MikeyNZ Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 Just building a fixed 8x4 track and am at the point where I need to buy track. I can buy the Arc Pro Le Mans set or a second hand used 6 car older APB set for the same price. I have been reading the problems with the older .3 ark pro and am worried I won't get the latest one. What would you do. thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy P. Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 The Sunset Speedway set and the latest Le Mans set with teh Ginetts cars are should have the latest powerbases.Most of the issues of the .3 revision can be resolved but if you have hte money I would get the latest Le Mans set as some of the things it resolves (pressed lane change button causing missed laps etc.) are hard to fix for novices on the .3 revision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcote Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 Hi MikeyNZ - welcome to the forum!You're right that the ARC Pro powerbase has been updated a couple of times since the original release in November 2017. A previous update - that should be in the Sunset Speedway sets - means that the older curved lane-changers can be used with only a simple modification. I also understand that a further update - in the Le Mans 24h set - also improves an issue where laps could be missed if the lane-change button was held as the car crossed the powerbase sensors. There are probably specific batch numbers to look out for - customer services might be able to help you with those. You can then check with the retailer - or use consumer rights terms & conditions to return the set if it does not contain the latest powerbase your were expecting... I do really like ARC Pro (I've written a guide to the app here: https://slotracer.online/community/showthread.php?tid=181) and it does offer a great digital slot car package out of the box and at a very good price. The third-party development path is in its early stages - we already have an alternative app (the Magic ARC App: https://www.magicstudio.eu/index.php/games/arcapp) and I suspect there will be more software and hardware add-ons to come in the not too distant future. In contrast, the C7042 6-car Advanced Powerbase (APB) is at the end of its development process. However, what we have now is a vast improvement over the out-of-the-box APB unit and will - with a full set of add-ons - do everything ARC Pro does and more. The 'more' is pit lane sensing and more complex software simulations. The minimum to add to the APB set is a APB to PC cable (£30 + shipping), firmware upgrade (free) and race management software (£30-£50). At our Scalextric digital club, we have also added wireless controllers (£375 + shipping) and pit lane sensors (£110 + shipping). At the moment, our APB kit is a superior Scalextric digital set-up than ARC Pro, but also much more expensive and not so user-friendly. I prefer ARC Pro for use at home - especially with the analogue mode for non-chipped cars. The offer of a six-car APB set (I presume with six digital cars, six controllers, pit lane, two powerbases etc) for the same price as the Le Mans 24h set is tempting - but only if it is in very good condition with only moderate use. You will need to add a pit lane to the ARC Pro 24h set to get full use of all the ARC features, so buying the PC and APB cable + race management software is going to be a similar extra expense. I hope that helps and doesn't muddy the waters even more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyNZ Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 Thanks for that, I think ill go with the Le Mans and chip away at parts. Yes the 6 car set is a good deal but I have a feeling I would buy the arc pro at some stage in the future anyway. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcote Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 Good choice! It is a really nice starter set that you can gradually add more to. For me, the first thing to add is the pit lane, then more track, plus borders & barriers for the curves. When you get more cars (+ chips), you may need more controllers (up to six) and an extra power supply if you start running more than three cars at a time. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR TurboMini Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 Hi there,See my post and contact meMartin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy P. Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 Hi Martin,We can't allow exchanging of personal information publicly here I am afraid. There are too many legal and logicistical problems involved.Maybe you could meet on a forum that does allot that. SlotRacer online is a good option.Sorry for the inconvenience.This status may change some day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR TurboMini Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 Hi Andy,No probs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyNZ Posted October 9, 2019 Author Share Posted October 9, 2019 All good, have designed the layout and ordered the parts. Its just a simple 8x4. Here is the simple fold down table I came up with./media/tinymce_upload/b5176344eb1ab6423c1a65670b303d78.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/8f90a2c2ea685a239b33dd7a65626157.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyNZ Posted October 9, 2019 Author Share Posted October 9, 2019 As a newbee the box sets are slighty annoying containing those super long straights. I dont think I will be able to use them but came up with somthing like this. I might have to do an overpass but its hard to make it look decent with scenery. /media/tinymce_upload/75cd3164b087e2296008878a1b4b17e1.PNG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcote Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 Nice start! Personally, I don't like the racing crossover corners when using digital - I think it is more satisfying to choose when to change lanes rather than being forced into it.If you have the parts on order, give them a try and see what you think. It will be easy to replace them with Radius 2 curves if you choose to remove some or all of them. I'd also move the half straight into the pit lane, It is good to have as long a pit lane as possible - the ARC app will be bringing all the cars in for pit stops around the same time. You will need an extra single-lane half straight. That would also give the potential for a straight lane changer on that straight in the future. One thing to remember is that the ARC Pro powerbase must be outside of the pit lane section - otherwise you will miss a lap when you make a pit stop. And don't forget borders and barriers - especially at the end of the long straight. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyNZ Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 This is where I got to, tried a few flat layouts and the kits couldnt handle all the turns. Those crossovers were just because the program didnt seem to have 90's. Ill move this thread over to scenery once I have the layout sorted. /media/tinymce_upload/5ce9176f7cfa968d7448c2882edb64b4.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyNZ Posted November 15, 2019 Author Share Posted November 15, 2019 I know this isnt the most active forum but thought I would post my completed (mostly) layout. This was the 2019 le mans set with an added hairpin and a few extra pieces. I am quite dissapointed with the quality of the scalextric track as a first time builder as an adult. The hairpin turns are poorly made and one of my lane changers came from factory with one of the pins unglued that causes the lane to change. Fixed it myself. Apart from that it has been a fun build over the last 6 weeks or so. I ended up painting the track./media/tinymce_upload/c1bf14bce71aeeaeef70dc7edc4b5202.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/5c6c967a231db59ebb4b23c9e3a2f6c4.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/94c2c26d6b45a3ac9ce1ef4f36ddedac.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wbweisss Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 The painting of your track pieces looks great! What was your method, especially for achieving the “laid rubber” look? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now