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OPERATION
Set the
THUNDER
with all your settings. Shallow stage the car. Press the transbrake button to set the transbrake.
Release the transbrake button at the flash of all three amber bulbs (pro tree) or at the flash of the top amber bulb
(full tree). The
THUNDER
will continue to hold the transbrake for the preset delay time. When the time expires, the
THUNDER
will release the transbrake solenoid, launching the car.
PRO TREE RACING
The
THUNDER
is used to keep a car from red lighting on a pro tree by delaying the release of the transbrake.
The delay type should be set to Run Delay. Typical delay settings on a pro tree range from 0.001 to 0.050. If your
car will not red light on a pro tree, set the
THUNDER
Delay Setting to 0.000.
FULL TREE RACING
By delaying the release of the transbrake it becomes possible to release the transbrake button on the top (first)
amber bulb of the christmas tree. Releasing off the top bulb is the preferred method because it is more consistent
than a bottom bulb release. The increased consistency comes from not anticipating the bottom bulb and being
able to just “hit” the top bulb as quick as possible allowing for a more natural human reaction. Top bulb release
also allows the driver to stage and release the button the same every pass. If the car is launching late or early,
changes to reaction times can now be made by adjusting the
THUNDER
instead of having the driver try to mentally
speed up or slow down.
Typical delay settings for launching off the top bulb are 0.950 to 0.990 for door cars and 1.020 to 1.080 for
dragsters and altereds. Delays as low as 0.850 for slower cars and as high as 1.100 for very hard launching cars
can be reached.
USING CROSSOVER
When racing a full bracket tree or a cross talk tree, if you are the faster car, your opponent will be leaving first.
This means his/her top amber bulb will light first on a bracket tree, or both top bulbs will light at the same time on
a cross talk tree. In this situation you need to cross over. Crossing over allows you to release the transbrake but-
ton on your opponent’s top amber (full tree) or your top amber (cross talk tree). Crossing over is done with the
THUNDER
by switching the delay type to Run Crossover and entering your dial-in and your opponent’s dial-in to the
delay settings. The
THUNDER
will automatically calculate the handicap and add it to your delay setting allowing you
to launch off your opponent’s top amber. For example your delay setting is 1.020 and you are dialed in at 8.50,
your opponent’s dialed in at 9.70. The
THUNDER
will subtract your dial from your opponent’s dial (9.70 - 8.50 =
1.20) then add it to your delay setting (1.20 + 1.020 = 2.220).
USING INTERFACE
When you are the faster car by a minimum of 1 second, the Interface mode can be used. This is used the same
as crossover except it allows you to take two hits at the tree. You leave off the opponent’s top bulb, press the
transbrake button again, then release off your own top bulb. The box will release the transbrake on the quickerof
the two releases. This means if your release on the opponent’s top bulb gives you a .520 light and the release on
your top bulb gives you a .505 light, the box will launch the car on the .505 light. Remember, the interface always
chooses the quicker light and will choose a .490 over a .500.
If you feel that one of the button releases was a red light, push the button down a third time to activate the Last
Chance feature so you can leave off the bottom bulb. This will cancel out the first two releases and allow for a sin-
gle shot at your bottom bulb.
If you only release the button once in Interface mode, the
THUNDER
will choose that release for the delay of the
transbrake.
USING CROSS TALK
This mode functions the same as the Interface mode except itallows you to take two hits at your tree,one off
your top amber, and one off your second amber. As in the Interface mode, the
THUNDER
will choose the quickerof
the two reaction times.
ADJUSTING FOR EARLY (RED) LIGHTS
When a car red lights, it has left too early. To compensate for this in the
THUNDER
, you must add time to the
delay setting. For example, if you had 0.980 in your delay setting and went –0.040 red, you would want to add at
least0.040 to your setting making it 1.020. In addition, a “cushion” of 0.010 is usually added on top to avoid cut-
ting another red light making the delay setting 1.030.
ADJUSTING FOR LATE (GREEN) LIGHTS
When a car green lights, it has left too late. To compensate for this in the
THUNDER
you must subtract time from
the delay setting. For example, if you had 0.980 in your delay setting and went +0.040 green, you would want to
subtract 0.040 from your setting making it 0.940. A “cushion” of 0.010 is usually added back to the delay setting to
avoid cutting a red light making the delay setting 0.950.
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