User Guide

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F1 in Schools Race System User Guide

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F1 Race System User Guide Table of Contents Package Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Planning Your Racetrack Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Floor Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Gate Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Finish Gate Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Other Track?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Start Gate Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Prelaunch Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Software Installation and Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Manual Launching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Auto Launching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Launch Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 After the Launch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Running a Race. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Let’s Communicate!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Racetrack Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Warranty Pitsco provides a one-year limited warranty against defects in manufacturing on all items purchased. In a warranty situation, Pitsco will arrange for the return of defective items for evaluation. Qualified Pitsco staff will determine warranty coverage and notify the customer. Items under warranty will be repaired or replaced at Pitsco’s discretion. Customers will be billed for all costs associated with non-warranty items.

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Package Contents

Figure 1

2 black ABS line anchors* Spool of monofilament line (51817)** 2 six-inch strips of Velcro® material Start mat* Start gate Finish gate 4 gate supports 8 support mounting screws 8 steel pull pins

2 finish detector pigtails 70-foot DIN cable 25-pin, 10-foot cable Control box 2 launch pods 2 launch triggers (1 red and 1 black) Power supply (12V, 2.5A) USB cable Race Management CD-ROM (Windows)

Please find the above items in the Impulse GII package. Make sure all components are present and undamaged. Report any missing or damaged items to Pitsco Customer Service at 800-358-4983. Note: Colors of some hardware items may vary.

Required Equipment and Materials (not included) #2 Phillips screwdriver Duct tape*

2 towels

*floor use only **To reorder this supply, visit http://shop.pitsco.com and enter the number listed into the Search field. Got questions? We’ve got answers!

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Call 800-358-4983

Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of the F1 in Schools Race System, an innovative tool for racing student-designed F1 dragsters. The Race System’s quality construction ensures it will be a dynamic part of a fun activity. Pitsco has been providing teachers and students with exciting science and technology products for years. As we forge ahead in education, we continue to develop and offer innovative products that help students want to learn. Be sure to check the latest Pitsco Ideas & Solutions catalog for other equipment, kits, books, videos, and activities. Since its inception, Pitsco’s mission has been to provide teachers with motivating, teacher-friendly education tools. We are confident this product will aid in achieving this goal. However, we realize that change is constant and necessary to meet the needs of teachers. To that end, we encourage your written response and input about the F1 in Schools Race System or any Pitsco product.

Planning Your Racetrack Setup Determine a good location for the track setup and take measurements to ensure there is enough space. The track can be almost any length between 30 feet and 80 feet. (If your track is less than 40 feet, you should use “short shot” four-gram CO2 cartridges. See the Pitsco catalog.) Here are some things to think about when planning the racetrack setup:

Actual Racing Distance

Actual racing distance extends from the start line to the finish line. The ideal racing distance is 20 meters (65 feet, 6 inches) because it is approximately 1/20 of a quarter mile. This is useful for making mathematical comparisons to real dragsters. (Metric dragsters are also roughly 1/20 the size of real dragsters.)

Staging Zone

Allow a minimum of four to five feet at the start end for staging cars. A five-foot staging will allow four pairs of cars to be staged behind the launchers. If available, more space can be used to stage more cars.

Deceleration Zone

Allow a minimum of four feet past the finish end of the track to stop the cars. A towel should be placed in each lane approximately two feet behind the finish line to absorb the impact of the speeding cars and bring them to a safe halt.

Parking Zone

Allow for a parking zone behind the deceleration zone. The parking zone should be the same length as the staging zone so it will accommodate the same number of cars. There should be adequate space to park all of the cars loaded onto the start end of the track without encroaching into the deceleration area.



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Floor Setup 1. At the start and finish ends of the track location, fasten the black ABS line anchors to the floor with duct tape (Figure 2). 2. Locate the spool of monofilament line. Tie a loop in the end of the line – use a knot such as the overhand or figure eight (Figure 3). 3. Hook the loop over one of the anchor screws on the ABS line anchor.

Figure 2

4. Walk to the opposite end of the track, allowing the line to unreel from the spool as you go. Extend the line just past the anchor and cut it. 5. Tie a loop at this end of the line using the overhand or figure eight knot so the loop is approximately 24 inches short of reaching the anchor screw. For example, if the track is 80 feet long, tie a loop in the line so the length of the line plus the loop is 78 feet long. The line should be tightly stretched. A tight line should prevent cars Figure 3 from going off course as they race down the track. Cut off any excess line extending from the loop’s knot. Note: If your track is shorter than 80 feet, 24 inches short of the anchor screw might make the line overly tight. 6. Repeat Steps 2-5 for the other lane. 7. Attach the strips of Velcro material to the black rectangles on the start mat. 8. Place the start mat in position, sliding it under the two monofilament lines. Align the arrows on the mat with the two monofilament lines.

FasTrak Elevated Racetrack Setup Follow the procedures outlined in the FasTrak User’s Guide for setting up the track and stretching the monofilament line.

Gate Assembly The start and finish gates will come unassembled. To assemble them, simply attach a leg to one gate with four screws, screwing two in each side of the gate (Figure 4). Repeat with the second gate. Now the gates are ready to be used. Caution: Do not overtighten the screws. Got questions? We’ve got answers!

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Figure 4 Call 800-358-4983

Finish Gate Setup 1. Place the finish gate over both lanes at the finish end of the track. For the elevated track, insert four of the pull pins into the holes on both sides of each finish gate leg. Place the gate on the track so the pins rest on top of the track sides. 2. Insert the finish detector pigtails into the hole, or socket, that is on both legs of the finish gate (Figure 5). Note the positions of the emitter bulbs on either side of the emitter tube, which is the tube that hangs down from the center of the finish gate. The detectors should be aligned with the emitter bulbs (Figure 6).

Figure 5

Insert the detector for Lane 1 in the upper socket and insert the Lane 2 detector in the lower socket, corresponding to the position of the emitter bulbs.

3. Plug the end of each detector pigtail into the jacks labeled “Detector” on the back of the finish gate. When facing the back of the finish gate, the Lane 1 detector goes in the right jack, and the Lane 2 detector goes in the left jack.

Figure 6

4. Plug the cord extending from the emitter tube into the jack labeled “Emitter” on the back of the finish gate (Figure 7). 5. Insert the end of the 70-foot cable into the DIN socket labeled “Finish” on the finish gate. Routing the cable along the right side of the track, unroll the cable and extend it to the start end. Figure 7

FasTrak Only: 6.

Down the length of the track, run the DIN cable in the conduit that is on the side of the FasTrak. Run the cable down to the start gate and control box area (Figure 8).

Other Track? If you have another track, such as the metal EL 80 track, please call Customer Service at 800-358-4983 to learn how to use the F1 in Schools Race System with your track.



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Figure 8

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Start Gate Setup Note: You will need a small table or stable surface on which to place the control box. This surface should be very close to the track. 1. Plug the 25-pin, 10-foot cable into the port on the back of the start gate (Figure 9). 2. Insert the other end of the 25-pin cable into the control box where it is labeled “Start” (Figure 10).

Figure 9

3. Connect the end of the 70-foot cable to the Finish socket on the control box (Figure 11). If you have set up a short track, you may want to tie up the excess cable to avoid a tripping hazard. 4. Plug the launch pod cords into the control box ports labeled “Pod 1” and “Pod 2.” Set the launch pods in their respective lanes behind the start line. When facing the front of the start gate, the left side is Lane 1 and the right side is Lane 2 (Figure 12). Figure 10 5. Connect the cord from one launch trigger to the control box port labeled “Trigger 2.” Connect the other trigger cord to the port labeled “Trigger 1.” Note: One trigger is black and the other is red, but it doesn’t matter which trigger is connected to which port. The colors are just to help you keep track of which lane each trigger is for.

6. Insert the 12-volt power supply cord into the jack labeled “Power” on the front of the control box. Plug the power supply into a standard AC outlet. 7. If connecting the race system to a computer, do so now by plugging the USB port from the computer into the jack labeled “USB” on the control box.

Figure 11

Figure 12 Got questions? We’ve got answers!

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Prelaunch Setup 1. Locate the two towels. Fold the towels in half lengthwise one time, widthwise one time, and lengthwise again. Place one towel in each lane on the finish end of the track approximately two feet behind the finish line. Make sure the end of the towels with the most edges showing is facing the finish gate. Careful placement of the towels is critical in order to bring the cars to a safe halt at the end of each run. 2. Make sure both launch pods are in the uncocked position before powering up the system. (Switching on the power when the launch pods are cocked could prematurely launch the cars.) To put the pods in the uncocked position, make sure the switch on the side of each pod is flipped in the horizontal position. 3. Switch on the F1 in Schools Race System by turning on the power switch on top of the control box. The displays on the start gate should light.

If the red lights are lit on the Finish gate, then the detectors are not aligned correctly. Move the emitter tube forward or back until it is adjusted so the red lights turn off.

4. Detach the Lane 1 monofilament line from the start end anchor. Thread the line through the screw eyes of the car – thread the front screw eye first, then the rear screw eye (Figure 13). Reconnect the line to the anchor. Repeat for Lane 2. Note: if you wish to stage several other cars behind the launch pods, you can do so before reconnecting the line to the anchor.

Figure 13

5. Position the cars at the start line. The front of the cars should be aligned with the line. 6. Insert a CO2 cartridge in each dragster. Make sure the cartridge is fully seated in the car’s cartridge hole. 7. Position the launch pods at the rear of the cars so the firing sleeve engages the neck of the CO2 cartridges (Figure 14). This may require a height adjustment to the launch pods using the thumb screws on the front of each pod. The launch pods should be secured in place by the Velcro material.



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Figure 14

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8. Make sure the finish end is prepared for the launch with towels in place to stop the cars. 9. Cock the launch pods using the switch on the side of each pod – the switches will be in the vertical position when cocked. Move the safety lever to the On position (Figure 15). This will prevent accidental launches. 10. Back each car into its pod, making sure each car’s cartridge is engaged in the firing sleeve. The cars are now ready to launch.

To uncock the launchers, move the cars away from the launch pods. Unlock the safety levers. Firmly grasp the cocking levers and slide them over to the Off position.

Figure 15

Software Installation and Use Note: The Race Management software is only compatible with the Windows XP operating system. 1. Insert the Race Management CD-ROM into your CD drive. The installer should autorun; follow the instructions in the window. 2. To use the software, launch Race Management. To learn more about using the software, see the online help under the Help menu.

Got questions? We’ve got answers!

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Manual Launching This mode allows competitors to individually fire their own cars. The competitors’ reaction times – or the start times – are a factor in the race. Caution: Do not unplug any of the race system components while using the system. 1. Set the mode lever on the front of the control box to Manual (Figure 16). 2. Make sure everyone is clear of the track.

Figure 16

3. Ready the competitors – each should have his or her respective trigger and be attentive to the starting lights on the start gate. 4. Move the launch pod safety levers to the Off position. 5. When ready, press the Reset button on the control box. The five center bulbs will light in succession from left to right and the race starts between four to seven seconds later when all center lights go off. A light on either side lets racers know if they pushed the launch button too soon.

And They’re Off!

After the cars cross the finish line, the finish gate will indicate the winning lane with alternating red lights. The start gate will display the race times and reaction times. The winning times will flash.

In Case of a Red Light

If a competitors activates the launch trigger too early (before the green lamps light), his or her car will not launch. Then, the outer red lamp for that lane will illuminate (Figure 17). This is known as a “red light” start.

Figure 17



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Auto Launching This mode fires both cars simultaneously. Caution: Do not unplug any of the race system components while using the system. 1. Set the mode lever on the control box to Auto. 2. Make sure everyone is clear of the track. 3. Move the launch pod safety levers to the Off position. 4. To start the launch, press the Reset button on the control box.

The lights on the start gate will light in succession from left to right. The cars will be launched between four to seven seconds later when the lights go off.

And the Winner Is . . .

The finish gate indicates the winning lane with a pair of blinking red lights. The start gate displays both race times in the windows labeled “Finish Time.” The winning time will flash (Figure 18).

Figure 18

F1 in Schools Race System

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Launch Practice The F1 in Schools Race System can be used to hone launching skills without actually firing cars off the line. This is a useful activity for perfecting the launch technique and reducing reaction time. To conduct a launch practice, skip the entire prelaunch setup process. Proceed with the manual launch as described in Steps 1-4 on page 9. The start gate will display reaction times for both lanes. The finish time windows will continue counting until the Reset button is pressed. Both launch triggers must be activated before the system will reset.

After the Launch As the cars reach the end of the track, they should strike the towels and come to a safe halt.

Finish End

1. Move the towels aside and roll the cars to the end of the parking area. 2. Replace the towels in their position just behind the finish gate.

Start End

3. Lift the launch pods and roll the next pair of staged cars to the starting line (Figure 19). 4. Follow Steps 5-7 of the prelaunch setup procedure on page 7 to prepare the next pair of cars. Important: To prevent possible injury from an accidental launch, do not cock the launch pods until the finish crew has signaled they are ready (having completed Steps 1 and 2). 5. When the prelaunch setup is complete, press the Reset button to start the next launch sequence.



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Figure 19

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Running a Race This section will help you run a race efficiently and safely. You should select several responsible individuals to help run the race. Each race team member should be assigned a task and should have a clear understanding of their responsibilities. Also, review the racetrack safety rules on page 13 with the team members. The last thing you want on race day is for an injury to spoil the fun. Running a race takes teamwork. As few as two people can run a race, but a team of four or more can run it more efficiently. A race team consists of two crews. A start crew must do the following tasks: • Thread the cars onto the monofilament line, staging several pairs of cars to be on deck. • Position the cars at the start line and conduct the prelaunch setup. • Launch the cars (in auto mode). • Roll the next pair of cars into position to prepare for the next launch. • Reload the staging area with another heat of cars. A finish crew must do the following tasks: • Position the towels at the finish line to safely stop the cars. • Park the cars after the run and replace the towels. • Signal the start crew when ready to proceed with the next run. • Unload the track after the staged cars for that heat have completed their runs. This entails detaching the monofilament lines from the finish end anchor and removing the cars. In addition, it may be necessary to appoint a race official who records times and keeps track of elimination brackets.

Let’s Communicate! Effective communication between crews is essential when conducting a race. The finish crew should signal the start crew when they are ready to proceed with the next run. The start crew should NOT cock the launch pods until they have received the ready signal from the finish crew. The start crew should also make sure everyone is clear of the track before starting the launch sequence. These steps are necessary to prevent injury during a race. They also help to prevent damage to cars. Running a race is simple and fun, but the race team members should be attentive, keep safety foremost in their minds, and communicate with each other clearly.

Got questions? We’ve got answers!

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Racetrack Safety The F1 in Schools Race System, with its low-voltage electronics and launcher safety levers, is an extremely safe racing system. Noise level tests indicate the system does not pose a danger of causing hearing damage (21 peak decibels at one foot away from launch pods). Still, the following safety rules should be read and strictly followed to prevent injury and car damage. • Before cocking the launch pods, make sure everyone is clear of the track. Also, make sure the towels are in place to stop the cars at the end of the track. • Move the launch pod safety levers to the On position after cocking the launch pods. • Never put your finger in front of the firing pins. • Never turn the control box power switch on or connect the power supply when the launchers are already cocked. This could trigger the launchers.

The launchers should never be cocked when the power is off or disconnected from the unit. If the power is shut off or interrupted (due to a power outage, for example) during a race, immediately check the launch pods and uncock if necessary.

• Never lean over the track. Though rare, cars can come loose from the monofilament line and leave the track.

Figure 20 Never lean over the track. Though rare, a car could come off the track. These students should also wear safety goggles.

• Take care not to trip on any wires connected to the race system. • The race system should be used only with the supervision and guidance of an instructor. • When operating a track for extended periods of time, be sure to take breaks. Bending over to stage cars for long periods can cause back aches and fatigue.



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P.O. Box 1708 • Pittsburg, KS 66762 www.pitsco.com Toll-Free Orders 800-835-0686