Hafa Adai Slot Car Friends!
First of all, Please don't be shy to register on this Blog, I need some help here at times too!. I'm just a loan racer out here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.!
This time I have a question. I need help with my AW T-Jets. I really like these cars, especially since they're not glued to the track with strong traction magnets; they can be very fun to race.
I noticed though that some drive much better than others, and some drive really poor. I've tried replacing the tires with silicones, lowering the body height, but nothing seems to work.
Is there something I'm missing here? Is there a way to tune these babies up, or tweak them to run a little better?
Thanks for the input!
Adios!
rob
Thursday, 23 August 2012
Magnet Racing - Vs - Magless Racing
Hafa Adai Slot Car Friends!
Here is a topic that I've seen tossed around quite a bit, and would like to share my experiences. First off, I like both magnet and magless racing.
Magnet racing is a good place to start because it doesn't require a lot of racing skill in the beginning. It's also cool to see the cars fly around the track, and challenging to lower your lap times again and again. There is skill needed in racing with magnets, especially if your racing 1/32 scale, you tend to be more careful because of possible damage to the cars, and deslotting of course.
I find magnet racing challenging, in that you not only have to drive skillfully, but tweaking the performance of the cars also can be a challenge. Finding the right tires, tire size, track surface, track cleaning, gear ratios and more. So, there is some skill here that many people don't think about.
Magless racing can be a whole new venture. This is where it gets challenging. Some cars race great out of the box without magnets, but most require some tweaking, and adjusting to get them to stay on the track. First of all, TIRES; sand and clean them first, a lot of the time this will work wonders, even on your stock rubber tires. second, replace them with either silicone, urethane or sponge type, depending on your track surface, racing styles etc.. Check the forums for the different types of tires, and their performance levels, but for starters I think it's safe to use silicone's you'll get great results from these.
Weights - thirdly, add weights. This can get tricky, you'll want to observe how your car drives magless, especially around the curves, and places where it tends to deslot. Depending on the weight distribution of your car, this is where you'll need to off-set it by adding weight. For example:
If your car fish-tails excessively, try adding weight to the rear either to the inside ceiling of the body, or the chassis itself. Experiment to see which placement works better.
If your car seems to deslot quite a bit, you may want to place the weight in the front of the car; same places either chassis or body.
OR, you can place weights on the sides of the cars about where the doors are located, inside of the chassis. Placement all depends on the weight distribution of the car when it's running, and how it deslots.
How Much Weight: I've asked this question quite a bit, and found that some of the pros use no more than the equivalency of a nickle. You don't want too much weight or you'll put a drag on your car, and end up overheating your motor. I use small pieces of sheet lead that I got from Hotslots 1/32. I also monitor the overall weight of the car. I try not to add more than a few grams overall.
Magless Racing: I love magless racing! There's a lot more skill involved here, especially if you have penalties for those that deslot. You'll notice a big difference in the mannerism of your fellow racers when penalties are put in place, especially with magless racing. This is where the fun starts.
So, I hope I've touched on some important aspects of magless racing, and of course this short blog can in no way cover all aspects of magless racing. I suggest checking out our slotting cousins on SCI and the Slot Forum, for more on magless racing.
Adios my Friends!
rob
Here is a topic that I've seen tossed around quite a bit, and would like to share my experiences. First off, I like both magnet and magless racing.
Magnet racing is a good place to start because it doesn't require a lot of racing skill in the beginning. It's also cool to see the cars fly around the track, and challenging to lower your lap times again and again. There is skill needed in racing with magnets, especially if your racing 1/32 scale, you tend to be more careful because of possible damage to the cars, and deslotting of course.
I find magnet racing challenging, in that you not only have to drive skillfully, but tweaking the performance of the cars also can be a challenge. Finding the right tires, tire size, track surface, track cleaning, gear ratios and more. So, there is some skill here that many people don't think about.
Magless racing can be a whole new venture. This is where it gets challenging. Some cars race great out of the box without magnets, but most require some tweaking, and adjusting to get them to stay on the track. First of all, TIRES; sand and clean them first, a lot of the time this will work wonders, even on your stock rubber tires. second, replace them with either silicone, urethane or sponge type, depending on your track surface, racing styles etc.. Check the forums for the different types of tires, and their performance levels, but for starters I think it's safe to use silicone's you'll get great results from these.
Weights - thirdly, add weights. This can get tricky, you'll want to observe how your car drives magless, especially around the curves, and places where it tends to deslot. Depending on the weight distribution of your car, this is where you'll need to off-set it by adding weight. For example:
If your car fish-tails excessively, try adding weight to the rear either to the inside ceiling of the body, or the chassis itself. Experiment to see which placement works better.
If your car seems to deslot quite a bit, you may want to place the weight in the front of the car; same places either chassis or body.
OR, you can place weights on the sides of the cars about where the doors are located, inside of the chassis. Placement all depends on the weight distribution of the car when it's running, and how it deslots.
How Much Weight: I've asked this question quite a bit, and found that some of the pros use no more than the equivalency of a nickle. You don't want too much weight or you'll put a drag on your car, and end up overheating your motor. I use small pieces of sheet lead that I got from Hotslots 1/32. I also monitor the overall weight of the car. I try not to add more than a few grams overall.
Magless Racing: I love magless racing! There's a lot more skill involved here, especially if you have penalties for those that deslot. You'll notice a big difference in the mannerism of your fellow racers when penalties are put in place, especially with magless racing. This is where the fun starts.
So, I hope I've touched on some important aspects of magless racing, and of course this short blog can in no way cover all aspects of magless racing. I suggest checking out our slotting cousins on SCI and the Slot Forum, for more on magless racing.
Adios my Friends!
rob
Monday, 13 August 2012
What is the Best Slot Car Brand? Visited Again
Hafa Adai Slot Car Friends!
For this post I would like to get some input from you more experienced slot car enthusiasts. This question is asked over and over, and we all know that there is no "BEST BRAND"; however, there will be a best brand for you based on your needs and goals.
So let's see if we can all share our experiences and input on what works best for us. Let's see if we can save our fellow novices some time, money and headache here.
For me it was a big decision, because I was on a budget, and wanted to get it right the first time - yeah right... I would have, if I had some guidance.
My Digital Selection:
After much research, I went with Scalextric Sport Digital (SSD), mainly because of its versatility. I liked the idea of being able to race up to 6 cars on a two-lane track, and the ability to pass other cars. I also liked the pace-car features, and the different race games available on the advanced power base (apb). Another feature that caught my eye was the ability to connect to a computer (all major slot car brands have this feature) but what I liked about SSD, was that there are software programs available made especially for SSD. The pace-car feature was also enhanced for variable speed racing i.e. slowing down on the curves and speeding up on the straights.
Okay, this was the BIGGY for me: Scalextric made it easy to convert analog cars (non-digital) to digital by installing a chip. Also, I really like the Slot.it brand cars, and Scalextric makes a chip specially for them, also, not to mention, that Pioneer cars have also been redesigned to accommodate the SSD chips. AND... Most other brands can be chipped with the SSD chip with little modification. The other major digital brands could not accommodate this conversion as easily.
After intensely getting into the SSD world, I found it quite expensive, and this is not just with SSD, the other digital brands can get costly also. I also ended up with a lot of wreckage with the larger 1/32 scale cars, which I did find a solution to: Super Resistant cars (SR). Scalextric makes a very nice series of super resistant cars that are much more durable, less detailed, but very nice. So, when friends or kids raced on my track, I would pull out these cars.
The biggest disappointment was the imperfections and flaws with the digital systems. I've experienced many bad chips, faulty cars, problems with the apb, and computerized software. Scalextric was very accommodating, and replaced the defected units, but this would put a big damper on race nights especially when computer software problems arose.
So, I have converted to analog HO racing for now. I still have my SSD system, and plan on setting it up in the near future when space permits.
My Analog Selection:
As mentioned I now race HO scale, and use the AFX equipment. One of my reasons for going to HO is space, my track size has now doubled, because the cars are half the size.
Also wreckage is very minimal, and the cost is about half of the 1/32 cars. At first I thought, how boring, no lane changing, and NO PACE CARS! arrrg!! and now I have to have 4 lanes, because only one car per lane is allowed.
BUT... When I started getting into the whole HO thing with all the different types of cars, and modifications that could be made, and YES! I CAN HAVE PACE CARS TOO! I fell in love with HO, and now, I'm re-building my entire system. I've purchase the Trackmate Lapcounter/Timer system; driver stations; after market power unit; voltage regulators and more, not to mention the near flawless software programs available.
Okay, I know this post is supposed to be on "What is the Best Brand", but based on my needs, budget and goals, this is how I found the best brand for me.
The AFX systems are very affordable, and well made. The out-of-the-box cars are engineered with precision, and parts are readily available at very reasonable prices. I also like the versatility, well, all HO cars can run on any HO track brand, but even the track pieces... if you have other track brands, and you'd like to combine with AFX, converter track pieces are available, and this goes for most other brands also.
One of the main reasons I went with AFX, is that they've been around since I was a kid, and have much knowledge and experience in the slot car world. In my opinion they, are the leaders for this class i.e. beginner to advanced, in home sets. They can also be be used for commercial purposes also.
So there you have it, these are the BEST SLOT CAR BRANDS AVAILABLE , for me.
So you experts out there... please let us know what works best for you and why.
Maybe we can get input from a few of those that use:
Maxx Track
Custom Routed Track
Tyco
Life Like
Auto World
Or What Ever You Use
Thanks!
Happy Slotting!
rob
For this post I would like to get some input from you more experienced slot car enthusiasts. This question is asked over and over, and we all know that there is no "BEST BRAND"; however, there will be a best brand for you based on your needs and goals.
So let's see if we can all share our experiences and input on what works best for us. Let's see if we can save our fellow novices some time, money and headache here.
For me it was a big decision, because I was on a budget, and wanted to get it right the first time - yeah right... I would have, if I had some guidance.
My Digital Selection:
After much research, I went with Scalextric Sport Digital (SSD), mainly because of its versatility. I liked the idea of being able to race up to 6 cars on a two-lane track, and the ability to pass other cars. I also liked the pace-car features, and the different race games available on the advanced power base (apb). Another feature that caught my eye was the ability to connect to a computer (all major slot car brands have this feature) but what I liked about SSD, was that there are software programs available made especially for SSD. The pace-car feature was also enhanced for variable speed racing i.e. slowing down on the curves and speeding up on the straights.
Okay, this was the BIGGY for me: Scalextric made it easy to convert analog cars (non-digital) to digital by installing a chip. Also, I really like the Slot.it brand cars, and Scalextric makes a chip specially for them, also, not to mention, that Pioneer cars have also been redesigned to accommodate the SSD chips. AND... Most other brands can be chipped with the SSD chip with little modification. The other major digital brands could not accommodate this conversion as easily.
After intensely getting into the SSD world, I found it quite expensive, and this is not just with SSD, the other digital brands can get costly also. I also ended up with a lot of wreckage with the larger 1/32 scale cars, which I did find a solution to: Super Resistant cars (SR). Scalextric makes a very nice series of super resistant cars that are much more durable, less detailed, but very nice. So, when friends or kids raced on my track, I would pull out these cars.
The biggest disappointment was the imperfections and flaws with the digital systems. I've experienced many bad chips, faulty cars, problems with the apb, and computerized software. Scalextric was very accommodating, and replaced the defected units, but this would put a big damper on race nights especially when computer software problems arose.
So, I have converted to analog HO racing for now. I still have my SSD system, and plan on setting it up in the near future when space permits.
My Analog Selection:
As mentioned I now race HO scale, and use the AFX equipment. One of my reasons for going to HO is space, my track size has now doubled, because the cars are half the size.
Also wreckage is very minimal, and the cost is about half of the 1/32 cars. At first I thought, how boring, no lane changing, and NO PACE CARS! arrrg!! and now I have to have 4 lanes, because only one car per lane is allowed.
BUT... When I started getting into the whole HO thing with all the different types of cars, and modifications that could be made, and YES! I CAN HAVE PACE CARS TOO! I fell in love with HO, and now, I'm re-building my entire system. I've purchase the Trackmate Lapcounter/Timer system; driver stations; after market power unit; voltage regulators and more, not to mention the near flawless software programs available.
Okay, I know this post is supposed to be on "What is the Best Brand", but based on my needs, budget and goals, this is how I found the best brand for me.
The AFX systems are very affordable, and well made. The out-of-the-box cars are engineered with precision, and parts are readily available at very reasonable prices. I also like the versatility, well, all HO cars can run on any HO track brand, but even the track pieces... if you have other track brands, and you'd like to combine with AFX, converter track pieces are available, and this goes for most other brands also.
One of the main reasons I went with AFX, is that they've been around since I was a kid, and have much knowledge and experience in the slot car world. In my opinion they, are the leaders for this class i.e. beginner to advanced, in home sets. They can also be be used for commercial purposes also.
So there you have it, these are the BEST SLOT CAR BRANDS AVAILABLE , for me.
So you experts out there... please let us know what works best for you and why.
Maybe we can get input from a few of those that use:
Maxx Track
Custom Routed Track
Tyco
Life Like
Auto World
Or What Ever You Use
Thanks!
Happy Slotting!
rob
Thursday, 2 August 2012
New to Slot Cars? Need a Reputable Dealer? Slot Cars for Beginners
Hafa Adai Slot Car Cousins!
Here it is! The list has been compiled! Reputable Slot Car Dealers!
Log onto www.slotcarbeacon.com and download my free report: "Reputable Slot Car Dealers".
Adios!
rob
Here it is! The list has been compiled! Reputable Slot Car Dealers!
Log onto www.slotcarbeacon.com and download my free report: "Reputable Slot Car Dealers".
Adios!
rob
Digital Slot Car Systems - Leave Much to Desire?
Hafa Adai Slot Car Cousins!
I wanted to address something here in hopes that the digital world will catch wind of this. Just to make things clear from the start, I love digital racing, and my intentions here are constructive in hopes of improving the systems.
My first system after a long break was a digital system. I thought it was so cool to be able to race more than 2 cars on a a 2-lane track, and the fact that you could pass, this seemed so much more realistic. As you may know as of now, I have switched to an HO analog system. I thought long and hard about selling my digital system, but I just don't think I can part with it. It's packed up in the boxes in hopes of pulling it out again.
However, after much frustration with the quirks of the digital system: i.e. cars not working; chips burning up; lane changers going out; glitches with the power base; glitches with software, and finally spoiled race nights, I've decided to go analog, and am having a great time with it, but I miss digital racing!
I'ts now been just over one year since I switched, and am still working on my HO system, rebuilding, upgrading etc. I't seems that there are many of us digital fans that are having continued problems. I continue to read many posts on the forums daily of slotters with the same problems. I really hope the digital manufacturers pay attention to these posts. I for one, am not the only one that has converted to analog for the same reasons; I got my idea from these posts.
My observation: Okay, I'll let the cat out of the bag. My digital system is SSD, oh, that's right, I have photos posted, so you know that already!
This is not just with SSD, but it seems to me that the equipment is a bit "toyish" in quality. Slot cars are in no way toys, unless you buy a toy slot car set, but the ones I'm referring to here are the hobbiest kits for adults.
For comparison example: Take a look at the DS lapcounter products, these are definitely built for quality, and professionalism. Take a look at the appearance, and the durability of the units; pick one up, you'll know immediately that they're built for quality, and operate with precision.
The digital power bases: light wight plastic; low quality input plugs; high operational malfunction rate and have the appearance of a toy.
The concept and intention of the digital systems - Great! Love it! and can't wait until the manufacturers create a product for us true digital hobbiests.
I realize digital racing is very new, and has improved quite a bit in the past few years, so I'm hopeful that it will continue to improve, otherwise I would have sold my digital equipment.
I also realize that as of now, the slot car hobby is still very small as compared to other hobbies, and for the manufacturers to upgrade to these specs is very costly, but maybe if they move a foot at a time, in a few years we'll be much farther along - Think about...
Adios My Friends!
rob
aka Guam Slot Racer
rperyon
I wanted to address something here in hopes that the digital world will catch wind of this. Just to make things clear from the start, I love digital racing, and my intentions here are constructive in hopes of improving the systems.
My first system after a long break was a digital system. I thought it was so cool to be able to race more than 2 cars on a a 2-lane track, and the fact that you could pass, this seemed so much more realistic. As you may know as of now, I have switched to an HO analog system. I thought long and hard about selling my digital system, but I just don't think I can part with it. It's packed up in the boxes in hopes of pulling it out again.
However, after much frustration with the quirks of the digital system: i.e. cars not working; chips burning up; lane changers going out; glitches with the power base; glitches with software, and finally spoiled race nights, I've decided to go analog, and am having a great time with it, but I miss digital racing!
I'ts now been just over one year since I switched, and am still working on my HO system, rebuilding, upgrading etc. I't seems that there are many of us digital fans that are having continued problems. I continue to read many posts on the forums daily of slotters with the same problems. I really hope the digital manufacturers pay attention to these posts. I for one, am not the only one that has converted to analog for the same reasons; I got my idea from these posts.
My observation: Okay, I'll let the cat out of the bag. My digital system is SSD, oh, that's right, I have photos posted, so you know that already!
This is not just with SSD, but it seems to me that the equipment is a bit "toyish" in quality. Slot cars are in no way toys, unless you buy a toy slot car set, but the ones I'm referring to here are the hobbiest kits for adults.
For comparison example: Take a look at the DS lapcounter products, these are definitely built for quality, and professionalism. Take a look at the appearance, and the durability of the units; pick one up, you'll know immediately that they're built for quality, and operate with precision.
The digital power bases: light wight plastic; low quality input plugs; high operational malfunction rate and have the appearance of a toy.
The concept and intention of the digital systems - Great! Love it! and can't wait until the manufacturers create a product for us true digital hobbiests.
I realize digital racing is very new, and has improved quite a bit in the past few years, so I'm hopeful that it will continue to improve, otherwise I would have sold my digital equipment.
I also realize that as of now, the slot car hobby is still very small as compared to other hobbies, and for the manufacturers to upgrade to these specs is very costly, but maybe if they move a foot at a time, in a few years we'll be much farther along - Think about...
Adios My Friends!
rob
aka Guam Slot Racer
rperyon
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Slot Car Racing Tip - Cars De-Slotting Too Easy?
Hafa Adai Slot Car Cousins!
Got another tip here that will probably help those just starting out. You pros already know this. When I put up my first layout right out of the box, I knew nothing about slot cars at all. I just wanted to get up and start racing. To my amazement I was very frustrated that the cars would de-slot so easily. After a week or so, I discovered that there was a very simple cost effective solution to this.
1. Keep the tires Clean! Hello?! This is just common sense for most people - guess I'm not most people, but I did figure it out, after some time.
2. Clean the track. Wow, this is just too easy. I use rubbing alcohol and a Swiffer duster for the dust.
Just these two things alone made a huge difference, and the fun had just begun from this point.
3. Sand the tires, or what is also referred to as "Truing the tires" meaning make them truly round.
There are many ways to achieve this, but for starters, and simplicity purposes, cost effective too, I use a powered track on my work bench with a stock power supply unit, and controller. I started with about 160 grit sand paper or finer placed on the powered track. Then place the car in the slot with the rear tires on the sand paper. You can tape down the sand paper if needed. I also put a tooth pick or small piece of wood depending on the distance between the chassis and the track under the car about mid-way between the wheels between the chassis and track.
Then gently lower the rear tires on the sand paper while pressing the controller. I start slowly and increase the speed as needed. Mainly, I'm looking to achieve a smooth even surface across the entire width of the tire. You can also use a finer grit depending on the material that your wheels are made of. Silicone tires do not true as easily; however can be trued, but there is a certain process involved. To be visited in a future posting.
4. This is the easy one, and most effective: Change your rear tires to silicone tires. I recommend that if you choose silicone tires, then you should run nothing but silicones on your track. Otherwise you will still get excessive sliding. You must first clean your track well; use alcohol to remove the excess rubber.
Or, if you plan on using both silicone tires and the stock rubber tires, then I would recommend urethane tires, these work will with tracks that have accumulated a rubber build up.
Tip: rubber tires will grip better after the track has been used a bit accumulating a fine layer of rubber.
Well, I hope this simple tip will help some of you, as it did for me.
Adios!
rob
Got another tip here that will probably help those just starting out. You pros already know this. When I put up my first layout right out of the box, I knew nothing about slot cars at all. I just wanted to get up and start racing. To my amazement I was very frustrated that the cars would de-slot so easily. After a week or so, I discovered that there was a very simple cost effective solution to this.
1. Keep the tires Clean! Hello?! This is just common sense for most people - guess I'm not most people, but I did figure it out, after some time.
2. Clean the track. Wow, this is just too easy. I use rubbing alcohol and a Swiffer duster for the dust.
Just these two things alone made a huge difference, and the fun had just begun from this point.
3. Sand the tires, or what is also referred to as "Truing the tires" meaning make them truly round.
There are many ways to achieve this, but for starters, and simplicity purposes, cost effective too, I use a powered track on my work bench with a stock power supply unit, and controller. I started with about 160 grit sand paper or finer placed on the powered track. Then place the car in the slot with the rear tires on the sand paper. You can tape down the sand paper if needed. I also put a tooth pick or small piece of wood depending on the distance between the chassis and the track under the car about mid-way between the wheels between the chassis and track.
Then gently lower the rear tires on the sand paper while pressing the controller. I start slowly and increase the speed as needed. Mainly, I'm looking to achieve a smooth even surface across the entire width of the tire. You can also use a finer grit depending on the material that your wheels are made of. Silicone tires do not true as easily; however can be trued, but there is a certain process involved. To be visited in a future posting.
4. This is the easy one, and most effective: Change your rear tires to silicone tires. I recommend that if you choose silicone tires, then you should run nothing but silicones on your track. Otherwise you will still get excessive sliding. You must first clean your track well; use alcohol to remove the excess rubber.
Or, if you plan on using both silicone tires and the stock rubber tires, then I would recommend urethane tires, these work will with tracks that have accumulated a rubber build up.
Tip: rubber tires will grip better after the track has been used a bit accumulating a fine layer of rubber.
Well, I hope this simple tip will help some of you, as it did for me.
Adios!
rob
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