OKEMO for a Newby?

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sachilles
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Re: OKEMO for a Newby?

Post by sachilles »

Horn is required. OEM electric one is ok.

Air horn is a suggestion, but a very good one. Since if you nose off, the horn is one of the first things to go.
zip tie it to the cage or someplace within reach of the driver.
You can have both an electric and an air horn.

Basically, if you have an off or a mechanical problem and are stopped on course, you sound your horn twice, letting folks know you are OK. Sound the horn in one long blast means you have a serious problem and send the emergency crew asap. If workers don't hear a horn at all, but maybe hear you hit some trees, then they assume you are in trouble and send the emergency crew asap.

The louder it is, and having the ability to work if the car loses power, is a benefit to you(and everyone else).
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walterclark
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Re: OKEMO for a Newby?

Post by walterclark »

skimobile wrote:Got it : )
Thanks so much for the input everyone.
Reg went into the mail today so I hope to see you there.
I plan on driving up from RI early Friday morning so I should be there in plenty of time for rookie orientation and tech.

Sachilles, one final question, is an air horn required to be mounted in the driver compartment to signal in case of accident and power cut?
I have one I can bring/mount if needed.
The air horn is only required when a kill switch is installed - Kill switches are only required in the prepared classes.

An air horn is nonetheless a good idea in any car as Seth points out. OEM electric horns can be damaged in a front end impact.
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Re: OKEMO for a Newby?

Post by RacingFrog »

skimobile wrote:Got it : )
Sachilles, one final question, is an air horn required to be mounted in the driver compartment to signal in case of accident and power cut?
I have one I can bring/mount if needed.
Yes this is a new requirement this year, if your car has a kill switch, you need an air horn.
If you don't want to be submitted to the breakout rule, as your car look like it's already caged, you will need:
- kill switch (+ air horn)
- fire extinguisher (metal bracket required)
- rollcage padding (where the head can hit, no soft padding, sturdy stuff like the SFI rated one)
- SFI fire suit
- SFI gloves
- SFI shoes
- 2005+ SA helmet
- Hans device

If you are missing any of these, you can still run but will be submitted to the breakout rule (2m43s or something like that at Okemo). If you go faster than breakout, the 1st time you get a warning, the 2nd time you go home and cannot come back until you get the full equipment.

And as far as Okemo is concerned, I think that this is the best hill for a rookie. The course is one of the easiest to learn and holy crap it's fast if you have some power!

Will see you there, if not in my car, in my wife's STI!
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sachilles
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Re: OKEMO for a Newby?

Post by sachilles »

..... :oops: forgot about the update on the air horn, kill switch rule. What Walter and Frog say all applies.
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skimobile
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Re: OKEMO for a Newby?

Post by skimobile »

RacingFrog wrote:
skimobile wrote:Got it : )
Sachilles, one final question, is an air horn required to be mounted in the driver compartment to signal in case of accident and power cut?
I have one I can bring/mount if needed.
Yes this is a new requirement this year, if your car has a kill switch, you need an air horn.
If you don't want to be submitted to the breakout rule, as your car look like it's already caged, you will need:
- kill switch (+ air horn)
- fire extinguisher (metal bracket required)
- rollcage padding (where the head can hit, no soft padding, sturdy stuff like the SFI rated one)
- SFI fire suit
- SFI gloves
- SFI shoes
- 2005+ SA helmet
- Hans device

If you are missing any of these, you can still run but will be submitted to the breakout rule (2m43s or something like that at Okemo). If you go faster than breakout, the 1st time you get a warning, the 2nd time you go home and cannot come back until you get the full equipment.

And as far as Okemo is concerned, I think that this is the best hill for a rookie. The course is one of the easiest to learn and holy crap it's fast if you have some power!

Will see you there, if not in my car, in my wife's STI!
Not sure if I will break out (probably not) but I do have a kill switch installed so I'll mount the air horn. I have the rest of the items you mentioned so I think I'm all set...got to remember to also put a trash bag in the glove box ;)
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Re: OKEMO for a Newby?

Post by drummingpariah »

I hadn't realized the kill switch is required for breakout cars. I guess that's one more thing to add to the to-do list. Do we have an approved wiring diagram and/or any kind of certification required for them? I haven't looked at the rules since seeing this, just hoping for a quick answer.
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Re: OKEMO for a Newby?

Post by walterclark »

The Kill Switch is only required in Prepared class cars.

AA. Kill Switch
1.Switch to cut off / isolate electrical power throughout the car, obviously marked with standard lightning bolt symbol and off position is clearly marked.

(Note: Double-letter designation [AA, BB, etc.] refers only to Prepared cars.)

However if a kill switch is present, so must a compressed air powered horn.

G. Horns
1.A horn (either compressed air or electric) is required on all vehicles.
2.Compressed air horns are mandatory in all cars equipped with a kill switch and must be installed within reach of the driver.
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Re: OKEMO for a Newby?

Post by Super1303 »

drummingpariah wrote:I hadn't realized the kill switch is required for breakout cars. I guess that's one more thing to add to the to-do list. Do we have an approved wiring diagram and/or any kind of certification required for them? I haven't looked at the rules since seeing this, just hoping for a quick answer.
It's not an 'approved' wiring diagram but it's correct.
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drummingpariah
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Re: OKEMO for a Newby?

Post by drummingpariah »

walterclark wrote:The Kill Switch is only required in Prepared class cars.

AA. Kill Switch
1.Switch to cut off / isolate electrical power throughout the car, obviously marked with standard lightning bolt symbol and off position is clearly marked.

(Note: Double-letter designation [AA, BB, etc.] refers only to Prepared cars.)

However if a kill switch is present, so must a compressed air powered horn.

G. Horns
1.A horn (either compressed air or electric) is required on all vehicles.
2.Compressed air horns are mandatory in all cars equipped with a kill switch and must be installed within reach of the driver.
That's more in-line with what my fuzzy memory of looking at it in the fall looked like. So an SP breakout car doesn't REQUIRE a killswitch, and I won't have one for Okemo at least. Works great for me, one less thing I have to do right now. I'll still have an air horn (or two) though. They just seem like a good idea, and they're pretty cheap.
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Re: OKEMO for a Newby?

Post by BugEyeRex »

I think us SP cars with kill switches confuse everyone planning on building an SP car when people look at them for examples. There are many of us that installed a switch even though they are not required. How does the saying go? All SP cars become P cars eventually?
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