Unpacking boxes

[Jimmy43]

So tonight, the boy and I unpacked some track and cars. Playing around on the floor with some layouts, and testing some forgotten cars. Good times!
:banana-rock:

[dreinecke]

Jimmy,

Sounds like a great time - the kid and slot cars - not much better than that!

[sirslotsalot]

You can never have enough slot cars!!

Kihm

[pfuetze]

sounds like fun, Jimmy!
i bet the boy was faster than you, right? ;)

[Jimmy43]

You know it, Peter!

I got this mrning and he was downstairs playing, testing out cars. He's put together a 4 x 14 ft test layout.

[pfuetze]

while testing the finished dslots today, my younger son beat me with a faster lap time - 10.4 against 10.6, i could use some excuses like faster lane, cleaner lane and so on, but in the end he simply beat me, i got even a higher voltage (13.5 against 13.2).

i put nearly the whole box with artin track parts in the kids room! they like setting up their own tracks, using all those strange artin track pieces ... challeging tracks, lucky to drive a whole lap at once ...

[Cjent]

Glad to see you and Dylan back in action!
Peter, you better keep sharp! We had visitors last weekend and got the track set up (85'!) and the kids were as fast as the adults.

[Broman62]

[masmojo]

Peter, I find that sometimes a lower track voltage is better for drivability, also some lanes need less power then others; that is why I like a power adjustment on each lane! Depends allot on the car & controller as well I like to dial the power down so that I can use more of the range of the controller; If I put my track on 13-15 volts I can drive it, but I only use 1/4 to 1/2 of the range of the controller and it's hard to modulate and I rarely ever hit the maximum throttle anyway, by turning the voltage down some I have more control and can use almost all of the power at hand.

[pfuetze]

Mas, i need the added power in the middle lane to equalize that the outer lane is the fastest one, middle one a little slower and the inner lane a little slower than the middle one.
So, if i add just a little to each lane from out to in, the lanes are normally more equal. You can gain just the 3 to 4 car length on the front straight to loose them in the back part of the track and come on the front straight again door by door ...

But sometimes a little lower voltage can result in better lap times, that´s right, especially if you´re going for endurance than for best lap time.

[masmojo]

Makes sense, if it works Peter!

i guess, my point is simply that more power is useless if it's not usable.

I see so many people who go to great length the equalize lane lengths, thinking that the inside lanes have a great advantage because they are 6, 8, 10 inches shorter or whatever, When reality is often that the middle or outside lanes really have the advantage because the car can travel much faster on the larger radius turns!

[Jimmy43]

Thanks guys. I'm looking at building the benchwork in a week or two. Some honeydo list stuff has bumped my plans. Happy wife is a happy life... so I'm told by wiser individuals. I have 4x14 against the long wall which will mesh at right angle with 4 x11. Essentially 2 4x8 sheets with a 2x4 extension on one side. May go Carrera with track this time as we're interested in the digital possibilities. Although we have Artin track galore. If we go Carrera we'll need to buy some R2 and R3s as well as the switch sections as we want pits this time. We're both talking slotcars alot lately. Anything to get him away from the Xbox.