[jhardy33]

To your goal of consistency and predictability, glued and trued tires also go a long way. Almost as much of an improvement as appropriate tires are. Until you've driven a car with perfectly glued and trued tires, you really don't know what you're missing. Even the best out of the box car can be improved with this simple tuning technique.

Makes a world of difference!

 

[Charles R]

RamJet-X Controller

Today I received the controller and it appears well built. The case looks very similar to the Frankenslot however if feels much heavier in your hand. I'd guess at least as twice as heavy. Might be the attached cord but you certainly know when you're holding it in your hand. Where the Frankenslot feels like part of your hand.

Out of the box the trigger tension is very heavy (for me). Luckily it's adjustable and I'll try to ease it up quite a bit. Hopefully as light as the Frankenslot. I read online someone thought the Frankenslot was too light so it's strictly personal preference. Running laps the throttle range appeared very similar so performance wise I'd say they are comparable.

Which do I prefer? If I had to take one and run I'd take the wireless Frankenslot. It's freedom is too much to give up. Now since the RamJet-X was half the price I couldn't justify that freedom for a controller that will hardly be used. As a side note running laps the other night the car "lost power" for a few milliseconds two laps in a row. First I thought it was a track connection issue but since it cleared up and didn't happen again for laps afterwards I'm thinking it was a wireless controller issue. Only one I've seen in hundreds of laps.

 

[GRUNZ]

The flatter and smoother the surface the more critical is to have round true tyres (front and rear).

 

[Charles R]

Public Service Announcement

If you are thinking about purchasing a slot car set be prepared to accept it's only the beginning. The doorway to endless purchases. Once in you'll keep saying to yourself... I also need that and since I already have all of this what's a little more.

I thought I would be exempt but no. I still own only two cars (that came with the set) however my inbox never appears empty of orders I'm tracking. Not to mention being handy challenged having tables constructed or even the more abstract purchases like a air purifier to remove the tables' stain odor that's engulfed the lower level. Or the more natural ones like upgraded controllers, tires and everything else which "makes" the experience.

I will say there are worse addictions. Certainly more expensive ones which has often been my excuse... it's only x dollars. I skipped a home theater projector generation so I'm still in the black (for now). I'm running out of ideas and only waiting on a car from China. Oh wait, I need to order a few items for it.

Now I'm not telling anyone not to purchase a set and I'm glad I did... just be prepared for the dozen or so orders that will follow shortly thereafter.

UPDATE: There has already been two more orders not shown in the image.

 

[GDSLOT]

Public Service Announcement

If you are thinking about purchasing a slot car set be prepared to accept it's only the beginning. The doorway to endless purchases. Once in you'll keep saying to yourself... I also need that and since I already have all of this what's a little more.

I thought I would be exempt but no. I still own only two cars (that came with the set) however my inbox never appears empty of orders I'm tracking. Not to mention being handy challenged having tables constructed or even the more abstract purchases like a air purifier to remove the tables' stain odor that's engulfed the lower level. Or the more natural ones like upgraded controllers, tires and everything else which "makes" the experience.

I will say there are worse addictions. Certainly more expensive ones which has often been my excuse... it's only x dollars. I skipped a home theater projector generation so I'm still in the black (for now). I'm running out of ideas and only waiting on a car from China to ship. Oh wait, I need to order a few items for it.

Now I'm not telling anyone not to purchase a set and I'm glad I did... just be prepared for the dozen or so orders that will follow shortly thereafter.

View attachment 302127

And that’s only the Track, problems is when you have to look at your picture archive to be sure if you already have or not a certain model before ordering it, that happens when you are over +200 Cars😅

 

[Charles R]

And that’s only the Track, problems is when you have to look at your picture archive to be sure if you already have or not a certain model before ordering it, that happens when you are over +200 Cars😅

Fortunately I'm missing the collector car gene. It's difficult to find cars I want to purchase. Basically two cars to race against each other (came in the set), a show car (had to go to China - NIO EP9) and down the road perhaps an NSR for something "high-end" Oh and a backup for the two cars I race. Also helps from my younger days when I continually traded in (real) cars, one after another I finally realized that money would be better suited for the market.

 

[Charles R]

I've been catching a few slot car videos on my TV (Fire TV 4K/YouTube) and I ran across this channel. Nothing new there and most are about airplanes however the few slot car ones they have are insane. I started watching the below video and after a minute or so forgot they aren't real cars.

 

[Charles R]

After a few hundred laps the track record is down to 6.1x via the inside lane with the outside lane one tenth slower. Outside is still the easier lane to turn laps on. I'm using the Frankenslot with one car and the RamJet-X controller with the other (both cars are within one tenth a lap) so it's hard to say if one is faster. I'll probably swap cars as now the cars appear to be more different than the controllers. That way I should be able to tell if I actually prefer one controller over the other. I did loosen the trigger tension and the RamJet-X and although it's not as light as the Frankenslot it's much better.

Since I'm using shims in the curves I noticed I needed to adjust them a bit to ensure I didn't have any "low spots" on the track and the shoulders are level with the track itself. I had one midway through the 180 after the straight where the car loved to deslot. Another shim and I was good to go.

I haven't left the table since adding gutter guards and shoulder fences to the two inside 180s. However today I nailed the guard at the end of the straight good... a nice solid bong! In real life I would be in the ER (at best). Overall I really like the layout and I think I have a 5.9 in me if I ever learn how to drive the chicane. My brother will be here next week and I'm expecting a new track record or I won't let him live it down!

 

[Charles R]

I'm not even walking yet so I'm not about to run however I spend a lot of time at my desk and couldn't help but play around with track designs. After an hour or so I came up with the following. Surprisingly it's less than 50% longer but I'm guessing lap times would be at least double based on the few tight turns. Where the 180s are connected I'd probably raise one or the other along with where the curves butt up against the straight. Oh well I guess I'll see what pieces I would need just for the heck of it...

Note: Instead of cluttering up the thread (even more) I'm going to post the current "thinking" image for Phase II in the first post. Plus since it's posted right next to the current layout it's easy to compare.

 

[MrFlippant]

 

[Charles R]

View attachment 302700

That's why lane changers were invented. Not to mention for 99% of track time it's a one lane track. Might just be me but (badly) unequal lanes are really down the list of concerns. Now I'm not about to order and if I find a flow I prefer and it's more equal that's even better.

 

[MrFlippant]

Just wanted to make sure you knew, so you could make your own decision. I won't rehash my feelings on the topic.

That aside, your new layout doesn't look like it adds much to your previous one other than extra footage. My personal opinion is that a longer track is not necessarily a better track, especially when you're not adding new things to it, and are creating other issues such as elevations that obscure the view of the car without much benefit from doing it. But again, that's just IMHO. If you like the look of it, and want a longer track for the sake of top speed or longer lap time, and think you'll enjoy it in spite of any issues they may introduce, then go for it.

 

[Charles R]

Just wanted to make sure you knew, so you could make your own decision. I won't rehash my feelings on the topic.

I agree with your logic as in most cases it makes total sense. My layout isn't designed for multi-car racing (per se) rather simply doing laps. Also for some reason I like the thought process of... if you want to pass someone get out of line (use the other lane), go around them and then get back in line.

Regarding the larger layout I'm guessing it has six what I call flow changes. My current layout has three. Meaning basically at that point you have to "dramatically" alter your speed. Hopefully not in a frustrating way. It would be adding to the complexity of the layout (perhaps visibility and driving lines) however that might make the lap more memorable again if lucky in a good way.

Bottom line I'm not sold on the new layout. However the two 180s (at each end of the tables) and the long back straight are pretty much in cement. How they get connected is fair game.

 

[Charles R]

Checking my order from China I ran across these guys... oh my nothing I would order but I was surprised how off the wall Carrera went with 1/32 digital.

 

[MrFlippant]

I'm not sure why that would surprise you, as they've been making pop culture cars of all kinds in all scales for years. This one is pretty much Asian market only, I think.

 

[Charles R]

I'm not sure why that would surprise you, as they've been making pop culture cars of all kinds in all scales for years.

Because I'm a newbie. I have only seen them for the GO market. If they want a six-wheeler I'll pre-order a Tyrrell P34! I remember when it raced and it was one of the few models I built that came out almost perfect. Sure wish I still had it...

 

[Charles R]

Marilyn Raceway Expanded

Per my Track Expansion thread a new layout is in town (as shown in the first post here). Added 32% to the length (81 feet total) and 50% (probably less after x laps) to lap times. As I mentioned before the original layout to a large degree felt like a big oval with a few curves thrown in. As you were basically running "on it" the entire lap. Even without magnets Carrera's R2 and R3 curves aren't tight enough to really drop your speed. Even the R1 180 can be taken quite fast after the initial braking point.

The new layout adds a few challenges. Largely the R1s coming out of the overpass and the chicane. The original layout only had two R1 180s and never really felt like a road course being so fast. Now with increased speed variations, "doubling back" and overpasses it has a lot more depth. As in each section of the layout feels distinct. Admittedly more of a challenge and one I find more enjoyable.

 

[Groovy]

View attachment 300517
[/QUOTE]


Nice! I was thinking about getting some Frankenslot controllers too, but they seem to be tough to find. Where did you get yours?

 

[Charles R]

I was thinking about getting some Frankenslot controllers too, but they seem to be tough to find. Where did you get yours?

Looks like they are out of stock (right now) but I got it from Carrera Slots. I'm sure Ana can tell you when they expect them back in stock. I'm still on my first battery charge (up to 80 hours) however I have been very impressed with them. The trigger is relatively light especially compared to my other controller the RamJet-X (adjusted to the lightest tension). My brother ran a few laps with it this week and his first comment was... there is zero lag.

I have the controllers assigned to different cars (usage is about 50/50) and it's funny how the emotions are different based on which controller I use. The corded RamJet-X brings memories of way back when I raced slot cars as a youth. Somehow it's more relatable being attached to the layout. With the Frankenslot it feels more today being cordless and walking around the layout.

 

[Groovy]

Gotcha, thanks Charles