My First Test Track

KensRedZed · 29th-Mar-21, 01:45 PM

You need to find a way to keep the garage a few degrees warmer than the ambient tempurature to prevent humidity from forming dew on the track. Sometimes a few bright light bulbs left on 24/7 will warm a small room a few degrees just enough keep the humidity down. Cheap heaters.

Hopefully your garage walls don't breath too much to let fresh humidity in. Nothing a little plastic won't solve.

BAracer · 29th-Mar-21, 01:55 PM

I think I sort of knew the answer really...

I think if I can eliminate the drafts around the garage doors, then I will be a good way towards solving the issue, which is more of a winter one than a summer one.

BAracer · 1st-May-21, 07:20 AM

The track is growing...it now sports a UK club controller box, build thread here to provide positive wiring and allow me to add an appropriate plug to my SCP controller so that I can use it on my travels (when rules permit)

So having the extra piece of powered track releases two half straights which I have inserted to widen the track and eliminate the scope of bridging at the far end. Probably nowhere left to expand it now without extending the lounge.

All set up for some weekend proxy tuning.

woodcote · 1st-May-21, 07:33 AM

Have fun

BAracer · 4th-Aug-21, 08:41 AM

This week's arrangement for TR7 rally testing and tuning

The SCP2 is great when swapping over cars on the track between a lovely old British sports car and a 4wd SRC 205 beast!

Dave D Stevens · 4th-Aug-21, 10:24 AM

Rather than setting up a "whole" track to test a car or controller, I made myself a "test bed" that lets me test the basic operation of cars and controllers. Also at ether end of the "test bed" I have glued course and fine emery cloth for basic tyre truing.

Test Bed

BAracer · 8th-Aug-21, 01:09 PM

I went for the full immersive experience of running cars on a track and getting myself into that hypnotic state by following them round and round with the rhythmic sound of the motor endlessly accelerating and decelerating. But it also gave me the chance to compare and contrast and learn various things: -

The SCP2 controller is a wonderful piece of kit. There is no substitute for using it on a range of cars to get to learn what all the knobs can do and how they help you match your trigger action to car control.

My TR7 got as far as I could take it in the tuning stakes. It didn't seem too sensitive to change, so not quite sure where it is in terms of reaching it's performance envelope. In my mind, I have made it fast and stable, so hopefully drivable in the up and coming proxy.

I ran my SRC 205 in earnest for the first time. What a fast car. 4 wheel drive and 4 wheels suspension. So grippy going round corners. So much so that I am re-instating the 4 wheel drive on my Scaleauto 208 as it looks a no brainer for a rally car.

I looks like my B2JOG Scalextric Bentley had a slightly bent rear axle (that's my excuse anyway). I tried to swop out the rear axle but I had superglued it in too well, so I swapped the whole chassis and fitted some N22s on the rear, and off it went! I know it's bigger than other GT cars, I know it heavier than some other GT cars, but I just love the look of it. And it ran so smoothly and predictably. It's back to the top of the my car choice for our club's GT series when it resumes.

It looks like my GT3 car for the American Proxy has developed an electrical fault. I think it might be to do with the guide set up, so that's the next job to look at. And yes, I will probably just use a static piece of track to sort that out.

Anyway, the house will be full of people again later today, so the test track has all been packed away ready for the next time.