R/C knowledge....

[thecontact_509@hotmail.com]

Rick Russell wrote:

>LOL...

>Sometimes I truly think the RC industry's biggest growth obstacle is
the
>loudmouthed and uninformed LHS employee.



i just had to laugh when i read this....

i'm a year and a month into this hobby and while i've learned so much
(thanks to the techs at various manufacturer's support lines...Tamiya
mostly), i can see i've got lots more to learn.

but in between all of the learning i've heard some "ripping good
yarns"....

most recently i found that no one, seems to know, how to calculate
spring rates. how is that possible? $100 dollar screwdriver sets
abound and i've yet to see a spring rate calculation device. i called
10 shops in 15 states (i'm in texas and the LHS R/C knowledge seems a
bit slim around here..and what's $30 in long distance if it saves me
another 4 months of unendless searching) and always asked for the most
knowledgeable person. nothing.

in one conversation i was told to get a copy of Grand Turismo 4 and
play it for a month. this, i was told, would unlock the R/C car tuning
secrets that the pros use. which was funny because i clearly stated
several times that i don't race, don't care to, and have no interest.
so getting the car set up like the pros is not at the top of my list.
i don't even drive my touding car on asphalt.

i really just want to understand both the fundementals and advanced
techniques of adjustment and tuning. not by trial and error but by
some set of standards or guidelines at the least.

in another conversation i was told that when i set the car on the
ground, the springs should compress because then, the car will have too
much body roll.
the Tamiya R/C Guide Book was a HUGE help in terms of basics.

[Jonathan Hodgson]

On 2 Jan 2005 17:56:02 -0800, thecontact_509@hotmail.com wrote:

> most recently i found that no one, seems to know, how to calculate
> spring rates. how is that possible? $100 dollar screwdriver sets
> abound and i've yet to see a spring rate calculation device. i called

Do you mean calculate, or measure? Calculate is easy:
rate = force ÷ deflection

Measure is harder to do accurately, and no, I don't know where you can
buy a spring measuring tool - although I've known people who have access
to them at their places of work, so they do exist.

Also, most manufacturers publish rates for their springs - generally in
lbf/in, although Schumacher's are in N/mm IIRC.

> i really just want to understand both the fundementals and advanced
> techniques of adjustment and tuning. not by trial and error but by
> some set of standards or guidelines at the least.

http://www.teamorion.com/faq/car-handling.asp

An excellent guide, written a few years ago by 'Elvo' (who I met on this
newsgroup, then later IRL).

Unfortunately it's all trial and error in the end: unless you have
access to Formula One-style simulation and data, the most you can hope
for is to be able to make a good guess about what you need to change,
and how much by, compared to your starting point. The 'right' setup
depends on too many factors - such as the exact type of surface; the
shape, width and length of the track; the weather; and your own driving
style - to be able to work it out in advance.

> in another conversation i was told that when i set the car on the
> ground, the springs should compress because then, the car will have too
> much body roll.

Not quite sure what you mean there... are you missing a "not"? I think
you're talking about droop though, and possibly running a 'nil droop'
setup.

This approach seems to be popular in touring cars, but is one I'd use
with caution unless you know exactly why you're doing it, as it creates
a non-linearity - that's a sudden change in the car's behaviour -
whenever it hits the limit of the suspension's travel. If you can keep
it within the limits of travel, it should be (in general) more
progressive and predictable to drive.

Again, there's no one 'right' setup, although most people find that they
can arrive at a 'base' setup for a particular car which works okay in
most situations, and only needs small tweaks to fine-tune it.

HTH a little,
Jonny

[Frater Mus]

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 at 01:56 GMT, <thecontact_509@hotmail.com> wrote:

> most recently i found that no one, seems to know, how to calculate
> spring rates. how is that possible? $100 dollar screwdriver sets
> abound and i've yet to see a spring rate calculation device. i called

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=calculate%20spring%20compression%20rates&btnG=Google+Search

> i really just want to understand both the fundementals and advanced
> techniques of adjustment and tuning. not by trial and error but by
> some set of standards or guidelines at the least.

http://users.pandora.be/elvo/



--
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CBSRMT uploads each day in <news:alt.binaries.sounds.radio.cbsrmt>
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http://www.mousetrap.net/~mouse/cs.html How to get good phone support

[thecontact_509@hotmail.com]

first off....a big thanks for that Orion link. THAT's what i needed.
i guess the fustration of not getting consistant answers was starting
to get to me.

yeah....should have had a "not".

again...this is rally type driving and not having any droop seems
silly.

i know not to look fot he "right" set up....that's as individual as
underware.....but some general guide lines are a must.
and that orion site provides some great info.

thanks again

[Frater Mus]

On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 at 04:35 GMT, <thecontact_509@hotmail.com> wrote:

> first off....a big thanks for that Orion link. THAT's what i needed.
> i guess the fustration of not getting consistant answers was starting
> to get to me.

IMO, consistent answers are over-rated. Different people, even
professionals who do this for a living, have varying opinions.
Even doctors and lawyers, which is why there is a term for 'second
opinion'. :-)

I usually find someone whose opinion I respect and give theirs the
most weight, subject to my own testing.




--
http://cbsrmt.mousetrap.net/RMTdb/ CBS Radio Mystery Theater database
CBSRMT uploads each day in <news:alt.binaries.sounds.radio.cbsrmt>
http://greyhound.mousetrap.net/altus/ our ex-racer greyhound
http://www.mousetrap.net/~mouse/cs.html How to get good phone support