In early 2000 I purchased my first real timing system - Virtual Race Systems, or VRS. I was participating in the Online Racing Series and needed something solid. The system is simple but bulletproof. I've used it on my HO layouts and all three of my 1:32 layouts.
While recently visiting Minnesota for business, I was able to race with a great club and their system was pretty slick allowing fuel stops as well. I came home to setup my VRS system as I was about to run a leg of the RMS Maverick Proxy and discovered that the lighting in the new house is great - just not over my photocells. Knowing I needed more light to trigger the photocells, my options were a light bridge or a desk lamp. After attempting to figure out how to make a desk lamp integrate into the scenery, I elected to build a simple bridge to hold some type of lighting.
The bridge is simple bass and balsa wood. It will need a bunch of decor and a ladder for the officials to get up there a bit easier, but this works for now. I wanted lights that did not run hot, so incandescent were out of the question. I found a 5 meter roll of Flexible Strip Warm White LEDs with the power supply for under $14 shipped on eBay that several model railroad folks had used for various projects.
Once the lights arrived, I discovered they were even better than I imagined! They can be cut every third light and have pre-fluxed spots to solder wire to in order to use several strips side-by-side for maximum light. It worked like a charm! I stuck the strips to a piece of plastic and soldered the connections. Once installed it works beautifully! I can also connect the lights to a bus and use other strips of the lights to light structures in the future.
Due to my fascination with the fuel-use strategy I saw in Minnesota, I decided to try Race Coordinator. It is a really great program with a zillion configuration options for races. I'm still figuring out some of the settings, but it is counting laps perfectly!
I also took the time to build a quick monitor stand in the corner that is attached to the track if I should ever need to move it again.
My great friend, Jim T., sent me the awesome Camaro picture for my man-cave wall!