Copper tape on permanent Micro Scalextric build

[RHBMCSE]

Hi guys (& gals).  Just registered with the forum.  I'm building a permanent Micro track for my boy this xmas and want it to be the best it possibly can.  I've noticed at the far ends of the track there are some power loss and was looking at copper taping it as I've seen people do with the full size track.

I have found some 1mm copper tape which may suit but that got me wondering - could one use  a thicker tape which would make life easier on the brushes ?  i.e. tape over the existing track and joints with 5mm tape or would this have a negative effect upon the power attenuation (would the PSU have adequate 'grunt' if the track conductive rails were made effectively wider).

The multiple PSU question or a more powerful one is another question, so I'll read up / post elsewhere as it's a different topic.

 

Many thanks to all who reply and a Merry Xmas.

Rob.

[gorp]

How large a track are you building ?

Had a 4 lane tyco/?/? running close to 80 ft per lane that just used vasoline at rail connections and key to it was check track alignment occasionally and keeping track flat.

All on a 14x7 table requiring grabbers to reach some areas.

It was not nailed down so design could change occasionally but was kept covered when not in use.

So point is copper tape could be overkill unless you are planning a permanent  layout.

Separate power per lane is highly desired and if track is not 3 wire, install that for better brakes and controllers.

[RHBMCSE]

Thanks for the reply!  

Length-wise it's difficult to judge.  Probably the equivalent of 6 (off the shelf) sets together into one custom track.  Fitting into an under double-bed space of 190cm x 130cm but obviously looping around on several layers.

The intention is to buy a large board and fix it permanently.  The reason for thinking copper tape is twofold.  Firstly - I only have two sets joined together at present and already it's showing signs of power fade at the furthest extremeties of the track.  I'd add that these are brand new so I'd expect the conductivity to be good with more second-hand stuff coming (Hornby dont produce any interesting new Micro track sadly).

Secondly looking at the braids after minimal use they're fairly shredded.  I was hoping copper tape being smooth all the way around the track would alleviate some of this wear.

I've never heard of 3-wire so please feel free to ellaborate!

I DO have two PSUs and two pieces of the power input / controller track and was wondering how to utilise this effectively - is it just a case of connecting both to the same track or it there some re-wiring / modification necessary?  If so I'm not afraid to try it.

There seems to be a lot of information for doing this with /32 scale but not so much with the Micro track so I'm eager to learn and take advise to make the best possible permanent setup to avoid tears on xmas day!

Thanks - a doting father!

 

Rob.

[gorp]

Think of HO as being smaller 1/32.

 

Yes scaly has braided guides while other brands use solid which also wears out.

Keep track clean and rails and brushes cleaner using train rail cleaner or inox which seems to be in vogue now.

Personally use tiger milk but have not need to replace it in decades.

 

You can use very cheap 1/43 cars on HO but will probably blow out their headlights.

More expensive such as carerra 1/43 may have guides that fit - just dont know.

HO cars can cost at least twice and some far more than scaly and other major makers sell as stock today and they will go far faster and stick better with stronger magnets but need even more power to run them.

Believe scaly f1s take 1/43 silicone tires, remember brand had a larger wheel size.

Other brands took regular HO size.

Vacuum bodies are sold , mine were attached with velcro.

 

Any elevation will distrub power connections and make marshalling track harder.

Thats why always advise making flat tracks - shorter but better.

Tape or jumpers or even long replacement rails would probably help elevated permanent tracks , along  with couple of grabbers at each end.

 

Two powerbases mean remove power to 1 lane on each so that 1 powerpack per lane only powers that lane.

Jumpers could only run to lane being powered and not cross over.

 

You wil need to know how to solder for adding 3 wire  for dynamic braking- use 3 wire plugs and connectors here and can switch from HO to 1/32  (nonscaly) analog by plugs.

Three wiring a track would mean powerbase is removed and power and controllers, if packs are DC , are wired directly to lane.

If they do not deliever DC to lane , replace them with minimum of 1 amp and 14 volts each.

There are diagrams around the net, suggest checking if parma still has theirs for wiring but you will need a 3 wire controller such as parma econ 25 - check around net for this.

Every HO set controller have seen is plastic junk with 60 ohm ,  you will need either 25 or 35 ohm for 3 wire control and power if building a serious permanent set.

 

You can get advice at slotforum and slotcar illustrated HO forums.

Personally if kids are young , you may want to keep it alot simpler to see if they are even interested.

 

 

 

[woodcote]

The Micro track is great fun and pretty good electrically - although you will inevitably get some power drop the further away you go from the power source - that's Ohm's law or something.

 

I've not seen copper tape used on HO-scale track. However, many HO racers do use 'jumpers' where you run wires from the rails near the power track to the other side of the layout. It is important to run to the same rail and not cross over - you'll get a short circuit otherwise.

 

There is no official rule of thumb about how many jumpers and where to put them. I tend to add one jumper to a 40-foot track and two in a 60-foot track. The pragmatic approach would be to run one to where you are experiencing the power drop. You can either solder the wires to the underside of the rails or find a clip that fits snuggly.

 

Two power straights should work fine without modification, one for each lane. That means you plug one controller in each and cover the unused socket with tape.

 

As for braid, I swap the brittle steel braid for a softer copper braid. That seems more forgiving on the sharp rails. You'll still need to change them from time to time. Inox MX3 is another great way of keeping the track clean and the electrical connections as good as possible. Just one drop per braid when you set up the track to race - that's all you need.

 

Have fun!

[Andy P.]

When I made adapters for Mirco to Tyco I used copper tape to ensure conductivity. Worked fine!

The jumper cables should work well too.

[NickyNoCracks]

Hi - I’m rather late in joining this thread but does the copper tape overlay reduce the effectiveness of the magnetraction .

[NickyNoCracks]

Hi - I’m rather late in joining this thread but does the copper tape overlay reduce the effectiveness of the magnetraction .

[woodcote]

Hi Nicky - welcome to the forum!

 

The magnetic attraction is all about the distance between the magnets and the metal rails. If that distance is the same, the magnatraction is the same - even if there is copper tape in between. If you are looking at ways of reducing the magnatraction, the best method is to fit bigger tyres to lift the magnets away from the rails.

 

If you are looking for better conductivity, I am a bit worried about using the copper tape over the raised steel rails of the traditional Micro track in case the car 'bottoms-out' on the tape. The distance between the bottom of the chassis and the rails is pretty miniscule - I often see that my Micro cars have scratches on the chassis from where they have rubbed on the rails. Adding the extra thickness of the tape could hold up the cars and/or risk ripping up the tape. I think it is a technique that needs testing. To avoid power drops around the layout, I'd still recommend good track maintenance and then using power taps.

 

The new Micro Scalextric track system that is arriving this summer (2019) is very different. The rails are flat, so copper tape might work very well, either over the metal rails or for building a wood track from scratch. A wood track with copper tape has no magnatraction - so to be drivable, standard Micro cars would need running at a lower voltage (12 volts for the existing cars, maybe 6 volts for the new 2019 cars) and have the magnets replaced with some tungsten putty.