New This is our 22nd year in derby equipment. Click here to see our story.

Last year, our favorite shipper wound up its 100th Anniversary after touring the country in two teams aboard large semis, stopping in scores of cities along the way. At each stop, they set up nifty displays of their history, and provided fun and entertainment to their employees and families, and their customers, a gesture of gratitude and good will. We were proud to be a part of that effort. One of the featured attractions of the UPS Centennial Tour was a huge 8 lane BestTrack equipped with our finish line, The Judge, and our Light Tree and Remote Controlled Start Gate. Instead of racing Pinewood style cars, they raced model delivery trucks. The kids were each assigned a truck, and if it was a winner, he or she got a prize. Click here for some cool photos of that tour.

New The J Series Judge is a winner! As of October 2007, The Judge has a new microprocessor with improved performance, and new firmware, version 2.04. The new firmware addresses a problem which has caused some trouble in the past when using Derby software: accidentally starting the timing for the next race without meaning to, and without being aware of it. The green ready light will now tell you the timer status. When the timer starts (accidentally or not), the green light will turn on steady for one full second, and then go dark until the reset sequence is complete. If you don't see the winking green, don't release the cars.

New As of June 2007, illuminator diodes were changed to a new type. The efficiency and focus are vastly superior, so you can raise your Judge up higher to allow taller cars. The old emitters were completely invisible to human eyesight, which made trouble shooting a bit tricky. But while the new emitters are predominately infrared, they have a small amount of energy in the visible spectrum. So you can check for operation by simply looking into them in a darkened room. There is a faint but distinct dull reddish glow.

New We are going Green. We have taken a look at the cardboard we have been throwing away, the oil-based peanuts we have been using for packing, and have taken a leap of faith: We believe that you are more interested in our product than how it is packaged. So, when we get in suitable sized boxes from our suppliers, we recycle them as shipping containers. Plastic bags will be recycled Washington Post bags. For cushioning, we are now using balled up newpaper, rather than dropping trees for new products. We are convinced the throw-away mindset of the last century must stay there.

 We are entering our fourth season of offering the Light Tree and the Remote Controlled Start Gate. Together, they are an unbeatable combination in focusing attention on the start of each race.

Orphans are trade-ins and overruns of previous models, looking for a bargain hunter.  The Orphan Shelf is pretty bare at the moment, but it is subject to change daily.  Often, we cannibalize existing orphans to rebuild according to your requirements.  Savings are typically 50%, but remember that you are purchasing older technology.  The Judge has improved steadily over the years.  Warranties are adjusted, based upon our ability to service older circuitry, as some parts for older Judges are no longer available. If interested, email or phone your track description, and see what we can do.

We have M, P and Q series Judges that can be remanufactured to your specs, depending on lane widths. Our supply of the old style tubing is down to fumes at this point. We still have some drilled 3 Lane, 3.5" tubes, however.

We can make a 6 lane, 4" on center M series, yours for $100. This sold for $259 only 7 years ago. The plastic end caps will not match exactly in color, and the supports will be gray plastic instead of aluminum.

A brand new G series 2 Lane, 3.5" on center is on the shelf. $100. Computer Option upgrade available. Snap this up if it fits your track.

A two lane J Series Derby Magic finish line with Computer Option is available at 30% off. You can see a photo here, except this one has a lower clearance height.

The History of The Judge:

Classic:  The first Judge design, 1992 to 1995.  All metal construction.  Circuitry is common high speed CMOS logic gates and flip-flops.  Speed of response and ability to split hairs is measured in nanoseconds, actually superior to microprocessor based later versions.  Computer Option or ET upgrades not available.

M Series.  First microprocessor version, 1995 to 1997.  Computer reports of time and finishing order have 2 to 3 seconds delay.  All later versions instantaneous.  Push Button Reset does not allow auto reset.

P Series.   1998.  Very brief production had firmware flaw, which was subsequently corrected to become the Q Series.  2 and 3 lane Computer Option equipped units not compatible with RaceView, but compatible with DerbyMaster and Grand Prix.  4 lanes and higher OK with all software.  Push Button Reset allows both auto reset mode and manual mode on this and all later versions

Q Series.  1998 to 2001.  No known flaws, but microprocessor requires at least 4.1 volts for proper operation (batteries reasonably fresh).

F Series.  2002 to 2004.  New microprocessor works down to 3 volts (batteries completely exhausted). User adjustable display time introduced.

G Series.  Introduced late 2004.  Electronically identical to F Series, but circuit boards were redesigned to fit new slimmer enclosure.

J Series.  The current production version, introduced in October, 2007. A new microprocessor offering all the features and advantages of the F and G series, plus new firmware to end any confusion about race cycle status when using Computer Option.

Email

Troubleshooting

There are two problems that keep my phone ringing off the hook during Pinewood Season. They are covered in the printed instructions, but I guess they need more emphasis. Please take a red crayon and circle the solutions.

NUMBER 1 PROBLEM Help!  Sometimes things get out of sequence during a derby, and the computer is reporting impossibly long times!    You closed the start gate when the Judge was hot (green light flashing), and did not do it cleanly, accidentally starting a race you didn't mean to.  Always close the gate right after the cars are away, certainly before the red display ends. During this period, The Judge ignores the start switch.  But after the green light is flashing, The Judge is ready, and cannot distinguish between an oooops, a switch bounce, or the start of a real race. We fixed this: See the new J Series Judge description above.

If you have an aluminum track, ground it. A large chunk of metal isolated on a wooden or linoleum floor can build up considerable electrostatic charge, especially in winter when the humidity is low. You know how a spark can jump from your finger to the doorknob after walking across the floor? Same thing, only the track is a lot bigger than a doorknob, and has a lot more electrical capacity. If you plug your computer into electronic finish lines or other items near the metal track, you could damage your computer with one of those sparks. Secure a wire under one of the track's assembly screws, and run it over to a metal electrical conduit or cold water pipe. Make a good solid connection, not a tentative one.

Help! I can't seem to make communication between the Judge and my computer. Is there a good way to tell whether the Judge or cables are defective, or if my computer just not set up properly? Yes! Do the Paper Clip Test.

 Help!  My illuminator board does not light up!    Right.  It is emitting infrared light.  You cannot see the light, but that doesn't mean it is not there.  I get at least 20 calls per season about this. See the note at the top of this page regarding the new illuminator diodes currently being used.

Help!  My Judge won't work outside!     See Sunlight Max.

Help!  The Judge won't detect the cars.  I can make it trigger only when I put my finger right against the sensors!     Your room is aglow with natural light from windows, doors, or there are strong incandescent lights shining on The Judge.  Reduce the amount of natural or incandescent lighing, and use florescent lighting instead.

Help! How do you suggest mounting the Junction Board and magnetic switch on the metal Freedom Track? Here is a method that works well. Make sure to install those black plastic spacers. Otherwise the wiring will short out on the track.

Help!  The red lights initially flash, but then nothing works!    The power must be applied LAST.  You must have the illuminator assembly plugged in and the emitters aligned with the sensors directly above. The first thing the Judge does when it gets power is to count the number of lanes in your track. If you install the batteries before the illuminator assembly is connected and aligned under the Judge, The Judge will think that your track has zero lanes, and behave accordingly.  Make sure your connections are all complete, align the illuminators under the Judge, and THEN apply power.

Help!  I can't make the microswitch work reliably with my start gate!    In 2001, I changed to a magnetic switch for the start gate, and this complaint has gone away.  The magnetic switch adjustment is not critical:  sort of like a hand grenade, close is good enough, and much more reliable.  For Judge owners with the old micro switch, you can find a magnetic switch at Radio Shack.  Or I could supply it, but with postage, it will be more.

Help!  I removed the screws on the bottom, just trying to... (you name it), and now things rattle around inside and I can't make things tight again!    Removing the screws will not help you open up The Judge, if that is what you were trying to do.  Slip a butter knife under the end caps to cut the adhesive.  Remove end caps, and shake out the flat spring nuts.  If you have lost any, send $3 and a SASE.  Using a tweezer or small needle nose pliers, put the nuts back on the screws.  Glue the end caps in place with GE Silicone II.  If you are curious as to what is inside The Judge, send $10 and a SASE, and I will send you the complete schematic diagram.  The microprocessor code is proprietary.  Attempting self repair or modifying your Judge will be expensive: it will void your warranty.

Help!  The last cub master wrote lane numbers on the Judge with a permanent marker, and did a very sloppy job.  Can it be cleaned?    Probably.  During manufacture, I scrub the plastic with Comet on a green Scotch Guard pad.  If you lose the gold label in the process, send me a self-addressed stamped envelope, and I will send you a new one.

Help!  I cannot make computer contact with The Judge, either in HyperTerminal or my derby software program.   The most common reason for this is that your computer has been configured to boot up with the serial port already assigned to a Palm Pilot or similar device.  This prevents other programs from accessing the port.  Look for the device icon in the tray at the lower edge of your screen, right click, and close it.

Help!  My computer has only USB ports, not serial.  Stop by your Comp USA or other computer store and get a USB-Serial cable.  We also offer this item at $29. This device makes your USB computer think it has a serial port.  Most Judge owners want to be at the start line with their computer, and USB signals do not travel over long cables.  Only serial messages can go the length of your track, so it is not feasible to make a USB Judge.

Help!  I lost my instructions, and need to know the Serial Port settings in Hyperterminal.  9600 bits per second, 8 Data Bits, 1 Stop Bit, and No Parity. Flow control usually does not matter, although there are reports that computers running Vista should have Flow contol set to "none" when using certain USB-Serial devices.

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