30 replies to this topic

[bbr]

I had an older S&K, this new one looks cool.

[Highnoon]

What do those run.are they for flat track racing? 

[PCH Parts Express]

It's fine for flexi, retro, wing and flat. 

[SpeedyNH]

two fans on a big heatsink and all those controls? looks like cobalts to me. 

[bbr]

Looks like it has all the cool stuff.
I think the chock is voltage chock and not a wire chock like the old one

[Tim Neja]

Looks like it has all the cool stuff.
I think the chock is voltage chock and not a wire chock like the old one

Do you mean "Choke"?  It looks like it's got plenty of bells and whistles.  My only concern with these controllers-- is getting service when it costs a small fortune to send back and forth across the "pond"!  But if you have the desire--there's plenty of great controllers out there.

[bbr]

lol,,,,,,,, there seems to be a newer and better controller every six months........ so if it breaks just buy the new model LOL

those eastern block countries no longer under the thumb of Russia,,,,,, all those former weapons engineers are building hi tech controllers

I've bought my share of them 

[Highnoon]

I’ve had 6 controllers since 1964, a Cox controller, original Russkit controller, pre-Parma production modified Russkit with the Gary Fuchs hand wound furnace cement resistor that I built. My Parma production pro controller with double micros that I built (was stolen at speed and sport 1970, Gorski  double micro I bought in 1971( still have it). And now my difalco hd30 I bought 2 years ago. Don’t think I need anything more than a difalco for wings, flexi and retro.  The cost of some of these controllers is nuts.

[bbr]

for us talent limited racers ,,,,, certain controllers have a better "feel" than others ------ which "may" give a better lap times/race pace (at least that's the hope LOL......if you don't have the talent, at least try buying it ,,,,, LOL)

but you don't know until you have used the controller. the S&K is one of those for me, another is Carsteen. the new S&K is about 750$, so not tooooo bad

[James Wendel]

Needs more cow-bell.

[Slotracer17]

I'm already confused so I'd never buy one 😅.

[bbr]

Lol, most of these hi end controllers has too many knobs. I figured each knob is about 250$
I had a switching controller with like ten knobs, could not (no patience) sort it out. Sold it to a guy who had one already, he swears by that controller.
I had a synapses controller (that had the display screen). I took some time to sort that one out. The brake profile on that controller was such that you can brake so deep into the turns without crashing, some sort of trailing brake profile. So some of this technology will give an advantage, if you are willing to pay and sort out.

I have my eye on this one 1450$ yikes, gf gonna be mad again, lol

[Phil Smith]

Trail braking. That's interesting.

 

Mike, can you explain the advantages of all the extra (cow) bells and whistles the S&K has? The stuff a normal Difalco doesn't have?

[bbr]

Way back when (70s HO racing), I use the most basic controllers LOL. The advantage with all the adjustability is that you can adapt to changing conditions. If you could set up the car perfect for the track and your driving demeanor, you could just use two pieces of wire, LOL. But not many of us have that talent. I think I have seen two racers that could actually do that and still win.

If your car is optimum for the fast lanes, it might be lacking for the gutters. Or if you can’t adjust your driving style to changing track lanes and conditions, an adjustable controller can be helpful, more brakes, less power…..etc, this is not news, every racer does this. So all that stuff: anti-brake, voltage and wire choke, sensitivity and brake profiles can be use to adapt to changing conditions, because changing how you drive is rather difficult.

I’m no hero driver, so all that tech helps me keep within distance (though still a long way off) with all the top pros. I was able to fight for wins in my HO racing days with tailoring an adjustable controller to my lack of talent. But in the 24^th world it has been a harder challenge, but I’m still working on it, and a high tech controller is one of the weapons in my arsenal, but the top guys are also using this to their advantage LOL, because every little bit will help with faster laps and more laps. I’m not going to better my talent (I think it is actually getting worse), but I can use tech to minimize my lack of it LOL.

 

side note: I was amazed how a former F1 world champ describe a fast lap around a circuit, the lines etc. But also how he would change the brake balance on the fly for each particular turn and also when he is about to pass someone. So if the tools are available, use them to your advantage.............................

 

this is what I did in HO: I optimize everything for the fast lanes to crank out as many laps as I can. Used the controller settings to minimize the damage in the gutters, I knew I was going to suck in the gutters, no way around this for me. I won many HO races this way as long as I didn't blow it in the fast lanes

[Phil Smith]

Mike, thanks for the detailed reply! I didn't make my question clear. I've had 2 Difalco E-Motion Fanatics and currently a 30 band resistor network Difalco. Not the latest one, but the top of the line predecessor, whatever model that would be. So I know what sensitivity, brake and choke adjustments do. Its all that other stuff. I've never even seen one of those in person, much less used one.

 

So in 1/24th scale racing, what's the advantages?

[bbr]

Depend on the racing you do.

The scale/eurosport guys use all sorts of adjustments, I think bc the hp/handling ratio is high (more hp than handling).

Retro, wing USA type racing the hp/handling ratio is lower, so there's less you have to do get around the track cleanly, not that the racing is any easier, bc the guys that have  hand/eye skills rules.

 

As an example from my HO racing. The superstock class (stock type arms, low hp/handling ratio) I would get killed bc the guys with  hand/eye rules.  Getting on/off the power at the right time is what matters, not how you get on the power (modulation).

In the HO rewind classes (high hp/handling ratio), I can hold my own bc trigger modulation comes into play as the smoother you drive the faster your lap times are (if you get on the brake and power too fast and hard you actually lose time), still the hand/eye guys are good, but I can run with them bc I can set up car/controller so  where I lack in hand/eye I make up in being smoother. One of my buddies is one of the best hand/eye racers I know, but I could always run a quicker lap time than him in this case, thou he would run more laps bc of his consistency. 

So that's where all those knobs help, smoother power on, smoother braking.

 

The majority of USA 1/24 racing is low hp/handling ratio, great for the hand/eye guys, so you don't need much more controller than what you are using.

Too bad for me bc I can't use my skill at being smooth to an advantage in this type of racing.

[Rob Voska]

Anyone see the directions for the S&K and Kobis that is pictures above?

[kvanpelt]

What is the deal Rob, overly complex, tough to understand, or non-existent?

[Rob Voska]

Kevin

Yes!  All of the above.  

 

Guy had one at the track Saturday at Washington Slot Car Club in PA. 

There were more bells & whistles there than I knew what do do with.

I think one is a throttle curve but no idea on the switches.   

 

Kobis has a pretty good web page.

[bbr]

So, with all this downtime (from racing) with me and evaluation of a lot controllers that will fit me, I choose this:

 

https://www.facebook...DenVelKMS/posts

 

 128 bands (speeds)
 wire choke, 25 position
 Three types of brake profile

 

tight packaging, no exposed electronics

 

900$ reasonable   

[SpeedyNH]

wow. 

[Bill from NH]

Mike,does this controller have bands for HO? 

[bbr]

don't  know.

this is design for 12v, may not work for 18v +

 

it does have anti brakes (coast) which HO magnet racers used (But I hated that in HO and never had a HO controller with it, my HO car setups never needed that, even with the neo class cars)

for HO I use a Carsteen, but I've not done HO for a while, kinda lost faith in the local HO racing 

 

focusing my energies on 1/24 classes that I may be competitive in, not that I need to win (OK that may be a lie  ), but I like to be able to run in the A mains LOL

so the EVO 1 has what I need to do that I hope LOL 

[Phil Smith]

Very cool looking, but I don't have a 128 band resolution finger.

[bbr]

it just means that it is very smooth power delivery, when you go to the next band it does not upset the balance of the car as much.

lets say you are in a turn and you start punching the trigger, if the power delivery is rough your tires can lose traction.

 

I did a skip barber driving  class at laguna seca - one of the exercises was driving with a bowl on the hood with a tennis ball, to keep the ball in the bowl you had to be smooth, the lap times around the course was faster than if you just "pounded" around the course. if you can be right on the edge of traction and not exceed it you are maxing out what the car can do, but all the transitions need to be smooth (ala Jimmy Clark, Jackie Stewart)

 

I've seen only two slot racers (I am sure there are others) that are smooth, the way their cars enter and exit thru the turns are incredible. a very difficult way to drive, easier to be a hand/eye type.

I don't have the attributes to be hand/eye type, so I try to be smooth with some success, but it is hard to get into that "flow"