69 replies to this topic

[Jim Difalco]

Racers, our handles and triggers have been in production for four years now and it is time for a refresh on them. I think I have the best handles and triggers in slot racing but I want to make them better. I already have some technical items on my list of changes to be made along with some minor clearance updates with my internals I want to tweak.

 

Now is your chance to put in your two cents to ask for whatever you would like to see improved or added to my handle or triggers. A different trigger profile? More curve here or there? Bigger handle? Different wiper system? Any suggestion from mild to wild will be considered.

 

Changes will be made over the summer for fall release. Thanking you in advance for your two cents!

[gotboostedvr6]

I think left or right hand specific premium upgrade handles should be made available.

[gotboostedvr6]

The economy pots blow almost right away when running brushless motors. Is there a slightly better option thats cheaper then HD ?

[gotboostedvr6]

Are you using ball bearings on triggers for all models? There are good Chinese bearings that cost $0.35 each that would perform awesome and never wear out.

[gotboostedvr6]

I would remove the traction control and turn that pot into a 4 volt max adjustable voltage choke and add a switch to turn blast relay on and off.

All controllers with this choke should have a fan on the heatsink.

[Racer36]

When you came out with the new handle I didn’t think much of it. I had been using Parma-sized ones for decades.

 

As it turns out, it was something I needed and didn’t even know it. The added comfort of the longer grip was a surprise and I think it made me drive better.

 

i also use a two-finger trigger now and it is more comfortable.

 

I don’t have any particular suggestions, but whatever you do I’m sure will be an improvement.

 

Thanks, Jim!

[mppicione]

Jim, I think that it is very cool that you are asking for feedback from your customers, and you deserve a shout out for your excellent service when needed.

 

You may want to consider trigger options for drivers (two or three perhaps); it is rare but some racers use their thumb when racing.

 

Down the road if you are thinking of (what I will the chassis PC board) changes, I could PM you some info/pics for you to consider. Please PM me if you are interested in that.

[Wizard Of Iz]

Jim,  

 

Thank you for continuing to support our hobby with great controllers.

 

As for the handle... the guys I know with the new-style Difalco handles love them. I'm still using an old Parma handle on my Genesis 1 controller.  

 

As for the trigger... I thought I would like the two-finger trigger. It just wasn't for me. I'd love to see a trigger with more curve, because I haven't found anything more comfortable than my nearly-antique Red Fox trigger. But I also saw a guy (Johnny Banks) break those triggers in the heat of battle.

[dalek]

Knobs having click-stops in order to make it easy to tweak settings while racing.

[mreibman]

I think these handles are great. If I were to change anything, I'm think I would leave it open at the wiper block to encourage racers to clean there more often.

[Jim Difalco]

Are you using ball bearings on triggers for all models? There are good Chinese bearings that cost $0.35 each that would perform awesome and never wear out.

 

I have used ball bearing triggers for the last 12-15 years now, even on my $99 rental controller.

[Jim Difalco]

You may want to consider trigger options for drivers (two or three perhaps); it is rare but some racers use their thumb when racing.

 

Marc, what trigger options are you wanting?

 

I have the traditional straight Parma type and two-finger triggers already.

[rmjlmartin]

Thanks for asking, Jim. I appreciate your excellent controllers and customer support, and, as Marc said, I think it's great that you're actively asking racers for input.

 

The handles are great. I'm not saying that improvements can't be made, but I can't really think of any.

 

I have struggled to find a trigger that I love, though, and to be completely honest, I'm not completely sure exactly what I want. I've carved up a couple of triggers to get closer, but I'm still experimenting. I have a JK8083 trigger in a controller that I built on a Parma Turbo frame, and I like it in that, but I guess the Turbo trigger must be in a little bit different angle or position than yours, because that trigger tends to disappear into the handle on my Difalco controller, as I believe I remember you saying in an email. I think a large part of what I like is the rounded face that you pull against, as well as the slightly-curved profile. I've carved up one of your curved triggers and got close, mostly rounding off the face, and rounded off and carved a curve into one of the flat, Parma-style triggers and got close. So maybe something across between the JK and the traditional flat trigger?

 

As for other ideas, Dale's suggestion for knobs with click stops could be useful. Maybe an anti-brake option, if you don't already offer one?

[MG Brown]

Our local raceway runs certain classes with "house" controllers, which are the Difalco rental controllers.

I can't say that I have any suggestions for change for you since they seem to work as intended.

[nicky 65]

More color options for the handles...

[Jim Difalco]

I think left or right hand specific premium upgrade handles should be made available.

 

The economy pots blow almost right away when running brushless motors. Is there a slightly better option thats cheaper then HD ?

 

I would remove the traction control and turn that pot into a 4 volt max adjustable voltage choke and add a switch to turn blast relay on and off.

All controllers with this choke should have a fan on the heatsink.

 

David,

 

#1) left or right hand handles? I guess you are pulling my leg?

 

#2) I have not had any feedback on brushless motors damaging the economy brake rheostat. I am not saying it is not an issue but it is hard to think that a short burst of braking amperage, which should be quite low, would damage a 5 watt rheostat.

 

#3) Traction control is extremely popular and I will instead add another pot to handle the choke level.

[Jim Difalco]

Knobs having click-stops in order to make it easy to tweak settings while racing.

 

Dale, you really love this idea, don't you? Unfortunately, I do not. The second that a racer needs a brake level setting that is between two numbers they will be disappointed with the feature. Turning a 100-band economy pot or a 40-band pro brake into a 12 or 15 position rotary switch just does not work for me.

 

Thanks again for your nice tutorial on how my different resistor networks affect the band voltage as that was a brilliant demo in that other post.

[Jim Difalco]

If I were to change anything, I'm think I would leave it open at the wiper block to encourage racers to clean there more often.

 

It is on my list to do. If I could do that for my brake and power contacts without any negative results, I would do that as well.

[Jim Difalco]

 As for the trigger... I thought I would like the two-finger trigger. It just wasn't for me. I'd love to see a trigger with more curve, because I haven't found anything more comfortable than my nearly-antique Red Fox trigger. But I also saw a guy (Johnny Banks) break those triggers in the heat of battle.

 

Rollin, believe it or not my standard curved trigger has exactly the same curve as the Red Fox trigger! I thought the Red Fox was close to what I wanted as well. My curve starts at a slightly different place, in relation to the trigger pivot, than the Red Fox so it may feel slightly different.

 

Unfortunately the Red Fox bearing hole is too large for ball bearings to press in place like I like them. The Red Fox also has fiberglass in them so I am surprised one snapped.

[Jim Difalco]

More color options for the handles...

 

There is a lot of leg pulling around here. Fourteen colors are not enough?

[Jim Difalco]

I have struggled to find a trigger that I love, though, and to be completely honest, I'm not completely sure exactly what I want. I've carved up a couple of triggers to get closer, but I'm still experimenting. I have a JK8083 trigger in a controller that I built on a Parma Turbo frame, and I like it in that, but I guess the Turbo trigger must be in a little bit different angle or position than yours, because that trigger tends to disappear into the handle on my Difalco controller, as I believe I remember you saying in an email. I think a large part of what I like is the rounded face that you pull against, as well as the slightly-curved profile. I've carved up one of your curved triggers and got close, mostly rounding off the face, and rounded off and carved a curve into one of the flat, Parma-style triggers and got close. So maybe something across between the JK and the traditional flat trigger?

 

As for other ideas, Dale's suggestion for knobs with click stops could be useful. Maybe an anti-brake option, if you don't already offer one?

 

Jason, I think JK changed the trigger "angle" as you put it about 5-6 years ago? The 3rd Eye controller with the JK trigger was uncomfortable to me because the trigger sunk into the handle so far the back your finger hit the handle on the side of the trigger. It also has a lot to do with the location of the trigger pivot and the brake and power contacts as well. The farther the wiper bands are pushed forward the more the trigger has to sink into the handle to reach the full power contact. My controllers have a more neutral position, not too far forward or back.

 

You did hit on one change I will be making to my curved trigger. The face of my curved trigger will now have a slight radius to it from side to side as well as keeping the lengthwise curve. Right now the trigger has a flat face with a bit of a radius on the edges. The face will now get a full radius that will transition into more curved edges. Hopefully this will be perfect for you.

[Jim Difalco]

Our local raceway runs certain classes with "house" controllers, which are the Difalco rental controllers.

I can't say that I have any suggestions for change for you since they seem to work as intended.

 

Rental house controllers for races, I did not know a track was doing this. What raceway? The rentals have been incredibly reliable. I probably have sold 15 repair transistors for the three years they have been in service. The extra power fuse added has stopped any damage to wiring from wrong hook-ups.

[Eddie Fleming]

You did hit on one change I will be making to my curved trigger. The face of my curved trigger will now have a slight radius to it from side to side as well as keeping the lengthwise curve. Right now the trigger has a flat face with a bit of a radius on the edges. The face will now get a full radius that will transition into more curved edges. Hopefully this will be perfect for you.

 

I like the idea of a rounded trigger, rather than the flat face everything has now. I always carve grind and sand my triggers to get a rounded edge. I have often thought that the old metal triggers in the original Russket and Parma (the one that got so hot you could not touch them) was the perfect shape.

[Bill from NH]

I believe it was Parma who sold bottles of "trigger insulation." It was the same stuff as bottles of liquid electrical tape/insulation.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

Knobs having click-stops in order to make it easy to tweak settings while racing.

Easily done using a kit that can be bought from a quality guitar store.