MaglevTrack II

60008 V0312

User Guide

2 Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312

Materials Included• Rollsofmountingtape • 4stripmagnets• 2connectorpins • 2tracksections

Items Needed (not included)• Rubbingalcohol• Softcloths• Utilityknife• Maglevvehicle(suchastheLevitatororMaglevEVehicle)*• Booksorblocks(optionalforgravitytrack)• MaglevETrackPowerSupply(37797)(forpoweredtrack)• Ducttape• Safetyglassesforanyoneneartrackwhileitisinoperation• Tapemeasure• Stopwatch(optional)

*TheinstructionsforapoweredtrackareforPitscomaglevcarsonly.

SafetyGeneral:• AlwayswearsafetyglasseswhenoperatingtheMaglevTrackII.• Whenusingamaglevvehiclewithapropeller,becarefultokeep

allbodypartsawayfromthevehiclewhenturningonthepowersupply.

ForthepoweredMaglevTrackII:• TheMaglevTrackIIshouldonlybeoperatedbyateacheroran

authorizedadult.• OnlyusetheMaglevETrackPowerSupply(37797),whichisalow-

powerandshort-protectedpowersupply,topowerthetrack.• Onlyusethetrackinadryenvironmentanddonotletanyonehave

liquidsnearthetrack.Whenconnectedtoapowersupply,thetrackisanexposedconductor,sothisisanimportantsafetyrule.

• Donotplacethetrackonametalsurface(itwillshortout).• Donotplaceametalobjectsoittouchesbothsidesofthetrack(it

willshortout).• Donottouchthetrackwhileitisinoperation.

Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312 3

What is Magnetic Levitation?Magneticlevitation,referredtoasmaglev,istheuseofmagneticfieldstolevitatevehiclesonatracktoreducefriction.Thetrackhasmagnetspositionedtorepelthemagnetsonthevehicle,andthetrackkeepsthevehiclefromflyingloose.Addinganelectricalpowersourcecanpropelthesevehicles,whichincludeEuropeanspeedtrains,togreatspeeds.

Track Assembly1. Layoutthefourstripmagnetsseparately–theywillbestuck

together(Figure1).Wipethemdownwithrubbingalcoholandapieceofsoftclothtoremoveanydustthatmighthavecollectedduringshipping(Figure2).Measurethestripmagnetsanduseahobbyorutilityknifetocutthemto48"(Figure3).

2. Makesurethestrips’magneticpolesarepointedinthesamedirection.Dothisbystackingthestripmagnetsontopofeachothersotheysticktogether.Thisshowsthattheyareattractedtoeachotherandthattheirmagneticpolesarepointedinthesamedirection.

3. Layoutthetwotracksections.Dustthemoffwithadrycloth,especiallytheareabetweentheraisedtrackcenterandthetrackwalls(Figure4).

Figure 1 Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

4 Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312

4. Startingononeendofatracksection,unrollthemountingtapeasclosetotheinsiderailsaspossiblesothestickysideofthetapeisagainstthetrack(Figure5).Youmightneedtousetwopiecesthatequal48"ifarolloftaperunsout.Donotplacethetapeagainsttheoutsidewallsofthetrack.

5. RepeatStep4onbothsidesoftheinsiderailforbothsectionsoftrack(Figure6).

6. Removethebackingfromthemountingtape(Figure7).Takeonestripofmagnetandplaceitontopofthemountingtape(Figure8).Pressitdowntosecureittothetape.

7. Removethetapebackingandplacetheotherthreemagnetsonthetape.Besuretokeepthemagnets’polaritiesinthesamedirection.

8. Atthistime,theMaglevTrackIIisready.Eitherusethetracksectionsside-by-sidefortwoshorttracksorslidethe

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7 Figure 8

Figure 9a

Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312 5

sectionstogetherwiththesteelconnectorpinstoformonelongtrack(Figures9aandb).

Using as a Gravity Track1. Tousegravitytopropelmaglev

vehiclesdownthetrack,elevateoneendabit(Figure10).Placethevehicleontotheendthatiselevated,letgo,andwatchitglidedownthetrack(Figure11).

2. Ifyouwish,youcanplaceapieceofducttapeacrossthefinishendofthetracktokeepthevehiclesfromglidingoffthetrack(Figure12).

Tryexperimentingwithelevationheight.Usingastopwatch,timehowlongthevehiclestaketotravelthelengthofthetrackateachelevation.

Youcanalsousethistracksetuponalevelsurfaceforvehiclesthatareself-propelled,suchastheWarpDriveLevitator(28459).

Figure 10 Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 9b

6 Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312

Using as a Powered TrackNote: Withtheequipmentprovided,youcanonlypoweronetrackwithonepowersupply,soeitheruseonefour-footsectionorconnectthetwotracksectionstogetherwiththeconnectorpins.

1. Setthepowersupplyonasolidsurfacenearoneendofthetrack.Inserttheendsofthetwoleadsthatcomewiththepowersupplyintoitsjacks(Figure13).

2. PlacethealligatorclipendsoftheleadsontotheMaglevTrackIIsothatoneisoneithersideofthetrack(Figure14).Itdoesn’tmatterhowhighorlowonthesidestheyareattached.

3. TurnboththeVoltageandCurrentknobscounterclockwiseasfarastheywillgo(Figure15).

4. Turnonthepowersupply(Figure16).

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15 Figure 16

Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312 7

5. SlowlyturntheVoltageknobto6–do not gohigherthan6(Figure17).Turnoffthepowersupply(Figure18).

6. Placeapieceofducttapeacrossbothendsofthetracktokeepthevehiclesfromglidingoffthetrack(Figure19).Ontheleadend,placethetapeabovetheleads.

7. Setamaglevvehicleonthetrackinfrontoftheducttape–besureitisfacingtomoveinthedirectionofthetape(Figure20).

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19 Figure 20

8 Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312

8. Turnonthepowersupply(Figure21).Determinewhichdirectionthecurrentrunsonthetrack.Ifthevehicleispropelledtowardthepowersupplyconnectionsonthetrack,reversethepolaritiesofthepowersupplygoingtothetrack.Todothis:

a.Turnoffthepowersupply(Figure22).

b.Switchtheplacesofthetwoalligatorclipsonthesidesofthetrack(Figure23).

c. Turnonthepowersupply(Figure24).Makesurethevehiclemovesawayfromtheconnections(Figure25).

d.Turnoffthepowersupply(Figure22).

9. AdjusttheCurrenttobeascloseto1aspossible,butdonotgohigherthan1(Figure26).Turnoffthepowersupply(Figure22).

Nowyouaresetuptorunmaglevvehiclesonthetrack.

Figure 26

Figure 23

Figure 25

Figure 24

Figure 21 Figure 22

Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312 9

BecarefulnottobumptheVoltageandCurrentknobsoryouwillnotbeusingaconsistentsettingforallvehicles,whichisimportantfortestinganddeterminingwhichvehicledesignhadthebesttime.NOTE: Ifyouwishtotestvehiclesatalowervoltagethan6,youmaydoso.JustsettheVoltagetothedesiredsettingunder 6 andturnoffthepower.

10.Withthepoweroff(Figure27a),placeavehicleonthetrackneartheconnectionendandfacingtowardthefinishend(Figure27b).

11.Turnonthepowerandthevehiclewillglidedownthetrack(Figure28).Continuetotestvehiclesbyturningoffthesupply,placingthecar,turningonthesupply,watching/recordingthevehicle’sresults,turningoffthesupply,andremovingthevehicle.

Figure 28

Figure 27a

Figure 27b

10 Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312

Adding Additional Sections to the Maglev Track IINote: Thisinformationisformakingyourtracklongerthan8'bypurchasingadditional4'TrackSectionsforMaglevTrackII(37790).

Foreachadditionalsectionyouorder,youshouldreceive:

• 1tracksection• 2stripmagnets• 2connectorpins• Rollsofmountingtape

ApplythesamestepsfromtheTrackAssemblysectionofthisguide(pages3-5)tothisadditionalTrackSection.

CAUTION:Besuretohavethestripmagnets’polaritiesfacingthesamedirectionasyourMaglevTrackII.Iftheyfaceintheoppositedirection,thetrackwillnotruncorrectly.

Addthissectionandanyotheradditionalsectionsbysimplyslidingthesectionstogetherwiththesteelconnectorpinstoformonelongtrack(Figures29aandb).

Usethelongertrackeitherasagravitytrackorapoweredtrackandfollowthedirectionsfromtheappropriatesectionsinthisguide:

Gravitytrack–page5

Poweredtrack–pages6-9

Figure 29a Figure 29b

Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312 11

Using the Maglev Track II with the Original Maglev TrackCanyouuseyouroldMaglevTrackwiththecurrentMaglevTrackIItomakea16-foottrack?

Forgravityexperiments,yesyoucan.Usingtwoconnectorpegs,youcanconnectthetwotracks,elevateoneend,andrungravitytestsorraceswithmaglevvehicles.Oruseitonalevelsurfaceforself-propelledvehiclessuchastheWarpDriveLevitator.

Forpowered(orelectrified)experimentsusingtheMaglevETrackPowerSupply,youcannot connectthetwodifferenttracks.Becausethenewtrackisconstructedwithtwosidesjoinedwithinsulatorsbetweenthemandtheoriginaltrackismadeasasolidpiece,puttingthemtogether with the power supply could short out the system.

12 Maglev Track II User Guide 60008 V0312

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