Havnt been working on  it as the whole fam has been sick.  I will try experimenting8  with that code. Thanks CrossRoads.

Thanks. I feel really dumb as I am just realizing this whole post originated about switching to the min sec format  .  I have been studying the code and it is finally starting to make sense.  Once I get that aspect completely figured out i will move onto the buttons or rotary encoder.   Sounds like it may be easier to have buttons add or subtract time to my countdown rather than a rotary encoder.  Although maybe I need a good challenge
Thanks again

Ok we'll I bought a book because I figured rather than leech the code from others I should start to learn the code on my own.  I bought the kindle version of this book
http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Arduino-Getting-Started-Sketches/dp/0071784225

I'm on chapter 4 but am struggling a bit with grasping the concepts.
Any suggestions on good learning material/techniques for learning programing?
    Thanks,
             Mike

Heres a little video counting down from 15 seconds. I can change the starting time in the code for now, but I would like to be able to change the start time with a rotary encoder or a button.
http://youtu.be/TWJMiK9GAGo

So I received my el cheapo 7 segment display from amazon today http://www.amazon.com/microtivity-7-segment-Display-Dynamic-Common/dp/B007LN7SSQ
and I have already assembled the circuit and I copied and pasted this code from http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/arduino-countdown-timer
and it worked! So here are my questions.  How do I change it to seconds format and not counting in 100's format? Crossroads, I do need to display it on the display, I guess I don't understand how to make it close a contact. I assume I will hook my ground from my encoder to my ground on the arduino and then I hook my contact to be closed wire to whatever input I designate in the code.  I don't understand the code though. Could you dumbify it a bit for me?
 Thanks,
                Mike

Hi all,
 I am very new to Arduino( only done the blink sketch so far  ) but I have worked a little with stamp controllers and basic language. I am looking to make a countdown timer that starts at about 4 minutes and counts down to 0 and when it hits 0 I would like it to do a contact closure. I would eventually like to be able to increase or decrease the time with a rotary encoder but I want to start with the basics for now. The application will be for a train simulator that I have built for a museum.  I want to limit the time that the museum patrons can spend as to give others a chance to use the simulator. The contact closure tells my keyboard encoder to send the reset signal to the train simulator.  Not that it is needed  but I have posted a link to my blog of the train sim build below.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 Thanks,
             Mike


http://trainsimulatorcab.blogspot.com/