooveracer
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Join Date: Oct 2005
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i have a problem related to this subject i have made a laser / photo transister
style lap counter as found here http://www.schumacher.clara.net/laptimer.htm
but my lap top only has usb ports so i wired the photo transisters to a 9 pin serial port
and connected that to a usb/serial port adaptor but i cant get it to count laps
i have tried the track mate and lap timer 2000 if any of you have tried this and had it work with a 9pin serial to usb please let me know how or what you did thanks for any help you could offer
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Old 2006.02.19, 07:27 PM   #17
rmfroyd
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First...

This is the exact same page/project with laptimer 2000 that I did. However I did not have the usb/serial port adapter problem. The only thing I can tell you is double check the strength of your lasers. Test them in a completly dark room with holding your finger over the photo transistors. If it doesn't work then it is a problem with the usb adapter. Just this weekend I brought my laptimer out during the day and it didn't work at all. The sun was too bright and my photo transistors(radio shack) couldn't pick up the car breaking the laser beam. I had to use my finger held over the phototransistosr for it to work. I believe that the Radio shack transistors are overly sensitive. So do this as a quick check. If it still doesn't work you may be SOL, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.



Quote:
Originally Posted by bluegrooveracer
i have a problem related to this subject i have made a laser / photo transister
style lap counter as found here http://www.schumacher.clara.net/laptimer.htm
but my lap top only has usb ports so i wired the photo transisters to a 9 pin serial port
and connected that to a usb/serial port adaptor but i cant get it to count laps
i have tried the track mate and lap timer 2000 if any of you have tried this and had it work with a 9pin serial to usb please let me know how or what you did thanks for any help you could offer
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Old 2006.02.19, 09:54 PM   #18
Spoon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rmfroyd
This is the exact same page/project with laptimer 2000 that I did. However I did not have the usb/serial port adapter problem. The only thing I can tell you is double check the strength of your lasers. Test them in a completly dark room with holding your finger over the photo transistors. If it doesn't work then it is a problem with the usb adapter. Just this weekend I brought my laptimer out during the day and it didn't work at all. The sun was too bright and my photo transistors(radio shack) couldn't pick up the car breaking the laser beam. I had to use my finger held over the phototransistosr for it to work. I believe that the Radio shack transistors are overly sensitive. So do this as a quick check. If it still doesn't work you may be SOL, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.
You may just need to shield the transistors for ambient light. The most recent mod I made to my lap timer inlcuded putting the transistor about halfway into a 4" aluminum tube. That way the only light that would really get picked up by the transistor was anything coming directly at it. If the transistor isn't shielded in some way or is in a really shallow tube, you will get a lot of light hitting it and blocking the laser won't register a lap.
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Old 2006.03.03, 11:26 AM   #19
Zlarrz
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Hello im building a lap counter system but how do you guys get the laser-module
out of the" laser-chassi"?
This system with lasermodules seems to work pretty good, cus im not wasting money on a lap-Z system + transponer
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Old 2006.03.03, 12:00 PM   #20
Blackranger3d
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zlarrz
Hello im building a lap counter system but how do you guys get the laser-module
out of the" laser-chassi"?
This system with lasermodules seems to work pretty good, cus im not wasting money on a lap-Z system + transponer
Why take it out. Just cut the back to expose the battery spring and then conect power to that.
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Old 2006.03.03, 12:19 PM   #21
Spoon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zlarrz
Hello im building a lap counter system but how do you guys get the laser-module
out of the" laser-chassi"?
This system with lasermodules seems to work pretty good, cus im not wasting money on a lap-Z system + transponer
Yeah...DO NOT PULL THE LASER MODULE OUT OF THE CHASSIS. (sorry for yelling)

It seems that the power of the laser has a lot to do with the fact that it's enclosed in the little tube. I tried to cut mine down to make it fit in a box and I noticed the beam was not as powerful. I thought the batteries were wearing down but it was because I cut the tube down.

I had already ruined it so I figured why not keep experimenting. The shorter I made it, the worse it got. I ended up getting another laser.

I'll be posting pictures and updating my tutorial with the additional info.
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Old 2006.03.03, 12:22 PM   #22
Blackranger3d
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spoon
Yeah...DO NOT PULL THE LASER MODULE OUT OF THE CHASSIS. (sorry for yelling)

It seems that the power of the laser has a lot to do with the fact that it's enclosed in the little tube. I tried to cut mine down to make it fit in a box and I noticed the beam was not as powerful. I thought the batteries were wearing down but it was because I cut the tube down.

I had already ruined it so I figured why not keep experimenting. The shorter I made it, the worse it got. I ended up getting another laser.

I'll be posting pictures and updating my tutorial with the additional info.
Dang it does that mean the 99 cent lasers would work fine, if they are not cut down?
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Old 2006.03.03, 12:45 PM   #23
rmfroyd
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maybe, maybe not

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackranger3d
Dang it does that mean the 99 cent lasers would work fine, if they are not cut down?
While I was trying to figure out a laser solution to my lap counter, I tried the 99 cent lasers and only one worked(out of 10) that were cut down. I also tried using lasers(5 of them) that were not cut down and I couldn't get any of those to trip the lasers either. Quality control on a 99cent laser isn't the highest so you might get lucky on one or two but I went through 15 before I got one to work. Another point of interest. If you are going to power you lasers with an ac adapter, the cheaper lasers might not work as long. I read that the lasers in the cheaper units factor into the battery draining to supply the power. Therefore if you supply constant power the cheaper lasers might burn out quicker.
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Old 2006.03.03, 12:53 PM   #24
Taazz
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackranger3d
Dang it does that mean the 99 cent lasers would work fine, if they are not cut down?
We built a system using the 99 cent lasers and had nothing but problems. They would go dim for virtually no reason at all. It appeard to have something to do with power surges or just being used too long.

I finally built a new tower using laser levels that I got from RS during a day after Thanksgiving sale for $5 a piece. I used IC3 regargeable batteries (two AAA for each level, 6 levels total). We had no problems at all with counting, lasers burning out or going dim, or ambient light causing a problem.

The 99 cent lasers use inferior modules and just don't hold up to continuous use.

We did hook up to the Serial port. My son even wrote a VisualBasic program that simulated keystrokes when the laser was broken so we could the LapsFree timing software which only recognizes keystrokes or AMB inputs.
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Old 2006.03.03, 03:11 PM   #25
Zlarrz
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Thx guys, on some pictures i have been seen some one take out the little module out of the chassi but thx for telling me i just cut that much i need to solder the cables.

1 more qustion the power + and - ,one cable at the spring and the other in chassi? I am thinking about using a 4.5V Adapter as power supply.

Edit: Found the link:

http://www.itsallbutstraw.com/module...bum.php&page=1
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Old 2006.03.03, 07:42 PM   #26
Taazz
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I hope you have better luck than we did using the cheap battery operated lasers. We tried it with the 4.5 adapter and had nothing but problems. If one would come disconected or get turned off the others would get a power surge and they would all go dim and become useless. We also tried it using three rechargeable batteries (3.6 volts) had had the same problems.

You need a high quality laser to hold up to continuous use. You can use the cheap lasers, but you will be replacing them on a regular basis. We found it was less expensive in the long run and much less frustrating to use the laser levels that we finally ended up with.
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Old 2006.03.03, 07:53 PM   #27
cdog4w
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I had no trouble with mine after cutting, and they are the 99 cent lasers. The dimming is an issue, but it hasn't affected my lap counting. Be careful of the "lens" part, since that affects the focus of the beam etc. Check the "new laser soldering" attachment here to see how I did it. I direct soldered to the laser diode circuit, not to the springs or anything like that.

http://epoch1-43.com/forums/showpost...14&postcount=4
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Old 2006.03.03, 08:14 PM   #28
cdog4w
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Taazz: Is this the RS level you're using? If not, is this it?

Looked at home depot online, but they didn't have anything cheaper.
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Old 2006.03.03, 08:50 PM   #29
Taazz
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Here is a link to the type of level I am using. Not a bad price either

16 inch laser level

This price is for a case of 5. They also sell them for 6.99 each.

I made a frame out of aluminum with threaded rod running horizontally to support the front of the level and drilled a hole through the back of the level (this one looks like it already has a hole where I drilled one) and used nuts threaded onto a vertical rod to support the back. They ended up stacked 6 high laying on their side. Works great and is completly adjustable.

I will try to post a picture of my system. Have to dig it out of the garage as it hasn't been used for a bit.
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Old 2006.03.04, 12:19 AM   #30
Blackranger3d
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Maybe you guys are having bad luck, I just ran two $1 laser for 6 hours straight with no dimming. I just made sure not to cut it.

To conect to the spring I use an aligator clip and stick it in.
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