[jacamaruk]

Hi,

This has probably been asked and answered numerous times but there is so much in the forum. Me and my sons have been Scaleys for about a year and now digital is here it looks like the way ahead but just to confirm everything here are a few Q's for you:

I understand i could not run normal cars on a DIG track without changing power base etc but it would work OK if i placed a DIG CHIP in my old cars.

I have a couple of SCX and CARRERA cars, can i place SCALEY chips in these cars so i can continue to use them? Is this possible even if i make a few mods on the cars and what would the mods be? I think CARRERA is probably a no but unsure about SCX.

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[astro]

yes, yes, and yes.

scalextric are releasing 2 differnt sized digital chips, both functionally the same, but different sized/shaped.

recent and forthcoming scalextric cars are designed with the chips in mind so should be very easy to convert to digital.

older scalextric cars, scx, carrera, ninco and fly cars should be relatively easy to convert to scalextric SSD. There needs to be a hole drilled just behind the guide flag for the led sensor/transmitter (so if there is a front mounted motor there, this would be a problem). Also it needs space somewhere for the chip board.

 

[SinclairZX81]

You need to not be afraid of a soldering iron. Space can definately be an issue. There is no space indside a Scalextric Mini for example. I will be looking into how to hack the interior of the Mini to fit a chip.

 

[tvwino]

QUOTE (SinclairZX81 @ 6 Jan 2005, 09:52)You need to not be afraid of a soldering iron. Space can definately be an issue. There is no space indside a Scalextric Mini for example. I will be looking into how to hack the interior of the Mini to fit a chip.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm going to buy the two 'digital' mini's once they get released, and copy what has been done to them in some of my other liveries.

I opened up the Viper, and it has posts on the side to take the main board, as well as the posts and hole for the sensor mount (as does the new 4WD Skoda). It's a shame that the current digital cars appear to have the sensor board mounted on the posts, then the plastic that protrudes through the hole is melted to 'glue' it in place - otherwise the removal and refit into other cars would be much cleaner. I know of a Fly car that has been converted, as well as several other Scalextric cars - all very successfully.

 

[SinclairZX81]

QUOTE (tvwino @ 6 Jan 2005, 00:14)QUOTE (SinclairZX81 @ 6 Jan 2005, 09:52)You need to not be afraid of a soldering iron. Space can definately be an issue. There is no space indside a Scalextric Mini for example. I will be looking into how to hack the interior of the Mini to fit a chip.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm going to buy the two 'digital' mini's once they get released, and copy what has been done to them in some of my other liveries.

I opened up the Viper, and it has posts on the side to take the main board, as well as the posts and hole for the sensor mount (as does the new 4WD Skoda). It's a shame that the current digital cars appear to have the sensor board mounted on the posts, then the plastic that protrudes through the hole is melted to 'glue' it in place - otherwise the removal and refit into other cars would be much cleaner. I know of a Fly car that has been converted, as well as several other Scalextric cars - all very successfully.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>


Yeah, I have the digital Minis on pre-order

Can't wait.

I converted my Skoda Fabia using one of the ugly* Boxters as a donor. It did wreck the posts in the Boxter. The melted plastic on the sensor chip is easy to remove with a craft knife - just scratch away at it, but the main board is super-glued in place. The wires from the boards in the Boxsters are also rather short. I ended up having to de-solder them and use longer ones. The sensor hole in the 'digital ready' Skoda was also too small and needed to be enlarged to accept the LED. All in all it was a lot of faff, but I just hate the cheap looking Boxters and I had to know if the Skoda 'felt' the same after conversion (it does.)

You can see pics of my SSD Skoda here (for what its worth.) I guess I should take some internal ones.

* The Boxters in the SSD set would be a lot less ugly if they'd just left them plain like the Audi TT's in the digital controller + car packs.