Guys,
Has anyone used one of the new Slot it SCP 01 eletronic controllers. I was wondering what they are like?
Regards
Egg
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 Slotcar Outhouse uses 
Slotcar Outhouse follows WEST AUSTRALIAN SLOT CAR RACING GROUP |
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SLOT CAR OUTHOUSE is totally Independent. We are not sponsored, so we can provide readers with un-biased and honest evaluations of the models we review No "Pulp Fiction" no topics removed surreptitiously at the dead of night and no sponsors to placate here folks! |
                                                           |
|
|
|
Slotcar Outhouse uses
Slotcar Outhouse follows WEST AUSTRALIAN SLOT CAR RACING GROUP |
|
SLOT CAR OUTHOUSE is totally Independent. We are not sponsored, so we can provide readers with un-biased and honest evaluations of the models we review No "Pulp Fiction" no topics removed surreptitiously at the dead of night and no sponsors to placate here folks! |
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I'm out of Control
Re: I'm out of Control
Hi John
Have you read the post about six topics down, this forum?
Have you read the post about six topics down, this forum?
When I'm not racing slotcars,
I'm out in the back yard, burning food!!
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Eggmeister
- Engine Tech
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:35 am
Re: I'm out of Control
Whoops.
I am feeling a bit small now!
Sorry.
I am feeling a bit small now!
Sorry.
Re: I'm out of Control
Egg looking at another type of controller other than a 25ohm Parma? Please pinch me someone. But Egg, a Slot-it? No, no, no, you need the good Professor my friend.
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Eggmeister
- Engine Tech
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:35 am
Re: I'm out of Control
Perro,
Thanks for the advice. I think I am in need of a lot more then a controller. After reading phil's article on the slot it controller, I am starting to be convinced that all i need is
PRACTICE.
Regards
Egg
Thanks for the advice. I think I am in need of a lot more then a controller. After reading phil's article on the slot it controller, I am starting to be convinced that all i need is
PRACTICE.
Regards
Egg
Re: I'm out of Control
A late buy in on the topic my friends, but as you would have noticed last legends round, I procured said Slot.it hairdryer. My logic for such a decision I feel is solid, but that is only because I said so.
It all started at a particular round of a particular cup series at a local store circuit. Having finally fettled the car I was ready to get serious about keeping it on the track, and finally getting my trigger finger settled in. A few heats in and I was really getting warm....then the brakes on the shop controller packed it in and my win turned into a whine. I'm not painfully competitive, but I had finally got my rhythm only to have it smashed by something completely out of my control. So I finally decided to make a purchase.
A week later and hours of reviews, research and pricing, I realised that the Slot.it was everything the Professor was, only there was no contacts to get dirty, additional functionality should I one day want it, and linear adjustable Power and Brakes - all I was really after.
So, a month down the road and what do I have. Exactly what I wanted, adjustable linear power and brakes....and .....CONFIDENCE. The smoothest trigger on the market, a couple of very convincing performances, and it was cheaper than a professor adjustable controller.
So I wont enter into the Slot.it v's Professor argument, but I gotta say I couldn't be happier with my choice.
It all started at a particular round of a particular cup series at a local store circuit. Having finally fettled the car I was ready to get serious about keeping it on the track, and finally getting my trigger finger settled in. A few heats in and I was really getting warm....then the brakes on the shop controller packed it in and my win turned into a whine. I'm not painfully competitive, but I had finally got my rhythm only to have it smashed by something completely out of my control. So I finally decided to make a purchase.
A week later and hours of reviews, research and pricing, I realised that the Slot.it was everything the Professor was, only there was no contacts to get dirty, additional functionality should I one day want it, and linear adjustable Power and Brakes - all I was really after.
So, a month down the road and what do I have. Exactly what I wanted, adjustable linear power and brakes....and .....CONFIDENCE. The smoothest trigger on the market, a couple of very convincing performances, and it was cheaper than a professor adjustable controller.
So I wont enter into the Slot.it v's Professor argument, but I gotta say I couldn't be happier with my choice.
Re: I'm out of Control
For those of us controller tech spec reading challenged...
I'm looking to get a new controller for my racing needs... My 45 ohm Parma resister Fly body controllers, while pleasing to hold, use, etc, are not providing me with the level of control that I feel I would be better off with a new controller, with a lower ohm resister setup.
But bloody hell.
How the hell do you determine what ohm rating even the entry level professor motors are.
I don't need all the whizbang you beaut adjustable electronic gadgetry, I just want a good, solid, dependable controller, and having recently used a couple of new Parma 25 ohm controllers, the 'feel' of driving the car is great, but the feel of the controller is unfortunately, cheap and nasty.
So I'm lookin at these Professor Motor controllers, but yeah. How the hell do I determine the Ohm rating?!
I'm looking to get a new controller for my racing needs... My 45 ohm Parma resister Fly body controllers, while pleasing to hold, use, etc, are not providing me with the level of control that I feel I would be better off with a new controller, with a lower ohm resister setup.
But bloody hell.
How the hell do you determine what ohm rating even the entry level professor motors are.
I don't need all the whizbang you beaut adjustable electronic gadgetry, I just want a good, solid, dependable controller, and having recently used a couple of new Parma 25 ohm controllers, the 'feel' of driving the car is great, but the feel of the controller is unfortunately, cheap and nasty.
So I'm lookin at these Professor Motor controllers, but yeah. How the hell do I determine the Ohm rating?!
The Racer Administrator
Re: I'm out of Control
Hi Rob
Inspite of what I have written else where I do now use a professor motor. The reason being that it replaces a range of four or five controllers. The following is to be considered when racing on non magnet and / or board tracks.
The theory is that high current motors like SCX, Ninco NC5 upwards and any long armature motor need controllers that operate in a range between, say, 45 ohms and 20 ohms. This would require owning two to three fixed impedance controllers. Then, 'S' can motors, i.e., Scaley, Fly and the like are more controllable with 45 ohms upward to 60!!!. NC 1's can need as much as 70 ohms on twisty circuits!! How come, well its like this.
An NC1 on a very twisty (technical) circuit needs to be able to be driven slow enough to get round the tightest bend on the track. This could well need a seventy ohm controller. Some of the narrower models will tip and deslot when trying to negotiate the tightest bends with not enough low speed control. But an NC1 on a sweeping track may only need a 45 ohm controller as there are no low speed bends where there is a tipping deslot and at 45 ohms the model is going slow enough and is still under control. Likewise, an 18,000 rpm 'S' Can may run fine on a technical track with a 45 ohm controller as it isn't as sensitive as an NC1 at low speed and actually travels slower for the same power supplied. But an 'S' can may only need a 25 ohm controller on a high speed sweeper of a circuit, Got it! No low speed corners demanding a bit more sensitivity in their tightest bends.
Now, long can/high torque motors like the so called 'Boxer' motors NC 5's etc) and long arm motors like SCX and some Teamslot motors. Inherently need a less sensitive controller, so, a long arm motor on a technical circuit only needs a 45 ohm controller or lower to ensure control whilst negotiating the slowest bend. On a fast sweeper of a circuit the ohmage can be dropped even lower. Say, 20, or even 15 ohms. Low enough to get the model around the slowest bends.
So why bother if you can get an SCX round the slowest bend with say a 60 ohm controller!! The problem with driving an SCX RX motor on a sweeping track with a high ohmage controller is that the model only effectively responds to the high end of the trigger movement. This will be reflected in your driving as bend exits could be slower than necessary, loosing you a straight or two at the other end. And on the tightest bends you may well be trying to feather the throttle to control the model. This will involve a lot narrower resistor band and a lot less trigger movement, making smooth control harder and the risk of either slow exit speed or over speed deslot greater.
The ideal situation is to have a controller impedance high enough so that you drive the slowest corner at the highest safe speed when the wiper contact in the controller has engaged the first resistor winding. That is to say, as soon as you touch the trigger the model will be going as fast as comfortably possible around the slowest bend on the track. This will ensure you have a broad controller range for the rest of the bends and also, when you snap your model out of a bend, you are (hypothetically) traveling full speed sooner as a result! i.e. you will be traveling 75% of a straight flat out instead of only 60%!!
Now, I have five Parma controllers spread across the impedance range and I used to take these to meetings and match the controller to the car and the track. This was fine but I had to BUY five controllers to start with and then maintain them and install plugs!! A good PM is a bit cheaper than this plus it has a brake adjustment. There are other suitable controllers on the market but these are more for high speed circuits, having settings which you can match to a model and a track. But on the more technical tracks the advantage is lost, leaving you with the headache of wondering if you lost a race because maybe you weren't quite happy with your chosen settings!
On a last note, there are the super tech controllers. I am happy to say that I am acquainted with Keith Wade who is a wing car racer and who has explained to me some of the finer points of slotcar control. Keith is an electronics technician and is currently experimenting with the next stage in wing car control. These models use controllers with less than two ohms impedance and are designed to control models which will lap 185 feet in a couple of seconds and I'm sure there will be a knock on effect in the technology used.
So, what to buy, that’s your choice, but a variable impedance or a diode type controller are going to be the answer. For the price of one controller and a plug you will have one which will offer the same range of control from say 15 to 70 ohms plus variable brakes (although they don’t operate on impedance) without owning and maintaining five controllers!
Lastly, what would I use in magnet racing. Well, it is my experience that with the advances legal and otherwise being made and used in traction magnets, you might as well use an on off switch!
Inspite of what I have written else where I do now use a professor motor. The reason being that it replaces a range of four or five controllers. The following is to be considered when racing on non magnet and / or board tracks.
The theory is that high current motors like SCX, Ninco NC5 upwards and any long armature motor need controllers that operate in a range between, say, 45 ohms and 20 ohms. This would require owning two to three fixed impedance controllers. Then, 'S' can motors, i.e., Scaley, Fly and the like are more controllable with 45 ohms upward to 60!!!. NC 1's can need as much as 70 ohms on twisty circuits!! How come, well its like this.
An NC1 on a very twisty (technical) circuit needs to be able to be driven slow enough to get round the tightest bend on the track. This could well need a seventy ohm controller. Some of the narrower models will tip and deslot when trying to negotiate the tightest bends with not enough low speed control. But an NC1 on a sweeping track may only need a 45 ohm controller as there are no low speed bends where there is a tipping deslot and at 45 ohms the model is going slow enough and is still under control. Likewise, an 18,000 rpm 'S' Can may run fine on a technical track with a 45 ohm controller as it isn't as sensitive as an NC1 at low speed and actually travels slower for the same power supplied. But an 'S' can may only need a 25 ohm controller on a high speed sweeper of a circuit, Got it! No low speed corners demanding a bit more sensitivity in their tightest bends.
Now, long can/high torque motors like the so called 'Boxer' motors NC 5's etc) and long arm motors like SCX and some Teamslot motors. Inherently need a less sensitive controller, so, a long arm motor on a technical circuit only needs a 45 ohm controller or lower to ensure control whilst negotiating the slowest bend. On a fast sweeper of a circuit the ohmage can be dropped even lower. Say, 20, or even 15 ohms. Low enough to get the model around the slowest bends.
So why bother if you can get an SCX round the slowest bend with say a 60 ohm controller!! The problem with driving an SCX RX motor on a sweeping track with a high ohmage controller is that the model only effectively responds to the high end of the trigger movement. This will be reflected in your driving as bend exits could be slower than necessary, loosing you a straight or two at the other end. And on the tightest bends you may well be trying to feather the throttle to control the model. This will involve a lot narrower resistor band and a lot less trigger movement, making smooth control harder and the risk of either slow exit speed or over speed deslot greater.
The ideal situation is to have a controller impedance high enough so that you drive the slowest corner at the highest safe speed when the wiper contact in the controller has engaged the first resistor winding. That is to say, as soon as you touch the trigger the model will be going as fast as comfortably possible around the slowest bend on the track. This will ensure you have a broad controller range for the rest of the bends and also, when you snap your model out of a bend, you are (hypothetically) traveling full speed sooner as a result! i.e. you will be traveling 75% of a straight flat out instead of only 60%!!
Now, I have five Parma controllers spread across the impedance range and I used to take these to meetings and match the controller to the car and the track. This was fine but I had to BUY five controllers to start with and then maintain them and install plugs!! A good PM is a bit cheaper than this plus it has a brake adjustment. There are other suitable controllers on the market but these are more for high speed circuits, having settings which you can match to a model and a track. But on the more technical tracks the advantage is lost, leaving you with the headache of wondering if you lost a race because maybe you weren't quite happy with your chosen settings!
On a last note, there are the super tech controllers. I am happy to say that I am acquainted with Keith Wade who is a wing car racer and who has explained to me some of the finer points of slotcar control. Keith is an electronics technician and is currently experimenting with the next stage in wing car control. These models use controllers with less than two ohms impedance and are designed to control models which will lap 185 feet in a couple of seconds and I'm sure there will be a knock on effect in the technology used.
So, what to buy, that’s your choice, but a variable impedance or a diode type controller are going to be the answer. For the price of one controller and a plug you will have one which will offer the same range of control from say 15 to 70 ohms plus variable brakes (although they don’t operate on impedance) without owning and maintaining five controllers!
Lastly, what would I use in magnet racing. Well, it is my experience that with the advances legal and otherwise being made and used in traction magnets, you might as well use an on off switch!
When I'm not racing slotcars,
I'm out in the back yard, burning food!!
Re: I'm out of Control
Well then,
Once I've sorted out what polarity our tracks are using down here - some of them are wired for the positive feed being controlled, apparently.... I'll probably buy one of the whiz-bang $200 controllers!
Can I determine that if my controller that I currently use works on all the tracks I've raced on (where I know at least 2 of them are positive feed controlled?), does this mean that all the tracks are going to be wired the same.
Or are controllers like the Fly/Parma not determined by the wiring of the track itself, and making such an assumption is a dangerous move?
Once I've sorted out what polarity our tracks are using down here - some of them are wired for the positive feed being controlled, apparently.... I'll probably buy one of the whiz-bang $200 controllers!
Can I determine that if my controller that I currently use works on all the tracks I've raced on (where I know at least 2 of them are positive feed controlled?), does this mean that all the tracks are going to be wired the same.
Or are controllers like the Fly/Parma not determined by the wiring of the track itself, and making such an assumption is a dangerous move?
The Racer Administrator
Re: I'm out of Control
Rightio, have ordered a PM2110, with the fancy variable brakes and variable sensitivity.
Will have it by Friday, courtesy of express post, in order to use this weekend for our in between rounds test n tunes - the joys of people living so close together, we tend to be doing something slot car related twice a fortnight!
Shall be interested to see how much more control I have!
Will have it by Friday, courtesy of express post, in order to use this weekend for our in between rounds test n tunes - the joys of people living so close together, we tend to be doing something slot car related twice a fortnight!
Shall be interested to see how much more control I have!
The Racer Administrator
Re: I'm out of Control
A good choice Rob. One tip. Set the sensitivity knob initially so that its only just slow enough for the slowest bend and at risk of deslotting, then start from there. This will ensure you aren't languishing in corners while the pack is p***ing past!
When I'm not racing slotcars,
I'm out in the back yard, burning food!!
Re: I'm out of Control
I'm in control!
I love this Professor Motor controller. I used to be against all these fancy electronic doodads for slot car racing, as it seemed to be a bit over the top for what is racing toys around, but it has made a couple of my cars much more enjoyable to drive.
Looking forward to giving it a go at racing this Thursday.
I love this Professor Motor controller. I used to be against all these fancy electronic doodads for slot car racing, as it seemed to be a bit over the top for what is racing toys around, but it has made a couple of my cars much more enjoyable to drive.
Looking forward to giving it a go at racing this Thursday.
The Racer Administrator
Re: I'm out of Control
Well done Rob. I know it seemed so totally unnecessary or even "out there" to have a controller with more than just a trigger on it but it's something you can not explain to anyone as you have found out. You really have to use one to find out what the real benefits are regarding a controller such as the PM you have recently bought. At the end of the day it won't make you a better driver but what it does is make your cars easier to drive over a wide range of car types and track designs and in the end making you cars a pleasure to drive which, when all is said and done, what the aim of the hobby is after all. Please let us know how you go and what you like and dislike about it. I think it's the best $180 I have ever spent.
Perro
Perro