Kangaroos hops with NSR cars in APB analogue

Some short videos to show exactly what I'm talking about.

This one shows the pulsing and the smoothing effect of adding a second car

This one shows the same but going round the track (in pacer mode)

And finally a close up of the pulsing at different controller settings

To anticipate the next question, yes it's the same pulsing if I disconnect the APB from the rest of the track so it's not the lane changers interfering.

Any ideas? Can someone else with an APB try and a recent unmodded NSR try it in analogue mode?

Chris

Just done a bit more testing and it appears that with two cars on the same track, whilst it smooths out the power at the low speeds, at full throttle it's still pulsing noticeably and it also makes the non NSR car pulse at the same rate which it doesn't so much when the NSR is not on the track.

QUOTE (snurfen @ 16 Jan 2012, 01:24) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Got some mates coming over tomorrow for a thrash, so will check who's got what and ask them to bring any Shark cans along if they have them.
Thanks, but it's not the Sharks, it's the King Evos they need to bring.

QUOTE (MrFlippant @ 16 Jan 2012, 00:48) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Chris, I bet if you put the car on backwards (wheels up), that the pulsing will be different. For me, some cars that had pulsing one way, had NONE in reverse. Some cars that had none going forward, had pulsing in reverse. And of course, some just had different amounts of pulsing, as well as many cars which exhibited no pulsing whatsoever at any power and either direction.
Tested mine at low speed and I couldn't detect any noticeable differences in the pulsing directionwise or trackwise. Did you do it with the controller or the pacer mode?

QUOTE (MrFlippant @ 16 Jan 2012, 00:48) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I remember this issue from a long time ago, after the APB first came out, and I would swear is was more pronounced. Though my memory could be exaggerated. This is the same unit I had back then, and the only change has been time, and the firmware. Therefore I cannot say if my motors are simply run in more, my base has "aged well" or the firmware upgrades have attempted to address this issue. As I've seen no mention of it from Andy at any time, I think it's likely the former than the latter.
I don't think I have 0.84 firmware available but I'll flash back to 0.85 & report back - I'm assuming going backwards ain't gonna bork my APB?

QUOTE (MrFlippant @ 16 Jan 2012, 00:48) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>So what is the solution? I have no idea. Putting a lesser motor in the car would remove half the niceness of the car's performance. Getting a replacement APB is no guarantee that the problem will be less, and it could be worse. You could chip the car, but I guess it's possible that some chips will have the same frequency? You could go pure analog for analog cars, but that's a major hassle. You could go to a C7030 with Simple-H, but then you'd lose a lot of nice features you might already be enjoying.
My feelings too. And I think you could have two PBs with a switch but that's not ideal with more wires and shorting risks. Still I suppose analogue is an added extra that we're lucky to have at all.

Many thanks for all the testing & soldering MrF - as you say, hopefully someone will be able to come up with some informed technical help. Are there Any Scalextric contractors out there who created the APB who could comment although it was probably a Korean or Chinese outfit that did it but maybe Adrian Norman could get in touch with them?

Cheers
Chris

Thanks a million Martyn, I owe you one - shame you're too far away to collect it

I guess my APB is at fault then - just out of guarantee ... Riko, Adrian Scalextric Norman

Still it's saved me some money as I won't be buying any more NSRs. They didn't even acknowledge my email with this problem.

Let me know when you see another nice car and I'll see if I can find something that needs testing . Afraid all my Slot its still work like a dream (except missing the lap counting sensor with all that power under the bonnet but that's another story).

Cheers
Chris

QUOTE (MrFlippant @ 1 Feb 2012, 19:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I still don't think your base is "faulty" just because Martyn is lucky enough to have one that doesn't pulse at the same frequency ours do. I bet if everyone with an APB had an NSR car, and we did a poll to found out how many had noticeable pulsing at any speed, the majority would report that they did. Yours happens to be pronounced at all speeds, which really sucks.
Oh, and regarding your slot.it cars, if they have slot.it chips, see if there's a bit too much wire/solder on the chip that's holding it up off the chassis floor. If the LED is being held up away from the floor too much, it might not be registering. Getting it closer and/or opening up the hold a bit for the LED might cure the lap count problems.

The pulsing really only causes problems at the cusp of power-on where it surges from nothing to quite a lot even at 75% power. Once going, I'm continually pumping the throttle and running without dynamic brakes so this hides it at higher speeds but the Vette is a bit worse than the Mosler. If I really want to indulge a smooth blast round the track I can connect my 30 year old analog transformer and the classic/sports track converter - the old controller is weird but driveable.

Slot it was a bit of a throw away comment and they are not chipped (thanks for the offer GregK all the same) but as you both have taken the time to reply here's why:
I've got a Toyota 88C which is perfect over the sensors, but the Ford GT40 is light at the front and has a floating guide although it is quite deep and should cut the beam - maybe I should trim the long original braids as they are holding it up a bit. But probably, the real problem is I've only got one straight before it, so I need to turn the track round (as I want to keep the wires & gubbins in that corner of the room) and put it at the end of the long straight, but that may not work as I've now put 4 new sweeping R4 curves there so my foot is still down.

In fact I keep all my nice & more expensive cars for analogue magless solo or social driving and to keep the chip and damage bill down. The digital cars are mostly the Scalextric with magnets for high speed racing, which my son demands . I can't even follow it with my old eyes but at least the wireless controllers enable me to stand back & choose the optimum position - wireless rocks!

Sorry for the rambling - just thinking aloud

Cheers
Chris

Edit: oops wrong forum but I'll leave it for future reference

Just to end the story which found a fix (but not the reason) in another thread - I now have NSR & other high rpm cars going "smooth as butter" in analogue mode by just adding a 104M brown capacitor to the rails(also works if I add the cap directly to the motors).

Thanks to all especially Snurfen & MrFlippant for their testing.

So, it looks like a one-off related to something playing up in my APB, but maybe the solution will help another lost soul who finds the same problem.

Cheers
Chris

PS No thanks go to Hornby customer service who totally ignored my email a couple of months ago. Bit surprising as I've only heard stories of good service and quick replacement of defective items from other posts.