[Mack1901]

Hi all Im about to purchase a Scalextric set but dont know which one Digital or ARC. Almost does the additional track you can purchase 1:32 work on either. Does anyone have some suggestions where to purchase as a bundle in Australia or anywhere that will will ship as a reasonable price.

Thanks all in advance

 

[munter]

Hello Mack, I am not new but I am confused...

If you are in Australia there are some retailers who could probably sort out a set or two for you.

Being a resident of NZ I always look overseas for deals so have a look at the major retailers in the UK and compare prices.

Regards

John

ps welcome to the forum

pps there will be someone along soon who can answer the technical questions.

 

[MrFlippant]

Hi all Im about to purchase a Scalextric set but dont know which one Digital or ARC. Almost does the additional track you can purchase 1:32 work on either. Does anyone have some suggestions where to purchase as a bundle in Australia or anywhere that will will ship as a reasonable price.

Thanks all in advance

Any Sport track set will work with any Sport track. The ARC sets are all Sport track. Unless it says "Classic" or "Start", you're good.

The question of whether to wait for the ARC Pro or get the C7042 (APB) is a question that gets hard and harder every day the ARC Pro approaches. Let's ask a simple question... What's most important? Low cost wireless control and the use of a tablet/smartphone for race control, or the most versatility possible in any digital system to date? Be honest. Will you be hard core, wanting as much realistic simulation as possible, or will you just want to get to racing with some great features and wireless controllers that don't cost an arm and a leg? Your answer will help determine what version of SSD is our recommendation.

 

[munter]

I might learn something here, I will keep listening.

 

[dvd3500]

There are 3 "ARCs". ARC PRo is digital and hopefully out next month. There are other threads comparing it to the current 7042 6-car powerbase. ARC ONE and ARC AIR are analog only. So only 2 cars in separate lanes. ARC AIR has 90% of all the other functions of ARC PRO though...

https://www.scalextric.com/uk-en/shop/sets/app-race-control-arc.html

 

[RACING LINE]

ARC offers a relatively easy to use race management system that reflects the smart phone/tablet using society that we have become. ARC Air provides almost all of the features of the very best digital RMS to a two car analogue layout. ARC Pro is expected to take this a stage further as it can support up to six cars and a dedicated pit lane. The biggest difference between running an ARC Air layout and ARC Pro is cost.

Existing RMS like SSDC and RCS64 for the C7042 Advanced Power Base are harder to get used to initially and don't have arcade modes that kids or novices would find intuitive, however inclusion of features such as throttle related fuel burn satisfy the most demanding of racing purists and allow slot racing to become a racing simulator.

I have just advised a friend of mine to buy an ARC Air set because for £130 he and his family can set up tournaments and experience plenty of RMS features. An upgrade to an ARC Pro powerbase is an option further down the line. By comparison the ARC Pro 4 car Platinum set is £550 which represents good value but was harder for him to get past the household Finance Manager!

 

[dvd3500]

I have seen ARC AIR powerbases with 2 controllers go for as low as 70€ plus shipping...

 

[RACING LINE]

The £130 was for a full ARC Air set i.e. cars and a full layout including shipping.

 

[dvd3500]

OOOhhhh..... then still good value!

 

[John Clinch]

hmm, well I have searched and could not find an appropriate thread, so Admins if this is in wrong thread please advise me with the correct link or move this post at your will.

Ok so I was changing my track around making a cliff face sort of setup, all done, turned power on and the car was driving nicely until I got a bit too cocky with the power and de-slot it did lol, checked the car, put it back on the track and saw some smoke coming from the digital chip area (I had the body off as I had cleaned it and am playing around with adding weight with Blue-Tak currently) anyway, I turned power off and checked the car for any braid metal and other foreign bodies (there was neither) put the car back on no smoke this time but the car just started by itself at full revs (I held the rear end off the track in case of any further smoke hence it didn't fly away on me.

I turned the power off, waited a minute, repeated placement of car on track, still holding the rear up, the motor started full revs once again.... does not make a difference with controller on or off and this is the only car on the track.

Anyone have any ideas as to what the heck is going on? With the smoke from the dig. chip is the chip assumed to be fried? just tried now before submitting this post, the same thing, full revs no controller, different tracks, full revs!!

TIA

Cheers Johnno

 

[Dr_C]

Its very likely the smoke you saw was the moment that the drive circuit failed which powers the motor. Normally they fail as open circuit so then the motor doesnt function at all. Sometimes they fail as a short circuit in which case the motor is from then onwards powered regardless of throttle position... one particular device is usually at fault (N02), but if the brake circuit is activated when this fail mode is presentthen P03 will be damaged too.

GregK is expert at carrying out these repairs...

C

 

[injectorman]

Yup fried.

 

[John Clinch]

Its very likely the smoke you saw was the moment that the drive circuit failed which powers the motor. Normally they fail as open circuit so then the motor doesnt function at all. Sometimes they fail as a short circuit in which case the motor is from then onwards powered regardless of throttle position... one particular device is usually at fault (N02), but if the brake circuit is activated when this fail mode is presentthen P03 will be damaged too.

GregK is expert at carrying out these repairs...

C

So then from your post I take it that the dig. chip itself is dead as the motor powers up ok just at full revs. Can I replace the chip with a new dig.chip and the car should work again without problems, I don't want to replace the chip and cook it also.

I see no point in repairing the dig.chip when they are only $30 or near to. Next pondering thought is how could this happen in the first place? I found no foreign bodies or shorts when it was dismantled.

TIA

Cheers

Johnno

 

[John Clinch]

Yup fried.

thought so. Thanks mate. Oh well looks like I have a chassis and body to produce some kind of scratch build sometime in the future

Next pondering thought is how could this happen in the first place? I found no foreign bodies or shorts when it was dismantled.

 

[GregK]

So then from your post I take it that the dig. chip itself is dead as the motor powers up ok just at full revs. Can I replace the chip with a new dig.chip and the car should work again without problems, I don't want to replace the chip and cook it also.

I see no point in repairing the dig.chip when they are only $30 or near to. Next pondering thought is how could this happen in the first place? I found no foreign bodies or shorts when it was dismantled.

TIA

Cheers

Johnno

Onya Johnno,

The damage may well be only limited to the components that control the Drive and Braking functionality of the chip. A simple test is to hold the back wheels off the track and slowly push the car past a lane changer (LC) which is set to the change position; if the flipper clicks back to straight ahead, it is worth getting the chip fixed as it is not completely Bjorked.

The cost of a repair is roughly 9$ Oz, factor in the postage costs and you should be able to work out how many chips it would take to make it cost effective to get them fixed. So don't bin any damaged ones because you will get a few ......

As my Crystal Ball is at the cleaners ....... some good clear photos of the chip and how it is wired in, would help aid the diagnosis.

 

[Dr_C]

Why did it fail? good question...
1/ with the body off any chance something shorted out as it deslotted?
2/ could the capacitor on the motor have temporarily shorted out?
3/ is there any chance the motor has a shorted winding? does it run at full power with the standard DPR analog blanking plate/socket?
4/ any chance the motor was overloaded during your trials? e.g. wheels locked at full power?

All just thoughts...

C

 

[John Clinch]

Onya Johnno,

The damage may well be only limited to the components that control the Drive and Braking functionality of the chip. A simple test is to hold the back wheels off the track and slowly push the car past a lane changer (LC) which is set to the change position; if the flipper clicks back to straight ahead, it is worth getting the chip fixed as it is not completely Bjorked.

The cost of a repair is roughly 9$ Oz, factor in the postage costs and you should be able to work out how many chips it would take to make it cost effective to get them fixed. So don't bin any damaged ones because you will get a few ......

As my Crystal Ball is at the cleaners ....... some good clear photos of the chip and how it is wired in, would help aid the diagnosis.

sorry about the delay in replying Greg and everyone, I had a brief stay in hospital,ambulance took me late Thursday afternoon and just got discharged late Sunday along with some bad news on discharge, anyway, just catching up and getting back in the swing of things.

Greg, I manually changed the LC to turn setting and pushed the car through the LC and the flipper does not return to straight ahead (normal) position.. so I can assume that the digital chip and other circuitry is fried somehow.

oh well, got my first car to scratch de-build and place somewhere on the track as an accident scene at the worst case scenario with the best case being I have a chassis to play around with.

Photos as requested Greg, I hope they are clear enough, if not let me know.

photo 1:

photo 2:

Thanks

Johnno

 

[GregK]

Sorry to hear about your bad news ......

Next thing to do is to carefully slice off the four black plastic protrusions that hold the black casing to the chip; one in each corner. Then have a good look at the small components and compare then to the damage you see in this thread.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[John Clinch]

Why did it fail? good question...
1/ with the body off any chance something shorted out as it deslotted?
2/ could the capacitor on the motor have temporarily shorted out?
3/ is there any chance the motor has a shorted winding? does it run at full power with the standard DPR analog blanking plate/socket?
4/ any chance the motor was overloaded during your trials? e.g. wheels locked at full power?

All just thoughts...

C

Sorry about the delay in replying, I was taken to hospital by ambulance on Thursday afternoon and just got discharged last night.

All great questions or answers depending on how it is read, still though food for thought

1. possibly but the car de-slotted fast

2. don't know

3. don't know, it came pre-chipped digital, remove the chip nothing happens I assume it would as no power throughput without the chip connected

4. don't know, the wheels spin full speed as soon as braids touch track

 

[John Clinch]

I also apologise if I hijacked this thread, I thought my issue would fit in this thread.

Through process of elimination, taking a known good working digital chip (herein known as DC) placing in the car that was fried the car works fine, install the original DC the car runs flat out. Install the fried DC in another car and same thing happens with the motor running flat out, install original DC the car stops and runs fine.

So this would appear to be a digital chip issue with the motor running fine. I will get around to buying some DC's to have on hand and also to chip some Pioneer cars

Thank you to all that tried to help and offered advise, I appreciate the help tremendously.

Cheers

Johnno