Scalextric - track/car formats?

NeilF

NeilF

NeilF

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So, I pulled my old 26ft of track out of the loft yesterday, and it still works. But I was wondering about adding to it...

1) I believe my track from 20+ years ago is termed "Scalextric Vintage"? And now its Scalextric Sport? Are these the only two formats of track for regular scalextric?

2) You can connect the old format track to the new format with an adapter (sport on one side, vintage on the other):-

http://images.blueunplugged.com/dbimgs/C8222-med.jpg

3) Now, does the new "Scalextric Sport" come in both analog and digital format? And the digital format allows multiple cars to use either of the two lanes? How do you swap lane?

4) Does the "Scalextric Digital" bring anything else to the table? Like better control (eg: better acceleration or even braking)?
 
Yes to 1 and 2.

Digital lane changes are done via special pieces of track plus a button on the controller that you press when you want to change (and are coming up to the lane change section)

As I understand it the 'normal' track can be used with analogue or digital setups. However to run digital you will need digital power/control stuff and enough 'lane change' pieces of track to keep it interesting and a digital chip in each car.
 
kaiowas said:
Yes to 1 and 2.

Digital lane changes are done via special pieces of track plus a button on the controller that you press when you want to change (and are coming up to the lane change section)

As I understand it the 'normal' track can be used with analogue or digital setups. However to run digital you will need digital power/control stuff and enough 'lane change' pieces of track to keep it interesting and a digital chip in each car.
Click to expand...

So you can run analog or digital through the new track? ie: There's analog controllers and cars for it, or, alternatively digital controllers and cars? And you can't use analog cars with digital controllers or the opposite?
 
i'm pretty sure that the digital cars have brakes too. i know a couple of my lane changing cars that have been gathering dust in the loft for years have brakes
 
Reaper 392 said:
i'm pretty sure that the digital cars have brakes too. i know a couple of my lane changing cars that have been gathering dust in the loft for years have brakes
Click to expand...

How do they change lanes exactly? I know you can put a circuit into older cars to allow them to be used on digital tracks, but how on earth does that allow them to change lane?
 
Your pretty much correct, although the older stuff is called Scalextric Classic, not Vintage.

For 'normal' Scalextric (i.e. 2 cars, 1 lane each) you can use all your old track with new Sport track and the new Sport power controls. The newer Sport stuff does have something they term as 'brakes', where through using an earth wire or something letting go of the throttle means the motor in the car is used as a brake. Older Scalextric didn't have this so when you lifted off the cars free wheeled and were slowed by friction alone. However, thats not something you need to worry about. All Sport cars will work on your classic track with classic controllers and all Classic cars will work on Sport track with Sport controllers. Basically anything that is the standard 2 lane 2 cars setup will work with anything else of the same design.

The lane changing stuff is the new stuff. Its branded Scalextric Digital. Instead of controlling the power to the rail with the controller to control the speed of the car, the rail is always fully powered. The controlers are then paired with a specific car and then used to send a digital signal to the car through the rails that controls the speed of the car through a small chip inside the car. This then means that you are not limited to 1 car per rail, so the Scalextric setup allows up to 6 cars on 1 track. There is for the most part still only 2 lanes, and you change lanes at changeover points like below. They also have 'brakes', but these are now digitally controlled. Either lifting off or pressing a button on the controller will cause the car to use its motor as a brake and slow faster than if it was just free wheeling.

41dhQGhHx8L._SL500_AA300_.jpg


There are also straight line changeovers, and 2 into 1 changeovers for pitlanes and things. The changeover is controlled with a little metal thing in the rail that dictates which direction the car goes, and is controlled by a piece of track that sits before it with a sensor in it. An LED in the bottom of the digital cars sends out a signal to the sensor when the driver presses a button on the controller to indicate they wish to change lane, which triggers the gate in the changeover track to open, and the car then changes lane.

Digital setups use a different power connector and different controllers. They also require all cars to have the chip inside for the digital control, and also the LED. You can buy new Digital cars with this in, or you can buy the chip and retro fit it to most Classic or Sport cars. You also obviously need at least 1 (although ideally a lot more) changeover tracks to get the overtaking going. However, every piece of track that isn't the power control bit or a changeover bit can be any normal piece of Classic or Sport track. So you could buy a couple of Digital cars, a power unit and a single changeover piece and convert your current track to Digital easy.

I hope that helps :)
 
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^^ Many thanks for that! A couple of questions then from your nice response!

Brakes
Now this is my biggest issue with "Classic" - You pick up speed down a straight and there's no way to easily slow the car down. So I'm intrigued how much the brakes you mention in sport/digital helps the experience! Anyone able to comment?

Speed
The overall performance of "Classic" is a bit too much IMHO. Cars accelerate at a ridiculous rate of notts (for their scale) and then you have trouble slowing down. I'm wondering if Sport Digital changes this performance/behavior? ie: Does it slow the acceleration down at all?

Lane changing
So you need Sport Digital cars specifically with this capability? ie: They need to have the LED you mentioned to communicate with the lane changer on the track?

New Sport track format
I think I've seen it around my neighbours. It doesn't seem to connect togethor so firmly, and it was interesting they were getting connection problem, where as my "Classic" track worked first time after nigh on 20yrs!
 
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NeilFawcett said:
^^ Many thanks for that! A couple of questions then from your nice response!

Speed
The overall performance of "Classic" is a bit too much IMHO. Cars accelerate at a ridiculous rate of notts (for their scale) and then you have trouble slowing down. I'm wondering if Sport Digital changes this performance/behavior? ie: Does it slow the acceleration down at all?
Click to expand...

Too much!

No, that's half the fun!

If you overdid it, it would shoot off a corner at 50 miles an hour xD

Half the challenge is in the rapid acceleration!

kd
 
NeilFawcett said:
^^ Many thanks for that! A couple of questions then from your nice response!

Brakes
Now this is my biggest issue with "Classic" - You pick up speed down a straight and there's no way to easily slow the car down. So I'm intrigued how much the brakes you mention in sport/digital helps the experience! Anyone able to comment?
Click to expand...

I'm no electrician so I don't fully understand it, but the main difference is that in modern Sport cars there are 3 electrical connections to the controller, whereas in Classic cars there are only 2. In Classic lifting off lets the car free wheel, whereas with newer Sport cars the 3rd connection means it create a circuit when off throttle that means the rotation of the motor acts as a generator, which obviously causes resistance, and as such slows the car down. Coupled with the magnets that are in modern cars they do stop a lot quicker than classic cars. Fast enough for you to realise you are overcooking it into a corner and slow down in time.

Speed
The overall performance of "Classic" is a bit too much IMHO. Cars accelerate at a ridiculous rate of notts (for their scale) and then you have trouble slowing down. I'm wondering if Sport Digital changes this performance/behavior? ie: Does it slow the acceleration down at all?
Click to expand...

They are just as fast, although they tend to be heavier and with the magnetic downforce they might be a tad slower. The magnets mean you can corner faster though so its less of an issue, and the brakes mean you can stop if you are going to fast. Obviously for some tail happy fun you can whip out the magnets :).

Lane changing
So you need Sport Digital cars specifically with this capability? ie: They need to have the LED you mentioned to communicate with the lane changer on the track?
Click to expand...

Yes. To use Digital you either need Digital cars or you need to fit the Digital chip and LED into an older car.

New Sport track format
I think I've seen it around my neighbours. It doesn't seem to connect togethor so firmly, and it was interesting they were getting connection problem, where as my "Classic" track worked first time after nigh on 20yrs!
Click to expand...

Its swings and roundabouts. Sport track doesn't fit together as tightly, but it makes it a million times easier to take apart. If you are putting up and taking down your track a lot then the Sport track is miles better.
 
Skeeter said:
I'm no electrician so I don't fully understand it, but the main difference is that in modern Sport cars there are 3 electrical connections to the controller, whereas in Classic cars there are only 2. In Classic lifting off lets the car free wheel, whereas with newer Sport cars the 3rd connection means it create a circuit when off throttle that means the rotation of the motor acts as a generator, which obviously causes resistance, and as such slows the car down. Coupled with the magnets that are in modern cars they do stop a lot quicker than classic cars. Fast enough for you to realise you are overcooking it into a corner and slow down in time.
Click to expand...

OK... And the braking is done on all flavours of Sport Digital? I ask this because I notice with the pro/6 car powerbase you can define how the brakes work from the controller.

Not wishing to spend over £100 just on the powerbase, assuming I get one of the cheaper two/four controller powerbases (where you can't define it) then how does the braking work on these? When you fully release the trigger it brakes? Or simply the car always just tries to match the speed defined by the amount of trigger depression?

I imagine the cheapest way into this would be to buy a cheap starter sport digital (with lane changing) kit, and 2/3 classic->digital track converters!?
 
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Because the track is always powered on Digital it wont be using the same 'reverse circuit' style brakes as Sport, so I would imagine its digitally controlled as you suggest. There is a button on the controller that allows you to apply the brakes while keeping the throttle pinned, but I would also imagine it does the same if you lift off totally. I've not played with a 6 car base so don't really know, but I would assume it allows you to turn the brake button on and off and possibly turn braking off all together. I think it might also be possible to turn the throttle down too.

The cool thing from a bit of a geek perspective with the Digital brakes is that because its a digital signal some higher priced models actually have working brake lights.

And yep, the cheapest way in is the starter kit, a bunch of converter tracks, and a range of the cheap digital cars.
 
Skeeter said:
Because the track is always powered on Digital it wont be using the same 'reverse circuit' style brakes as Sport, so I would imagine its digitally controlled as you suggest. There is a button on the controller that allows you to apply the brakes while keeping the throttle pinned, but I would also imagine it does the same if you lift off totally. I've not played with a 6 car base so don't really know, but I would assume it allows you to turn the brake button on and off and possibly turn braking off all together. I think it might also be possible to turn the throttle down too.

The cool thing from a bit of a geek perspective with the Digital brakes is that because its a digital signal some higher priced models actually have working brake lights.

And yep, the cheapest way in is the starter kit, a bunch of converter tracks, and a range of the cheap digital cars.
Click to expand...
So you have a regular 2 or 4 car digital track?

So you when you press the brake button the car slows down a lot? And do you get the feeling as you release the trigger the car is slowing down a lot more than would happen on old analog free wheelers?
 
A comment from another page:-
Braking: For the standard 4 car power base, all you need to do is let up on the throttle and the magnet in the car slows it down. For the 6 car power base, you have more braking options that you can easily program to your controller.
Click to expand...
...so I'm still unclear how the braking works, if indeed it even does, on the 4 car power base compared to the super duper 6 car power base?


On the 6 car power base you get it all:-
A number of options can be set to determine what occurs when the brake button is pressed on the digital controller:
1 Braking is disabled
2 Braking is enabled when brake button pressed (disables Yellow Flag)
3 Braking is applied when the throttle is fully released
4 Braking is applied when either the brake button is pressed or throttle released
Click to expand...

But what does the 4 car power base do/offer?
 
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