[StuBeeDoo]

Both my Scalextric classic controllers are playing-up intermittantly.

I've got 2 brand new Sport ones. How easy, or otherwise, is it to convert the Sport controller plugs to fit correctly into a classic powerbase? Changing the powerbase for a Sport one isn't an option, what I've described as my "classic powerbase" is, actually, a Pacer.

TIA for any advice on this,
Stuart.

 

[StuBeeDoo]

Does no-one have an answer to this?

......... Or have I posted it in the wrong section?

 

[RichD]

I have never seen either a Classic or Sport controller so I don't know which wire is connected to what. You can buy a miniature phone plug from a place that sells electronic parts. If you snip off the plug from a Sport controller all you need to know is which wire goes to the brakes, you would not use that one. My guess would be that it would be the red wire. The other two wires would be connected to the tip and barrel of the new plug.

 

[Julian_Boolean]

You could do it and it wouldn't be particularly difficult, the Classic controllers are two wire and the Sport are three wire, the third wire is for the brakes, from memory the black wire is the brake wire (but I could be wrong), so just connect the other two wires to the two wires of the Classic controller plug, alternatively you could add brakes to your existing Pacer, it wouldn't be difficult.

Track wiring is easy, just remember that there is a seperate wire to each rail, one of them has a variable resistor (the controller) on the wire and if you want brakes to connect the rail without the controller to the brake wire as well as the power supply.

 

[RichD]

Here is the wiring diagram. In the US red goes to the brake contact in the controller, black goes to the wiper arm and white goes to the resistor. Other places use other colors. If I recall correctly Scalextric Sport controllers have red, white and blue wires. On another thread someone asked where they went, but nobody ever had a reply. Note that wood tracks use a slightly different wiring scheme.

 

[StuBeeDoo]

Thanks everyone for the responses to my query.

However, there is one thing that's confusing me......... Brakes. What's is that all about? I've never noticed much difference between the way cars react when powered by either Sport or classic controllers.

Mind, having only short straights, my cars lap at fairly constant speeds - it's not like having a 2+mtr straight going into a 180deg R1!

Earlier this evening, before checking this thread, I was wondering about the plug....... From my days, many years ago, playing with audio equipment I remember adaptor jack-plugs for converting 3-wire stereo cables to work 2-wire mono equipment. Would something like this work?

 

[scuderia_turini]

Hello StuBeeDoo,

Yes a converter lead would work. Two contact plug wired to a 3 contact socket where the plug goes in to the existing power base and the Sport controller goes in to the converter socket.

Effectively you need to wire:-
The tip of the 2 contact plug to the mid contact on the socket.
The shaft of the 2 contact plug to shaft part of the socket.
Leave the tip part of the socket un-wired.

This will not enable the brakes - for that you would need to run a third wire to the rails and pay a bit more attention to the wiring. As Julian says, it is not really difficult.

As per RichD's suggestion you could simply cut both cables and join 2 to 2 using "chocolate block" or solder - need to check with a multimeter what goes where though.

Don't tackle this unless you are confident with electrical stuff and make sure you disconnect the layout from the mains when working on this !!

 

[RichD]

If your track has very short straights brakes may not be important. We race on wood tracks without magnets and everyone uses a controller with variable brakes, For the most part we run with the brakes turned down. Some makes, such as Monogram and Carrera usually have poor brakes and sometimes the proxy cars that we race also need maximum braking. In order to have dynamic braking the track must be wired for brakes, as shown in the schematic that I have posted. In addition you need to use a controller with an extra contact and a third wire to complete the brake circuit. Simply using a controller that has brakes will not work. It is possible to make an adapter to convert a three wire controller to a two wire controller. You need to get a three contact jack and a two contact plug and connect those together with two wires, omitting the brake wire. You can not use a stereo to mono adapter because that would cause a short circuit.