[PeterSavill33]

Hello all,

It's my first post on this forum, have belonged to others but hopefully their will be someone here who can help.

The problem I have is this.

32m long scalextric classic track.

However, I have not run a track over 17m because of space and power etc.

I have upgraded to a sport power base with 2 transformers and want to add 1 extra power booster cable set.

I don't know if i need a classic booster set to match the track OR

a Sport booster set to match the power base. If a sport booster set presumibly i'll need to add a change over track where I want to apply the power gain.

Can anyone help

Kind regards
Peter

email if required [email protected]

 

[Doug]

Hi Peter, welcome to the forum.

The difference between the Sport booster and the classic booster in my opinion is the connector plug. It just helps distribute the power around the track. You can even achieve this with 15 amp electrical wire soldered under the track taking care not to short the track or mix up polarities. For a 30m track you should be thinking of at least two booster cables per lane.

 

[PeterSavill33]

Nuro,

thanks loads.....

atleast 2 you say, well my expenses just went up another £15, oh well.

thanks
Peter

 

[Isetta]

No, very little extra expense.

As Nuro says, you can just solder home made booster cables to the track.

Use a good flux and a good hot iron.
Use a heat sink where you are soldering so as not to melt the plastic.
Take the soldered wires to just outside the track edge, then use a standard terminal strip, so you can connect and disconnect easily.
Put a sticky paper tag on each wire for identification.
When connecting, take GOOD care to trace each lane and Left/Right.
Especially if you have lane crossovers, these can cause mega confusion.
A basic multimeter helps a lot, but not essential.

Go for it and save your dollars for another car!

Cheers,
Isetta.

 

[PeterSavill33]

Thanks again for the good advice guys....

However a purchase it will be.

Me and soldering irons do noit mix..... not when it comes to electricity.

Will sure to get another car anyway. hehe

Kind regards
Peter

 

[Slot City]

As Nuro pointed out the difference is the connections, so just get which ever one you need for the track sections it will be connecting together.

If you want the boosters for Classic, you'll probably need the SCX ones as it is likely to be difficult finding the Scalextric ones.

Do you have any plans to change to Sport?

If you do, even if it is just gradually over time, go for the Sport option (along with some converter straights).

Jon,
Slot City.

 

[PeterSavill33]

I do plan on converting gradually,

I was going to get converters and sport cables as its good for the future.....

shame scalextric haven't released all the old track types. SCX are certainly upping their game and NINCO are following suit.

Scalextric seem to be just concentrating on digital etc.

Oh well, I still thoroughly enjoy it when I can.

Pete

 

[Fragoso]

do the soldering iron thing and save that money for another car

around here a booster cable cost us something like 15euros wich is outrageous for a couple of meters of wire.
The common rule is to use a power booster, also called taps, every 3 meters or roughly 10-15 connections. In my track (20mts) i used 8 power taps wich is bit overkill, but it works perfectly and it didnt cost me more than 2 hours work and bits of wire I had laying around. lets see: 8 power cables at 15 bucks would be enough to buy 3 or 4 cheap cars.

whatever you do, my opinion, i would keep my hands of SCX stuff. The only track pieces that they have as an exclusive, are not more than toys and their connections are really terrible.
and scalex, because of their digital aproach that relies on common track instead of special tracks like SCX, will keep pushing the common track pieces and not, like you said, "concentrate on digital". Both digital and non-digital scalex will use the same track pieces.
another thing: as you grow your track try to keep yourself with one type of track only. Ninco, carrera, classic and sport behave very diferently and you´ll notice that the cars wont allways have the same behaviour. for instance, silicones work very good on Ninco and SCX, but i rather use slot.it P2´s for carrera and sport.
Another minus is that as you add converters to assemble a track, the more number of connections you´ll get and more likely you´ll be having power failures.

 

[Slot City]

QUOTE shame scalextric haven't released all the old track types. SCX are certainly upping their game and NINCO are following suit.

Scalextric seem to be just concentrating on digital etc.

The range of Classic track sections was built up, and released, over a very long period. The Sport system is only a few years old and over time it will be increased. A few new packs were released last year, and there are a few more this year - with more due for Sport Digital and World.

So give Scalextric a chance, as I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of new track sections over the coming years.

Jon,
Slot City.

 

[Isetta]

I got into the hobby about 4 years ago. I have slowly built up my layout with Scalextric Classic. I have recently expanded it with Sport for 2 reasons - first the Classic was getting hard to come by (No swap meets or car boot sales where I am); but the main reason was I had Classic lane changers (the figure X ones) to equalise the 2 big 180 deg curves at each end. These I did not like - they were too severe and wherever I put them, they either interrupted a fast straight, upset the car balance into a curve or spoiled the balance powering out of a curve. Then I saw the Sport Racing Curve lane changers...brilliant. Have bought more Sport, and really like it.

Back to power boosters, power taps or whatever. As Fragoso says, the Scalex cables are silly money for bits of wire. If you don't want to solder, then on your Sport sections you can make up cables by buying the correct size spade connector from Radio Shack or whatever, and crimp the ends on the wires using pliers.

Cheers, Isetta.

 

[PeterSavill33]

Well guys,

I've got some instructions on power taps from illustrated.

http://www.slotcarillustrated.com./HowTo/PowerTaps.html

After doing all that..... and I'm not an electrician and don't want to sound like an idiot herer.

But.

What do the connectors connect to?

Your help would be appreciated.

thanks
Peter

 

[Fragoso]

to the track itself.

i mean: connect those to their respective lane on the power straight. just dont cross wires or mix lanes and you´ll be ok.

i´m currently redoing my own layout and adding more power taps (from 5 to 8). i´ll try to post some pics later this week and you´ll get it in a more graphical way (a guy with a nick like yours has to understand pictures

)

 

[PeterSavill33]

Frogosso,

I understand how to connect the power taps and all that fine.

What I'm unsure about and probably did not make clear.

Is what do the wires leading from the track connect into, whats the power source?

thanks

Peter

Just re-read your message. You mean connect the other end of the cables to the track just after the powerbase track?
So some of the power from the powerbase gets filtered off to the power tap?

Why does that mean you get enough power through out the track if your not increasing the transformers etc etc ?

 

[Fragoso]

QUOTE Frogosso,
Is what do the wires leading from the track connect into, whats the power source?
The power straight itself will work as the power source.

QUOTE Just re-read your message. You mean connect the other end of the cables to the track just after the powerbase track?
So some of the power from the powerbase gets filtered off to the power tap?
Why does that mean you get enough power through out the track if your not increasing the transformers etc etc ?

You can connect those to the powerbase track or any other piece of track near to the powerbase. Every conductive material has some resistance (measured in ohms), so the farther away you are from the power source, the more resistance you integrate in the circuit and the less voltage you will get at the end of the line. With power taps, we are not increasing transformers, but we are diminuishing the probability of resistant materials along the circuit. Im no wiz at electronics, but the simple rule is: the longer the distance, the more resistance you have in the circuit. With power taps you are conducting power to diferent places in the track, without that power having to go all the way around the track and be "destroyed" by faulty or rusty track connections, with less total resistance. as such, we are not increasing power, we are just taking care that the power doesnt "die" along the circuit.

Anyway, get your power taps going ´cause there´s races to be held and a closed track is no fun!