oldslotracer wrote:
Last night we ran 7 cars for the first time.
7 Yes and also 8 if we look at the video
It looks good but maybe the track is a bit short for 8 cars, I look forward to our new track is ready and we can have some nice racing.
The biggest problem at the video is that 8 driver are driving 8 cars and the Marshall is holding the camera. Nobody Marshalling, that's a problem since you has to stop to be able to help another car, and then somebody crash into your car. I can Imaging how great it is when 7 drive and 2 marschalling.
Thanks a lot!
This is how we all can grow better in the hole area of MagSteering.
We need more knowledge, by just doing it, find out was wrong, and change!
Here's my plan for the next track. It will be four 4ft x 8ft sheets of 1/4" MDF. It's a little bigger than what we have now, but will still sit on top of our Targa track.
It should be easy to drive, because the challenge will be in the passing. The yellow wires will be heavier wire to catch cars. I'm thinking 10 cars will be about right. It will only be run counterclockwise. There's a pit area, but it's just for looks (and maybe passing a slower car)
I like that.
Will almost copy it If its OK?
I like that it is bigger area for standing cars. If we get a reverse gear, it will be more easy to continue by your own.
We have notice that is mucht less marshalling with MagSteering racetrack.
On this OSR New track, there will be two straights at nearly four meters!
Luf, that looks like it will be fun! What size of wire are you using for the outer wires? How are you finding the lane changes in the corners and at high speeds? I noticed they seem to be some what random, which does make it interesting. Depending on the attitude of the car in a slide I seem to be getting some involuntary lane changes. Are you using 4" lane spacing? I just tried 3.5" it seems to work well, just a little closer.
Paul...there's some random lane changing on our present track, but I think it's because a front wheel may be a bit tighter causing a car to pull slightly in one direction. I think it adds to the fun.
Because I like to rout the groove for the wire 1/8" wide, for the run-off wires I'll just double up on them.
I like the 4" lane spacing, it gives a little more room for a racing line between them.
We find the car speed to be pretty even, so most of the time is spent on a guy's tail, looking for a place to pass. We like lots of cars on the track!
That's why I want more straights. More interesting corners is slotcar thinking.
All the lane changes will start on a straight section.
I didn't leave enough run-off areas on our present track, so on this one there should be less chance of blocking the roadway.
After marshaling, guys are learning to make sure their car has picked up the wire before charging off. We use sticks to poke the car in the right direction.
On our present track it's possible to make contact with a car just before the lap counting sensors, making him miss a lap, so I need to find a foolproof (or is that a skill?) spot for the sensors on the next track.
Thanks for the information Luf. Yeah the randomness does make driving them interesting. Interesting comment on the corners, I'll have to try that thinking as I am designing a larger track now. Your lap counter is on a fast part of the track? Why would you miss a lap if pushed over the lap counter?
The lap counter is on a slowish part of the track, but it's possible to nudge a car off the wire so it won't run across the sensor.
Having a lap counter/timer sure changes the way guys drive. We were going to award bonus points for the hot lap in each heat, but that just made everyone go too fast. Just using the lap count makes for better racing. The timer is handy for tuning.
I think a big reason guys like our Hillclimb is because it has sector times.
I don't want to come across as a nit-picker here but I'm just pointing out a quick issue or two I see with the track.
The main issue at present with the track layout is that from the entrance of the straight in the very lower left all the way to the end of the second straight in the top left, there is only one possible way to switch from the inside lane to the outside, and it's not nessisarily where you might want it to be. That's a long strip of track to be stuck on the inside lane. You might want to put an optional lane change from the inside to the outside near the end of each straight so someone on the inside can still take a racing line or go on the outside to pass someone around the corners.
The other issue I have is more theoretical. I have very little experience with this so if someone else has some real world videos or something, please let me know. I'm worried that a double strip of wire for a "sand line" will cause a car that's already stopped (from running wide for example) to not be able to overcome the magnetic force with two wires and spin it's tires in place. Even with a single wire, if the magnet is adjusted just a hair too low, can get stuck on a wire when not parallel with the wire. Also I think a car that's run wide and maybe hit the wall at a slight angle may get stuck on the wire at a vertical angle to the wire and not follow the wire as intended. Has anyone tried the "sand wire" idea out yet on a track?
Yes I use the "Gravelbed wire" It works perfect.
It has to bee 50 - 80 mm out from the main wire.
And, important, its not nececerly to connect to the main wire,
just point it out and leave a area of 50mm for the car to run without magnetic influence.
If its OK?
