 |
|
Hobby & Toy Links
|
 |
SCALEXTRIC Race Management System
Q. Laps do not register when cars pass over RMS track.
A. 1. Make sure RMS powerbase track is level. Sometimes when putting the track together to make a layout, a slight kink/bend may appear in the center causing cars to miss the lever in the track. It is important with the RMS track piece to ensure that the track section leading on to the RMS section and the RMS section are BOTH level. This helps prevent the car blade guide from launching over the sensor caused by a "ramp" effect from the previous track section. The importance of this cannot be over-emphasized as the slightest bump or lump will give inconsistent results and detract from your enjoyment.
2. Make sure all leads are connected securely and that the COM port in the options screen matches the one you are connected to.
3. Some older cars are very light at the front. This may cause them to jump the lever at high speeds. To solve this you can move the RMS track to a slower portion of your track layout or put additional weight in the front of the car. Moving the RMS track would be the preferred option, as additional weight in the car would have an overall effect on performance.
4. Close RMS and restart your PC, then try RMS again.
Q. My lead does not seem to fit anywhere on my computer.
A. Ensure your computer is fitted with a COM port. Some new computers are not fitted with any COM ports. If this is the case, then as stated in the system requirements, your computer is not compatible with RMS.
Q. Does RMS work with Windows 2000 & XP?
A. RMS has been installed on Windows 2000 & XP and appears to run without any problems. However, RMS has ONLY been extensively tested on Windows 95 & 98 and is therefore recommended for use with Windows 95 &98.
Q. I have installed RMS in the wrong language.
A. You will need to uninstall RMS and reinstall ensuring you select your chosen language. To do this, go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel and remove Scalextric Sport RMS, then delete the Scalextric Sport RMS folder from C:/Program Files. Reinstall RMS.
Q. My screen displays "RMS not in drive, please exit and insert RMS disk".
A. This may occur when your drive has a name other than D; to rectify this problem you need to right click on the RMS shortcut and click on properties, change the destination to:
C;\Program Files\ScalextricSportRMS\pcinteractive.exe-d:.
Q. Where are the car images to download from the website?
A. The images and video clips on the website can only be accessed via RMS on your PC. RMS will connect to the Internet and the Scalextric website and display the images. When you click on a car image the download process will start and the two image files will be downloaded in to RMS and will automatically be placed in the correct group e.g. Rally, Touring, etc. It is not possible to view the car images directly on the Scalextric website.
Track and Accessories
Scalextric has been making 1:32 scale plastic sectional track since the 1950s. Its Classic track system, continuously in production for more than 40 years, has remained the undisputed leader in durability, versatility, and space efficiency. Scalextric has developed a track system for the 21st Century. Its Sport track system retains all of the best qualities of the Classic track system and added features and capabilities racers have been asking for. Sport track retains the same dimensions as Classic track. Sport includes all the same track sections, including half-standard curves and 1/5 or "short" straights, and will bring back outer-outer curves, giving Sport users 4 different curve radii and guaranteeing unmatched versatility and layout options. Sport track, like Classic track, is made of a resilient plastic material, described as "linear low-density polyethylene" that allows it to be used in situations where maximum durability is vital. You can step on it, assemble and disassemble it over and over, and let children play with it unsupervised without worry about the track breaking due to less-than-gentle handling. It is somewhat less flexible than Classic track but still flexible enough to allow flat curves to be banked simply by fastening them down to an appropriate support structure constructed to the desired bank angle. That task is made easier by clips that slide into the track edges and allow the track to be firmly secured to the tabletop without having to put any fasteners through the track itself. Sport track lies flatter than Classic track. Its plated steel contact strips are flush with the track surface, which has much less texture than Classic track. The improved track surface delivers greater grip with silicone and other high-traction tire compounds. The result is smoothness and performance previously seen only on fragile and far less user-friendly rigid plastic track. Sport track can be assembled and disassembled without lifting it off the tabletop. The sections slide together easily and click into a strong, positive connection that holds the track sections firmly together. Quick-release tabs on the track edges allow easy disassembly. The contact strip ends have been revised for the best possible electrical continuity. The slots are deep enough to allow any 1:32 scale home track RTR car to run on Sport track without modification to the guide. Commercial track guides may still have to be thinned and possibly shortened but they do not, in most cases, have to have any depth trimmed off.
Q. What is the best way to fasten track to a table (plywood etc.)?
A. In a perfect world, it is best not to nail or glue the track to a base. The reason for this is that plastic and metal (the two ingredients of Scalextric track) expand and contract at different rates. If at all possible keep your track layout in a dry and constant temperature room. This will minimize the warping and kinking in your track. I you need to fasten the track to a table you can use our #C8232 track clips. These slip into the edges of Sport track and allow you to use a wire brad to fasten your track down. On the older Classic track you can carefully drill, using a 1/16" drill, a hole from the underside, through the center of the nub that the connecter from the next piece of track fits on. This will allow you to use a 3Ú4" wire brad through the whole to fasten your track down. You can use black paint or a felt tipped marker to touch up the nail heads so the do not show as much.
Q. Are the old (Classic) track and the new (Sport) track compatible?
A1. You will need to purchase a converter straight, part #C8222, to be able to use both styles of track. These converter pieces come as pairs
A2. SCX track is also directly compatible with Scalextric Classic track, and is a great source alternative for additional track, bridge supports, guard rail, narrow and wide radius curves, borders, etc., and is of the same "snap and button" design.
Q. How do I make my layout line up?
A. The Scalextric track system is the most versatile plastic sectional model car racing track system available today. With it you can make almost any layout your imagination can devise. Here are a few tricks that will make your layout building easier and more successful. Have you ever come to that last track joint to be connected and found that your track sections are just a little bit short of connecting or not lined up? You can fix that problem with some half, quarter and fifth straight sections. To make up a small shortfall in length, replace a full straight with a half, a quarter, and two fifths, or a half and three fifths, or whatever combination fills the gap. Or, if you're running long, a half, a quarter, and a fifth, a half and two fifths, or a quarter and three fifths in place of a full straight will usually shorten up the track just enough for a perfect fit. On 4-lane layouts, sometimes there will be a gap between the inside and outside track sections. Combinations of fifths and quarters can be used to lengthen the inside sections or shorten the outside sections to snug them up against one another. If you get to that last connection and one end is a bit to the left or the right of the other go back to another straight that lies at an angle (90 degrees is best) to the straight you're trying to connect. Use halves, fifths, and quarters to lengthen or shorten that straight, pulling the one you are connecting into alignment. You may then have to use a different combination of short sections to lengthen or shorten the track at the connection point. With a little practice and an ample supply of the shorter straight track sections you will find that there is literally no layout you can't fit together, no matter how odd or complex a combination of turns and straight a ways you have laid out.
Q.Is there an inexpensive way to go four-lane racing?
A. When expanding from a two-lane to a four-lane layout with plastic sectional track, a cost-effective way to get all the additional track, cars, controllers, and power system components you will need is to buy another of the same set you already have. Then create a layout using all the straight track sections two abreast and all the curved track sections on the inside of the turns. Then, just purchase enough outer curve sections to complete the curves and you have a complete 4-lane layout at a lower cost than buying all the additional components separately. Once you have your basic 4-lane tri-oval you can go on from there to any kind of 4-lane layout configuration you want. You can go from a tri-oval to a D-shaped oval or a symmetrical oval just by adjusting the way the curves are distributed. All ovals have only 360 degrees of curve, so you can make any oval configuration you want with the same number of curved track sections. You can create a road course by adding additional turns, and you can expand either an oval or a road course to any size you like by adding additional straight sections.
Q. Can I clean my track?
A. The truth is that there are many products out there that will clean your track running surface and power contact strips or rails effectively, and each racer's "hot tip" usually turns out to be whatever fell readily to hand and worked. Plastic track usually doesn't require much in the way of cleaning unless you are using a lot of oil on your cars so it drips on the track or you have some sort of problem resulting from the environment in which the track lives from day to day. You can usually use just a dry cloth. However, sometimes this may not be enough and a cleaning solution of some kind is needed. If you are going to use a cleaner, make sure it cleans through a mild solvent action, not by any sort of abrasive action, and doesn't leave any oily residue (or if it does, be sure to use a clean, dry cloth to wipe it all off). We have used a product called Rail Zip, made for model train tracks. We have also used WD-40, Parma Braid conditioner, Marvel Mystery Oil, and Tiger Milk. Tiger Milk, by the way, is a light oil that dissolves grease and dirt through a gentle solvent action. Anything that dissolves whatever kind of grease or oil that may be on the track and doesn't contain harsh solvents that can damage the plastic track surface will do the job, so use what you already have around the house (but test it on a small area before you do your whole track with it.) As far as oxidation goes, whatever will clean up the oil and grease will also get any normal oxidation. Your plastic sectional track should last years, if not decades, in normal use. Slot car tracks of all kinds do best where humidity is controlled and the temperature varies as little as possible, but your Scalextric track should do fine in any normal household environment. Some Scalextric owners have 30 year-old track still giving good service in regular use. The plating on the steel contact rails will prevent rust with no coating of any kind until the plating begins to wear off from normal use. This should take years. Even when the plating does begin to wear an occasional wiping down with one of the cleaners mentioned above should be all the cleaning it needs. Be sure to clean carefully the contacts between track sections to ensure good electrical continuity. It's a good idea to take your whole layout apart every 6 months or so and carefully clean every electrical contact surface, especially the metal tabs that provide contact between track sections. The one thing you absolutely don't want to do on track in good condition is to use any kind of abrasive that will remove the plating on the rails and expose the raw steel. Of course, when you already have serious rust you'll have to remove it with some sort of abrasive. If things have gotten that bad the plating is already compromised. Fine emery cloth, sandpaper, a wire brush, or even an ink eraser will do the trick, depending on how deeply pitted the metal strips are. Using an abrasive won't do any more harm than has already been done and it's better than abandoning your track to the rust. Don't use steel wool, however, as tiny pieces of it constantly break off and can cause a short circuit between the positive and negative track rails. After cleaning, be sure to coat the steel rails with a rust inhibitor, like WD40. Without the plating to protect the steel you will have to repeat the abrasive cleaning process frequently, but as long as you don't mind doing it you can keep on using your track and you will still be able to get lots of racing out of it. Just remember that on any track sections with the plating still intact you don't want to use any kind of abrasive for cleaning.
Q. How do I keep the dust and lint off the track?
A. A simple fast way that we we use during our racing league events is to fold a piece of 2" wide masking tape in half, lengthwise and tape half to the back or bottom of the car, so that the other half hangs down like a flap that will drag along the track, sticky side down, when the car is placed on the track. Run the car along the track a few times to pick up access lint dust, braid pieces and car rubber.
Q. How do I troubleshoot track power problems?
A. Most purchasers of Scalextric race sets find that their layouts maintain good electrical continuity with few problems and with so little power loss at the joints between sections that it would take a far longer layout than most people could fit into their homes for the normal slight cumulative loss to become noticeable. However, sectional tracks do occasionally develop continuity problems due to debris, bent tabs, or unusual oxidation. When you get two bad (though not completely broken) connections on the same lane it can cause an area of diminished power somewhere around the layout. Fortunately, finding the bad connections usually is not a problem. Any time you suspect a power drop in any lane of your track, take apart one track joint at the farthest point from the power section half a lap away. Starting at the Power Base drive or test rev your car one section at a time all the way around until you find a spot where it stops going. When that happens you've found the culprit, and you can fix the joint at that section. Take the joint apart, clean the tabs on the track rails and the underside of the rail on the next section where it makes contact, and bend or tweak the end a bit so that it makes a good solid connection when rejoined. Do this in both directions from the Power Base to find all the poor connections. Since the electricity makes a complete circuit it is difficult to find ONE bad connection in the circuit, since the current can still feed the other way, but if you purposely make one break it becomes easy to find the bad connection since the portion of the track between it and the break will show a loss of power, resulting in a dead spot. If you have more than one power tap take apart the track once for each tap, and the method will still work. If one lane is completely dead over its entire length you can use a similar technique to find the problem. Disconnect the track from both ends of the terminal track section. Select a car you know to be in good running condition and test it on both lanes of the terminal track. If it works on one lane but not the other, switch controllers and try it again. If the previously bad lane now works then the first controller is bad. If the lane still doesn't work, the problem is in the terminal track's wiring. Once you determine that both lanes work on the terminal track, reconnect track sections in groups of 4 until the lane stops working again. Then disconnect the four pieces most recently added one at a time until the power is restored. The last section removed will have a short circuit, which usually turns out to be due to a tiny strand of pickup braid wire or other metal debris touching between the two rails. Scalextric's booster cables offer an easy way to add a second power tap on the far side of the circuit. This is not necessary, except on a truly enormous layout, to make up for the normal minute power losses between sections, but it is cheap insurance against losing power completely on a distant part of the layout if you get two really bad connections.
Q. How do I tune my track to improve electrical continuity and smoothness?
A. Several things, in addition to a loss of power on a stretch of track, can cause the cars to appear to lose power in a particular place, especially strong-magnet cars These can be fixed by some massaging of the track itself. One is binding of the slot in the guide. The steel track rails extend down the sides of the slot and tabs on them go through openings in the bottom of the slot where they are bent under to clip the rails securely to the plastic. Sometimes the tails bend outward into the slot, and can cause a car's guide to bind. Also, excess plastic from a less-than perfect mating of the mold halves (flash, as it's known) may be present at the ends of the track sections and can also grab the guide, slowing down the car. You can solve both problems by running the serrated edge of a 50-cent piece or silver dollar along the slot, rubbing it back and forth across the section joints and pressing it from side to side wherever you encounter tightness between the rails. Another is bent rails or warped plastic that causes a track section to bow upward, bringing the track rails up so close to the car's traction magnet that it bogs the car down from excess magnet drag. You can flatten out warped track sections simply by leaving them on a flat surface in the sun on a hot day. Of course this can be hard to arrange in many places, especially in the winter, so a heat lamp or other source of radiant heat will do. Bent rails can be gently worked back straight with your fingers. Any kinks in the part inside the slot can be fixed with the coin-in-the-slot trick described above. The goal should be to have each piece of track sitting completely flat on the table with no warping either along its length or across its width. Another is abrupt change of grade from one-track section to the next, which, in extreme cases, can cause a car to high-center. If your track has an overpass it is necessary to provide a gradual and smooth change of elevation both going up and coming down. The overpass supports supplied in most race sets are not enough. You need to add extra graduated support piers for several feet before and after the overpass. Better still, build a solid structure into your table to support your up and downgrades over their entire length. Another thing that can cause problems is placing several quarter or fifth straight sections in succession. This can cause a rough, bumpy stretch that some cars, especially the less stuck down ones, may have difficulty with. Where you have had to use several of these sections to make a straightaway the same length, try to spread them out over the full length of the straightaway, alternating them with full straight sections. For maximum flatness and best contact between sections the track rails need to be drawn back tightly against the track surface. You can do this by turning each track section upside down and using needle nose pliers to pinch together more tightly the tabs built into the track rails that fold under the bottom of the track and hold the rails in place. Put one jaw of the pliers in the gap in the bottom of the slot and the other one on the other side of the tab and simply squeeze it tightly together. Do this to all the tabs on both sides of the slots. This draws the rail down tightly to the track surface. Between this and the flattening of the track with heat all scraping and magnet hang-up problem should be solved. You will also want to squeeze the metal tabs on the ends of the track rails down firmly onto the plastic tabs immediately below them. This keeps the metal tab end from being bent backwards when snapping the track sections together. It's a good idea to do these tweaks to all the tabs on all your track sections. It's time-consuming but it pays off in the overall performance of your race set. When putting the layout back together squirt a little WD40 into each track rail where the tab from the next section inserts into it. Some of our customers have also reported good results from using tiny dabs of electrically conductive grease on the tabs.
back to top
Track Power
Q. How and why do I want separate power supplies for each lane?
A. To begin with, powering each lane separately requires a transformer for each lane, and that in itself, is highly desirable for supplying the amperage needed to run strong-magnet cars, such as Fly cars or Scalextric cars equipped with after market magnets. A single pack for two lanes really does not offer enough amperage for two strong-magnet cars or two cars with hop-up motors. Neither car will deliver its full performance. More important, powering each lane separately ensures that the power going to each car will be uniform at all times and can't be affected by what the other cars are doing. Where two or more cars are powered by the same source and there is not enough amperage to go around the cars fight each other to get enough power. When one car deslots or stops the other one gets a blast of amperage that can send it off the track if it happens at a critical deceleration point (and it always seems to). With a separate power circuit to each lane the power to each car will not vary, even if each lane's power supply does not give quite the amperage the cars' motors would like. Each car may be a little slower than it would otherwise be, but its behavior will always be the same and the driver gets no nasty surprises. This makes driving to your car's limit much easier and more pleasant. The easiest way to accomplish this is to plug two Scalextric #C977 power packs into the wall and into your power base (#C8217). With any multi-transformer setup, if you want to be able to turn the power to all the lanes on and off to start and stop races, plug all the transformers into an outlet strip with an on/off switch and use the switch for your master power control. If you want the transformers and the outlet strip tucked away under the table out of sight and out of easy reach you can plug the outlet strip into an extension cord with an in-line switch and route the cord to place the switch in a convenient location. To take maximum advantage of your track power upgrade with strong-magnet and other high amp-draw cars you also need controllers matched to the cars' requirements. In general, the more amperage a car draws the lower the desired resistance rating of the controller (measured in ohms) will be. Scalextric sets come with 70-ohm controllers, which are fine for the cars that come in the sets. With the hotter cars you will need 25 to 45 ohm controllers to achieve maximum control. Layouts and tables.
You probably won't get very far into the slot car racing hobby before you decide it's time to set up your plastic sectional track layout more or less permanently on a table. Here are some suggestions that will help you with the project.
Q. What is the best way to build a table for my plastic track-racing layout?
A. Half-inch ACX plywood with a framework of 1 X 6s underneath will make a very satisfactory table for a home racing layout. Use glue and screws to fasten the tabletop and framework solidly and permanently together. For legs, use 4 X 4s cross-bolted to the 1 X 6s at each corner. Bolt 2 or more tables together to make larger layouts with 3/8" bolts through the 1 X 6s. If you want to be able to store the tables when not in use or move your layout tables around easily in your truck, van, or station wagon, use metal folding leg assemblies, available in most home improvement stores for around $20 a set (one set per table). Glue and screw extra rectangles of plywood to the bottom of each table where the leg assemblies are to be attached. Before building tables for a portable layout, be sure to measure the inside of your vehicle and size the tables to fit.
*Ping Pong Tables also make great layout tables for most starter set configurations. They fold for easy storage and they are also affordable. Especially if you are not handy with tools. Two or three Ping Pong Tables, end-to-end, make for awesome layouts. Add flat metal brackets and screws to the bottom side of the table ledges, to join the tables together for sturdy one piece consistancy and alignment of the tables.
Q. What height should my table be?
A. A good height is about 33 inches from the floor. The legs are 30.5" long, and then we have casters on all of them so we can move the track around. This height seems to provide a good view of the track for all but the smallest children. The height works well for turn marshaling around the layout. People can reach all parts of the track without having to bend over too far.
Q. What if my layout will be used mostly by young children?
A. A track that will be used primarily by young children will be easier for them to work with if it's about 24" from the floor. This is a little low for comfort for most adults, but not excessively so. You and your kids can still enjoy racing together comfortably.
Q. What about other table dimensions?
A. The main one to consider is the overall area and shape of the table. This, of course, is dictated by the space you have available. Most 2-lane home race sets can be set up in a single 4X8 table. The effective minimum for a 4-lane layout is two 4X8s, though you will probably want to go larger if space permits to get a layout with more driving challenge.
Q. What else should I consider?
A. Another important consideration is the maximum horizontal reach from the nearest edge of the table to all parts of the track. For average size adults, try to keep the maximum horizontal reach to 36" or less, and 24" for small children. If your layout is built on 4 X 8 sheets of plywood this will largely take care of itself, as long as you don't put two of them side by side and then have turns to marshal that are 4 feet from the nearest edge. Try to avoid any layout that requires you to reach over one part of the track to get to another. If one side of your layout has to be up against a wall, try to run a single long straightaway the full length of that side to avoid as much as possible having to marshal cars in a difficult-to-reach location.
Q. What about overpasses?
A. Many slot racers consider an overpass to be an essential part of a layout because it helps to equalize the number of left and right turns and the lane lengths. An overpass can also enable you to twist the racecourse in on itself and get a longer lap length into a given space. However, unless you have no other way of getting the lap length you need into the available space we recommend avoiding overpasses as they cause sight line and turn marshaling problems, increase the complexity of construction, and don't look very realistic. You can overcome any difference in lane lengths by running your races in heats, with the drivers rotating to a different lane after each heat until each driver has driven a heat on each lane. If you do build an overpass you will want to make a solid plywood structure to support the plastic track through the required elevation changes. Be careful to avoid abrupt changes of grade that can cause the front end of the car to hit the track and deslot.
Q. Can I make banked turns on my layout?
A. Yes! The flexibility of Scalextric track allows you easily to create turns with up to 20 degrees of banking using ordinary flat curved track sections. The key is to provide solid support under the track. The best way is to lay out your curve on the table, trace around the outer edge of the track plus outer borders (Always use both outer and inner borders on a banked turn.) Then remove the track and borders and use a saber saw to cut the table along the line you traced, all the way around the outside of the turn and for at least 2 full straight sections before and after the curve. Exactly halfway through the turn, insert a wedge under the cutout area to raise the outer edge to the desired height above the table surface. (You will need some bench work or a piece of plywood fastened under the bottom of the table for the wedges to sit on.) Place wedges all around the turn and under the cut-out area along the straights, graduating the height of the wedges both ways from the first one all the way to near the ends of the cutouts along the straights to provide a smooth transition from flat to banking and back again. SCX also manufactures a line of track supports for moderately banking your track. When you have all your wedges in place (don't fasten them down, yet) put the track and borders in place and test with your cars until you are sure they will drive smoothly around your new banked turn and that you have the degree of banking that will provide the speed you are looking for. The best result will be a banked turn that lets you drive around it considerably faster than on a flat turn, but not at full throttle. That keeps the driving challenge in it. When you are satisfied with your banked turn, glue, screw, or nail the wedges in place. Fasten the track down to the plywood every third or fourth track joint. Use sheet Lexan or thin plywood to make a wall around the entire length of the banked area, and you're done!
Q. Where else do I need walls or guard rails?
A. You will want to put a wall around the entire perimeter of your table to keep deslotted cars from leaving the table and heading for the floor. About 2 inches is as high as you will need except at the end of a long straight where full-throttle crashes may send cars flying much higher. We use 4-inch wide 1/16" clear sheet Lexan for the walls on our table, extending 2" above the table top all around except for a piece extending about 10" above the table and 2 feet long right at the end of our longest straight as insurance against a flying car going through the front of the glass display case across the aisle. With walls on the edges of the table and borders in all the necessary places on the track, you can dispense with guardrails at the border edges, except where a deslotting car might land on another part of the track.
Q. What are the track borders for and where do I need to use them?
A. The borders allow the car on the outside lane to slide out on the turns as much as the cars on the other lanes do without running up against the guard rail or putting a wheel off the track edge, Either of these things will usually cause the car to deslot. You should use borders on the outside of all curved track sections, on the straights before and after each turn for at least two full straight track sections, and on the inside of any turn immediately following a turn in the opposite direction. If you plan to run your track in both directions, make sure you have placed the borders in the appropriate places for both directions of travel. The straight and inside borders allow the cars to get straightened out after a curve without dropping a wheel off the edge of the track.
Q. Borders are somewhat expensive and I'm on a budget. Is there a lower-cost alternative?
A. Yes. Model railroad cork roadbed will bend around curves of any radius. A layer of HO cork on top of a layer of N-scale cork gives you just the right thickness to match your track. Use the cork exactly as it comes from the box. Don't split it along the diagonal cut in the center as you would to use it under railroad track.
Q. How can I be sure I have everything right before I start making things permanent?
A. When you build your tables it's a good idea to set out your sheets of plywood on a temporary structure in the approximate arrangement and height you expect to use for your layout. Then set up the track and run the cars for a while, checking to see that sight lines and marshaling access are suitable for all the likely users of the track. Adjust the table height and arrangement and track layout until you are satisfied with the driving qualities of your racecourse and access to all parts of it. Make sure the drivers' positions are located so none of the drivers have to look too far to the side or through the other drivers to see any part of the track.
back to top
Cars
Q. Should I lubricate my car?
A. When you take your new cars out of the race set box, put a small drop of light plastic-compatible oil in each rear axle bushing, in each front axle hole, and in each motor shaft bushing. If you have a front-motor car with a shaft going to the rear axle, also put a drop of oil in the drive shaft bushing just forward of the pinion gear. Don't overdo it, especially in the motor bushings. Most people tend to over-oil their cars. For suitable oils to use; see our listings under tools and supplies.
Q. Is there an easy way to change tires on my slot car?
A. Slip-on silicone tires go onto your cars' wheels much more easily when you coat the wheels or the inside of the tires with a little liquid hand or dish soap first. This greatly reduces the stretching and stress on the tires and prevents most of the splitting and tearing that occurs when a silicone tire is stretched beyond its limit. You can sometimes use this technique to get a tire onto a wheel that normally would be a little too big in diameter for it, giving you more tire diameter and width options.
Q. Can I fix my wheels that fall off?
A. Sooner or later the press-on plastic wheels on your 1/32-scale slot cars will become loose on the axles. This happens to virtually all of them sooner or later, given enough time and wear. When (notice that we didn't say if) this happens there is a simple fix for the problem. Remove the wheel from the axle. Check the wheel to see if it's cracked around the axle hole. If it is cracked, it will have to be replaced. If the wheel is not cracked, clean the protruding end of the axle thoroughly with a tissue, paper towel, or cotton swab to remove all dirt and oil. Put a tiny drop of light oil in the axle bushing, being careful not to get any on the cleaned portion of the axle. Place a tiny drop of medium or thick cyanoacrylate (CA) glue (super glue) on the end of the axle. Press the wheel back on the axle. Let it sit for a few minutes to make sure the CA has had time to set. The wheel should now be tight on the axle, but if you ever need to get it off again you'll be able to do so. As long as your wheels don't crack around the axle holes you should be able to repeat this process any number of times as needed to keep your wheels tight as the years and the races go by.
Q. I've put on new tires, and now the tires are wobbley and the car bounces down the track. How do I "true up" the tires?
A. Get a thin sanding block, or make one with double sided tape or adhesive, and fasten a piece of "fine" sand paper to a small 4" x 4" x 1/4" piece of wood. Set the car on the track, with the back tires on the block, and give power to the car. Genty pressing the car down to the sanding block, (without stopping the motor), run the car, until the tires spin smoothly on the block and the back end of the car doesn't hop up and down. Sand a little at a time, and test your car after each sanding, to see if the tires are true.
Q. How do I clean the access rubber and dust particles off of my tires?
A. Make a do-it yourself wheel cleaner. Take a long piece of wide double-sided masking tape and apply it to the surface of a small long narrow piece of wood 2" x 12" x 1/4", or wrap masking tape around a small flat piece of wood, 2" x 12" x 1/4", with the sticky side out. Roll your cars tires along the taped board and the dust sticks to the board, (just like the lint remover rollers!)
Q. How do I clean dust and dirt out of my car?
A. Use a cheap, disposable natural bristle trim paint brush to clean out all the accumulated guck from a car's chassis and the inside of the body. A little vigorous brushing will get rid of dirt, dust, fibers, and so on, while the bristles absorb oil and grease. The bristles get into all the nooks and crannies where rags don't, leaving your chassis and body looking clean as new. You can buy one of these brushes in any paint or home improvement store for a dollar or so.
Q. How do I increase the life of my car's motor?
A. Just like in your real car, lubrication is a must. We recommend electric motor comm drops. This formula keeps the motor area clean and the bushings lubricated. Adding comm drops will also give you about 20% better motor performance.
Q. My braids (brushes) are like new but they are full of black stuff. How do I get rid of the black stuff?
A1. That "black stuff" is carbon. Which comes from the tiny unseen frictional and electrical contact break sparks that are made, while the braids are making contact with the metal part of the track while the car is in motion. The carbon can be removed from the braids (brushes) by blotting the braids with the sticky side of a piece of masking tape.
A2. Parma Braid conditioner is also a great way to flush the carbon out of your braids and loosen up the built-up carbon on the steel rails of the track. After you have applied a few drops of braid conditioner to each braid and run the car around the track for a few laps, take a clean rag and wipe the steel rails clean.
A3. Parma Braid conditioner also adds life to your braids (brushes) and increases the contact performance of the braids (brushes).
Controllers
Q. The contollers that I got with my starter set are a little spongy and not very responsive anymore. Is there an upgrade to these controllers, and if so, do I have different choices for features for contol and response
A. Parma Controllers are the perfect upgrade for your home 1/32 track. These controllers feature durable handle, metal frame & single barrel resistor with 18 gauge wire. The ohms value determines how responsive your controller feels. The higher the ohms value (i.e. 45 ohms), the slower the response. The lower the ohms (i.e. 25 ohms), the quicker the response.
Q. What are the differences and additional features of Digital 132 compared to Evolution PRO-X and PRO-X respectively?
A. Digital 132:
- Up to 6 cars can race on one track simultaneously
- Full speed overtaking at the push of a button
- Digital 132 cars are digitally controlled and individually codable via speed controller
- Cars can be used as well on EVOLUTION
- Mainly with front light (Xenon) and rear/brake light, sound finish of bodywork
- Pace Car and Autonomous Car can be operated
- Individual adjustment of maximum speed and car´s braking performance
- Pit stop lane available as accessory, maximum gas tank capacity can be varied
- Compatible with PRO-X, meaning all Digital 132 items can be used for PRO-X .
- Can be extended with any basic track material, scale 1:24
Q. What is the technical data and scale of Digital 132 ?
A1. Scale of tracks 1:24, scale of vehicles 1:32, track width: 198 mm, transformer: 14.8 volts, 3.5 amp
A2. Digital 132 supports up to 6 cars.
Q. Does the Digital 132 Black Box have 6 controller connections or still only 4?
A. The Digital 132 Black Box still has of 4 controller connections. In case 5 and/or 6 cars shall be operated the controller extension box or the IR System need to be utilized. Both the controller extension box and the Wireless receiver for the IR System are connected to the Black Box.
Q. In which way can car number 5 and 6 be operated with Digital 132?
There are 2 possibilities:
A1. By using the speed controller extension box. This is plugged in the connection of speed controller 1 and thus allows a total of 6 speed controllers being used, i.e. controller 1, 3, 4 in the extension box and speed controller 2, 5, 6 in the Black Box.
A2. Wireless: Connecting to Black Box Tower 1 and/or 2 in order to be able to control cars 1 to 4 via Wireless. Black Box connection 1 and 4 results in controlling speed regulators for car number 5 and 6.
Q. Can Digital 132 be expanded up to 4 lanes?
A. Digital 132 is dimensioned for 2 lanes. One basic idea behind this digital system is to be able to play with several players on floor space as small as possible.
Q. Will there be an extension cable for the speed controllers to avoid 6 drivers stepping on each others´ feet?
A. No, this is not allowed due to CE regulations (interference resistance). For this reason the controller extension box comes with an additional 1 metre of cable to be connected. This allows increasing the players´ distance to each other.
FAQs Combination with Wireless:
Q. Can Wireless be combined unrestrictedly with Digital 132 or are there any fixed standards (e.g. only 4x Wireless + 2x cable controller or 4x cable controller + 2x Wireless)?
A. Yes, these two systems are unrestricted. There are fixed controller connections only for addresses 5 and 6. Both controller connections at the Digital 132 Black Box´s right hand side are solely intended for the use of addresses 5 and 6 with the IR System being plugged or inserted. Only 4 cars may be controlled via Wireless. Cars number 5 and 6 have to be controlled by means of cable speed controllers at the Black Box (in Black Box´s plug 3 and 4).
Q. Can all 6 cars or only cars ID 1-4 be controlled via Wireless speed controllers?
A. Wireless disposes of addresses 1 to 4 only. Addresses 5 and 6 can be exclusively operated by means of cable speed controllers.
Q. How many Ghost Cars does Digital 132 support? May the total number of cars operated exceed 6 cars or not?
A. Up to a maximum of 8 cars are being supported. This means: 6 active cars + 2 ghost cars or 8 ghost cars.
Q. Are the Ghost Cars capable to memorise, i.e. do they save a lap manually driven or does the speed still have to be fixed (Òinfinitely variableÓ)?
A. The speed can be fixed. However, the ÒfixedÓ speed can now be infinitely varied.
Q. Is the Ghost Car´s intelligence generally improved? For instance: Ghost Cars of the PRO-X line very often enter the Pit Stop Lane.
A. The Ghost Cars of Digital 132 no longer enter the Pit Stop Lane automatically.
Digital 132 Power Supply
Q. The Digital 132 power supply has the same item number 30326 as the PRO-X power supply with 3.5 amp. Will that be retained for Digital 132? For how many cars is the 3.5 amp transformer sufficient and how many cars can be operated without any problems?
A. The power of the transformer, item number 30326, is sufficient for up to 7 cars.
PC link:
Q. Which parts do dispose of a computer link? (only the Black Box or the lap counter as well?) What can I do with it? e.g. Firmware update of Black Box, lap counter and cars?
A. The Black Box and the lap counter have a computer link. By means of these links it is possible to update all system parts such as lane change sections, Pit Stop Lane(s), lap counter, cars and Black Box.
Q. Is it possible to run the Racing Management with/in Digital 132?
A. No. The Racing Management can exclusively be operated in analogue mode.
Q. Can cars of other manufacturers be retrofitted to Digital 132?
A. This is possible when having adequate technical skills. As a matter of course changing any of the components will invalidate your warranty.
Q. Which circuit length does require any additional supply with Digital 132?
A. Tracks of an entire length of 12 metres and more should be equipped with an additional power supply. Since 2006 the generation of modified U-profile connections between the individual track parts has drastically minimised the power loss. Additional supply cables required are item number 20584 (cable length 5m) and item number 20585 (cable length 10m). Under no circumstances you shall connect any further Black Boxes and/or transformers (danger of causing a short circuit!).
Q. Will it be possible to adjust the retrofit-decoders to the engine and car weight?
A. No. There are 2 different decoders which are matched to the frame size of the cars.
Q. How does lap counting work exactly with Digital 132? Via guide keel as with PRO-X or does the car send a signal via the diode?
A. When passing the Digital 132 lap counter the Digital 132 car sends a characteristic signal. This means lap counting works differently to lap counting of PRO-X.
Q. Will the Digital 132 lap counter display the times of all 6 cars at the same time in future or still only 4?
A. The Digital 132 lap counter will display all 6 cars.
Q. Will the tank filling level have any effect on the cars' handling characterics (full tank & slower car and vice versa)?
A. No.
Q. Will the Black Box contain different racing modes, similar to e.g. Ninco?
A. No.
Q. Has a dual operation been realised with the Digital 132 Black Box (option to switch to analogue)?
A. No. The Digital Black Box is designed for a digital system. Any additional costs which might arise from this possibility can by no means be borne by Digital 132 consumers.
Q. Do Digital 132 cars also run on analogue race tracks? Are there any restrictions (e.g. Scalextric: digital cars do not have any brake when being operated in the analogue mode)?
A. Yes, the Digital 132 cars also run on analogue race tracks (Evolution). The new cars do have the same braking characteristics whether being operated in digital or analogue mode. There are no limitations.
Q. Is programming of the Digital 132 cars being effected via a push sequence on the speed controller which even works with the old PRO-X Black Box? Is that correct?
A. Yes.
Q. Is it possible to effect individual car programming with other cars being on the race track and without disturbing the programming operation? (Other manufacturers require programming being effected with only one single car on the track).
A. Digital 132 allows individual car programming even with other cars being on the race track. In this case you have to be careful that the other cars do not stop for more than 2 seconds. Otherwise you could programme those cars to the same ID.
Q. What is the switch on the Digital 132 cars´ bottom for?
A. The switch serves changing the running direction and polarity in analogue operation respectively (Evolution).
FAQs Compatibility Digital 132 & PRO-X
Q. Is it possible to use the Digital 132 lane change sections, Pit Stop Lane and lap counter also in a PRO-X racetrack? If so, do the new parts recognize automatically that they are operated in a PRO-X environment?
A. The Digital 132 parts automatically recognize the mode PRO-X and Digital 132 respectively.
Q. Is it possible to run the Digital 132 cars on PRO-X? If so, do they automatically recognize PRO-X?
A. All Digital 132 cars automatically recognize the mode and can be used in both systems, PRO-X and Digital 132.
Q. How does lap counting of a Digital 132 car work with the PRO-X lap counter?
A. A replacement guide keel for PRO-X operation with a PRO-X lap counter will be attached to the Digital 132 cars.
Q. Is it possible to run both PRO-X cars and Digital 132 cars on a PRO-X racetrack at the same time?
A. Yes, it is possible as Digital 132, i.e. also the car, is compatible downwards.
Q. Is it possible to use PRO-X lane change sections and Digital 132 lane change sections in a PRO-X racetrack at the same time?
A. Yes, this is possible as Digital 132, i.e. also lane change sections, are compatible downwards.
Q. How can a Digital 132 car be used on a PRO-X racetrack? How is the encoding carried out?
A. Encoding works as Digital 132´s encoding by activating the speed controller´s lane-change-button (index finger). Place the car on the track, double-click on lane-change-button. Lift the car from the track – put the car on the track again and again double-click on lane-change-button for confirmation.
Q. Is it possible to use the Digital 132 Black Box also for PRO-X cars?
A. Yes. For this purpose the Digital 132 Black Box has to be switched to the PRO-X mode. However, this means that the additional Digital 132 functions cannot be used.
Q. The newly constructed cars are no longer equipped with the punched guide keel. Do I have to fit a Digital 132 car with a punched guide keel in order to be able to operate Digital 132 cars on PRO-X incl. PRO-X lap counter?
A. Yes, if you want to count laps with a Digital 132 car in the PRO-X mode a punched guide keel will have to be fixed. This will be attached to the Digital 132 cars.
FAQs Compatibility PRO-X & Digital 132
Q. Are the Digital 132 speed controllers identical with the PRO-X controllers? Is it possible to unrestrictedly use the PRO-X controllers with a Digital 132 Black Box?
A. The Digital 132 and PRO-X speed controllers are identical. The only difference is their colour. The PRO-X speed controllers may be used with Digital 132 and vice versa.
Q. Can all PRO-X cars be driven on Digital 132?
A. No, it is not possible to use a PRO-X car on/in Digital 132.
Q. Is it possible to retrofit PRO-X cars to Digital 132?
A. Yes, if the PRO-X circuit board is replaced by a corresponding Digital 132 circuit board. This requires appropriate soldering skills.
Q. Is it possible to run both PRO-X cars and Digital 132 cars on a Digital 132 racetrack at the same time?
A. No. It is not possible to run PRO-X cars on a Digital 132 racetrack.
Q. Is it possible to use PRO-X lane change sections and Digital 132 lane change sections in a Digital 132 racetrack at the same time?
A. Yes. However, it is only possible to operate PRO-X then. This means that the Digital 132 Black Box has to be switched to PRO-X mode.
Q. Is it possible to race 6 adjustable Digital 132 cars on a PRO-X racetrack?
A. No, it is only possible to run 4 cars. Similar to PRO-X you can only use up to 4 Digital 132 cars being controlled via speed regulators. But it is possible to additionally use 1 Pace Car and 1 Ghost Car. This requires a 3.5 amp PRO-X transformer.
Q. The Digital 132 Black Box can be manually switched to the PRO-X mode – and any connected lane change sections and lap counters as well. Is that correct? Or does the Digital 132 Black Box automatically switch to the PRO-X mode as soon as a PRO-X lap counter or PRO-X lane change section is being used?
A. The Digital 132 Black Box needs to be manually switched to the PRO-X mode / Digital 132 mode respectively. The Digital 132 Black Box does not automatically recognise whether PRO-X or Digital 132 parts are being used. But all parts connected such as lap counter, lane change sections or Pit Stop Lane do automatically recognise the mode set at the Black Box.
Q. Which parts of an existing PRO-X racetrack need to be replaced to be able to use the Digital 132 technology?
A. Black Box, lane change sections, cars and Pit Stop Lane (if existing) of Digital 132 need to be replaced.
Q. Does upgrading PRO-X to Digital 132 also require changing the lane change sections and Pit Stop Lane, or is it sufficient to change the Black Box and the lap counter?
A. When using PRO-X lane change sections, PRO-X Pit Stop Lane(s) or PRO-X lap counter you can only operate Digital 132 in PRO-X mode. The PRO-X lane change sections cannot recognise the different modes. All new cars can handle the PRO-X mode. If you wish to drive in Digital 132 mode the old system parts need to be replaced.
FAQs Compatibility Evolution & Digital 132
Q. Is it possible to upgrade an existing Evolution racetrack to Digital 132?
A. Yes, this is possible by means of extension set item no. 26734, additional car decoders and/or Digital 132 cars as well as Digital 132 lane change sections.
Q. Is it possible to retrofit all Evolution cars to Digital 132?
A. All "new" Evolution cars as of 2007 can be retrofitted. "New" cars refer to cars which represent a new model as of 2007.
Q. Is it possible to run Digital 132 cars on analogue, i.e. on an Evolution racetrack?
A. Yes. By pressing the speed controller three times (thumb), Digital 132 cars can be adjusted to analogue operation whilst standing on the Evolution racetrack.
FAQs Exclusiv digital in general
Q. How will the power supply be provided for Exclusiv in digital mode, if 6 cars are running digitally? For which number of cars will the transformer´s power be sufficient?
A. A number of up to 4 cars can be operated with a digital Exclusiv transformer item no. 20758, or the Exclusiv transformer item no. 20750 + adapter item no. 20524.
FAQs Compatibility Exclusiv & Digital 132
Q. Is it possible to digitally retrofit all Exclusiv cars?
A. All Exclusiv cars which are equipped with rocker arm (cars constructed from 2005) can be upgraded or retrofitted by complementary purchasing a digital car decoder.
FAQs Upgrade PRO-X to Digital 132
Q. Is retrofitting PRO-X parts to Digital 132 being offered?
A. Basically every user of PRO-X can extend and maintain his system by purchasing Digital 132 items to upgrade or retrofit PRO-X cars to Digital 132. Digital 132 was designed to be downward compatible to PRO-X, so that PRO-X racers could use Digital 132 cars on a PRO-X System or upgrade PRO-X to Digital 132, if they so desire.