NEW-Tomy/Racemasters/AFX Chassis Announced !

[Ralphthe3rd]

Just announced Yesterday by Steve of Racemasters !
Steve Writes>

Well, at the iHobby show and still having a hard time getting time to get you guys an update. So I decided to just take a few minutes before I have to go back and blurt a few things out:

-We have upgraded the Mega-G chassis. The new chassis will be called the Mega G+ (I know - brilliant, right?)
-The motor will be exclusive to AFX. Called the FN20 Advanced Power Unit it is a can motor that makes about 5% less rpm but 30% more torque than the current motor while using 33% less electricity.
-The Pick Up shoes are redesigned and include a redundant circuit.
-Relocated guide pin for the long wheelbase chassis. (Many thanks to Deane for all the aid sharing experiences with his club and helping with ideas and an ear!)
-All new chassis; motor location, pinion and crown gear.
-Motor runs over 25% cooler and lasts ~ twice as long as current motor in life tests so far.

Many more details and a new controller and narrower wings on the Formula bodies (Again, thanks Deane!) but got to get back down on the floor. Hope to see some of you here.

Steve

[TuscoTodd]

Interesting!
Look forward to seeing how one of these might fair in our "box stock" class! :D
Any chance a projected release date was shared? :)

[Ralphthe3rd]

Pix and Stolen Words below...

Posted by FASTLAP on SCI...
Ok, first off, a big thanks goes to both Steve and Laurie Russell for their patience and time spent with us. Laurie took over the booth as Steve explained the changes coming to the new chassis. So, an extra BIG THANKS to Laurie for her patience!!!!!

I will try to explain the new changes to the new Mega-G Plus chassis over the MG2. If we think about this, this is the 3rd version of the Mega-G platform.

1. Can Motor - it is obvious by the photos below, the traditional Arm/magnets are replaced with a can motor. Steve stated it has slightly less top end RPM compared to the last version but much more torque. He said the torque give this puppy a tremendous "out of the hole" acceleration factor. As can be seen, a printed circuit board is added to combat the RFI of the motor. The can motor sits slightly forward compared the last configuration. Steve stated this runs much more cooler than the current configuration. This particular can motor is an exclusive made item for AFX/Racemasters.

1a. Can Motor smoothness - You cannot believe or fathom the smoothness of can motor setup when turning the rear axle. It is like there isn't a crown or pinion gear attached!!!!! Absolutely NO BIND or Chatter of the gears when turning by hand. I have never had a modified chassis turn as smooth as this one did. This included the other 3-4 can motor chassis I touch, including a short wheelbase 1.5" chassis. SMOOTH!!!!!

2. Chassis - It is basically the same but completely different. This is a tongue in cheek comment. The chassis is VERY different.

The same - 1.5" and 1.7" Wheelbase , same Nyla-tron<sp> type plastic, basic component layout.

Completely different;

- Pickup shoe design. Much wider for better contact. Also, the side of the shoes edge is chamfered up so they don't catch the track rail as the shoe rides at an angle to the rail in tight turns.
- redundant electrical system. The pickup shoes contact at their attaching point, and the pickup shoe spring contacts in a second location(can't see in the photos) with the pickup clip under the circuit board. It was said this should eliminate any arching between shoes and their attaching points. IMPORTANT NEW FEATURE!!!!!!
- Guide pin location. The guide pin sits ever so slightly in FRONT of the front axle.
- Rear axle crown gear reliefs. The inside of the rear of the chassis has reliefs for the crown gear so the rear axle can be swapped for racing in either direction. Nice touch!!!!
- Rear Traction Magnet Opening. As can be seen in the photos, the traction magnet openings are larger as they were on the MG1.
- Chassis. Although the chassis of the MG@ look similar to the new chassis, the only parts that will swap are the front axle, guide pin, and maybe the rear axle(explained next)
- Rear Axle assy. The rear axle has all new spacers and gears. The side to side play is all but eliminated. However, the axle can be easily swapped in and out. And as stated above it is as smooth as silk no matter how many times Steve popped the axle in and out. Another nice touch!!
- Bearings/Shaft snap-in points - There are NONE!!! They are eliminated. The motor snaps in-place. the pinion gear essentially seems like it come out of the can motor. There is no main shaft that sticks out the front of the motor to speak of.

I am sure I have missed some items that were mentioned. Steve will jump in when time allows to add anything I have missed. Steve said something that really stuck out when hearing it. His goal is to make a slot car that can be taken out of the package and run for hours upon hours. He showed me several generations of this can motor setup. I didn't see any complexity in the latest version. Steve stated that replacement motors would be available in the future. Also, this new chassis will fit all the current non-open wheel bodies. It is my understanding, there will be a newer open wheel body based on the Panoz DP01 coming out for the 1.7" chassis.

Thanks again to Steve for his patience and generosity!!!!!! Thanks for the extras Steve!!!!



The 1.7" chassis. the MG2 (left) sitting next to the "New Mega-G Plus"


New Mega-G Plus 1.7" and 1.5" chassis.The crown gear reliefs can clealy be seen on the 1.5" chassis in the 2nd picture




Here's a pic I wasn't going to use because the flash washed most of it out. That's why the tire/wheel area is darker in the photos in the above posts. Anyhow, You can see all the chassis, pinion, crown details in the rear section. The crown gear reliefs are very clear in this photo.


And a Question from a poster, followed by a Reply from Steve of AFX-Racemasters...

Originally Posted by PPRSLOTS
pretty cool!
looks like with that motor you have a much higher center of gravity... not good for handeling but I guess they had to do what they had to do... looks like the indy cars now most likely will look more out of scale...I think the new chassis with the higher motor will now take from the slung low look of the mega g that we all grown to love.
What I am suspicious about because I have also been into rc stuff for practically all my life also is what type of brushes are used in the new sealed can motors I know a lot of these tiny motors just use copper tabs that run on the com and they wear out vey fast and motors fail a lot and don't last long like the sealed brushed motors like in the bigger 1/32 size cars.

Steve's Reply Post-
PPRSLOTS, you've got a good eye and your view on the CG is correct - but its not accurate. Here's why:

1) Actually, the overall height of the highest point on the new can is effectively equal to the highest point on the current motor.
2) Because the new power unit runs much cooler than the current motor, we don't need the plastic finger protector (like we ever did?). So we lowered the motor roughly 1.5mm and is flush with the lowest point on the chassis - lower than the current motor.
3) The overall weight of the new power unit is less than the current motor.

Although the overall height is the same, there is more "can" and magnet higher with the new power unit than there is armature and magnet high in the current motor. There are some other pushes and pulls but overall we conclude that there is only a fractional elevation of the CG. To offset any negative handling effect we lowered the traction magnets by about 0.003". Testing so far doesn't reveal any significant difference. In fact it seems to handle a little better. So maybe we went too low on the magnets!

You are quite right that most of the micro motors use "whisker" brushes. When we first designed the Mega-G in 2006, we wanted a can motor and knew that there were a few that were small enough. But when we started evaluating them we found that they all used crap componentry like whisker brushes, cheap coms, poor winding, etc. (Few of these motors are designed for the type of constant use and loads they would see in a slot car). So we built the motor as a monocoque, knowing it would be less consistent than a can motor but would perform and last with maintenance.

Fast forward to 2014, when we were faced with needing to meet the FCC regs, we looked at can motors again. John was practically in tears anticipating the same terrible can junk we had seen last time around. Happily, we found a new supplier that is making great motors with great componentry: a high quality com and armature stack aaaand cantilever brushes with solid carbon brush material.

Unfortunately the performance wasn't good enough so we tested and modified it until it had the power we needed and gave the spec to the motor company who then produced it to our spec. Along with other elements, the motor now draws less electricity (-33%) and runs roughly 25% cooler. So not only does it perform at the level of the current motor, our preliminary life tests look like it will last two to three times longer than the current motor.

It does take much longer to break in than the current motor: about 30+ minutes vs. 5 to 10 minutes currently. But smoother, longer lasting, much more consistent with the power we need? We'll live with the longer break in.

It is true that the current formula body had to be raised about 1mm and material had to be removed to fit on the MG+. But the space conflict under the body was so minor that we were within a couple of thousandths of not needing to raise the body. But we couldn't remove anymore material without busting through the body. However, any future bodies, open wheel or otherwise, will easily maintain the type of look you are used to from Mega-G. Gary might be able to comment on this as he gave the chassis a good going over today.

Sorry for the too long answer. I'll try to do better next time.

[Arkay]

A few months ago I caused a firm to make me a few samples of a small motor and that looks identical to the one here . Green endbell, 15x 12 x 10 mm, 1 mm dia. shaft.
And these sample motors have a little less rpm, too, and much more power, because - they have neodym magnets. And they have carbon brushes. The firm which made them is HOIPO.

Any similarity ?

Regards,

Roland

[TuscoTodd]

WOW! Thank you for all of the details and the pictures!
If the consistency and reliability is as improved as noted, this sounds like it may be a home run in short order! :D

[dge467]

Thanks for posting this! Looking forward to trying one out.

[Arkay]

I am not allowed to delete my own posts, so the only way is to delete the contnts... If this is a useful way :text-bravo:

Arkay