Motors Purchased from
All Electronics
and Electronic GoldmineSurplus Motors I Have Tested
by
Daniel J. DykeSeveral electronics surplus vendors sell new and used motors and other electronic parts usable to the slot racer. Most have given me fast reliable service and the orders are always promptly delivered. The products are usually as stated in the descriptions on their web site. The problem for us is they are not catering to the slot racer specifically and so we have to experiment to find what works and what does not.
Some of us have bought goood to great motors that are cheap. The problem is that when the supply dries up, it stays dry until a motor is found. When I find a usable motor I buy a bunch (30-50).
One of the bones of contention I have with the usual slot car motor supplier is what some of these companies charge for motors that are of questionable quality. It is one thing to buy a motor from a surplus dealer for $1.25 and have it go poof, but when I pay $10-$20 for a motor from a major player in the slotting game it had better not do the same.
This is a page dedicated to surplus motors I have purchased. I will discuss their usability and longevity in slot cars.
The Rules of Engagement
My tests are done under the following conditions:
1. No Magnets are used in the cars as that is my preference in racing and that is the type of user I cater to.ALL ELECTRONICS
2. The voltage at my track is set between 4 and 15 volts. I have a 1.5 amp limit on my track.
3. The gear type and ratio will be noted.
4. The longest straight on my track is 10.5'.These looked promising for a 1/32 gocart that has been planned. The problems are finding a gear set for them and then the fact that they may be too small. I think I will chock them up as a loss at least for now.
DCM-302 (UPDATED 12-9-07)
The DCM-302 (MH408A) is physically like the Electronic Goldmine G9330 (MJ412A), but is a third cheaper. In reality it is a different model by the same manufacturer. The 302 revs much higher and seems to have more torque. This could just be the variation between examples of the motors. I dissected one and found that they are identical in manufacture to the G9330, but have a different winding.
The DCM-302 and G9330 have the nicest CARBON BRUSHES I have seen on this type of motor. To be sure they were the same, I cut one of each open to check. Exactly the same.
Peter Fuetze says this about the pinion on the G9330 and since it is the same pinion as the DCM-302 it is relevant:
"the pinion of the G9330 meshes with the stock 1/43rd artin crown. runs well, no durability problems, but a little on the loud side! This is known as the scream of the goldmines the carrera Go! crown works smooth with the G9330 pinion."This motor was installed in a Toyota GT-1 and tested head to head with the G9330. They turned virtually the same times, but the example I used seemed to do it easier and was more responsive out of the turn that leads onto the main straight. It did not get hot or slow down. Since they are virtually the same I would recommend the DCM-302 as it is cheaper. At our test track lap times are evaluated two ways; absolute lap record and race winning times. This car was right on the mark for the later. With more grip at the rear it could challenge the former. At the last race before this test the fastest car was turning identical times to this machine.Always more to come.
The motor that was the most interesting was the DCM-308. According to the site the motor is used and appears to be a pull from some gadget. The fact that they are used may result in different results for different motors. If they were used at low voltages it will probably not matter.
Initially when I tried to fit a pinion I thought it had a slightly smaller armature shaft than the Scalextric FF050SH motors, but the difference is that there are no splines to hold the gear in place. The armature was slightly longer than the Scalextric and had to be ground off just a hair to keep it from rubbing the crown gear. The Scalextric pinion does work but has to be bonded to the armature shaft using permanent Loctite.
People who run short courses and no mag will really like the 308. One was fitted to the small Escort sedan from Scalextric with a nine tooth pinion. It has been tested at 12 and 15 volts with no destruction occuring yet. Another was tested in a Shark Nose Ferrari with a 10 tooth pinion. In a light car with high gearing it was quick in a straight line, but did not fishtail under acceleration. The motor that was put in the Ferrari appears to be a faster motor by a little bit. At least the sound is higher. Because of the favorable results I ordered 40 which should last me for a while and make excellent gifts. Sadly, it has too short of an armature shaft for Revell-Monogram cars.
Two of the 308s were sent to DaVols (Bruce Kraemer) for further testing. He has an 8' straight and I have an 10.5' straight. Got him beat! I can put in 12 more feet, but the wife will be mad. I doubt the 308 will beat the 302 on a course with long straight. Bruce's comments will be added when they come in.
How is the 308 on the braking? Good even with the 10 tooth pinion.
What type of brushes does it have? PRECIOUS METAL.
One DCM-308 was run at 12 volts for two hours. Between 1.5 and 2 hours of full blast running the motor got hot - really hot. I let it cool down and restarted it and . . . drum roll . . . it runs fine. Why the heat build up? Try it on a Fly motor and find out if this is normal.
My conclusion? It is durable enough for me. For you?
dan.dyke@fuse.net
Brushes
There are three brush types according to Mabuchi:
1) Wire Whiskers. Theses poof immediately. Many of the motors in toys have these. They go because the brush does not hold up. If you poof one remove the endbell and use the endbell from a dead Scaley or Fly. You may end up with a killer motor. It is worth a try2) Precious Metal - These have a good life. The venerable FF130SH (a much sought after cheap motor) has these and I have one with thousands of laps on it.