[Intergrali]

First off, make sure the guide is fully turned like this :

then place on track that is powered with arse end in the air like so :

then with the arse end still in the air strighten the car out with the power on :

when it's finally stright DROP! :

then let it roll upto the magnut peice :

Then "learn it!" I do this twice for good measure :

Once I've learnt it, it's time for a trundle! press slow :

obviously my car is superior (ninco cobra), so select a more modest car :

yes I am taking the p155 with the last pic

Rob.

 

[moped rider]

Now those are useful instructions.

Thank you Inte.

Moped

 

[astro]

when the car deslots, as it surely will sooner or later - make sure the guide is properly back in. Unlike standard guides, the special grey one clips into a kind of holder, with a black prong at the front that fits into a groove of the guide. If it aint properly seated, its not gonna drive very well

 

[Intergrali]

yup! forgot about that astro! would take a pic, but I'm getting a little shaky with the consumption of alcohol so digi cam operation is over for today!

Rob.

 

[Maverick]

Thanks for the tips Intergraly but offortunatly for me it doesn't work. Sometimes it might make you fell that it works but it's very unstable and sooner or later the car will deslot. I guess an extra magnet may be the solution, but first of all you shouldn't have to trick the Challenger car to make it work, the "fully working mode" should be included in the Challenger design and the money you have paid for it and second of all if you open the car the warranty is void so how to complain to Scalex, they will just tell you did open the car, too bad...

 

[Intergrali]

might want to check my photobucket gallery, get the properties off the pics above, I think there are some interesting shots.

What track are you using? because if your on sport using make sure the switch is on sport. I have not tried it on classic yet, but I can only suggest try the sport setting if your having problems still

(Mr Hornby, can i have a full time job as challenger helper? my phone number is...)

Rob.

p.s I ahve it in writing if I break it, I gets a new one, how long that lasts however!

 

[Maverick]

Thanks for your reply Rob. I am using a Scalex sport track and the switch is on Sport position. I have read on this forum that when you put the switch to classic it should change the position of the magnet (the Sport position put the magnet closer of the track) and so the car should run faster, but I haven't noticed any position changes on mine.

 

[ts-slotpage]

Three Tips:

I use the sport track not with the terminal track but with direkt wired electronic self made controlers on Parma base.
My first hurdle was the connector (bridge) from the challenger - I had to create an adaptor from the three plugs (Parma) wirring to the stereo-plug - I made one by myself.

I've also had problems in the beginning with deslotting of the challenger.
In the end my solution was to clean the tyres and the track from dust, so that the car has a better grip and it helped really.
I used only a piece of cloth (in fact a piece of an old sweatshirt) with water to clean the tyres and the track.
:

I also noticed, that using one powersupply for two lanes may cause some problems too - if you drive on the second one while the challenger is on the first lane .
On my 4 lane track I use a two seperate powersupplies - and it works fine as long as I use the other track with an independent powersupply togehter with the challenger.
But I need to test this more in detail.
Hope it may help you also.
rgds
TS h34r

 

[Maverick]

Hi everybody and thanks all of you for your tips,

It finally works and I was able to complete the full 25 laps sequence several times in the row after 2 weeks. How did I do it? I tried one more time the advice of Rob but this time I let the wheels spin in the air for a while (I would say 2 sec), straightened it slowly, drop it, and let the car run until the magnet piece was met. Now it works on slow mode, sometimes on fast mode but rarely. I don't think making learning 2 times in the row changes something but who knows twice is better than one.
I can tell now when the learning process is OK when, after, during the slow mode my car slows down just after the long straight (2,5 m) of my track and just before the hairpin. Before it used to cross the hairpin at almost the same pace than the straight section, so most of time the car deslotted.
So if you are having some trouble try the Rob's technic above but let spin the wheels for a while and drop the car.

Anyway I still think that the Challenger is not very reliable but I have to admitn when it works it's very fun! I have noticed as well that I have some issue when my TV and Sat are on. Maybe some kind of interference with the infrared?

Maverick.

 

[Robert Davies]

There does appear to a problem here....

Inte's Challenger had a very thorough work out on our club track on one it's trickiest lanes. It took maybe three goes to learn the track, but from that point on, it must have completed 150+ laps without incident (apart from it's inbuilt thermal cut-out cutting in a couple of times).

We (Inte and myself) have tested it extensively on Carrera and Sport track, and if you follow the procedures detailed by Inte up at the top of the thread, and it STILL doesn't work, there's something wrong with it.

I'll have to agree with Tom above, having a clean, dustfree track, with clean tyres on the car should help.

-Rob

 

[Intergrali]

as the tea boy above says clean track and tyres are recommended in the destructions, not that I actually read them properly!

yes, worked well until well it started over heating, but I guess thrashing 17 or 18 volts through the little un wasnt exactly the best of ideas!!

Rob.

 

[Doug]

I have finally got this to work!

I noticed that when learning, it was jittering around. Not getting a good connection at the slow speed.

So I got out a bottle of Eau de Cologne - us Frenchies have to resort to whatever is handy

I spent quite some time cleaning the track (over 17 meters per lane) I just did the middle two - lane 2 for me and lane 3 for the Challenger.

I'll post some pictures of the grime - quite amazing. Now all the cars run much better ant the track smells dandy!

Back on with the Challenger and it learnt lane 3 smoothly and without a hitch. Setting it off to race was no problem at all. It really accelerates out of the bends and is quite nippy. Slow setting was a bit too slow, but Fast was OK. I still beat it, but it showed no mercy if I came off.

It will be great for the kids I'm sure.

I'm quite happy with it now.

Notice that the Guarantee is voided if the car is opened. Just note that for all who want to check out its innards.

My issues and questions with this gadget:
- How do you stop it?
- Does it remember the layout after you've powered down for the day? If not why not?
- Why should I have to go into lean mode every time it comes off?
- Does it continue to learn as it races? I would imagine that it could get better if it did.
- all the high-tech stuff seems to be in the car. The tower is for starting races and initiating the learn sequence, nothing else.

Says me contemplating the Garantee...

 

[Intergrali]

nuro, save yours.. might want to check somebodys photobucket account later on

Rob.

 

[BEEJAY7]

Guys.
Sorry that so many of you seem to be having problems with your challengers.

When you have all sorted out the problems and Scalextric bring out version II , I really want to get one!.

Just a thought, I know lots of you run with upgraded power supplies, but has anyone tried it with the standard 14V wall wart?. Could this be part of the problem?.

Regards

Alan

 

[Doug]

I'll test it tomorrow at different voltages and let you know how it does.

 

[Intergrali]

played with stock scaley power, stock carrera power and well the club power, which is slightly complicated!

Rob.

 

[Maverick]

QUOTE (BEEJAY7 @ 28 Dec 2003, 12:15 AM)Just a thought, I know lots of you run with upgraded power supplies, but has anyone tried it with the standard 14V wall wart?. Could this be part of the problem?.
Hello,

I bought yesterday a power supply with variable output voltage and yes indeed it works better for me with a 14V and 2.3A setting than with the regular sport scalex power supply with 16V and 13VA (so less than 1A).

Regards,
Maverick.

 

[gecko]

I have been messing around with my Challenger for about 4 days and it now works like a dream. My track is totally Scalex Sport, running 4 lanes with each lane having its own power supply.

Challenger didn't start off too good when I first removed it from its box and hastly stuck it on the track, firstly it kept de-slotting and spinning on the bends (and that was only on 'Slow' setting), however after I removed the crossover sections on the curves no probs at all.

Have had a good few hours matching against a Scalex Sport AMG Merc, haven't tried it against anything else yet seems unfair to pit it against a Sport MG Lola.

One thing I did notice that not only is their the suitable plug for the transformer, there is a switch on the underside of the car with Classic/Sport that can easily be overlooked.

Looking forward to the Scalextric 2004 line up, but where is the new Sport pit lane that EVERYONE wants!!????

 

[Doug]

My Challenger is now working fine too. Today while playing, it decided to leave the track on lap 20! Quite dramatically too as if it had forgotten that a bend was coming up. It didn't do it again though.

You have to reprogram the whole fandango again when it comes off - basically ending the race and spoiling the fun. When I come off whilst racing it, there is no way that it will slow or show any sign of mercy - sometimes broad-siding my de-slotted car at full speed.

I would have added a "pause" button on the tower and allowed the car to remember the layout after coming off. Even if you start the car each time at the grid, it would be better than restarting a 25 lap race again.

 

[Fergy]

QUOTE it decided to leave the track on lap 20! Quite dramatically too as if it had forgotten that a bend was coming up

You'd probably see the same thing racing with me!

Does anyone have a true understanding of how this thing works? From what I've read (with the need to twist the car sideways in learn mode), it seems that guideflag angle or pressure is a part of it. Are there speed sensors? I can fathom the idea that it utilizes memory circuits, but I'm really curious about the sensory input part of the equation. There must be multiple inputs, no? Does anyone have actual knowledge, or at least an educated guess?