Dieden Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 Hi!Thanks for a great forum!A few days ago I bought a large set of tracks to add to my existing smaller track making it a 30 m track. Now I have a question about how to power it. My plan was to use two power bases to power each lane separately and then use booster cables.The tracks I bought was made up of three sets so there are three power bases. When I asked the seller how he had powered it he claimed that he just plugged in the power bases evenly around the track using the three power bases simultaneously for both lanes. Is that possible? From what I’ve read on the forum that’s not how you do it. Its an analogue sports track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcote Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 Hi Dieden - welcome to the forum! Indeed, that's not how you do it :-) Your plan to power each lane separately is a good one - it prevents a power surge when one car deslots. There is also the C8217 analogue powerbase that allows you to hook up two power supplies so each lane is powered separately. Maybe you have one of those amongst your sets? I hope that helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieden Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 Thanis for the answer! I hope I’m lucky enough to have one of those! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric_8 Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Hi Dieden - welcome to the forum! Indeed, that's not how you do it :-) Your plan to power each lane separately is a good one - it prevents a power surge when one car deslots. There is also the C8217 analogue powerbase that allows you to hook up two power supplies so each lane is powered separately. Maybe you have one of those amongst your sets? I hope that helps!Hi, I have that power base but my cars fly out of the track as soon as I put them on. I thought it was because my cars are not digital, but after reading your post, I guess that not the issue. Any idea why this happens?I have a large track with some standard tracks mixed with the sport ones and my cars are from an Spanish circuit.Thanks a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy P. Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 HI Eric_8I am confused. Are you mixing digital and analog powerbases?Are you mixin SCX (Spanish Scalextric ) and Hornby Scalextric tracks?The behavior you describe is usually what happens when an analog car gets put on a digital track but it is not clear to me what exactly we are dealing with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric_8 Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 HI Eric_8I am confused. Are you mixing digital and analog powerbases?Are you mixin SCX (Spanish Scalextric ) and Hornby Scalextric tracks?The behavior you describe is usually what happens when an analog car gets put on a digital track but it is not clear to me what exactly we are dealing with.Hi. Yes, I have Spanish tracks and Hornby tracks. I have an Spanish powerbase but it was unplugged when I did the test. I read about digital powerbases doing that kind of thing with analog cars so I assumed that was the issue and retired the Hornby powerbase.I was testing several powerbases and controls since it had been quite a while since I used my tracks and wasn't sure which ones still worked. The Spanish analog powerbases have trouble with the length of my circuit so I'd really like to be able to use the Hornby one with both power supplies.Maybe having the other powerbase (even if unplugged) as part of the circuit could be the problem? I have since changed the tracks again, but I'll give it another try and see if that helps.UPDATE: tried that but no joy, still cars at max speed. I even removed all the crosses. Funny thing, if you pull the trigger, the car brakes. But I imagine it's not what's supposed to happen and maybe could damage the cars or the powerbase.This is my powerbase (is it analog or digital?) and my tracks (Hornby ones at the back, the 8-shaped bridge)./media/tinymce_upload/7ef139e2837d13b51d1666dbc6316eee.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/d95fb00fdb6dbb3f741a75c0c67d28b9.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy P. Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 I am not familiar with the SCX stuff to be honest but I do know some digital systems combine both lanes since it is the car that "calls up" the power as opposed to the analog way of "feeding" power to the cars via the rails.Personally unless I am 100% sure the lanes are seperate I would never leave a powerbase in the circuit unused... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcote Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 Hi Eric_8 - welcome to the forum! The C8217 is not a digital power base, it is the older Scalextric Sport standard powerbase. It should only deliver power to the cars when the trigger of one the hand controllers is pressed. However, if a non-standard hand controller is used it is possible to get a short circuit that by-passes the controller, delivering full power to the track. I suspect that might be the case? The standard Scalextric Sport controller plug is a 3.5mm stereo jack, wired like this: brake to the point, track to the middle section, power to the section furthest from the tip. I hope that helps. Just for reference: a non-digital car will not go to full power on a Scalextric Sport Digital system - it will sit stationary and hum on the AC (alternating current) power. Unless, of course, there is a diode in the circuit between the track and the motor rectifying the AC current - I believe that is the case with the 360-degree drift cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric_8 Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 As far as I know, they are standard controllers, with a jack plug. Inside they have only 2 black wires, but I only had a quick look to see if something was broken and I'm no expert on electronics. /media/tinymce_upload/5a474551840c93ad8c0ca00432a4bb32.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/8b894a3d3d3bfbf02f0ee424503cb141.jpgI have just taken a couple of photos, maybe this will help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric_8 Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 My controllers seem to be standard 3.5mm stereo jack ones. I opened one and this the photo:/media/tinymce_upload/e1ae089731f0eb1f5999a8635d8d5641.jpgI don't remember where I got the set from (they came alongside the powerbase), but as fas as I remember they were new.My cars are analogue 4x4 Spanish SCX cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric_8 Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 I do have the standard Scalextric Sport controllers (3.5mm stereo jack plug) or at least, they look like it.I opened one just in case:/media/tinymce_upload/497118448ed7126597a6ea8943591fdd.jpgIs everything as it should? I don't remember where I got them from, but I'm sure they were part of the powerbase kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric_8 Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 For 2 days I've been trying to post a picture of the inside of my controller, but my post is being rejected or deleted.My controllers are standard, exactly the kind you said, but I'm not sure about the wiring, hence the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy P. Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 Photos have to approved by a forum admin. Currrently they are unavailable but what yu can try to do is use the "report" button to et them to look at the post or send an e-mail using the customer care link at the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy P. Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 I think I see the cuplrit.The jack on the controller is "mono" it only has 1 black ring. the power base expects a controller that is "stereo" with 2 black rings.You are shorting out the power base with the controller.You need a more modern (but older than the current range) of controllers with 2 black rings. Part numner C8229 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric_8 Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 They approved all the photos and posts instead of just the latest one 😮 Sorry about the mess.And thanks a lot for the info, finally I know what's wrong.Since I have already posted a photo of my stuff, may I ask one more question? If I went digital, Arc pro most likely, would I be able to salvage my old tracks? Or would they misbehave or something?Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric_8 Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 I think I see the cuplrit.The jack on the controller is "mono" it only has 1 black ring. the power base expects a controller that is "stereo" with 2 black rings.You are shorting out the power base with the controller.You need a more modern (but older than the current range) of controllers with 2 black rings. Part numner C8229Do you know whether Spanish SCX jack-type controllers would work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy P. Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 The only SCX ones I have seen have a plastic M shaped plug so without stripping them and fitting a stero plug I doubt they would work-That is of course unless you are using a SCX powerbase... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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