Show us your Scalextric.
Discussion
Chrisw666 said:
I like the look of those, I plan to do a big lump of garage sorting over the weekend so I'll measure up the space I have.
The biggest annoyance is I only have an ipad at home so can't download the track designer.
Don't try and use the one from Scalextric, try Slot Man or Ultimate Racer 3.0The biggest annoyance is I only have an ipad at home so can't download the track designer.
RAClNG SNAKE said:
Don't try and use the one from Scalextric, try Slot Man or Ultimate Racer 3.0
The trackpower one is good too, but not freeI have a small addiction issue with Scalextric.
Not had it up since just before Christmas. Chest is full of Classic track, as are two draws of the filing cabinet, although those ones are throttles, power packs and flashing light chicanes, etc. from the 80's/90's.
There was about 75% more with 100's of cars in various states of repair but that went to the nephew 15 odd years ago and will pass on to his kid brother shortly
Other cars include a 308, a few more R8's, Gulf Aston set, Rallycross set and a few others. Spent a silly amount of money on it last year but had stupid amounts of fun with lots of mates and family. Six cars racing on two lanes takes it to a whole new level and so Super Resistant cars are a good idea until you get the hang of it. At the minute though I'm trying to get some well matched grids and not to buy too many cars this year. Limiting myself to DPR cars only has certainly helped
Not had it up since just before Christmas. Chest is full of Classic track, as are two draws of the filing cabinet, although those ones are throttles, power packs and flashing light chicanes, etc. from the 80's/90's.
There was about 75% more with 100's of cars in various states of repair but that went to the nephew 15 odd years ago and will pass on to his kid brother shortly
Other cars include a 308, a few more R8's, Gulf Aston set, Rallycross set and a few others. Spent a silly amount of money on it last year but had stupid amounts of fun with lots of mates and family. Six cars racing on two lanes takes it to a whole new level and so Super Resistant cars are a good idea until you get the hang of it. At the minute though I'm trying to get some well matched grids and not to buy too many cars this year. Limiting myself to DPR cars only has certainly helped
Wow , just set up a basic layout in the kitchen , the first time in 20 + years , using a mix of new style and old track.
Can't believe how capable the new cars are , I bought a pair of MP4's and they are just far and away superior to the old cars.
Down side is I know I need to be buying new track as I am fed up with "fixing" the joints of the old stuff.
Can't believe how capable the new cars are , I bought a pair of MP4's and they are just far and away superior to the old cars.
Down side is I know I need to be buying new track as I am fed up with "fixing" the joints of the old stuff.
The Newer cars are much quicker and hold the road much better than the very old ones and are a big step forward over the early Magnatraction ones of the late '80's.
I was stopped playing with mine fairly much mid '90's but stated to pick the odd car and set up again in the mid 00's. Since late 2011 though I have been getting back into it properly having realised that leaving it all packed away for when I finally sort a full time track out is a waste. Last year I went Digital and worked out that the most cost effective way was to buy the Platinum set with 6 cars, controllers, track etc. Since then I have added another 6-7 cars and bought about 15 digital plugs. I need to buy about 10 F1 retro fit chips to get my old TVR's working on Digital and a few other oldies that should be allowed to ride again.
If you are planning on buying more track it is certainly the best idea to buy a set. I would try to get the 6 car Platinum set but £400 is a lot of money for most to spend on a toy (I look at it as 8 'normal' nights out and I've had way more than that out of it!) At the least I would be looking at a basic Digital set though as if there are ever more than 2 of you you'll wish you had. Added to this if you get the 6 car Digital base you can run 2 or 3 cars through that as with Pacer so if on your own can have something to race against other than just the clock.
The only issue I have had with the Digital is that after 3-4 hours of 8 blokes using it you end up with a lot of bits of braid wire on the tracks which can short the system out leading to many concerned faces. The quickest and most effective solution i have found to this is to have an old analogue powerbase straight in the layout but totally unplugged. If the Digital goes down, unplug that and give the track a hoover, fire up the old skool power for 5-10 laps on each lane and then you should have cleared the short and can go back to playing. This also leaves time for mates to fetch more beer...
I was stopped playing with mine fairly much mid '90's but stated to pick the odd car and set up again in the mid 00's. Since late 2011 though I have been getting back into it properly having realised that leaving it all packed away for when I finally sort a full time track out is a waste. Last year I went Digital and worked out that the most cost effective way was to buy the Platinum set with 6 cars, controllers, track etc. Since then I have added another 6-7 cars and bought about 15 digital plugs. I need to buy about 10 F1 retro fit chips to get my old TVR's working on Digital and a few other oldies that should be allowed to ride again.
If you are planning on buying more track it is certainly the best idea to buy a set. I would try to get the 6 car Platinum set but £400 is a lot of money for most to spend on a toy (I look at it as 8 'normal' nights out and I've had way more than that out of it!) At the least I would be looking at a basic Digital set though as if there are ever more than 2 of you you'll wish you had. Added to this if you get the 6 car Digital base you can run 2 or 3 cars through that as with Pacer so if on your own can have something to race against other than just the clock.
The only issue I have had with the Digital is that after 3-4 hours of 8 blokes using it you end up with a lot of bits of braid wire on the tracks which can short the system out leading to many concerned faces. The quickest and most effective solution i have found to this is to have an old analogue powerbase straight in the layout but totally unplugged. If the Digital goes down, unplug that and give the track a hoover, fire up the old skool power for 5-10 laps on each lane and then you should have cleared the short and can go back to playing. This also leaves time for mates to fetch more beer...
cheers Rude-Boy 
I have been focusing on the platinum 2 car set from Jadlam , just need to wait until they have a decent sale / promo code offer again.
I take on board your advice for needing the 6 car power set up due to the added facilities.
My first toe in the water has cost me circa £100.
I will have a chance to keep a layout set up full time once my home office is finally decorated.
Also got the concept rower and a dart board ready to go in there, luckily it is a very good sized room.
I have been focusing on the platinum 2 car set from Jadlam , just need to wait until they have a decent sale / promo code offer again.
I take on board your advice for needing the 6 car power set up due to the added facilities.
My first toe in the water has cost me circa £100.
I will have a chance to keep a layout set up full time once my home office is finally decorated.
Also got the concept rower and a dart board ready to go in there
, luckily it is a very good sized room.
PS - If you are adding to your cars keep an eye on Amazon, I flick though it most weeks at least once, as you will see the odd little mega deal pop up. I missed out on buying the Lola Aston/Pug No7 set (C1279) for £99 a few months back . With the cars alone worth £36-40 each to buy on their own I really should have bought one. Another was a new Viper Green 997 GT3RS for £16 but I left that as I have already got modern 5 or 6 911's. Next time it gets an airing - possible in the next month to six weeks I will take some proper photos of the 'whole' cars I have.
Edited by Rude-boy on Monday 4th February 14:01
This seems like the best place to ask, but I want to rekindle my interest in Scalextric again, now I have noticed there is this "digital" version these days (it has been a while) and amazon has got some great deals going, what does this digital offer over the previous version? Also is it possible to link old track with new(digital)? and finally, besides Amazon, where else is best to buy track/cars for a decent value?
Apologies in advance if this questions are a tad basic, but this seems like the right place and with knowledgable people about!
Cheers
Apologies in advance if this questions are a tad basic, but this seems like the right place and with knowledgable people about!
Cheers
Yes Digital can be linked with older track by using a converter (sport to standard), it is essentially sport track with digital lane changers and power bases that allow 4 or 6 cars to run on a two lane circuit.
Digital basically moves the game on, allowing you to link to a PC, include pit lane games and with the advanced power base run ghost cars.
Your best bet if you new to it would be to buy a set, but Jadlam also do their own bespoke packages. The cheapest way to pick up a set would be looking locally on ebay and collecting, I got a huge digital 6 car set up for £150.
Digital basically moves the game on, allowing you to link to a PC, include pit lane games and with the advanced power base run ghost cars.
Your best bet if you new to it would be to buy a set, but Jadlam also do their own bespoke packages. The cheapest way to pick up a set would be looking locally on ebay and collecting, I got a huge digital 6 car set up for £150.
Purchasing a digital set is the best way to go. That way you'll get all the necessary bits and pieces plus the extra track. Modern (from 2000) sets use "sport" track, it's the same track for both analogue and digital. If you need to connect older classic track to sport track you'll need piece c8222. However we suggest you don't use too much classic track with a digital set unless its in cracking condition.
I'd be looking at c1276 digital platinum, it's the top of the range set with 2 lane changers and the 6 car powerbase - this is the best you can get at the moment and will give you every feature you can dream of. As chris said you can even hook it up to a pc and control settings from there (additional software req'd).
Like you said amazon have some great deals on sets, they pretty much sell things off at cost. We however have split the sets down, so we'll supply the c1276 set with only 2 or 4 cars to bring the price down (majority of people don't need an extra 6 cars).
Search c1276 on ebay and you'll see what I mean. Drop me a pm if you have any further questions or want a special PH price on anything.
I'd be looking at c1276 digital platinum, it's the top of the range set with 2 lane changers and the 6 car powerbase - this is the best you can get at the moment and will give you every feature you can dream of. As chris said you can even hook it up to a pc and control settings from there (additional software req'd).
Like you said amazon have some great deals on sets, they pretty much sell things off at cost. We however have split the sets down, so we'll supply the c1276 set with only 2 or 4 cars to bring the price down (majority of people don't need an extra 6 cars).
Search c1276 on ebay and you'll see what I mean. Drop me a pm if you have any further questions or want a special PH price on anything.
ph1l5 said:
How does the pit lane work ?
The digital controllers have a lane change button on the back - as you approach the pit exit you press the button and the lane change piece in the track moves to direct the car into the pits. The light system thing is a simple game - you start with 3 lights lit up, and when you enter the pits a light goes out. First to do 3 stops wins. You can only enter the pits when the green traffic light is on - if you pit on red, you get an extra light lit up. I held off going Digital for a few years to make sure that it was not just a flash in the pan or would be changed in a year or two. It seems to have stuck though and, unless there is only ever one or two of you playing, I think that it I an absolute must. It adds a whole new dimension to the game and in a very good way.
The only downsides that I have seen are:-
1. There are a lot of old cars which have to have the digital chip soldered in. If you have a lot of old cars this might take some time (+cost at about £14 per chip).
2. You have to buy digital chips if you are lazy like me and don’t want to have to spend 5 minutes changing chips over everything you want to change car. The cost of these, for the saloon plugs, is between £11 and £14 each depending on when and where you buy them. The price on Amazon has fluctuated by about £3 this week alone. Having bought about 20 in the last year
3. Non Scalextric cars might not work – I have not tried this yet as I am focusing on new DPR cars but I have seen suggestions that SCX, Nico and Fly cars might not work, even once you have fitted a Digital chip (I would love to know if anyone knows the true position before I have to find out by trial and error!). HOWEVER, if you get the 6 car Digital base there is a setting which allows you to use it in ‘Analogue’ mode which puts you back to old skool one car per lane and allows you to race non digital cars. I m not sure if the 4 lane base has this function.
The only downsides that I have seen are:-
1. There are a lot of old cars which have to have the digital chip soldered in. If you have a lot of old cars this might take some time (+cost at about £14 per chip).
2. You have to buy digital chips if you are lazy like me and don’t want to have to spend 5 minutes changing chips over everything you want to change car. The cost of these, for the saloon plugs, is between £11 and £14 each depending on when and where you buy them. The price on Amazon has fluctuated by about £3 this week alone. Having bought about 20 in the last year
3. Non Scalextric cars might not work – I have not tried this yet as I am focusing on new DPR cars but I have seen suggestions that SCX, Nico and Fly cars might not work, even once you have fitted a Digital chip (I would love to know if anyone knows the true position before I have to find out by trial and error!). HOWEVER, if you get the 6 car Digital base there is a setting which allows you to use it in ‘Analogue’ mode which puts you back to old skool one car per lane and allows you to race non digital cars. I m not sure if the 4 lane base has this function.
Rude-boy said:
I held off going Digital for a few years to make sure that it was not just a flash in the pan or would be changed in a year or two. It seems to have stuck though and, unless there is only ever one or two of you playing, I think that it I an absolute must. It adds a whole new dimension to the game and in a very good way.
The only downsides that I have seen are:-
1. There are a lot of old cars which have to have the digital chip soldered in. If you have a lot of old cars this might take some time (+cost at about £14 per chip).
2. You have to buy digital chips if you are lazy like me and don’t want to have to spend 5 minutes changing chips over everything you want to change car. The cost of these, for the saloon plugs, is between £11 and £14 each depending on when and where you buy them. The price on Amazon has fluctuated by about £3 this week alone. Having bought about 20 in the last year
3. Non Scalextric cars might not work – I have not tried this yet as I am focusing on new DPR cars but I have seen suggestions that SCX, Nico and Fly cars might not work, even once you have fitted a Digital chip (I would love to know if anyone knows the true position before I have to find out by trial and error!). HOWEVER, if you get the 6 car Digital base there is a setting which allows you to use it in ‘Analogue’ mode which puts you back to old skool one car per lane and allows you to race non digital cars. I m not sure if the 4 lane base has this function.
Chip prices are all over the shot because of stock issues. Supply and demand I am afraid.The only downsides that I have seen are:-
1. There are a lot of old cars which have to have the digital chip soldered in. If you have a lot of old cars this might take some time (+cost at about £14 per chip).
2. You have to buy digital chips if you are lazy like me and don’t want to have to spend 5 minutes changing chips over everything you want to change car. The cost of these, for the saloon plugs, is between £11 and £14 each depending on when and where you buy them. The price on Amazon has fluctuated by about £3 this week alone. Having bought about 20 in the last year
3. Non Scalextric cars might not work – I have not tried this yet as I am focusing on new DPR cars but I have seen suggestions that SCX, Nico and Fly cars might not work, even once you have fitted a Digital chip (I would love to know if anyone knows the true position before I have to find out by trial and error!). HOWEVER, if you get the 6 car Digital base there is a setting which allows you to use it in ‘Analogue’ mode which puts you back to old skool one car per lane and allows you to race non digital cars. I m not sure if the 4 lane base has this function.
4 car base is digital only. 6 car base has analogue mode but needs two transformers if you want to use analogue on both lanes.
I was in this dilemma when converting to digital.
I bought the 6 car with 2x transformers so I could still run cars I'd not converted.
I have 40+ only converted 15 or so. Use the slot it chip as I found out the scalextric one can't handle the current drawn by the slot it motor.
I've chipped ninco and SCX with no issues.
I bought the 6 car with 2x transformers so I could still run cars I'd not converted.
I have 40+ only converted 15 or so. Use the slot it chip as I found out the scalextric one can't handle the current drawn by the slot it motor.
I've chipped ninco and SCX with no issues.
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