Hey, this looks cool.

Somehow the track seems a bit narrow though. I've been going into detail on digital with a friend who is technically minded and we've come to the conclusion that it will be more pain than pleasure racing with 4/6/8 people on a 2 lane track.

 

...just read the short report from Nico about the 24h in Belgium where they raced on DAVIC - seems they had fun with! I'm not a friend of digital slotracing - but there might be a market for that...

 

At this point, I simply cannot resist reproducing one particular paragraph in Google translated form"
QUOTE The mechanics of the change of track also makes the car. When the user maintains pressed the button of change of track of the control, in the guide of the car assigned to that control a keel extends (to see the two following photos) that does that the car when arriving at the crossing makes the change of track. If after this car a second competitor comes patch who has not pressed the button of change of track of his control, his car will follow rectum , since the change of track originates the car and not the track.
So now we know for sure why rear-ending is such a problem!

 

Please forgive my repetitive posting, but it is only with the purpose of adding useful information as it occurs to me - it's not that my already international-size ego needs any more inflating!

Rather than place direct links here (not sure of our editorial policy), I'll make a few points based on my knowledge to date.

The new track we already know to be just a little wider than then SCX original.
But it is also a little deeper (height).
It will be interesting to see if this extra thickness improves the old warp factor or possibly even exacerbates it - hopefully the former!
The surface texture is described as being similar to the old (rough) standard track.
SCX have taken another small, but oft discussed point on board - the new track is dark grey in colour , rather than the traditional pure black.
An excellent move in my opinion.

Another translated paragraph:
QUOTE The equipped cars, although with magnet, had a very healthy behavior, skidding obviously (we understand that due to the greater weight of the cars and to the extra voltage ).
'Extra voltage' refers to the fact that this system supplies a constant 18 volts AC to the track. However, I must add that this most definitely does NOT automatically mean that the motors receive 18 volts, as Slot Center have rashly implied.
I base my opinion on two facts:
1. Allegedly, exactly the same motors are used as previously, so 18 volts is extremely unlikely to be permitted at the motor.
2. Model railway digi systems are supplied with 16 volts AC but the motors definitely run on TWELVE Volts (DC)
The digital chip, onboard the vehicle, converts the supplied AC current to DC and reduces its voltage to suitable levels.

It's curious that nothing seems to have yet been announced on SCX's own site.
SCX Home

 

Glad to be joining this very nice board - with mostly old acquaintances !!

About SCX Digital : oh, I don't know.....
Personally, I'm very glad that a full electronics package will be available shortly - hopefully debugged and at a reasonable price. So,come February, I'm planning to adapt it to my pet project

Other than that, one has to assume that the SCX guys know what they are doing and that they'll sell enough sets to recoup a major investment - but...

- we all know that the entire system is incompatible - this because they opted for onboard lane change actuators - so it must be aimed at the Xmas present crowd - but at 300 Euros ??

- with Davic, the fundamental difference is that you are dealing with long club tracks, experienced drivers and SLOW trackside actuated lane switches (you have to keep about 50 cm clear of the car in front) - so changing lanes is a strategic (not spur of the moment) decision - and yet collisions are a problem

- with SCX, the apparent advantage is that you can tailgate the car in front and still change lanes - but then the risk of collisions rises exponentially - not surprisingly, this was the first comment that appeared on slotadictos. If you add the bane of deslotting, how appealing is this expensive TOY going to be for first time users ?

- track length is also a factor - I doubt you can do anything with the short oval in the set - I suppose that 3 cars at most can be raced if the track is not permanent

Time will tell....

Ciao
Beppe

 

sorry guys, can someone tell me why digital is so good and getting so hyped up?

Rob

 

Interesting...the track looks different than the one at the recent Chicago show...
SCX Booth in Chicago

Thanks for the translation Tropi!

 

Great to see Beppe/Xlot joining us with his in-depth digital knowledge!

Yes, I too have always seen increased incidence of collisions as the greatest impediment to success for multiple cars per lane.
€300/£210(?) is a little stiff, but we mustn't forget the additional car, making three, plus a third controller, as well as the digital additions. It's still not clear to me exactly what track the first set will contain, but photos at both Slot Center and Home Racing World (HRW) show a circuit with FOUR crossovers. But is this what really comes in the set? If so, then it actually seems quite good value, though not pocket money level!.
I too think that a longer track is needed for significant advantage to be gained from multilane control - those crossovers are going to recur in fractions of seconds otherwise!

I think it is close to critical for SCX that the new track should be adaptable for use in a non-digital context - I don't see any good reason why it cannot be. Then they can phase out the old track system without rendering obsolete the non-digi cars and controls. I don't know how long they could continue to produce two incompatible track sytems.

Harry mentions differences in appearance between Chicago and Slot Center photos.
Certainly I notice the blades in the crossovers are different colours.
Are there other variances that I haven't observed?

Another interesting point - that lowerable section of the guide blade that selects the route on crossovers . . . I can see the additional possibility of using that to get round curves at higher speeds than normal! But what we don't yet know is whether the track groove is as deep as the special crossover sections . . . hmmm, it must be if the route is selectable before arriving at the crossover.
The possibilities are intriguing and I am sure more will arise as time passes!

 

QUOTE ...with Davic, the fundamental difference is that you are dealing with long club tracks, experienced drivers and SLOW trackside actuated lane switches (you have to keep about 50 cm clear of the car in front) - so changing lanes is a strategic (not spur of the moment) decision - and yet collisions are a problem

Sorry, what do mean when you say that Davic can only work with "experienced" drivers?

And the 50cm thing? You mean you can't tailgate without risk of blindly following a runner in front of you when they switch?

Sheesh.

I reckon the initial take up for SCX might not be that bad because of novelty value. It's the repeat sales of extra cars and track that will be telling....

 

Couple of thoughts occur to me: Cross-over sections for 4 lane tracks? How about dynamic braking - if the supply is AC and the cars carry on-board diodes for rectification, simply shorting the track won't work - probably need an additional signaling mode to enable a shunt while isolating it from the track - and a whole new set of racing rules - build a nice heavy 917K and scoop cars in front off like a front-loader or brake abruptly in front of a car crossing over to catch him at a delicate point - pretty soon the only appropriate prototypes to run will be NASCAR!

EM
(registered antiquarian curmudgeon)

 

The Slot Center article makes it sound very impressive. I will be interested to see it in action.

 

Looking at the pictures it has occurred to me that it does not matter which lane you start in, there is no advantage from being either on the inside or the outside lane.

This is not the case with analogue racing unless you have crossovers or a bridge/figure of 8 type circuit.

This is a major advantage for digital circuits and does add a strategy element to the race. There will no longer be a favoured lane at club circuits.

The other thing is 4 lane racing may well now be redundant making large circuits much cheaper to build (50% of the cost or even less) for 4 or 6 car racing.

So for clubs starting up next year this type of product could be the way to go.

Long circuits, less space reguired, less track cost, multi car racing.

Looking at it this way it has to be a winner.

moped

 

I'm just a bit concerned that, if different manufacturers produce incompatible systems, we might end up with a VHS/Beta scenario. This might result in the demise of some manufacturers if they can't afford to lose the cost of investment.

Cheers,

John

 

Slot Center now have a short video showing the digital system in action.
It's a longish download and, to be brutally honest, the video quality isn't great and it's not very informative, but definitely worth a look.

Download SCX Video

 

Thanks for the video link.

All very sedate. A bunch of executives with ties on racing slowley for show. No rear-ending, no fender-benders, no crashes!

I'd love to try it though.

 

QUOTE I'd love to try it though.
Wouldn't we all!
Due in Spain December and that's only two weeks away -
Who has the best Spanish connections?

Jexy is the SCX man!

 

Chaps

I'm a little limited in what I can and can't say, but the video appears to be a copy of a promo CD given to key Tecnitoys customers a while back. The full version is pretty impressive, but I'm not allowed to add a link to show it on the web (to be honest I'm surprised someone has put it on the web!).

However I was in Barcelona last week for a meeting with Tecnitoys and was invited to play on the system in their offices. I have written a full description for the NSCC December Journal, due out 12th Dec.

What I can say however is that is was great fun. The system worked well and the technical issues (written about at length on the forum and SCI) regarding how it works are nearly correct.

The Non Spain issue (SCX Digital) is due for UK release in MAY 2004 (I would guess the Spanish release may not be in time for Christmas - only a guess).

6 Cars on two lanes was pretty busy, but the system worked well.

Just in case you have not read it before:

6 new livery cars will be available, 2 Merc DTM, Audi TT, Opal Astra DTM. Track is grey in colour. First sets will come with 3 cars, track, barriers, digital lap counter and 3 controllers. Lane changing is actuated via a peg in the Guide flag (controller via a button the top of the hand controller). Track has constant 18V power supply. None of the track or cars are backwards compatible.

As soon as I can I will post a full report on the SCX system however don't be surprised if someone in Spain does it first, I can only report on SCX not Tecnitoys Scalextric - sorry.

Gareth

 

Poor old Jexy!
All this info up his sleeve and not allowed to tell, even after the Spanish Scalextric/Tecnitoys has been released and purely because of that crazy Scalextric/SCX brand name screw-up and the differently timed release dates! The absolutely crazy thing is, as Jexy says, the product will be on the Spanish market and thoroughly dissected by the Spanish sites way before anyone else is permitted to spill any beans. It's madness really.
Surely Tecnitoys can be persuaded to permit you to talk, once the product is actually available in Spain?

 

Hopefully, what will probably happen is that as it's issued in Spain I will get all the Press info for the SCX versions, it's really just down to logos on boxes, cars, track etc.

It's a very sensitive issue for them.

Don't worry as soon as I know I will tell all (well after it's been in the NSCC journal!)

Gareth

 

The news that SCX Digital has an imminent release puts me in a right quandry. I have been getting all geared up to convert my garage into my version of slot car heaven. Prior to the day when I can rig a table up and lay some semi-permanent track down I have been slowly accumulating cars and Scaley Sport track (not to mention the Prof Motor controllers that arrived this morning

) but now I am seriously thinking about hanging on until May next year for the UK digital release. Between now and then we should have all the insight that we need to know if SCX digital is a winner and whether or not it is a serious rival to traditional slot car racing.
I wait with interest to see if Digital can be a serious alternative to the existing slot car experience before I spend any more cash on my Sport track.

 

I may have raised this before, but not sure if it was on THIS board!
I am very curious as to how SCX/Tecnitoys will view the logistics and ecnomics of concurrently marketing two different track systems, the old and the digital. It seems to me that there is no good or obvious reason why standard cars cannot be run on the so-called 'digital track system' other than the lane changer sections. Wouldn't it make sense to phaze out the old track system and transfer all efforts to the new? The new system has several basic advantages apart from its use for digital cars - slightly wider, more sensible color (gray) and a plastic groove - there may be others. Of course, if they were to take this route, then they would have to produce different radii curves for 'normal' multi-lane circuits and one then wonders if their digital system, presently limited to max 6 cars on 2 lanes might be further expanded to 12 cars on 4 lanes, or even more. Or, would they envisage that 2-lane digital racing will eclipse the existing multi-lane sustems. I can't see that happening - EVER!

I guess we will be kept guessing on this for some time to come!

 

What I find worrying is if this system takes off then what will happen to the traditional track and cars?. How long would SFX/Scalextric continue to market two incompatible systems?.

This could make your current set up obsolete overnight.

I wish SCX/Scalextrix all the best because I think they deserve it, but I am worried.

Regards

Alan

 

My understanding is that the two systems will be marketed to completely different audiences and the standard SCX track, Cars and accessories will continue to be sold and will be developed further, new cars, track etc, etc.

I think the digital system will be marketed towards children not the serious racers.

The exisitng (non digital) cars can't run on the new digital because it's powered with a constant 18V. At present there will be only one radius curve available, more will follow in future.

The new digital system will also be approx. 50% more expensive than the current range one reason not to drop the exisitng range!

With Hornby dropping the Classic range I think SCX are very unlikely to stop the existing track system.

Don't forget Hornby will be releasing their digital system soon and I can't see them dropping Sport track after a year or two of sales!

Gareth

 

QUOTE The existing (non digital) cars can't run on the new digital because it's powered with a constant 18V
Sorry, Jexy, not so - at least not for THAT reason.
If the lane changers are omitted, there is no reason why the track cannot be fed with any voltage of either AC or DC and no reason not to be able to run standard cars with standard controllers and power - unless the slot itself is radically different (which it might be). The reason for omitting the changers is simply to eliminate the electrical connection between the two lanes, which is essential for orthodox control. If they do intend to produce other radii (hooray!), I would take a quietly confident bet that the old track will eventually be phazed out, as there will be no compelling reason to keep it and several reasons to get rid of it. With the risky and large investement in digital control systems, they will be compelled to rationalize production wherever they can, sooner or later. Then, if digital fails commercially, as I suspect it will, the new track will not be wasted, neither that in the consumers' hands nor the expensive tooling to produce it.

In this way. obsoleting the old track does not need to obsolete the standard cars or anything else. It makes complete sense in every way. This does not, of course, mean that Tecnitoys have yet seen this logic but, if they haven't, they will need to and quite quickly!

The only items that should cost a penny more in digital form are the digital cars and control mechanisms, not the plain track.

 

Point taken!

I suppose you could remove the cross overs and power via a normal controller etc.

I can't think of any reason why that would not work, but it would be unlikely to be sold in this way.

We (slot car collecting and racing adults) could easily re-wire it and do all the necessary work required, but children (the main market) could not.

We will have to wait and see.

Gareth