For total techie gear heads only: Novak Sentry

[anoolite76]

http://www.teamnovak.com/products/da...try/index.html

Holy cow. A software program that looks like a car's instrument cluster. Bells, whistles, and temp sensors. Even an accelerometer to measure G-force. SWEEEEET!

[Fiddybux]

Haha...."The Accelerometer measures the G-forces applied to an R/C car, which helps determine the steering setup, suspension, throttle smoothness and severity of a crash."

I'm sure anyone can tell how severe a crash has been without this, by simply looking at the damage.

[ashleyb4]

GOD

I strugle to fit all my current electronics in my cars tidy with all that it would be insane.

A

[josh_smaxx]

Some things do get out of hand.....

[sosidge]

This tech has been around for a few years now. The first on the market was the Eagle Tree system, Spektrum and Nomadio radios also have data logging options.

Having done some testing on these systems I can honestly say that the info they give, while interesting, is no way near as telling as the "feel" of the car you get when you are driving it.

Quite entertaining to play back your races, but the novelty wears off.

[mark christopher]

there is a proposal in the main AGM tomorrow to outlaw this sort of thing from ALL classes

[super__dan]

To be honest I doubt you would use it so much in big races, but very handy for test days and those of us that get off on this kind of thing.

[KyoshoK]

most peoples spektrum telemetry gets used once then hits the shevles real soon.

[josh_smaxx]

I have a cheapo infa-red temp gun, that will do me. I dont need to know what G's my car is pulling, aslong as they arnt pulling my car apart.

[KyoshoK]

usually the most G's are acheved when you head on with the brick wall. hehe

[SlowOne]

Academic exercise - proposal at BRCA AGM to ban 'em, and it's bound to pass. Not a bad rule though - drooling is cheaper than buying!!

[anoolite76]

Just out of curiosity; why would they ban something like this? It doesn't seem to give any unfair advantage against someone without it. Or am I missing something?

This would be a cool thing to have if you are tinkering with original designs, or maybe using it in a high school physics class. Kids would probably get a kick out of it.

[josh_smaxx]

The reason i can see it being banned is that its just another expensive item that the begginer will feel obliged to buy seen as everyone else are running them therefor puts them off because 'its all getting a bit expensive'. Im sure theres other reasons but i assume thats one aswell

[SlowOne]

It's all a bit of a tangled web...

If you can see exactly what's going on in the car by transmitting a signal back, you already have the technology to send a signal forward - so it's one small step to making adjustments during a race.

In between that and now, it is a very expensive technology that can easily be used to gain an advantage. Knowing your current draw curves, where exactly you are losing time, what the temp is on a motor (especially BL) and what current you are drawing, are all things that remove experience and learning, and replace it with money and reading a set of numbers.

For the gas guys, it's not a great leap to fit a strain guage or flow meter to a fuel tank and do like F1 - know exactly when to come in, or stay out for another lap. That could be a huge advantage, and it would mean all the top guys would have to have one.

We had the same discussion about traction control many years ago, and banned it. It has done the sport a lot of good since then.

[mark christopher]

it has been banned by the BRCA general rules which superseed all section rules, however you can use it at clubs if they allow and for practice/testing