best way to convert classic scaley track to 1 car lap, crossover me thinks!!! Options

[branco]

I have no friends and want to use both lanes of my scaley classic layout. I put a single cross over track in but power dies around certain parts of the track. how do i cure this? will copper tape help?
your input is much needed. cheers

[StuBeeDoo]

I'm a "lone racer" as well. I started out running race cars using a classic Scalectric pacer. After buying a few rally cars (rallying has always been my preferred motorsport) I progressed to running a single car on the race track layout with a single crossover, as you describe. I never had power continuity problems and IIRC the layout I had at the time had a total length of 30+mtrs in "single crossover" configuration.

Since then I've upgraded to an SCX Rally Chrono (with loops) and I've got a total lane length of 45-50mtrs. I've never had any complete breaks in power but I did have some power drop at the furthest point from the PSU (hardly surprising when you consider the amount of track connections!). I fitted several power tap cables and this has cured it.

Are all your rail joints clean and tight?

Copper tape will help, but only if you run a continuous length. It won't make much difference if you just tape individual track pieces because you'll still have the same number of joints.

[Ade]

hi
coppertape is very good but i would make sure all the connections are good before applying any.

Crimping the rail joints will make a huge difference to conductivity but will need the whole track taking apart and re-laying.

Once this is done run some laps to check for even power and then apply the coppertape..

Best stuff to get is conductive backed as it saves a lot of hassle of folding the tape into the rail joints and also means if you do get a break when laying it you can just tape over it..

I got 2 50 meter rolls of ebay for under £11 and it was post free.

[branco]

Thanks for the replies.
The track was running fine until i put the cross over in, then half the track was dead in each lane. I put the other cross over in and the same thing happened. Would it help if i rewired the power pack to run just one lane?

[Julian_Boolean]

You need to make sure your crossover wiring is okay.

[bensonsnuts]

One Crossover will not work for analogue . You will get exactly the results you describe . You either need digital or a set of rally loops to make a complete circuit !!

[beardy56]

Sounds like the crossovers are faulty, simple test for that is do the cars run on either track before the cross and do they run after the cross, try the crossover in both directions. If the only run upto the cross the you need to rewire the tracks under the cross.
Also with the crossover out use a car to trace to the first dead peice of track, take apart here crimp the joint reconect and try again until you can get from crossover gap to crossover gap with out any problems. With the crossover out the power can only flow one way and bad joints are easy to find as normally the power flows both ways and unless you have two brakes you don't always notice.
When testing the track use your car with the most powerful motor as this will show up any poor joints better, just slide it around by hand full power and rear wheels lifted and listern for any drop in speed. If you hear a drop redo the joint.
Hope that helps, not very high tech but does show up any problems.

Quick after thought, depending on how the power conector is wired you could get problems. If each track is completely sepertate you should be ok. The best thing to do is to remove the wiring from one lane so you are only powering a single track. I have run all my tracks as single lane with no problems (Carrera Go and Artin) but lots of posts seem to thing you need to reverse the power on the second lane. My first track was Ninco with 2 rally loops but that had seperate power to each lane. If you can get the SCX rally kit and have room for the loops you will find it makes for a much better rally track.

[bensonsnuts]

Analogue is a one continuous loop circuit . Using one crossover has broken your circuit . That is why they are supplied in pairs as this gives you a continuous circuit for each lane . I bet if you put both crossovers in you will find your track works fine ! Solution for a single lane circuit as above

[bensonsnuts]

You can also get various Pacer systems that allow you to race against another car . When I was a kid we had the low tech option of wedging the throttle open with the powerpack . However none of these things give you a competetive race . Best bet is to get some mates

[beardy56]

I totally disagree with the above one crossover does work I am using Artin track with a single crossover to make a single lane track. Have done the same with Carrera Go! and years ago with Airfix. As I've already said you may need to disconect the power from one lane but I have never had to do this, just make sure you only have one controller connected.
You only need two crossovers when racing two cars so that you have to seperate lanes.

Here's the single crossover


And the track running

[Aberstone]

One Crossover will not work for analogue . You will get exactly the results you describe . You either need digital or a set of rally loops to make a complete circuit !!

I beg to differ, we`ve run a lot of analog rally tracks with one crossover and yes all the joints need to be good. As said test the wire soldered below the crossover centre section.

Cheers -Phil

[robert1703]

One cross over can work fine in analogue. Make sure you have only one controller connected. With both controllers connected it will not work. At least that's the case with the tracks I tried this on (fleischmann, polistil and ninco).

[bensonsnuts]

Yeah , thought about that some more and you still have a single continuous circuit with the one cross over . I was thinking of it in 2 car context . However if you have a power supply that is giving power to each lane that will give the symptoms you describe ?

[fw14b]

Why not get a Stanley knife and cut the track in half length ways. That will definately work.

[branco]

okay sorry about the delay. I took a stanley knife to the track....brilliant works like a dream and have doubled the length of circuit