15 replies to this topic

[Michael Jr.]

I am using TrackMate on my Engleman. During a race Saturday my red lane decided to stop counting laps.  It had been working without an issue until it stopped.  I restarted the computer, restarted the program, check the wire for any strange occurrences and everything looks fine.  I too a wire and crossed the braids, no lap counted. I went underneath and did the same directly to the wire...no lap counted.  I followed the wire all the way back to where it plugs into the panel, no physical damage.  I unplugged the piece where the wires attach, blew on the connector and plugged it back in. No change.  I went online and downloaded the new updates....no change.  I left it off awhile and tried to bring it back up from a cold start. Again, no red lane.

 

I can manually add laps but at the end of the race, it still shows a zero in the results for red lane. (the added laps show up on the screen during the race, just not in the results page.)

 

All other lanes are working fine.

 

I'm not sure what else to check and I'm leaning toward something burning out in the actual TrackMate hardware.

 

Ideas or similar experiences?

[mreibman]

You can test the trackmate interface by rewiring the red lane's connections to another lane and try with a wire or driving a car through.

[Michael Jr.]

You can test the trackmate interface by rewiring the red lane's connections to another lane and try with a wire or driving a car through.

 I basically did this by straight wiring the connections to get a lap. I did the same to other lanes and recorded laps but the red didn't. I believe that's the same as if I had switched wiring.

 

I'm wondering if the actual trackmate interface board or whatever it might be called, the hub where all the wires connect, can go bad and need replacing?

[mreibman]

Although it might appear to be the same, it would tell you if the problem is in your dead strip vs your wiring.

 

You have several pieces to consider:

- Dead strip

- Wiring harness

- cabling to interface

- interface

 

I'm not qualified to tell you how to test each and every one of these, but there are some folks here who might very well be.

 

You'll want to test the wiring with a meter for continuity.

You can check the cabling same way.

Dead strip you could test for continuity by connecting a meter to both sides, and when you cross it with a wire, you should get continuity.

 

Beyond that, you'll be talking to trackmate for troubleshooting the unit, but I would almost guarantee that they'll have some procedures for you to test it.

 

My money (all 25 cents of it) is on the wiring from the dead strip to the interface. a broken wire goes a long way to ruin a day.

[eshorer]

Trackmate is just a phone call away. They've walked me through a couple of problems in the past. And they've pretty much seen it all.

Good luck.

Eddie

[Michael Jr.]

Trackmate is just a phone call away. They've walked me through a couple of problems in the past. And they've pretty much seen it all.

Good luck.

Eddie

Been trying all day. Just voicemail so far.

[Phil Smith]

I'm with Mike. You need to completely removed the red lane wiring from the equation. That's the only way to make sure it's not the problem.

[Michael Jr.]

Spent some time on the phone while under the track switching wires. And the fellas at Trackmate decided my mother board, brain, or whatever you want to call it was going out on me. So bought a new board and went ahead and added that handy dandy remote to it.  7 heat races until it arrives.  Current system was over 10 years old, I don't know how much over that exactly.  I suppose there is a wear out date on these things.

[Michael Jr.]

Problem has been solved and a lesson learned.

I called the guys at Trackmate and together we moved wires and did some testing. We both concurred that they symptoms indicated the Trackmate unit had failed. The electronics were over 10 years old and had been moved so it is a reasonable conclusion.  Out comes my debt card and a new system was to be built.

Once it arrived I easily installed it in place of the older one and flipped the switch.....red lane still not working.  A few choice vocabulary words were brought out of cold storage, reserved for occasions like this that take several weeks to develop.  Back to the wires..... after disconnecting each and every connection and testing it against other lanes.....replacing the braid in the dead zone for the red lane....and a few other checks, I discovered that the tiny wire under the staple against the underside of the track had slipped. Just enough to put the wire insulation between the staple and the underside of the track and thus, breaking the connection. It was practically invisible to the eye and a simple jiggle of the wires didn't affect it.

 

The red lane now works, I have s shiny new Trackmate with a perfectly good backup already installed....just in case, and I've learned that having eyesight doesn't mean you can solve a wiring problem.

[Sloter]

Electrical/electronics can be a ghost to repair some times. Glad you found the ghost and did and exorcist to get ride of it! LOL

 

Bob 

[Phil Smith]

Gold star for Mike Reibman.

[MSwiss]

I discovered that the tiny wire under the staple against the underside of the track had slipped. Just enough to put the wire insulation between the staple and the underside of the track and thus, breaking the connection.

I can't picture this exactly.

 

How about a pic?

 

Is this something you could of caught doing a continuity check?
 

[Michael Jr.]

I can't picture this exactly.

 

How about a pic?

 

Is this something you could of caught doing a continuity check?
 

 

I pulled the staple and replaced it with traditional caps.

Basically..... on one lane, two pieces of braid are tied into the timing system.  the timing system wire is a small gauge and was stapled up against the track along with the braid.  I suppose the constant vibration must have "walked" the wire up into the staple until the insulation rather than the wire was touching. Not sure how that happened but it was defiantly the problem. I wouldn't have found it if I hadn't begun to pull it all down and rebuild it from replacing braid back. It wasn't really a visible issue until you knew it was there.

If I can remember tonight I will try to get a picture but since it's repaired there's not much to see.

[MSwiss]

I have the drag timing, but I'm not familiar with the lap counting system.

I guess the question is, would of you be able to do a continuity check between the dead strip and where the red lane wire originates?

A pic isn't necessary if you changed the connection.

[Michael Jr.]

I have the drag timing, but I'm not familiar with the lap counting system.

I guess the question is, would of you be able to do a continuity check between the dead strip and where the red lane wire originates?

A pic isn't necessary if you changed the connection.

 

The dead strip is to far away for a standard meter unless you have one with an extra long cord.  I took a piece of wire and crossed each side of the dead strip over to a lane next to it. The lane worked when I bypassed the one side. I kept moving from wire tap to braid until I found that the problem was right at the first connection to the braid.  Since it was stapled and still in place it escaped suspicion the first go around and when the Trackmate guy confirmed the symptoms were of a board gone bad I figured the problem was solved.

[Phil Smith]

It probably wouldn't have been a bad idea to completely eliminate the wiring on the red lane by wiring a different lane to the red input of your Trackmate board.