qweop.net

Building our backyard RC track

Update 16/12/11:

Just picked up my 1/16 truck, and had a test-drive around the track. This is a much better size vehicle for this track. Even so, the track runs better if it widened slightly more, especially around the corners. Track width is now about 2ft on the straights, and 3ft on the bends. The new grass in coming in nicely. About 70% of the track border has been planted with new grass now. Truck veered off-course a few times, and the long grass did either slow it down or bogged it down completely.

Since there’s been a flurry of posts in the past week, I thought I might add another.

One of the great things about having kids, is that it gives you a reason to buy toys “for them”. I’ve been getting into RC stuff lately – helos, trucks, buggies. Helos was fun for a while, but for me, I reckon land vehicles is where the fun is to be had. I just need a track though, to give some purpose to the driving, instead of driving aimlessly in circles. My backyard is pretty small though, so really, racing is only gonna work for small vehicles. Probably something like a 1/36 Losi Micro-T.

I’ve decided to start “building” my own backyard RC track. It’s not a “real” track, so nothing to get excited about. All it is, is mowing the track razor-flat, and just letting the rest of the backyard grass go nuts. A grass track is probably good anyway, as it’ll hold the soil together and prevent soil erosion. I’ve mowed the basic track layout. It looks pretty lame at the moment, so no pics yet.

To do list:

- test drive the track and work out minor track adjustments such as optimizing corners and getting the right track width.

- dig up weedy lawn, and replace with nice thick kikuyu grass. It’s strong and thick grass, so it’ll definitely slow down the cars if they veer off the track.

- currently track is an “ovalized” shape, but aim to change to figure-8 eventually.

- when final figure-8 track is confirmed, build either a bridge or dirt jump at the track intersection.

- maybe add track walls or crash barriers. Something like the plastic lawn edging you can buy at Bunnings.

It’s in the air

You could smell it in the air. This was the second or third properly hot day of the season but the 100%-chance-of-rain downpour was about to hit the city. I was walking from the office to the bus stop and suddenly a massive moist wind blew down Exhibition Street. The question was whether I would make it home before the skies opened up.

At the other end of my bus trip, I was but five hundred metres from home when the thunderstorm started. Enough for my to get almost-entirely-but-not-quite drenched from head to toe.

YPR #63.5 The ride that almost was

We almost got Captain Chow along. And we almost got Dr Lam to wake up at stupid o’clock. And we almost got six of us for a Friday morning ride.

But for the weather, injury and illness.

Dressed to the nines

After a long and tiring day at work, it was going to take a lot to make me laugh but I saw something which managed to get a chuckle out of me.

I was near the end of my short bus ride home when I saw an interesting local. An elderly citizen, dressed to the nines, walking purposefully down Johnston Street. Sparkly blue frock, nice shoes and elegant pink hat. There was something not quite right though. Maybe it was the square chin, maybe it was the manly gait.

And of course, right after this, a guy who wearing black nail polish and a dog collar got on the bus.

Only in this neighbourhood…

YPR #63 The café racer ride