pitsco IMPULSEG II User manual

Table of Contents
ImpulsePackageContents...............................................................2
Introduction ...........................................................................3
PlanningYourRacetrackSetup...........................................................3
FloorSetup............................................................................4
GateAssembly.........................................................................4
FinishGateSetup.......................................................................5
OtherTrack?........................................................................5
StartGateSetup........................................................................6
PrelaunchSetup........................................................................7
SoftwareInstallationandUse ............................................................8
ManualLaunching......................................................................9
AutoLaunching.......................................................................10
LaunchPractice ....................................................................... 11
AftertheLaunch ...................................................................... 11
Running a Race. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Let’sCommunicate!....................................................................12
RacetrackSafety.......................................................................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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Impulse Package Contents
Start gate 2 deceleration towels
Finish gate 2 finish detector pigtails
4 gate supports 8 support mounting screws
8 steel pull pins 70-foot DIN cable
Spool of monofilament line Control box
2 launch pods 2 six-inch strips of Velcro®material
Power supply (12V, 2.5A) 2 black ABS line anchors*
2 launch triggers (1 red and 1 black) Start mat*
USB cable GII 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*
*floor use only
Figure 1

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Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the Impulse GII Racing System, an innovative tool for racing
student-designed dragsters. The Impulse GII’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 Impulse GII 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 CO2cartridges. 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 mak-
ing 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 deceleration towel
will 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.

Got questions? We’ve got answers! 4 Call 800-358-4983
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.
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
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 monofila-
ment line.
Gate Assembly
The start and finish gates will come unassembled. To
assemble them, simply attach the legs of each gate with
the four screws, screwing two in each side of the gate
(Figure 4). Now the gates are ready to be used. Caution:
Do not overtighten the screws.
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 2

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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).
Insert the detector for Lane 1 in the upper socket and
insert the Lane 2 detector in the lower socket, corre-
sponding 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.
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.
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 Impulse GII system with your track.
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8

Got questions? We’ve got answers! 6 Call 800-358-4983
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).
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).
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 sup-
ply into a standard AC outlet.
7. If connecting the Impulse GII 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 12
Figure 11
Figure 10
Figure 9

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Prelaunch Setup
1. Locate the two deceleration towels. Fold the towels in half lengthwise one time, width-wise one
time, and lengthwise again. Place one towel in each lane on the finish end of the track approxi-
mately 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 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 Impulse GII 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.
5. Position the cars at the start line. The front of the cars
should be aligned with the line.
6. Insert a Pitsco CO2cartridge 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 CO2cartridges
(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.
Figure 13
Figure 14

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.
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! 8 Call 800-358-4983
Figure 15