Scalextric - track/car formats?

[NeilF]

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)?

 

[NeilF]

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.

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?

 

[NeilF]

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

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?

 

[NeilF]

I wish I had my old TCR!

TCR was a great idea but very dull! Full power all the time and then just flick the lane change switch

 

[NeilF]

^^ 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!

 

[NeilF]

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.

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!?

 

[NeilF]

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.

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?

 

[NeilF]

Any idea how i can pursuade my wife that my 3 year old girl needs this?

Easy - http://www.modelzone.co.uk/media/catalog/product//h/o/hoc3224-1.jpg

 

[NeilF]

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.

...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

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