[Erik M]

Compadres!

I'm a bit confused. Well, not really. More like stumped by to little information about to much.

Pro-X turned D132 turned D132...

Which BB (or is it CU?) goes with what?
And which lapcounter (LC?!?) goes with what?

Right now I got two ProX of one sort and one of another and a D132 with a similar design (and a lapcounter with it).
The D132 info doesn't mention ProX at all.

How does the lineage look? Control and lapcount.

 

[b.yingling]

Pro-X
D1XX BB with Pro-X compatability mode.
D1XX BB w/o pro-X mode.
CU.

Pro-X lane changers fire whenever they spot a car LED. D1XX cars transmit their ID continuously, so a Pro-X changer on a D1XX track will fire every time a car crosses. D1XX lane changers see the car ID, then check the data on the rails (!) to see if that ID is requesting a lane change. For your purposes a CU is a BB w/o Pro-X mode.

The first two years of D1XX, all of the equipment had a Pro-X mode built in. You could boot the BB in Pro-X mode, and Pro-X equipment (cars, LCs, etc) would all work, as would any D1XX equipment. For the last 2-3 years, due to licensing issues, no D1XX equipment contains a Pro-X mode.

A Pro-X lap counter will work with a Pro-X BB, or an early D1XX BB running Pro-X mode. A 30342 D1XX lap counter will work with any D1XX BB or a CU. The very newest lap counter (30355?) will only work with a CU.

 

[Erik M]

Thank you b.yingling.
So in essence it look like this?
Rhetorical, I double-checked with the PDF's from Carrera-Toys.
Not your information b.yingling, but to see what I hadn't seen earlier.

2006/2007 - ProX - BB 30307 - Lap 30304 - Pit 30309 - LC 30306/30308/30322
2007/2008 - D132 - BB 30344 - Lap 30342 - Pit 30346 - LC 30343/30345/30347
2008/2009 - D132 - BB 30344 - Lap 30342 - Pit 30346 - LC 30343/30345/30347

QUOTE Starting 2009, all Digital 124/132 items produced will cease to be downwardly compatible with the Carrera Evolution PRO-X and Carrera PRO-X product lines.
Licensing laws have made it impossible for us to maintain compatibility into 2009.
This means Digital 132 and Digital 124 cars (since this year) and Digital 124/132 accessories will no longer be able to be integrated into Evolution PRO-X and Carrera PRO-X systems.
All Digital 132 and 124 car packaging will bear the corresponding information from 2009 onwards. Moreover, starting 2009 packaging for Digital 124/132 will be changed in such a way as to ensure there is no longer a compatibility claim as regards their combination with Evolution PRO-X and PRO-X.
It should be possible to acquire downwardly compatible Digital 132 cars and Digital 124/132 accessories via specialist traders until the middle of 2009.
We will shortly be providing you with information on other sources trading these goods until the middle of 2009.

2009/2010 - 1324 - BB 30344 - Lap 30342 - Pit 30346 - LC 30343/30345/30347
2010/2011 - 1324 - CU 30352 - Lap 30342 - Pit 30346 - LC 30343/30345/30347
2011/2012 - D132 - BB 30344 - Lap 30342 - Pit 30356 - LC 30343/30345/30347
...and then...
...the new series of various 3035X...

Anyhow...

...I have the 2008/2009 F1 Championship 30131.
And in the same catalogue you find:QUOTE • Carrera DIGITAL 132 real digital racing for up
to 6 cars
• Overtake and change lanes at FULL SPEED
with the push of a button
• Cars easily coded with speed controller
• Most cars with working front (Xenon) and
rear/break lights
• Cars compatible with Evolution Series
(analog system)
• Carrera DIGITAL 132 compatible with PRO-X

Now I'm going to do the big nOOb routine...

...where and how do I get my Pro-X to work with this set up?

...how do I get ProX cars to run at the same time as D132 cars?

 

[b.yingling]

If your BB has a Pro-X mode built in, you toggle between Pro-X and D1XX by holding the 'Start' buttpon down when you turn on the BB. If one LED flashes before the center LED comes on permanently, you are in Pro-X mode. If two LEDs flash before the center LED lights, you are in D1XX mode.

 

[Erik M]

Thank you.

Holding start button, turning BB on.

*holding breath*

BB starts in "waiting for start", ie all LED's came on and the next start press got the count down started.

Dang.

So now I got either a two car D132 set-up wasted, or a six set Pro-X gone to smithereens....

 

[Erik M]

This does not fly.

My 30131 F1 Championship is featured in the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 catalogues.
And both clearly states "• Carrera DIGITAL 132 compatible with PRO-X".

Going to the 2010/2011 catalogue it's #30141 and named Formula Racing and no reference to Pro-X. Fine, no problem.

BUT WHERE IS MY PRO-X MODE???

This set was bought, second hand but that got no relevance here, because it would get all my Carrera digital cars running at the same time. And according to all possible sources this was to be that way.
But it is not. How do I get Carrera to rectify this? It's their blunder, not mine.

 

[b.yingling]

Have a look here.

By my way of thinking, if the set was bought used, any problems should be resolved between you and the seller. If you have a good relationship with a Carrera dealer, they may try to help you, but remember the Pro-X compatible BBbs are no longer in production.

 

[Erik M]

If a set is sold at set parameters, then it's the producer that is responsible for that.
To lay such on a consumer, especially the jungle Carrera has brought into play, is not possible.

The 30131 F1 Championship set is sold in the period of, and advertised as, compatible.

I'll just have to contact Carrera about and suggest, in rather big letters, that this isn't acceptable.

To bad the US representative haven't come through on his promise to help me.

 

[MrFlippant]

Good luck with that one, Erik. You're a little late to the party, as this whole thing blew up a while ago, and again when the new CU came out that supported new accessories. Some people even switched brands because of it. I'm not suggesting you switch brands, but I don't think you'll be getting any satisfaction from Carrera, USA or otherwise.

Even if you got a BB that had Pro-X mode, only 132 cars with Pro-X compatible chips would work on it. I bet you have some cars/chips that are 132 only, and would therefore not run on a Pro-X track. What then?

 

[Erik M]

My point is that I've followed all directives from Carrera on this, and it still doesn't work.
The set is sold within the migration period.

And as I don't need Carrera to make this work it's more in their interest than in mine.
As it is, they only gather bad publicity from this debacle of theirs..

 

[Petr L]

In the computers and phones market are the same problems with compatability . How do you solve this problems ?

 

[MrFlippant]

When consumers stop consuming the things they buy, or at least stop treating everything as disposable. I noticed this weekend at a store there was a new garbage can among the normal waste and recycling cans. It was a can for cell phones.

 

[Erik M]

Grab the batteries!

And I'll give you race track lights. No wires to draw. More than to the nearest piece of track that is.

How I will solve this, if Carrera doesn't come forth?
I'll make my own chips. Easy as that.

 

[Petr L]

It is really hard to be constantly keep up

My collection: BB EVO/BB Pro-X/BB D132/BB Digital 132/CU Digital 132 + GO/D143

 

[sealevel]

Hmmmm... makes the problems we have with Scalextric SSD look minor by comparison. At least faulty digital chips can be replaced, but a change in the "system" which leaves you "on the other side of the river when the bridge goes up" with no backward compatibility? No thank you, Carrera.

Cheers!

 

[b.yingling]

QUOTE (sealevel @ 29 Mar 2012, 18:14) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>...but a change in the "system" which leaves you "on the other side of the river when the bridge goes up" with no backward compatibility? No thank you, Carrera.

Which didn't happen. When the change was made from Pro-X to D132, all D132 equipment was Pro-X compatible for two years. Carrera offered their European customers a trade in program for car chips, lane changers, Black Box, etc.

Carrera USA (not the same company!) did not offer such a trade in program. After Dave Kennedy came to Carrera USA, he persuaded them to implement a similar program for users in North America- admittedly, too late for many.