Trackmate Power Supply

[aquakiwi 30]

After a long interval I finally got my track coupled up to a PC. I'd been using Trackmate and now find it wont work, the power supply on the board is only putting out 2.3v............should be 9v I think, so I'll probably need a new power source. Any help to a technically challenged sloter would be appreciated.

[kalbfellp 69]

I assume you mean the power supply to the board?

If that is the problem any 9v power pack with the correct size and polarity plug will work.

Trakmate don't not usually supply power packs to countries using 240 volts.

[aquakiwi 30]

Correct Phill, its the supply to the board as supplied by Mark, slotsnz.

[kalbfellp 69]

A replacement should be easy to find.

[aquakiwi 30]

I've replaced power supply to board and am getting (a headache) 9.2v but still no joy in getting the system working. The infra-red track light is working i checked with cell phone. The demo mode works fine. I do'nt see a light on the board. I've tried all four USB ports on the PC. Iv'e run out of ideas, this stuff is really challenging to me, any suggestions appreciated.

[GAS41T 37]

Could be the com port that is selected

 

Rossko

[kalbfellp 69]

Have you loaded the correct USB driver onto the PC?

You should have a CD with both Trakmate and Driver that allows the USB port to see the Trakmate Board.

If you look in devices and printers dies the Trakmate board show up?

 

[aquakiwi 30]

Thanks Phil, In device and printers nothing is showing, I don,t have a CD the PC I use has no CD player I used a memory stick with the drivers on, it has worked before. Perhaps I need to run drivers again.

[aquakiwi 30]

There is definately 9v comming out of thr board, is there any way to check board. I have ordered a memory stick from Trackmate with all drivers etc.

[kalbfellp 69]

Try downloading CH340 or CH 341 drivers off the net and see if they work. Usually work on most USB / Serial chips.

Load the driver and then plug in the board and see if the PC will see the board.

 

Edited February 16, 2017 by kalbfellp

[SlotsNZ 112]

Hold up there mate.

You replaced the power supply?

When you plug it in, does the little yellow LED on the Trackmate board flash twice then go out (it should)

 

If not, you probably have one of two problems

1) The power supply has an inside hole which is larger diameter than the pin on the Trackmate board; which you could test with a quick wiggle; or

2), and this is more likely, you have bought a 9V standard power supply off the shelf somewhere, which has the more common positive centre pin. (from memory); whereas Daniel decided in his wisdom when he started supplying these units, to make the centre pin negative (from memory)

 

Every power supply I ever bought to supply for Trackmate, I cut off the plug, and soldered on a new one with the polarity of the plug reversed.

 

I would first, test the old power supply for polarity to check I am remembering centre negative correctly - (the voltage may be down, but the polarity won't have changed)

Then test the new supply for polarity of the pins to see if it is the same as the old one.

 

BTW, for all reading - the last official update for the actual Trackmate software 8.12 was about 12 months back, and he doesn't have a new beta version out since that.

I have that as a .msi image I can email to anyone who wants it. (so glad for 100 reasons I brought my last business PC to Spain with 500gb of data on it !! ) It is 11 megabyte, so a mid-sized file. It will self unpack, but you may need to disable some kinds of email security to get it successfully.

[aquakiwi 30]

Mark I think that makes sense, on the replacement power pack the centre is positive, if i cut the plug off and change the wires over will that do the trick?

[SlotsNZ 112]

Mark I think that makes sense, on the replacement power pack the centre is positive, if i cut the plug off and change the wires over will that do the trick?

 

Yep, but do compare with the old one for polarity first, its been a while for me...

[aquakiwi 30]

Now I have the power light flashes three times when I power up, but still cant get board and computor to "talk" to each other. In devices and printers I think the board is showing up (I get a little picture of a PC, which I didn't before) grrrrrrrr nothing's simple (apart from me).

[kalbfellp 69]

Do you have the rest right port selected in Trakmate setup?

 

[aquakiwi 30]

Do you have the rest right port selected in Trakmate setup?

Not sure Phil, in devices and printers I'm getting a little picture of a PC and the words

"USB - SERIAL

3H340 (COMS)

 

i would guess I just need to find right port.

[shadow_rusty 41]

That probably says com5 rather than coms.

[aquakiwi 30]

That probably says com5 rather than coms.

I'm all most too ashamed to say it SR but its now working fine duuuuugh, (need new glasses) tho i did have to change polarity on the power pack. Thank you guys for all your help. Edited February 17, 2017 by aquakiwi

[kalbfellp 69]

Gave us all something to do for 2 weeks! No problems with the help.

[aquakiwi 30]

Just to satisfy my curiosity, iv'e installed both Trackmate and Race Co-ordinator (both working). As the track is single lane, primarily a rally loop, which in your opinions would be the better system to use?

[SlotsNZ 112]

Hi Alan

Depends, for you I'd say stay with trackmate as it is simple and you know I already

RC can provide you with some nifty stuff - Gazza is one who uses for rally tracks and knows it well and has custom screens but it takes a bit to set up the advantages - and I know software is not your major

[kalbfellp 69]

Alan: If you want to use the overall time for he results over a fixes number of laps then RC is much better ar recording the results.

Trakmate will do it but you have to collate the results. .

Best idea is to setup RC for your track, abd setup a race for a fixed number of laps and run it in Demo mode.

The results can be exported in Excel and all the times are in order.

If that is what you need.

RC does take some working thru to setup tracks and races etc,but once setup it is easy to use.

If you decide to try it there is plenty of advice available here, many of the OzRally hosts are using it.

Edited February 18, 2017 by kalbfellp

[branco 57]

So are you getting ready to host the 2017 wrp rally?

We could do a joint NZ venture.

[kalbfellp 69]

 

This is the Race Day Screen I am using on the Rally tracks.

[aquakiwi 30]

I'm learning a lot, Mark your probably (certainly) right, Phil, fixed lap Rally times is probably what I need set up. Branco I would like to do that, was my intention all along tho i'd need help at this stage.