curved digital lane changers must be modified for Aec Pro?

[cameron_kennedy]

Hi Folks

Newby hear and just added Arc Pro to my Digital track.

Three questions:

1) I read in another thread that "curved digital lane changers must be modified".  I wasn't getting a lot of luck debugging my new layout last night and could hear buzzing coming from a curved digital lane change.  Should this be modified and if so how?

2) My track is a fair length and I want to add booster wires to compensate for volt drop.  Using my volt meter on continuity I seem to get about 1 ohm (pretty good continuity) between adjacent tracks.  Can a dual lane straight have the two lanes connected in parallel?  I am thinking of making a couple, possibly four common studs that I can common some of the extremities of layout to make them volt common.  Is this a good idea?

3) I tried to connect my new Amazon Kindle Fire but I cannot get a Bluetoth connection (I could with my Iphone)  There appeared to be some problem with passwords or code.  Any thoughts please?

Cheers

Cameron

[woodcote]

Hi Cameron - welcome to the forum.

 

The basis of ARC Pro compatibility issues is that the two lanes through the powerbase must be kept separate, rather like on a standard analogue track. Because the two lanes on the old digital curved lane changers are not isolated, they must be modified. This is one mod that a Scalextric forum user has done successfully in the past week: https://www.scalextric.com/uk-en/forum/arc-pro-curved-lane-changer-mod/

 

The same issue is true for the booster wires. Each wire must connect the same rails on the same lane. If a little care is taken, the boosters will work fine.

 

The current Amazon Fire 7 and 10HD should work fine with the ARC app. The new 2018 release Fire 8HD apparently has some problems with the latest app. However, it will work with the older ‘legacy’ version of the app - search ‘ARC Race Control Legacy‘ in the Amazon AppStore. If you have that latest Fire 8HD, stick with the legacy app until the bug with the new one has been fixed. If you have one of the other two models (or last year’s 8HD) then it should connect fine and work with both versions of the app - you will need to do the usual trouble-shooting checks, such as looking at Bluetooth settings, airplane mode and maybe try a fresh install of the app. Because your iPhone connected fine, that suggests Bluetooth on the powerbase is working as it should.

 

I hope that helps.

[Andy P.]

Can a dual lane straight have the two lanes connected in parallel?

 

I am not sure what you mean by this. Do you mean 2 straight lane changers side-by-side?

If you exxpand out to 4 lanes using the Pit Lane entries and then follow with the 2 lane changers, yes that can work with ARC PRO.

There are no passwords or codes for the ARC APP.

[gorp]

If you want a scaly arc pro digital only track that will run any design you can throw at it,

 then go to Slot Forum for "the" mod, its pinned at the top section by Riko,

that will convert the stock 2 opposite power digital lanes into one direction and then problem will be solved.

 

It will not run analog correctly however afterwards and requires you to solder twice.

 

You will not have to modify the curve changers either.

 

Mod will void your warranty but is the best fix I know of for arc pro, if you really want to run digital.

 

Bought a used fire 7 from amazon this year and works great with arc pro.

[cameron_kennedy]

Many thanks for your help folks!

Andy P.  I think Woodcotes comment "Each wire must connect the same rails on the same lane" answers my question.  I had been wonering if a booster wire could run from one lane to the corresponding rail on tha adjacent rail.

Looking like horrible weather at weekend so I will be building a simple "development" track to test my attemps at your mods

Gorp.  Can you point me to the Slot Forum please?  (update, belay that request.  Found it at https://www.slotforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=169186)

Cheers

Cameron