Hi Atuk.
The basic difference between digital and analogue is that you can have more than 2 cars on a single track I have scalextric digital and you can have uptp 6 people racing each other.
Read the link below to give you an idea
linky
There are many other factors to talk about but this will get you stared.
Ian

 

Hi,

You might like to read Total Beginner and Guide to Scalextric Sports Digital

I think they should answer all your questions

Mike

 

Thanks Ian &Mike i will give the links a go and read and find out more .. but now things start to be a littel bit clear but to get tips from the pro's will be a good thing . waiting for more answers

 

The best example I can think of is the difference in music storage now days. Analog is like audio tape and digital is like a CD. You can move from song to song on an audio tape but it requires speeding up the tape to get to the next song bypassing a whole bunch of data. With a CD you simply hit "next" and the CD knows exactly where the next song starts. The reason this works sooooo neat is because the CD is divided up into sectors and bits. When the songs are recorded each sector and bit information is stored in a directory. The computer reads the directory in a flash and then can send the shuttle to the right spot on the CD in about 2 to 5 seconds. Even tho a CD is recorded digitally... the information is still removed from the CD in an analog process, i.e.: one bit of information at a time.

With slot cars the term analog and digital is used in two different areas. The controller and the car.
On commercial tracks, a digital controller uses the position of the trigger to determine how much power to send to the track surface in order to power the car. With an analog controller the same thing happens... but the difference is that the power has to flow through a resistor before moving down to the track surface. The trigger determines where on the resistor the power is picked up and thus can vary the level of that power. This system being fully mechanical makes few allowances for adjustment. While digital control allows a wide range of adjustment with regard to ohms and braking thus the flexibility to be used on a variety of cars and motor.

On a fully digital system with regard to the car, the track is always powered at it's max. The cars and the controllers are nothing more than a one channel small scale radio control units with the track rails not only transmitting power but radio frequency inputs. The car always has full power on it,,,, it is just the slave controller that decides electronically how much power is passed on to the motor based on the position of the trigger.

Hope that helps.

 

sounds like for the first time in my life i could have the cake AND eat it too.......

quote:The cars and the controllers are nothing more than a one channel small scale radio control units with the track rails not only transmitting power but radio frequency inputs. end quote.

Now either the signal is being transmitted through the track OR it is being transmitted via radio signals , then it goes through the air.........................

Isn't it ???

grego

 

As far as racing itself goes, I think the biggest difference is fact that with digital there is no "fast" or "slow" lane. With analog racing, with 4 drivers and a 4-lane track, you would typically run 4 heats- once in each lane. With digital, each race has it's own winner. After 4 races, you would have 4 winners. The cars will also tend to run more in a pack (all else being equal), instead of the fast lane always pulling away from the slow lane.

 

But do dose anyone thinks the digital is faster than analouge?i dont really know ?

AtUk

 

Thanks Jairus .its very helpful indeed and i do think digital could be better but don't you think more technology means more things could go wrong ? i do think so though

 

Which is fastest ? analogue is faster.
As you can use much bigger motors and you have no traffic to contend with.

In digital you are either trying to pass someone or trying to stop someone passing you.

Its a lot of fun, racing 6 cars on 2 lanes, you have to try it

Mike

 

In terms of outright pace, I would suggest that analogue is quicker as you can run hotter motors (no chips to fry) and as you have a lane to yourself, you don't have traffic to contend with, barring de-slots from other drivers.

In terms of outright fun, I would plump for digital. There's just something about that smug feeling you get as you change lane in front of someone trying to overtake you as you approach the finish line.

 

Thanks Mike & scarecrow ... it sounds fun i will try to give it a go but unfortnatly i dont have a digital track and i dont know anyone who's got one ? so maybe in the future i can buy one and try it out .

AtUk

 

QUOTE (Scarecrow @ 13 Feb 2009, 21:25) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>There's just something about that smug feeling you get as you change lane in front of someone trying to overtake you as you approach the finish line.

Or the chance that your son won't speak to you for a week because you wiped the pair of you out during this wild move, and let his older sister through to first place (not that this has ever happened to me, of course....)

 

digital sounds fun . now i want to try it even more . no one likes to lose and for me is hard to lose . so digital sounds like its more about the moves than the speed. which makes it even more exciting.

 

QUOTE (kaspin42 @ 13 Feb 2009, 20:15) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Which is fastest ? analogue is faster.
As you can use much bigger motors and you have no traffic to contend with.
I've got to say yes and no to that
Hi performance cars cannot be used on today's digital systems because they take too much current for the chips.
Analogue racers DO have traffic to contend with, overtaking cars on adjacent lanes is often challenging.

Another big differance is there are plenty of clubs racing analogue, not to mention inter club racing and even National racing for those who want to go that far. Digital is raced on home tracks, there are no clubs round here racing digital.

 

Just a note to add that if someone is running a car with a slightly hotter motor that they would like to convert to digital, Slot.it do a Scaley compatible chip that can handle higher currents without frying. Not sure how much higher, but they are obviously good enough to cope with Slot.it motors.

p.s. atuk, if you update your profile to show where you are located, there may be someone nearby who would be prepared to let you have a go on a digital track to show you what it's like.

 

i dont really know much about what kind cars they do use in most clubs but i have to stay i still prefer analouge from my expereince. i have got couple of digital cars but i find analouge more fun.

AtUk

 

Hmm you have digital cars, you ask what the difference is between analog and digital yet you say analog is more fun ?? Have you actualy seen a digital track at all ? Seems your mixing stuff together here..

 

im not really . but you can use digital cars on a analouge track so yes i have digital cars that i use on a analouge track.but i never tried digital track before. And yes i did'nt know the difference between the digital and analouge in so many ways but now after few people have explained few things i do know more about it now. and the only reason im saying analouge is more fun because i have only used analouge and never used digital before. i still think it will be fun to have a go on digital but i still think analouge is much better !

 

Well when you have tried digital im convinced that you dont want anything else ;-) And offcourse the difference isnt big if you race alone ;-)

 

Well .. i cant stay that until i try it but i'am sure it's alot of fun but i only said i perfer analouge because i have used nothing else but analouge but i the future i'am sure i will be getting a digital track ...

AtUk

 

Yeah ! sorry i haven't updated my profile because i only just joined last week so im still sorting it all out. But if anyone out there welling to let me have a go it will be great . i'am in kent by the way

AtUk

 

So am I as it happens. Whereabouts are you, as there are a few clubs in Kent (racing analogue) that you might be interested in? If you fancy a go on a digital track, I might be able to help out, depending on what part of Kent you are in.

 

QUOTE (Umbra @ 14 Feb 2009, 14:09) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Well when you have tried digital im convinced that you dont want anything else ;-) And offcourse the difference isnt big if you race alone ;-)
Some people prefer analogue, some prefer digital.
Obviously Umbra prefers digital

The best way to find out what YOU prefer is to try both and decide for yourself

 

Hi!

Back to basics. Here are couple of pictures that clarify basic difference of the digital and analogue.

Picture 1. With analogue each controller control one car at separate lanes. The system is very simple and you have wide selection of controllers and motors that you can use. Maximum current is limited by power supply and the controller. This is my preferred system for its simplicity.

Picture 2. This picture describes how digital system from major manufacturers (Scalextric, SCX, Carrera, NINCO) looks like, Controllers are connected to digital control box. Data is analogue from controller to the box. Box converts controller trigger position from analogue to digital. Data is then transferred via rails to each car. Cars listen to the communication on the track and try to pick up the right data based on the address bits. Maximum power is limited by car decoder chip and digital box transmitter transistors. There is no digital standard and you are stuck on narrow selection of components from one or two manufacturers.

Picture 3. There should be 3rd picture describing Scorpius or Oxygen. These are most promising digital systems. Wireless systems. Apparently constant power on rails, wireless car decoders and controllers. Possibly more expensive than major systems.

I have tried all digital systems from major manufacturers and based on the experiences I have decided to stick with analogue. I do not want to make simple hobby complicated. Scorpius and Oxygen are promising, but even more complicated than the major systems.

Cheers!

Julius

 

Thanks for the clarifications Julius.
That'l ll help, i am sure.
Btw. is it true that digital systems have no braking ? Just like in the "old days" ?

atuk , it is always good if one keep an open mind about anything. It sounds a bit like you are saying: I don't think I would like lasagne because I tried Pizza and Pizza is really great so I don't think I would like lasagne...............

I also never had a chance to race digital but having gone through all the "speed-phases", first with magnets then without magnets all the way to G12 eurosport, I would gladly try something a bit more "tactical".

By the time all the digital systems will be as reliable as analogue is now. I most likely will be over the hill.....

grego
(not holding my breath)