[Charles R]

Gotcha, thanks Charles

By the way you can request certain colors and they will accommodate you (if possible). Might want to give the Frankenslot Guide Keels a try. I noticed a dramatic difference over the stock guide... for the better. The car is much less likely to deslot. Running without magnets drifting in the curves simply slows you down versus flying off the table.

 

[Charles R]

Well I might hold the record but I finally gave in. Received a new car today. My first beyond the two that came with the set. I still have the NIO EP9 from China (wife purchased it as a gift)... if it ever ships. But that should hold me for the foreseeable future. My set's cars for guests (racing) and trying to cause trouble (testing guardrails or whatnot) and the Ferrari for everyday laps. The NIO will be my show car. All of them will have Frankenslot Guide Keels, Paul Gage tires and zero magnets.

 

[MrFlippant]

Trying to keep from buying lots of cars? Stick with Carrera, then. ;-)

 

[Charles R]

Trying to keep from buying lots of cars? Stick with Carrera, then. ;-)

So true!

Following my minimalist approach I placed signs in front of the gutter guards. I know this approach will eventually get me banned here but I think they look OK.

 

[Groovy]

By the way you can request certain colors and they will accommodate you (if possible). Might want to give the Frankenslot Guide Keels a try. I noticed a dramatic difference over the stock guide... for the better. The car is much less likely to deslot. Running without magnets drifting in the curves simply slows you down versus flying off the table.

Good to know, thank you again! I'd love an orange controller if they can get one. I have a few Frankenslot Guides. Nice change in behavior. Seems like a company who knows their stuff.

 

[Charles R]

Roughly a week since the track expansion (shown in the first post) and I couldn't be happier. Really like the flow and there is enough variation to keep you interested in each section. Looking at the layout there is virtually no "empty" space on the table and you are constantly changing directions like a nice road course. At least in my eyes.

The Ferrari set a track record today and I guess I'll be working on bettering it in each lane. And perhaps a lap using both lane changes of which I still stink.

 

[Charles R]

Watching the video below he references a Scale Converter which I found interesting. Without thinking I would have guessed my layout of 81 feet (2458 cm) would be roughly 2 miles in scale. If I thought about it I'd probably have guessed a mile or so. In reality it's equal to .49 miles. Kind of depressing when you think your course is quite long. Which if my math isn't wrong (often is) an average of 211 MPH based on my lap time of 8.3 seconds.

For some beyond silly reason I have an urge to create a track equivalent to a mile and a half... than you'd have a true road course. If I still have it in five years I'll have another five tables built and expand into the exercise room with an Interstate connecting the two rooms.

 

[Charles R]

Power Taps?

I ended up with 81 feet of track after my expansion and I'm wondering if I need power taps. Now I typically only run one car and haven't noticed the inner straight being any slower than the outer straight so on the surface I'm wondering what's up? Most recommend a tap every 20 feet or less. I have also run the car the slowest it will go around the entire layout and it maintains the same speed. This might not be a good test but off the top of my head (certainly not an electrician!) I would expect the car to slow down if the voltage was dropping to any degree.

Now I sort of understand it might not show up until I demand a fairly heavy load as with numerous cars. However if I think of dropping I'm thinking both wattage and amps would drop at the same time? Hence if the car at slow speed (easy way to judge variations) is steady around the layout I'm good.

 

[GRUNZ]

DO not over think it. If you see no slowdown in your cars (they are doing what you are asking them to do) then you are good.
For carrera, especially digital, I recommend a power tap every 10 track pieces and a power tap before each lane changer.
It is not the length of the track the issue by the number of joints that can cause issue with the current.
Anyway, this is what I do when I build my large 4 lane digital track and it works.

 

[Charles R]

DO not over think it. If you see no slowdown in your cars (they are doing what you are asking them to do) then you are good.
For carrera, especially digital, I recommend a power tap every 10 track pieces and a power tap before each lane changer.

I try not to over think it... however I have 74 pieces of track, 2 lane changes... so your recommendation would be at least 8 power taps and I have none!

 

[GRUNZ]

Your track is new on a relatively stable environment (in terms of temp and humidity) and very low usage (one car at the time).
If you want to future proof your track (in case you want to race with others) 8 would be your upper limit.

 

[MrFlippant]

The way to tell if there's power drop is not whether a car slows down, but whether it has as much punch everywhere as it does near the power base (CU). Punch it from the CU. Then put the car on the inside straight and punch it. If you can't tell any difference, then you're fine. If it gets up to speed sooner from the CU than the inside straight, that's power drop.

 

[Charles R]

As mentioned the two straightaways appear the same so for now I'll forget about it. I was trying to add to an order (to get free shipping) and looked at their tap options. I ended up ordering a Check Lane instead. Figure I'll get some fun out of that.

I sold the two cars that came with my set and ended up cancelling the NIO EP9 from China (still in lockdown?). Saw an old street Ferrari at LEB Hobbies (I'm a sucker for yellow) that I prefer so I ordered it and some upgraded tires. Also, I'd rather support the USA resellers if possible.

They recommended Quick Slicks for the Ferrari so I'll get to compare them to Paul Gage tires.

 

[MrFlippant]

Quick Slicks are silicone... running silicone and rubber or urethane on the same track usually results in sub-optimal grip for everything. Best to stick either with only silicone, or never silicone. YMMV.

 

[Charles R]

Best to stick either with only silicone, or never silicone.

Thanks. Googling (I think) it's because silicone tires clean the track... picking up laid down rubber. Making them dirty and removing grip for the others? I'm so early in I might try both and see which I prefer before I settle on one. Checking some more I think I already have Paul Gage tires that fit... if so I'll try to have them cancel the Quick Slicks.

Checked again and I have the XD version of the Paul Gage tires which I guess won't work as the inner hub is a different height. I think finding the correct slot car tires are worse than actual tires!

 

[MrFlippant]

That's the general consensus, though some debate what actually happens, there's no debate that something happens. Most tires work well on a pristinely clean track. Each type has pros and cons. Silicone last forever, but they are also very difficult to true.

 

[Charles R]

Ended up having them ship silicone tires. I should also have a set of urethane tires so I can compare and see which I prefer. Only 2 (hopefully 3) cars in the stable so going either way shouldn't be a big expense.

 

[Charles R]

Check Lane

Installed the Check Lane today and it's pretty cool. Easy enough to program and simply works. I don't have a great place to install it so I ended up placing it right before you go into the inner "loop" of the layout - butted up against the Lane Change. Not close to being halfway however the other location would have been at the start of the inner straight where you are close to being done with the lap - not much "driving" left. Basically it times and two outer 180s and the long straight. Which to a large degree is the sweeping section of the layout so I guess it makes sense timing that aspect.

Using SmartRace there is some good and bad. It displays the last and best lap times for the section however best isn't announced rather you just get a beep if it's the fastest in that session. In reality the beep tells you just as much as an announcement so it does help you know when you are driving that section just right. Which is its real value... improving that section's time. Section times aren't stored under the car (only best lap) from what I can tell so there is no ongoing reference or time to beat.

Bottom line you can have up to two per layout (making three sections) and it cost roughly 3 times a straight which it replaces. As such it seems worthwhile to me. If you are running digital the more the merrier. Up to five can also perform "vehicle performance measuring" which goes far beyond my scope.

 

[Charles R]

In the previous post I stated I didn't believe SmartRace stores section times. It doesn't under Cars however under Tracks / Track Records it shows the sections' time for each car. Playing with Check Lane I have been adjusting the car's brake setting and it appears I can do the fastest lap with braking set to 100%. Although I find it much easier to turn laps with it set to 90% as it's a little more relaxing/forgiving.

Received the Ferrari 458 the other day and it's so pretty I'm not sure I want to race it... now only if the mirrors weren't so loose. Although I want to test silicone vs urethane tires so I'm sure it will hit the track.

 

[MrFlippant]

Take the mirrors off. There should also be spare mirrors.