2 weeks ago i decided to convert F2L, our 2nd floor lounge circuit. after 3 days of our interior designer’s sanding, smoothing, polishing and painting it is now the home of Mini Z DRIFT and its slowly attracting attention from existing customers and even i’m catching a buzz on it. obviously i must have a thing for the Nissan as i’ve chosen the Fairlady Z Z33 for my Mini Z AWD-DWS 2.4GhZ. i’m running optional parts from Atomic & PN Racing to improve handling and the chassis’ ability to drift. currently these items are only available to local visitors, i’m hoping this will interest a wider range of R/C lovers and improve local traffic as its been a bit slow in the shop lately. Joom and I were contemplating closing the shop for a break on Sundays but that didn’t turn out well, so our club races and F1 broadcasts will go on as usual starting @ 5pm. stay tuned for a new video to be released on our Youtube Channel, that should give you a nice visual of RC Drift @ Nanotrax.
our forum has been quiet as well and based on discussions from around the net, i felt it might be good to sponsor a dnano fan forum independent of the nanotrax shop, so we’re directing all interested dnano fans to join and contribute to the growth of the revolution @ dnano club. at our shop, a few new items are now available and we’re running a few promotions you might be interested in. i expect an interesting club race this weekend with guests and members coming back all at once. if so, expect a big race report and pics over @ dnano club. holla later!
Niky-O from Austria contacted me recently about a special order. he wanted a Race Spec Porsche 911 GT3 which i thought was strange considering this particular car is not very competitive with other GT Class dNano cars. in its stock setup, the track measurement is the most narrow of all available cars and its got a short wheelbase with a rear-mounted (RM) motor. an MM mounted motor with a longer wheelbase will normally give better overall handling. to compensate for some of these issues, there are a few things i’ll do to make this car competitive but just like every dNano, it starts with a basic chassis set. normally, i don’t do extra things like lowering the car, changing spacers setup or wheel sizes but in this case, i decided to put my own touch on this one so he could be at least a few degrees closer to a winning car… after its over, its all about who’s driving the car. if you have additional questions, comments or just want to say hi, shoot me an e-mail or post on the nanotrax forum to share your thoughts and experiences with our growing dnano family!
since we start the new year with a new, technical layout, i decided to take the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 and transform it to the undersold and quite obviously underestimated Lamborghini Countach LP500S. as a kid, i dreamed of one day owning or at least just getting to drive this car and at last, my dream would come true but in a ‘dNaNo’ sort of way. though i’m a collector and look forwarding to adding new dNaNo to my ‘fleet’, the LP640 just isn’t very easy to handle and has little glitches i’ve discussed before which make it my least favorite while others absolutely love it. on the new layout, it will also suffer as it isn’t as nimble as the LP500S. what makes dNaNo special is that each is a scale representation of its full size counterpart. below i’ve provided a table comparing the fitting parts data for both cars which should help define their differences:
Murcielago LP640
Countach LP500S
Chassis Type/Motor Case
MM
RM
Wheelbase (mm)
62.0
57.0
Steering Upper/Lower Plate
8U/8L
5U/5L
Front Knuckle Arm
A
A
Upper Plate Spacer
0.5
NONE
Lower Plate Spacer (mm)
0.5
1
Tie Rod
F
C
Rear Wheel Hubs
9L/9R
5L/5R
Front/Rear Wheel Diameter
18F/19R
17F/18R
Front/Rear Tire
FA/RA
FRA/RA
as you can see, these two models are technically very different. the LP640 is long and extremely wide while the LP500S is short with a medium width. the LP500S has a much shorter wheel travel due to its smaller diameter wheels and shorter wheelbase but will be much more agile in cornering due to its rear motor placement (RM) and shorter suspension travel. the LP640 would be excellent at high speed in long corners but on “Patchwork”, we don’t have any of those. the LP500S will have the definitive advantage in racing on the current layout. for detailed information on all available dNaNo models, visit the Kyosho dNaNo Support Page @ Kyosho.com to review the Optional Parts & Technical Data (PDF).
Changing Clothes in 45 Mins…
as you can see by the photos, i needed a few things to go from one model to the other. a new LP500S Auto Scale Body, a Fitting Parts Set(DNP305), an Aluminum Parts Combo, tires & wheels (cuz they look better than that wack ass, stock silver). the main frame chassis from the LP640 and all option parts that aren’t model specific will stay but my aluminum wheel hubs and front suspension plates will have to go. i’ll include those & other extra parts as a bonus in our ‘scratch & dent’ LP640 set we have for sale in the shop. there are only a few parts outside of the hubs & suspension plates that differ including the 1) Motor Case (RM), Body Mount (DNM305), Lower Plate Spacer (1mm), & Tie Rod (C) which are all included in the required fitting parts set. i then completely dismantled the LP640, storing all extra parts in neat zip-loc bag (i’m a clean freak). another advantage of the LP500S is its 17mm front tires (FRA) since Kyosho makes a multitude of tire compounds for this size. i chose the 20-degree compund since the Atomic 25′s have been best for F1R and Atomic 8R’s to complete the combo. it took about 45 mins to install the remaining parts & the LP500S was ready to make my childhood dreams come true.
i took a few solo practice laps to get my transmitter settings right and waited for the guys to show up. not long after, Azeez (14, IND), came in to rent a car followed by Calvin, Hugh & Ian. practice races gave us a chance to get familiar with the new layout & preview what the ‘fast lap’ would probably be. my best so far is 11.77 secs. which is a LOT slower than the last layout. i think its a good evolution and i’m betting we’ll have a very interesting club race this weekend. as usual, any questions or comments can be sent to qon@nanotrax.net or just post your comments here on the blog.
i was building a “Race Spec” dNaNo today for a customer and it occurred to me that i should give him an explanation for everything i’ve done before shipping this special gift he planned to give for the holiday season. though some may look at it as ‘just a toy’, the dNaNo is a precision racing model with various optional parts that have a distinct affect on its performance:
1) Gyro Unit – the dNaNo is a real car. its tiny but everything about it makes it like a full size car. when it runs across an uneven surface or surface with seams, those slight changes can knock the car off a straight course causing it to be difficult to handle. the gyro is an orientation instrument that helps correct these occurrences making the car drive smoother and straighter. additionally, it assists with throttle and breaking to limit the car only to what it can handle making operation more manageable. basically, it makes driving easier and more enjoyable.
2) Ball Bearings & Ball Differential – as i’ve discussed in my Diffs & Bearings video, ball bearings are parts that help make operation between moving masses smoother by reducing friction. this means with bearings, your car is free to move at higher speeds as its more free to reach its limits. just changing the bearings will make a huge increase in overall speed in the dNaNo. the Ball Diff increases the efficiency of cornering by allowing the rear wheels to rotate at different speeds while distributing power transfer evenly to the rear wheels. this means that your car can travel at high speed thru corners without losing speed, traction or control.
3) 32T-34T Spur Gear + 7T or 8T Pinion Gears- this optional part increases the acceleration by modifying the gear ratio from the stock 5.16 to 5.66 (higher ratio means greater acceleration but less top speed and lower means less acceleration with greater top speed). most of your time in racing is made up in the corners and acceleration is critical to winning since, normally, your car will never have the opportunity to reach top speed in a race. the 34T-Spur/6T-Pinion is the best racing combination for a layout with lots of tight corners. if you’re running on a circuit with long, sweeping curves or extended straights, try 34T/7T (4.86) or 32T/7T (4.57).
4) Suspension (Gold/Hard Front Shock Springs + Rear Suspension Plates) – rear suspension is important for stability and on most surfaces for mini radio control models, you’ll need to keep it pretty stiff for the most settled operation. you want to decrease “bounce” in the rear and “roll” in the front and this is accomplished with a “hard” setup. when surfaces change, you may need to adjust this but on foam or more slippery surfaces, this will give you the best traction and handling. you’ll find your car more settled and less ‘fidgety’ especially in cornering.
5) Aluminum Options (Front Suspension Plates/Rear Wheel Hubs) – the dNaNo is very light when its all plastic which is ok for speed but because of its size, its also very easy to put it on its roof when taking corners at high speed. an element of resolving this issue is adding weight and aluminum parts – while seemingly very light – will add a few micrograms of weight that will help to increase stability. the car will ‘feel’ heavier and may be a little louder but you can fix that with a bit of grease in the right places after installation. greasing the joints will quiet and smooth out operation but attract dust so stay on top of it with a small brush after every run.
6) Tires (25-45F/6R) – nothing affects car handling like tire compound. the dNaNo is very sensitive to tire compound change and you can immediately tell the difference in traction when comparing the stock #50 to anything softer. the traction increase when changing to a softer compound (25-45 degree PN Racing) is necessary to allow the car to maintain speed while cornering. traction increase can also cause the car to roll so adjustments to the steering angle (turning radius modification) will help to bring the car into a desirable range for manageable high speed cornering. the rear tires need to be a bit softer than the stock #10 to 6-8 degree to keep it from oversteering. which compound you choose will depend upon the surface you’re racing on.
7) SSG-DPS Kit- have you noticed your dNaNo ‘bouncing’ a bit in the rear during high speed cornering? this is a serious problem and can upset handling and your ability to maintain a consistent racing line. to reduce this, a ‘Damper Plate System’ should be installed which will significantly decrease this effect.
8)Racing Wheels (Aluminum or Plastic) – if you want to maintain a lightweight, quick car then you’ll want to stick with plastic. pick up some racing wheels that will give your car some style or add weight. aluminum is great for when you’re using a high torque motor and you need a bit more stability in cornering.
remember, a fast car is only part of winning races. you have to know every detail of your car for proper tuning and to occasionally resolve problems that may arise during operation. speed is a big part of winning, but speed without control is worthless. be consistent and methodical about your hobby and you can be successful. dNaNo is just one model in a hobby that’s lots of fun no matter what but can be even more fun when you win ;-). any questions or comments, post them here or send an e-mail to qon@nanotrax.net -interested in picking up a Race Spec dNaNo built by yours truly? check it out @ our online shop. until next time, see ya on the track!
i often see discussions about how to make dNaNo faster? how can i get more ‘punch’ on takeoff? what i think is really cool about this tiny racing model is the multitude of possibilities in setup which include ‘gearing’. an r/c model’s speed and acceleration are directly affected by the relationship between the gear that transfers power from the motor (pinion gear) to the gear that further transfers that power to the wheels (spur gear). an often ignored option part for the dNaNo Ball Differential Set is the 32T/34T Spur Gear. without getting too technical, these optional gears allow one to vary speed and acceleration in varying degrees by adjusting the gear ratio. remember, fast acceleration means less top speed and vice versa. you can find more detailed information on the ratios the various pinion/spur combinations will give you in the 32T/34T Spur Gear support document. try playing with various combinations and decide on what’s right for the track layout and your driving style. knowing your dNaNo inside & out + using these little detailed tuning tips will give you the edge and help give you a winning performance at the racing circuit!
click here to download our race results exported from our Kyosho ICS Lap Timer during our dNaNo Ferrari F40 vs McLaren F1 GTR test races. note that this isn’t a scientific investigation & your results on your track may be different. my goal is to get more people interested in dNaNo & help R/C fans learn more about it. i don’t believe any one dNaNo model is better than another, what YOU like is most important when choosing which to race with. if i could, i would own ALL of them! the main point is to have fun. what do you think about the video? i’ll be working on more for the next few days so your feedback is welcome. send your email(s) to qon@nanotrax.net – thanks!
thanks to everyone who attended our grand opening yesterday, it was a pleasure having you here! we started off the day with a traditional buddhist blessing given by 9 monks. our visitors began to arrive including news reporters & good friends. shortly therafter, Laew Jhek cut the ceremonial shop ribbon to officially open NanoTrax and begin the tour of the shop. everyone ended up on the 2nd floor lounge, trading turns racing dNanos on Race Course F2L. i think we picked up a few new R/C addicts including several female drivers. the rest of the day, a few more people dropped in to bring gifts and get their own tour of the shop. Khun Eau, our shipping coordinator from TPP Shipping came through with 2 girlfriends and they all took a mini-r/c crash course in the lounge. a big thanks to all the news reporters who took interest in our facility including the guys from R/C Action, Pattaya People and Pattaya Expat. big shout to my close friend, Dee, for being my camera man, he’s responsible for the beautiful pics in the gallery. the food & drink was provided by Dave from Manhattan’s Pattaya and last but not least, our friends from PRC, Thum & Yoh visited this morning with a beautiful flower arrangement from Charlie Siribodhi, President of the RCCA.
New Pricing & Shop Schedule
after a long discussion with the Mrs. NanoTrax, we’ve decided to cut our prices to the bones in a radical attempt to turn more visitors into dNano owners. the more ‘owners’ we have, the more participation in scheduled racing at NanoTrax. review the table below for current pricing on all featured services and products. (หลังจากที่เราเปิดร้านให้ผู้ที่สนใจเข้ามาแวะชมร้าน ก่อนที่จะมีพีธีเปิดร้านอย่างเป็นางการ 1 เดือน จากประสบการณ์ที่ได้มาช่วงทดลองเปิดร้านจุ๋มกับพี่ขวัญ ได้ปรึกษากันว่าเราจะลดราคาสินค้า เพื่อที่จะเพิ่มจำนวนลูกค้าที่มีรถเป็นของตนเอง เพราะถ้าลูกค้ามีรถเป็นของตนเอง เค้าจะได้แต่งรถได้ดั่งใจกว่าที่จะเช่ารถเล่นอย่างเดียว เพราะรถที่ทางร้านมีไว้ให้เช่า เป็นเดิมๆ ทุกคัน เพราะเรามีสำรองไว้สำหรับลูกค้าที่ต้องการทดลองเล่น และอยู่ในช่วงตัดสินใจที่จะซื้อรถรุ่นไหน และที่สำคัญเราจะได้มีสมาชิกนักแข่งเพิ่มมากขึ้นด้วย เพราะทางร้านจะมีการจัดแข่งสัปดาห์ละ 1 ครั้ง และเวลาที่ เราจัดแข่งรถส่วนใหญ่จะเป็นรถที่แต่งครบชุดอยู่แล้ว เพราะฉนั้น อยากที่รถเดิมๆที่ยังไม่ได้แต่งอะไรเลยจะชนะรถคันที่แต่งแล้ว โดยทางเราจัดตารางเวลาไว้ดังนี้):
for additional inquiries, email us or register to post comments to the blog & NanoBoards Forum. Mrs. NanoTrax promises to post updates in Thai language much more often now that we’ve reached a point where we can focus on customer service. those who weren’t able to attend the party, we appreciate your support & hope to see you in the near future. up next: Trick’d Out Mazda!
