You're right, Beppe.
IMHO Digital Slot (DS) has two targets:
-Home user. This is the market for standard makers: Scalextric, SCX, Carrera... ¿Ninco? most probably (hope to be wrong). Here is where the cash flows, Xmas gifts and "standard boys" who buy slot sets just to enjoy a few hours. After all this is nothing but a toy. Now the question
"which one will survive?" comes to mind. My answer is
"Why should disappear all but one?" All analog tracks keep in market, none disappear and all (almost) incompatible between them. DS will follow a similar path, letting several incompatible DS sets alive for years.
"Why this didn't happen in railroad modelling?" Sales are not comparable. That's my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong, only time will tell.
-Advanced user. Let's program our time machine a few years ago. After the "big crunch" in early 70's slot was almost forgotten. Nobody was crazy enough to burn money to create specialized, racing parts. Back in the end of the 90's, after the second slot "big bang", brans like Slot.It saw acceptable to produce these racing parts just for a few mad guys who use a toy for racing. And, back to DS, there's a difficult market, "Racing Digital", some kind of toy but much more powerfull, able to emulate those races done in analog. The problem is the development and final price. But let's assume somebody is crazy enough to get a racing approach to DS and wants some help, and coming back on-topic, here's my pray:
A Racing Digital Slot
must be/have:
-Run without magnet (
Yeah! I run in Spain)
-Support up to 15 or 16 cars, full power @ high voltage.
-Be short-circuit-proof (no
overload message ;-) )
-A programmable lapcounter/timer, DS300 style.
-Able to be mounted on standard racing club track (*)
-100% compatible with Analog track (run an analog or digital race "with a flick of a switch").
-Able to digitize analog cars without body damage.
-LC's can be used as analog tracks.
(I forget something...)
...And should be fine if:
-Resistor controllers be used.
-Just lights be turned on or off.
This can be done. Lack of time, money and resources blocks path to success.
Sorry, what I meant is that "extras" are not important to me. How many controls to you want? First, the trigger. OK, LC is a must (except for BLST ;-) ) ¿Do you want lights ON/OFF per controller? We have three options. Is it necessary Scalextric's brake? I don't think so. What else?
We can make stickers for our cars saying something like "Honk if you run digital"
Keep in mind that 1/32 racing is not 1/1 racing, our tracks cannot be compared to racing circuits, we cannot access all knobs, switches and lights like a real car.
In brief: IF DS is a toy, you can install one googol artifacts to laugh while racing. But keeping DS in a racing approach, many Spanish racers like me would say something like "one switch (LC) is perfect, tow switches (lights?) are enough. Three are too many switches and hard to press during races.
My apologies for this text "heavy as a brick".
(*) Based on "SlotAdictos" forum statistics, most of racing clubs use Ninco track. Some clubs have Carrera, and just a few use Concept/wood surface. At this point Ninco is in a clear advantage against competitors. But it's their responsibility to do it right, or other maker can take advantage of LC compatible with this track to make a DS for Ninco layouts.
