[Tropi]

A very nice set of pics and yes, our thanks to SCI for sharing.

I am still really curious about the apparent incusion of only one pair of 'points', ie a single crossover. When both cars end up on the inside track, how are either of them to get back off it again?
It seems crazy - perhaps I am missing something . . .

 

[Tropi]

Mop
You may well be right but I could almost swear to having read somewhere that the set would in fact only have one pair of points, making a single cross -over. This was quite a while ago and I don't think I will be able to find it again. I might be mistaken or maybe that article was mistaken - I certainly hope so!

 

[Tropi]

Beppe, your memory is better than mine - come to think of it, most people's memories are better than mine(!) - and your recollection is exactly right. So a conventional curved crossover is hiding round the bend.

If you can remind me about the blowout too (?) maybe we can do a resuscitation.

 

[Tropi]

Tropi back on the prowl.

Moved this to the Digital Board as it is no longer news.

Interesting for me to read after a few weeks absence and I'll take the opportunity of adding a few comments.

XLOT made perhaps the most interesting observation and no one picked up on it.
QUOTE It appears there are two types of upgrade decoder chips, for F1 and saloon cars - but they cost the same, so it's probably a matter of PCB geometry - must say Scalex seem to be doing it right so far
Assuming that the two chips are functionally identical, then it seems extremely strange to produce more than one type. If the (presumably) smaller F1 type type does the job, then why go to the bother and expense of designing and producing any other?

MOPED
QUOTE I do find it very strange that those folk here who remain unconvinced (a small minority of club racers) continue to post messages in the digital threads.
What WOULD be truly strange would be if members suddenly stopped expressing their opinions!

QUOTE Around 75% of set sales each year are to first time buyers. A proportion of these buyers will now have the option of purchasing digital sets.
The usual scrambled eggs logic and arithmetic! What PROPORTION will have the opportunity? They will ALL have the opportunity.

PETER
QUOTE As it stands it is quite possible that a Scalextric would be rather well of by putting the new technology as a integral part of all of their sets. Eventually this would surely reduce the overall cost and give the company a good foothold in the possible 'war' for a future 'standard.
Good point that makes total sense.

XLOT
QUOTE Fly, Ninco, Slot.it don't have to do a thing - except reap the benefit of additional sales in an expanding market
If it WERE an expanding market, one would have to agree, but is it, really? I have some doubt there.

PHIPSTER
QUOTE 1) Price - sets are already subsidised by Scaley etc,
That's an extremely bold claim!
But can you support it with real numbers?

DAVOLS
QUOTE would the "new" person to the hobby really understand the difference in pricing for the "lane change" and "multiple car" capabilities compared to a standard slot car set?
Good point. Most certainly would not.
Then look at Moped continuously claiming that MORE brain power and hand/eye co-ordination will be needed to successfully race multiple cars on two lanes, which amazingly, is actually true. Yet the average newcomer to the hobby already has difficulty in staying on track at all and the vast majority of them ALREADY swiftly get fed up with the whole business and abandon their sets altogether! The Mop claims that 75% of sets sold each year are to first time buyers who know nothing yet casually dismisses the opinions of old timers who know, if not everything, certainly considerably more!
I see that little has changed in my absence -
The Mop continues to shaft itself again and again!

 

[Tropi]

Unless someone can prove to the contrary, I would put it this way.
The Mop claims that the vast majority of Scalextric sales are of sets to first time buyers. I think that he is right (without any actual numbers). And the majority of first time buyers don't continue with the hobby, so do not buy after market accessories.

Therfore I am sure that, for Scalextric to make their very impressive annual balance sheet figures, those sets MUST be sold at a reasonable profit. After-sales of cars, track, acessories etc are simply sold at an even MORE handsome profit. I see it as being rather similar to full size cars in that I don't believe any manufacturer normally sells their product at a loss, while vaguely hoping to make up that loss in spare part sales, later, even though they can charge up to four times the price, or even more, for the separate, component parts of a complete car!

If the sets are not sold at a loss, then there is no element of subsidy, simply a matter of varying profit margins, which is quite normal. Basically it's a customer discount for buying in quantity, but I am certain that it doesn't lead to selling sets at an actual loss.

Computer printers are the classic example of subsidised selling, where many printers really are sold at a loss on the basis that you can't run a printer without ink and the cartridges are sold at an OBSCENELY high profit to cover the initial sales loss. In many cases, two full-price cartridges would you buy a brand new printer! But you can't manage without the ink, dammit, and so they have you by the short hairs!

 

[Tropi]

QUOTE once you have a Scalextric digital set, you can extend to it by purchasing an analogue set, and maybe a seperate digital controller and a chip pack or two.
It has always been true that adding an extra set was the most economical way to extend the original.

However, adding an orthodox set to a digital set wastes money on a power supply and controllers that cannot be used with the digiset and the deal is yet further negated by the need to replace those with digital equipment plus chips for the cars, all bought at separate parts price levels. It simply doesn't make sense, but then . . .