01-17-2004, 01:11 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 207
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Porta-Trax New Mini-Z tracks
Porta-Trax (the orignal protable track maker based in Canada) will be offering tracks in the $149 to $299 category with the new Ozite Mini-Z racing carpet, which has higher traction than any EVA foam. The tracks feature two side material (one side traditional Ozite for practicing setups for club tracks, the other side special no-fibre surface for small scale cars). The track sets up faster than foam and rolls up in 2 minutes.
Our flexible rail system attaches anywhere on the track for endless layout possiblities. True radii corners scaled from actual road courses. Here's a picture. Watch for a major announcement in February. -Lorne
Last edited by neurokinetik; 03-01-2004 at 11:47 AM.
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01-17-2004, 07:20 AM
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TinyRC Newbie
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 14
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Whoa.
Ads, already?
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01-17-2004, 09:17 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 207
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...sorry if the Port-Trax blurb appeared to be an ad. It's was mearly meant to be an pre-release product announcement.
We believe that the new release of Ozite Mini-Z surface addresses many concerns of the hobbyist that were voiced on this site, and thus we are trying to get feedback before the product hits the shelves.
As we are located in Canada, and are recognized as custom track builders for commerical operators, Porta-Trax is not well known to the hobbyist ...so we are trying to change that by releasing products within an afforadble price range. Moreover, we believe that competition between reputable track builders can only benefit the hobbyist by improving features and lowering prices. Thus, Porta-Trax feels it is important to show that there is a viable alternative to rubber-based tracks.
I was careful not to provide a link to a store, etc. and the new Ozite won't be "retail" until Feburary, when we will advertise in appropriate sections of this site. Sorry if it appeared to be an ad ...rather it was meant to gather feedback and provoke discussion in the spirit of the forums.
We will have formal product announcements soon, including a roll-up 12 x9 1/64th scale track in sub-$100 category Our success will be determined by your interest, feeback and product improvement suggestions. --Lorne
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01-17-2004, 09:29 AM
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CJ's Hobbies.net
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Tennesse
Posts: 252
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Quote:
Originally posted by jaubery
I ordered mine this morning! I got the wide oval. I plan on adding the "wide L" later. I can't wait to try it. I have a foam track I made for my bits and zips that worked great. I had more money in it than $150 and I spent countless hours building it to my liking. This track seems like a bargain to me. Now my car won't look totaled after an hour of racing which it does on pvc pipes and aspalt.
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Was the $159.99 the total with or with out shipping?
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01-17-2004, 01:14 PM
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TinyRC Pro
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 61
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Or make your own for half that price...
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01-17-2004, 03:28 PM
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Real Cars Suck
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 165
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Quote:
...sorry if the Port-Trax blurb appeared to be an ad. It's was mearly meant to be an pre-release product announcement.
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Ahh there is nothing like the talk of marketing.... It was an ad:
"A notice, such as a poster or a paid announcement in the print, broadcast, or electronic media, designed to attract public attention or patronage."
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Im not sure on the regualtions of such things in this forum. But I believe you safe, but an ad is an ad. And though your track is nice looking: A; Its WAY too big a picture for this forum B:Out of focus C: Needs more chicans sp? ! The thing is you should have started your own thread versus using this one.
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01-17-2004, 05:04 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Fresno
Posts: 57
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Its an ad, heh. It doesn't bother me though. The only issue is, I believe tinyrc, which runs mini-zracer.com too if I'm correct, is a retailer that sells rcp tracks, which appear to be the same tracks RS is selling (they sure got a hold of them awfully quick, now I know why he was testing x-mods on his track ).
I don't think you are allowed to post competing ads here. I know mini-zracer.com is pretty brutal with their rules. Maybe goodcompany doesn't have to regular the same way though.
The tracks look cool. I think these tracks are supposed to appeal to those with extra money as a luxory.
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What goat?
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01-17-2004, 05:37 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Fresno
Posts: 57
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Ozite sounds really expensive, from reading some old posts. I'd go for a cheaper material if I was on a budget to make my own track instead of buying a premade one.
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What goat?
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01-18-2004, 06:15 AM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Richmond, VA.
Posts: 2,732
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I'm keeping my eye on this one...
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01-18-2004, 07:15 AM
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Told ya.
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: NY, USA
Posts: 1,214
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Quote:
Originally posted by tigermask44
Or make your own for half that price...
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How much did you pay for those mats?
What's the size of them?
I bought a pack of 4 2x2 mats at homedepot for $20 and then I found a pack of 6 at a local wherehouse store for $16(don't really remember that one, I think it was between $13-16). I see in your pic you've got 24 mats that would make it much bigger than the rs tracks using my measurements.
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Meh.
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01-18-2004, 08:41 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 207
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New Mini-Z Ozite
J Bear: your club would have the older Ozite! The new Mini-Z Ozite has a second surface (the reverse side) with almost triple the surface coefficient (engineering speak for traction). It exactly addresses your concerns about sliding. There is no slip on the new surface, even with the horrendous stock Mini-Z tires. That was our goal when working with the factory chemists at Foss (Ozite's parent company)
To help you specifically, foam tires will cure your traction problem at the local track and allow you to run your Z at any club with "carpet". Your main concern will then be if the club keeps the track clean, as Zs don't tolerate impurities (especially hair) as well as larger scales.
For some reason, the Mini-Z world has been slow to adopt foam as a viable tire surface, although I see that Kyosho and other quality aftermarketers such as Z-speed, now have foam for the Z's, so its catching on.
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Sonic Kuz:the price on Ozite has gone down considerably since there is now more than one distributor for their racing surfaces, and we have "mass produced" what was once a niche product to greatly reduce costs.
The new Mini-Z Ozite will sell for about $4 per sq. yd ....that's very cheap for any type of carpet. The actual price will depend on the stability of the American dollar (the falling greenback may well have a huge effect on hobby prices, as many of the quality products are imported and the US dollar has dropped 20%+ against other major currencies).
$4 per sq. yard compares quite favorably to the price of the rubber mats or any other quality surface, including many "homemade" solutions. Our goal is to simply provide a professionally engineered surface at the cost of do-it-yourself.
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Badcompany: we will be sending a production sample of the new surface to Minizracer.com in early Feburary. As this site appears to have reasonably high standards with respect to what they sell/recommend in both their store and the forums, I think it's important that you test it first hand, as any postive endoursement by this site will go along way to dispelling member skepticism.
This site can then decide of they want to carry the product in their online store. Currently, the product is manufactured in the US, then shipped to Canada for track production and then shipped to US buyers. Not very efficient ...so we will now look towards US distributors to rep and sell the product direct.
- Lonre
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01-18-2004, 09:39 AM
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Mad Scientist
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 901
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Re: ...
Quote:
Originally posted by itsme
I don't think those will sell nicely... What would you choose? Mini-z...track...mini-z...track....?
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I already made my decision.
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-- It is by will alone I set my mind in motion...
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01-18-2004, 10:24 AM
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TinyRC Pro
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 61
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Quote:
Originally posted by sessiz10
How much did you pay for those mats?
What's the size of them?
I bought a pack of 4 2x2 mats at homedepot for $20 and then I found a pack of 6 at a local wherehouse store for $16(don't really remember that one, I think it was between $13-16). I see in your pic you've got 24 mats that would make it much bigger than the rs tracks using my measurements.
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4 for 11$ at pep boys. 4 square feet. About 70$ w/ tax. It is a great track for my use. And yes it is 12 x 8. If you want the plans I'll send you a pic.
Last edited by tigermask44; 01-18-2004 at 10:27 AM.
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01-18-2004, 11:21 AM
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TinyRC Pro
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Arizona
Posts: 23
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That carpet track looks cool, but the side rail things look like there made out of plastic or something similar. My car just gets way too beat up on the pvc track. I want a track that has a softer rail to help the scratchs. The RS track looks like it has some kind of foam rail.
edit, it does appear that the RS track is the same track as the rcp track. sweat!
Last edited by jbear; 01-18-2004 at 04:23 PM.
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01-18-2004, 11:43 AM
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TinyRC & Mini-zRacer Fan
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 2,593
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yes rcp tracks are expensive, quality does not come cheap. will the average xmod owner be able to afford them, maybe not.
pvc tracks, while cheap and easy to build are in my opinion on the way out due to the very resons mentioned in this thread, they will mark the car, the will move if hit hard unless mounted securly.
carpet tracks were probably the first great thing to hit the track scene. they to can be cheap and easy to make howeve you still have to solve the rail question.
there are MANY threads regarding d.i.y. pvc, foam and carpet tracks on minin-zracer. i have seen some very nicely done tracks using these materials.
one thing you should not do is discredit the rcp tracks soley on the basis of their cost though. the fact that kyosho and rs are using them for their racing series says alot. these are very large corporations and well know in the rc world. they would not make the decision hastily.
as stated by the carpet track guy, sorry , don't remember the forum name, cometition is a good thing and does offer everyone a quality track (compared to d.i.y.) at several price ranges. the bottom line is, your going to have to make you own decision based on your own criteria be it cost, rail design, available space, racing surface, etc. let us not fall into bashing one track over another based on conjecture and in experience.
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