[wovtam]

G'day All,

A new addition to our social racing this year has been the addition of an "open" class in which drivers can do whatever modifications they like to their car. The need for more speed is the driving force for these guys so bigger motors with more magnets seems to be the way they get there.

While I have no real objection to anyone who wants to go down this road I do however wonder if perhaps they are missing something basic when it comes to racing slot cars. As the year went on I noticed it was possible to use an elastic band to hold the hand control trigger at full power then the driver watched his car speed round the circuit as he sipped his coffee.

One of the joys of racing slot cars, at least for me, is controlling your car and getting round the track as quick as possible without coming off. I'm sorry but I just don't see the point of adding so many magnets to your car if you simply stand there watching it go round lap after lap til the motor burns out, you might as well build a model railway.

I'd be interested in your opinions about this so feel free to share.

 

[Ember]

You will open a massive can of wriggly, earth encrusted fish bait with this topic.

The simplest (and safest) thing to say about magnets is that some do 'em and some don't. And of those that used to do 'em and tried without 'em they frequently won't go back to 'em.

I don't get the opportunity to race in public with others much, but I have witnessed the phenomenon of which you speak. At the risk of simplifying with stereotypes, the ones that I've seen are most often of the 20 something set, racing with a bunch of mates and frequently relatively new converts to the slotting game. It must be said, they're good for the track-owner's business because they spend lots of money on super fast motor and expensive upgrades. Also, when they do crash bits of debris tends to fly everywhere, so they spend lots of money on cars too.

Embs

 

[Ade]

hi
full throttle all the way round a lap,seems pretty pointless to me.

 

[300SLR]

Full power all the way round? Sounds like they have got too much magnet for fastest lap times.
If a car has so much magnet it can go everywhere flat out, unless the track has an unusual layout, it is carrying too much drag round most of the circuit.

An alternative approach is increase the motor power and keep the magnets the same. This is only possible if the track power supply is able to provide more power.

Either way, a car that needs driving skill is the way to quicker lap times.

What sort of racing lights your fire is a personal thing, as Ember says some do 'em and some don't.

 

[HAPPY]

A mighty motor added to big magnets could be not so good for the crown, pignion or wheels... Moving parts could be quickly damaged, due to the increased forces applied on them.

 

[Dickie]

Around here, we let guys run as many magnets as they want....

Problem is, we run tracks that have copper braid....

Problem solved...

 

[greenman62]

Too much magnet? Simple... any other than what is required by the motor is too much...

Greenman62

 

[300SLR]

QUOTE (HAPPY @ 13 Dec 2011, 09:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>A mighty motor added to big magnets could be not so good for the crown, pignion or wheels... Moving parts could be quickly damaged, due to the increased forces applied on them.
Indeed that is a problem when trying to put a lot of power through low grade slot car gears that are only intended for low power.
It is possible to get away with poorly meshed gears on low power, but on more power they will strip.

It's a non problem when using slot car gears designed for more powerful motors which are set up properly.

For me, I've never experienced a problem with wheels however much power I put through them. It would be interesting to hear what sort of wheels do give a problem.

 

[stumbley]

QUOTE What is too much magnet

Any.

 

[bemoore]

How much volume is too much for music?

Depends on the individual. Most serious 1/32 hobbyists eventually gravitate to zero traction mags. Regardless of the individual, I'd say that if you can pin the throttle, and go have a cup of coffee, you have too much magnet. WAY too much magnet.

For me, I like magnet racing, but only in HO scale. In 1/32, I prefer no mag. If your buddy Magneto happens to miss his setup, and his magnet missile winds up deslotting, unless the track has very good catch fencing, you can get him a dustpan and broom for cleaning up the debris field. Also, if it's your track, I wouldn't spend a lot of time & effort on scenery. Why spend the money for a finely detailed 1/32 car, and then run it at speeds so fast you can barely tell what color it is?

 

[HAPPY]

QUOTE (300SLR @ 13 Dec 2011, 16:14) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>For me, I've never experienced a problem with wheels however much power I put through them. It would be interesting to hear what sort of wheels do give a problem.

I had problems with Ninco Mossler and Pescarolo Avant Slot, on which I had added another magnet. The Wheels wells were quickly split. I'm not sure that additionnal magnet was responsible for that (poor plastic quality perhaps), but that's what I thought at the time...

Now, like Bemoore, I don't use any magnets for 1/32nd scale cars... (except F1 cars)

 

[brembo]

Simple - Any magnets other than the ones in the motor is too much magnet!
By fitting a magnet you dispense with the need to balance the car, true the tyres, tune the chassis, fettle the the drive train etc etc
Part of the fun of our hobby for me is getting a car to handle/perform well, filling the car with magnets seems a bit pointless, which is especially true for me because both my home track and the club track where we race is wood with copper tape/braid - LOL

Each to his own
Brembo

http://www.edsrc.co.uk/content/home.html

 

[Ember]

QUOTE (HAPPY @ 14 Dec 2011, 07:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I had problems with Ninco Mossler and Pescarolo Avant Slot, on which I had added another magnet. The Wheels wells were quickly split. I'm not sure that additionnal magnet was responsible for that (poor plastic quality perhaps), but that's what I thought at the time...
Definitely not the magnet at fault on that score. I've had more than a few issues with splitting Ninco wheel hubs. It's one of the things (alongside price) that keeps me wary of Ninco.

 

[injectorman]

I race non mag only but having said that some cars are virtually impossible to tune for non mag so in these cars a little mag makes sense.

Rick

 

[300SLR]

QUOTE (brembo @ 13 Dec 2011, 20:44) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>By fitting a magnet you dispense with the need to balance the car, true the tyres, tune the chassis, fettle the the drive train etc etc
Yes there are mag racers who go about their racing with the rather crude approach brembo describes.
However, the really quick mag racers do balance the car, true the tyres, tune the chassis, fettle the the drive train etc etc, and that does make them quicker than the guys brembo talks about.

So you think I must be a mag racer to have a good word for them? In fact I normally race with zero magnet traction!

 

[Si.]

I have a magna-board in the layout room, for lap-time papers & notes, there's LOADS of them on there.
If you haven't got that...
...stick 'em to your fridge.

Magnets in cars ?

Forget it, kids stuff.

Si.

 

[Camber]

QUOTE (Si. @ 14 Dec 2011, 11:24) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Magnets in cars ?

Forget it, kids stuff.

Si.

My personal preference is running non mag cars but we race a stock mag car class at our local commercial track as buy cars (5 weeks racing and you own the car). With guys who know how to drive, these cars are not easy to run at close to 10 tenths lap after lap. The margin of error is tiny compared to non mag cars which will slide and give some warning before deslotting...mag cars are off before you can react.

 

[conti_rowland]

Magnets are for those who NEED the illusion that they can drive fast.

Andi

 

[Si.]

Tune up your engine...GREAT !

Oil up your precision bearings...MARVELOUS !

Put on some grippy new Good Years...FANTASTIC !

Get your aerodynamics sorted...STUNNING !

Get the best ratios for the track...CEREBRAL !

Ride height adjustments all set...SUPERB !

Suspension good for best cornering...BRILLIANT !

Low centre of gravity setups...CUNNING !

4 wheel drive...SOOPER DOOPER !

Magnet..........................................................................
........................?????????

Last time I looked, the roads where I live were made out of tarmac; NOT sheet steel.

Also they are totaly uneven & peppered with pot-holes & bumps.

A non bumpey race-track, I believe, is yet to be made (although Herman Tilka is probably designing a sheet steel one at this very minute).

When Ford & Ferrari start fitting huge powerfull magnets to their car chassis, and the roads are all re-sufaced in sheet steel...

...Then I'll be all FOR magnets in cars.

Anything to get as close to the 1:1 as possible.

Untill that day.............................................................................
........................................NO !

 

[300SLR]

Si. presents an interesting argument.
So his stated aim is Anything to get as close to the 1:1 as possible.
Lets think about that
Last time I looked, the roads where I live were made out of flatish tarmac; NOT with slots in them and metal rails either side.
Have Ford & Ferrari started fitting big plastic guides under the nose of their cars?
Last time I watched a Grand Prix, the drivers could steer their car anywhere they wanted and were not constrained to follow a slot in the track

Thinking it through Anything to get as close to the 1:1 as possible. means slot racing isn't really much good, there are other forms of model car racing that get much closer to full size motor racing.

Of course those of us who love slot racing as slot racing won't be bothered by that.