Old time scalextric user from the 70s....


All put in the loft for 30 years,until the products of intermingled genetic material in the form of XX and XY homo sapiens appeared...

Old stuff dragged out of loft and reintroduced myself and Wow its all gone digital and very interesting...

Now part of local racing club and enjoying Scalextric Digital racing with RMS RCS64 on big tracks...

Hello and nice to be a part of a nerdfest...

 So...

New car, new c1 chip. SSD screw in LH hole...

Downloaded 190514 SSD zip file

Placed car on track, flashing then solid light.

Paired DFCcar with android phone

Opened nRF Toolbox. It can see the paired car.

Selected the zip file, but it does not offer me the "Select Scope" screen and says the file is invalid, so 'upload' button stays greyed out. (downloaded the file a few times again, but still get the same happening.

So I them download the other SSD zip file available called "....200313 app beta".

nRF recognises this and allows me to upload it to DFCcar.

Then nothing...solid light and the car doesn't move on any of my 4 controller channels

The Slot.it app does not see it as a device when I 'search'

And then the car goes and changes it's bluetooth name to "CARC-INACTIVE" and asks me for a passcode before I can pair with it.

I tried the HALL backdoor reset a couple of times, but the above process keeps repeating.



I'm thinking I need to try and upload the 190514 zip file into the chip and ignore the beta app file, as the first car that I chipped with this software(see above pages) is still running fine. Any ideas why the Nordic app thinks the file is invalid?

Any assistance appreciated...I'm off into the garden (again!) in a minute, so might not see responses straight away.

Thank you

If you look at the playlist for these weekly programmes, you probably wouldn't think to listen to them. But they are absolute gems in obscure, beautiful and (due to the late night time slot) usually quite relaxing music of all types from around the world. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tp52

   

I put together this guide to help another club racer prepare his Scalextric AMC Javelin for the WHO/digital Trans-Am class. The Javelin is about 5mm narrower, a few mms longer and handles quite differently to the Scalextric and Pioneer sidewinder cars that are the bread and butter of our Wednesday night pairs racing. It took me a while to tune my own Javelin until it was a race winner...

Parts...

• Scalextric C3876 AMC Javelin
  
• Scalextric C8515 Digital Plug (Rev G version)
  
• Paul Gage PGT-21125 tyres XPG compound
  
• Mitoos copper braid
  
• Pendle Slot Racing (PSR) 2mm lead sheet
  

The WHO/digital Trans-Am build guidelines allow for minor modifications to be made to run a standard car with no magnets - racing tyres, body ‘float’, ballast, gluing motor & bearings, plus varnishing front tyres.

1. Body float - There are two things to remove from the bottom of the body and cockpit to aid body float - the four lugs that clip onto the chassis and the axle brace. The latter pulls out (lever with a small screwdriver), the lugs need cutting with a scalpel.

   

I have sanded down the corresponding tabs on the chassis. They could be removed with a scalpel. I have also sanded about 1mm from the each edge of the chassis - each side, front and back. I used an emery board on a flat surface. The exhaust pipes on the Javelin mean this isn’t an easy a job as with other cars. ‘Minor sanding’ could be specified more specifically in the guidelines, but 1mm is enough and is hardly noticeable from an aesthetic point of view.

One final thing to do is not to tighten the body screws fully. Loosen them by ½ to a full turn until the body ‘floats’ sideways, back & forth and 'rolls' a few degrees.

2. Ballast - With the traction magnet removed, I found I needed to add more weight than I usually like in four places - behind the motor (where the magnet was), either side of the motor and just in front of the front axle. I have used 2mm lead sheet stuck down with E6000 flexible glue (Shoe Goo is better). I added, removed and moved the weight around until I got the handling right for the big WHO circuits. I am not sure of the total weight - but you can see the sizes of the pieces in the photos. It is a double thickness at the front. The overall weight of the car is 89.50g - 12g more than the out-of-the-box weight.

   

3. Gluing motor and bushings - I have glued the motor to the rear of the motor mount using a couple of drops of Gorilla Super Glue Gel on a cocktail stick. I used the same method to glue the axle bushings into the pockets on the chassis. Do this only after you’re 100% happy any weight behind the motor is secure.

4. Varnish front tyres - I coated the front tyres with clear acrylic nail varnish. I haven’t trued the front wheels or tyres.

   

5. Maximise rear track - Out of the box, the rear wheels were well inside the body. I loosened them and pulled them out to give a maximum width without fouling the body when it rocks.

6. True rear tyres - I have trued the rear wheels and Paul Gage tyres. Remove the digital chip before you do this as it can smoke the chip.

7. Braids - Fit as per the stock braids, but don’t tuck the lower end underneath - leave them so all four ends point backwards. It gets the front lower.

8. Digital Chip - We have got on better with the Javelin using the older ‘RevG’ version of the chip. The car isn't so punchy and seems to have more braking that using the latest 'RevH' digital plug that I use on all my other race cars. This one change turned a fast, but difficult-to-drive car into a contender.

9. Gear cover - If the gear cover on the underneath of the chassis is anywhere near rubbing on the track, sand it down. The latest Scalextric models have this removed for good reason.

10. Rear lighting board - Removing it is permitted. I have removed mine.

   

The WHO/digital Trans-Am class is insanely competitive, so me and my co-driver Ash were delighted to score two wins out of the five races in 2019, finishing runners-up in the championship. This year, we've managed a pole position, but only a third and a fourth in the feature races. The car is sensational on some tracks, but is still a little 'skittish' on others. We build a different layout each time, which keeps things interesting!

I am preparing a 1986 Ford Thunderbird for the new, broader 'Muscle Car Mondiale' class starting in 2021. The T-Bird is very similar to the Javelin in layout and dimensions, so I hope to have learned a few things from the past three seasons' racing and build a better car.

Just showing one of many treasures in the Scale Car Garage



Any and all comments are more than welcomed!

Thanks

John

   

Although the Members' Meeting isn't taking place this weekend, Goodwood Road & Racing have put together an excellent 'live stream' of highlights from the past few years. And coverage isn't limited to members - everyone can view the streamed video.

This is where you find the live stream: www.goodwood.com/grr/event-coverage/members-meeting/2020/3/members-meeting-favourite-moments-live-stream/

And here is the timetable...

Saturday 28 March

• 10:00 - McLaren Parade (77MM)
  
• 10:25 - Graham Hill Trophy (75MM)
  
• 11:25 - McLaren F1 GTR Demo (73MM)
  
• 11:50 - John Aldington Trophy (73MM)
  
• 12:25 - Derek Bell Cup (73MM)
  
• 13:05 - High Airbox F1 Demo (73MM)
  
• 14:10 - Hailwood Trophy (74MM)
  
• 14:45 - Ronnie Hoare Trophy (76MM)
  
• 15:25 - S.F. Edge Trophy (74MM)
  
• 16:00 - Weslake Cup (75MM)
  
• 16:35 -Gerry Marshall Trophy (76MM)
  
• 17:30 - LMP Demo (77MM)
  

Sunday 29 March

• 10:00 - McLaren 765LT Walkaround
  
• 10:05 - Mike Skinner NASCAR show (75MM)
  
• 10:15 - Les Leston Cup (73MM)
  
• 10:50 - Grover Williams Trophy (72MM)
  
• 11:35 - Moss Trophy (76MM)
  
• 12:35 - GT1 Demo (75MM)
  
• 13:05 - Carracciola Sportwagenrennen (76MM)
  
• 13:40 - Gurney Cup (76MM)
  
• 14:10 - Group 5 Demo (74MM)
  
• 14:40 - Pierpoint Cup (75MM)
  
• 15:15 - Bruce McLaren Trophy (73MM)
  
• 16:15 - Ground Effect F1 Demo (74MM)
  
• 16:50 - Gerry Marshall Sprint (75MM)
  
• 17:25 - Alan Mann Trophy (74MM)
  

The full line up of cars can be found as a pdf file on this page: www.goodwood.com/grr/event-coverage/members-meeting/2020/3/the-full-members-meeting-favourite-moments-entry-list/

   

At the moment, all WHO events for April and May have been cancelled. In mid-May we will make a decision about the June and July races. In the meantime, I'm sure the priority for most of us is to keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe. Some WHO racers are also front-line NHS staff or other essential workers - so massive support and thanks go to them.

This forum is a great place to share any lockdown slot car projects and have some chat around the cancelled dates - posting pictures of the cars we were planning to race, asking questions about set-up or whatever... Plus there's plenty of superb info and resources out on the wider SlotRacer Online website and forum. Make the most of it - we'll be back in the hustle and bustle of normal life before too long.

       

Slot.it CA28g Nissan R91VP #25 JSPC 1991 Round 1 Fuji 500kms - Takao Wada and Hideki Okada

This fabulous pink Nissan Group C car was delivered by Slot.it to the UK a couple of weeks ago (RRP £59.95) and is available now at most Slot.it retailers, including Pendle Slot Racing and MRE.

         

       

The R91VP was an R90CP modified by Team Le Mans for the 1991 All Japan Sports Prototype Championship (JSPC) and was given the suffix 'VP' by the team. The works Nissans for 1991 ran under the R91CP moniker and Nova Engineering called their 'From-A' sponsored car a R91CK. Having left the World Sportscar Championship at the end of 1990, Nissan focussed on the JSPC in 1991 - their upgraded cars having the upper hand in the early races of the season. The opening round - a 500km race at Fuji - saw a win for the #23 works Nissan of Hoshino and Suzuki, with the Nova car second and the pink Team Le Mans car of Wada and Okada fourth.

That would be the best finish for the Team Le Mans R91VP. An accident at the second race at Fuji was followed by a massive crash for Takao Wada at the third round, also at Fuji...



The team had the car ready for the next race, the international 1000km round at Suzuka. Okada was joined by Masahiko Kageyama and Sandro Sala, but the car did not finish. Kageyama partnered Okada for the final three races - starting with a fifth place finish  at Sugo and then a very wet 1000km race at Fuji...



That missing rear cowling meant a retirement for Okada and Kageyama. The final race - Round 7 at Sugo - was another DNF for the pink R91VP, this time with transmission failure. Team Le Mans withdrew from the JSPC in 1992, but Hideki Okada would return to a Group C car at the final race of the year, taking pole position and second step on the podium with drivers' champion Kazuyoshi Hoshino in the #1 works Nissan R92CP.

       

Underneath the lightweight and sleek body is the Slot.it R89C EVO6 Chassis, an inline 0.5mm offset motor mount with the latest MX16 V12/4 23k S-Can motor and 9/28 gearing - all of which is standard across the Slot.it Group C range. The chassis is designed to take both the Slot.it SP15B SSD digital chip and the oXigen decoders. A Carrera D132 chip adapter is included under the plinth.

The Nissans are impressive performers in the Slot.it Group C class at Worthing Digital - and I can imagine we'll see the eye-catching pink R91VP on the grid this season or next.

Hah Hah, fooled ya


FLY BMW 320 classic into a DTM Racer
With Slot.it having released the Mercedes 190 DTM Classic recently, the biggest hole in the range of models represented by the brand, is the BMW 320
– and possibly the Ford Sierra.
Our club rules are more broad than my DTM Classic event rules, to enable scope for those in club who like building cars; rather than just tuning a
standard model.
I looked at Scalextric, Ninco and FLY models The Scalextric BMW and Sierra were just too narrow, no Ninco Sierra available in Europe at a decent price.
So a Fly BMW it would be. I didn’t have any models with actual DTM liveries, but I did have a Fly BMW 320 Duo-kit, which consists of one complete car,
and a spare body and windscreen glass.


Standard mechanical setup front motor, and deep tray interior in the blue car as pictured above. the spare body here actually has my lightweight interior
already fitted in this shot



So I went about looking for a lightweight pancake interior and a donor chassis from Slot.it by preference. I needed a small amount of guide lead
– the wheels on a BMW are near to the front of the car.
The body is actually 1mm narrower than the CA35 Alfa, 2mm narrower than the other Alfas. But it sits nearly 3mm lower, just 3.5mm higher than the Opel
body height, so the handling should be fairly decent with a bit of low ballast.



The interior is a lexan one from another model by Slot.it cut to fit, with a half driver figure from somewhere in the war chest – possibly MRRC.
Now I can use a regular inline podded chassis.
The Slot.it Alfa models had the correct wheel base, but too much guide lead. The Mercedes had a suitable short guide lead, but was too long in the
wheelbase. Surprisingly, the Opel porridge was “just right”. Only a bare 1mm too long in the wheelbase – do-able, and had the short guide lead I needed.

It also by chance had a single rear guide post which lined up perfectly. So I only have to replace the twin front mounts with a single centre mount.

So I took a complete Opel Calibra, and set the body aside. This was the cheapest way to get a complete rolling chassis.
The chassis needed quite a bit of trimming, as the BMW body is 1mm narrower than an Alfa CA35 chassis and about 4mm narrower than the Opel chassis
– and a bit shorter overall.



Standard chassis from a running Opel top of shot, and after trimming the donor chassis at bottom of shot.

More to follow.

Like many I have some spare time on my hands. So plan to rewire the track, 4 lane carrera layout. It is currently connected using the std Carrera powerbases, but plan to use 3 pin club plugs for controllers and by-pass the power bases.
Also wish to use Slot It SP2 controller, so have read that I  need "Positive" wiring?
Bit of a numpty (are we still allowed that word?) When it comes to electrics,

So is there a simple guide to how to wire it up?

Any help appreciated

Steve A