48 replies to this topic

[Racing Rtlee]

Anyone know where I can find one? Only place I have found to buy one is from the UK and that's $30+ after conversion to USD and shipping.

[havlicek]

Proformance makes/made (?) one, but it's pretty inaccurate.  The best ones I've seen work with a protractor that has a hole for the shaft and a thin indicator blade that slips in the com slots.  I have one that worked well...but I lost the darned indicator-pointer thingamajig dang it!  I'm sure there MUST be simple-but-fairly-accurate ones out there and am interested in seeing what's out there.

 

-john

[Racing Rtlee]

I went to Proformance's website and could not find one there. Here is the one I have found:

 

http://www.abslotsport.biz/page19.html

 

But like I said, that's $30+ for shipping to the US

[SlotStox#53]

With taking the first steps in winding my own armatures I've been trying to find this very tool and have seen that one on ABslotsport, so far being the only one.  

 

Will keep looking , plus get a protractor and drill a hole in it for the time being.

[LindsayB]

I went the protractor route, costs under a $1 to make and I expect it is just as accurate as the one on the site. With mine I have a thin strip of brass with a hole it for the armature and 2 pieces if pin tube soldered to hit to keep the wire straight. Not a lot different from the picture.

[zipper]

Just DIY...

[SlotStox#53]

Thanks for the info and great picture , shows very well how to get it done.. will be getting a protractor ASAP !

[Rick]

I made about 25 of these some years ago. Looks like it is time to find my print of them................

[Pablo]

Once you determine your exact timing, what do you do with the data ?

[LindsayB]

write it down, I keep a spread sheet and number armatures and setups. I record performance at the track and have a record of what worked with what.

 

I engrave the setups with a number and just use tape on the arm tubes which I write on. I have an extract of the sheet for a race which has a list of motors with loaded armatures. I also record, when magnets were last zapped, glued and any other significant event. Arms I record com size and last balance, wind, dia, capped, purchase date etc. I have an Ipad and upload the spreadsheet to the IPAD and edit at track with performance details.

[Steve Okeefe]

Pablo, you're such a spoilsport     

 

When building armatures, consistency (including timing) is more important than absolute accuracy.

 

When checking a finished armature - see post #9...

[Danny Zona]

I appreciate a racer like Lindsay B. I record everything about motors.

[SlotStox#53]

I made about 25 of these some years ago. Looks like it is time to find my print of them................

 

Like the sound of that little gizmo Rick.

 

Also great record keeping Lindsay, as good if not better records than a 1:1 raceteam !!!

[Champion 507]

Okay, so the PRI's are inaccurate. How so?

[Dominator]

This was really popular in the mid 90's.  Very accurate and large.  Comes in handy also when you want to get the attention on a corner marshal LOL!

 

[Pablo]

I like post # 10.

If I raced wing cars and if I had a raceway near me, I would be just like Lindsay B.

[Racing Rtlee]

Rick, I really hope you decide to make some of these up. Until then, I guess I'm gonna go buy a protractor and see if I can make my own.

[SlotStox#53]

This was really popular in the mid 90's.  Very accurate and large.  Comes in handy also when you want to get the attention on a corner marshal LOL!

 

timing tool.jpgtiming tool 2.jpg

 

Wow you're right that thing is HUGE!!

[Bill from NH]

Paul, I've seen Dom's timing gauge & yes, you're right, it is huge. But then, you ought to see Dom's cherry slot box made by his grandfather. It's huge too! I believe these gauges were made in Germany. One on ebay a few years back sold for $50-$60.

[David Rees]

The correct way of measuring timing is off the leading edge of the comm cut .  This is the firering point of commutator.
If you measure from the centre of the comm cut there is about a 2 deg difference .
So when when using a timing tool it should be built with this in mind , or at least allowed for .

[Champion 507]

Just so I understand this, if I measure 30° on my PRI, it's actually 32° or 28°?

[Zippity]

Regardless of where/how you measure the timing, surely it is all relative?

 

If I measure an armature n three different places and then average those 3 readings, I have a time that can then be compared with another or more armatures?

 

If I have a 28 degree, a 35 degree and a 45 degree armature, all I want to be able to do is tell the three apart?  No?

 

I have a simple plastic protractor (readily obtainable from any stationery store) and small strip of plastic with a red line on it that has a hole in it the same diameter as an armature shaft.

[SlotStox#53]

Zippity I'm pretty sure the protractor route is fine and its not like you're timing a top fuel drag engine or F1!

Yeah timing of these little things is important for that last ounce of performance but from what John has told me as long as you use the gap between comm segments and the poles as reference you/we should be fine.

[David Rees]

Just so I understand this, if I measure 30° on my PRI, it's actually 32° or 28°?

 If you measure 30* on your timing tool the the actual timing is 28*  .    
As long as all   your  readings are taken at the same point then they are relative to each other

[MSwiss]

This was really popular in the mid 90's.  Very accurate and large.  Comes in handy also when you want to get the attention on a corner marshal LOL!

 

timing tool.jpgtiming tool 2.jpg

Dom,

Very cool.

 

Back in the day , I used to refer to that as the "Magnetron Timing Anchor".

 

 

Back during my Koford days, when I wanted to check and get timing references, I used an optical comparator.

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