LJay Posted December 26, 2019 Share Posted December 26, 2019 Morning All,My son got the “Sunset Speedway ARCPRO” for Christmas and it was great straight out of the box - great fun! We tried then to download the App for the extra features but could find an exact match for our set so gave up and went back to just playing ... but it wouldn’t work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcote Posted December 26, 2019 Share Posted December 26, 2019 Hi LJay - welcome to the forum! Being able to choose your exact set in the app really doesn't matter - although the Sunset Speedway should be in all the versions (Apple, Android and Amazon Fire) of the 2018-19 app. However, it won't be in the App Race Control (Legacy) app, which is the pre-2018 version. The red light will stay flashing until the app is connected to the powerbase. It should connect automatically when you launch the app (although it might take 5-10 seconds). Connecting via your device Bluetooth settings won't work. If you have an Android device, make sure GPS/location is on and all permissions are granted for the ARC app. The very latest Apple version will connect, but there are a couple of glitches with the Calibration process which means it is best to use the older Legacy app for now. I have written a guide to racing with the ARC app which might be useful: https://slotracer.online/arc-pro-guide/index.html Let us know how you get on. I hope you are up and racing with the app very soon. Merry Christmas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gorp Posted December 26, 2019 Share Posted December 26, 2019 My only question is what wouldnt work ?Just the app or racing in general ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJay Posted December 27, 2019 Author Share Posted December 27, 2019 Hi LJay - welcome to the forum! Being able to choose your exact set in the app really doesn't matter - although the Sunset Speedway should be in all the versions (Apple, Android and Amazon Fire) of the 2018-19 app. However, it won't be in the App Race Control (Legacy) app, which is the pre-2018 version. The red light will stay flashing until the app is connected to the powerbase. It should connect automatically when you launch the app (although it might take 5-10 seconds). Connecting via your device Bluetooth settings won't work. If you have an Android device, make sure GPS/location is on and all permissions are granted for the ARC app. The very latest Apple version will connect, but there are a couple of glitches with the Calibration process which means it is best to use the older Legacy app for now. I have written a guide to racing with the ARC app which might be useful: https://slotracer.online/arc-pro-guide/index.html Let us know how you get on. I hope you are up and racing with the app very soon. Merry Christmas!That’s great - thanks Andy ... Really appreciate the reply on Boxing Day!I‘ll have a read through and start again from scratch - hopefully I can get it to connect but I would have hoped that you could plug it in and play ... hopefully the answer is in your guide though!! I’ll let you know how we get on - Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJay Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 My only question is what wouldnt work ?Just the app or racing in general ?Both! Cant understand why, even if I’d started using the App that I can’t just plug it in and play regardless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJay Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 Hi LJay - welcome to the forum! Being able to choose your exact set in the app really doesn't matter - although the Sunset Speedway should be in all the versions (Apple, Android and Amazon Fire) of the 2018-19 app. However, it won't be in the App Race Control (Legacy) app, which is the pre-2018 version. The red light will stay flashing until the app is connected to the powerbase. It should connect automatically when you launch the app (although it might take 5-10 seconds). Connecting via your device Bluetooth settings won't work. If you have an Android device, make sure GPS/location is on and all permissions are granted for the ARC app. The very latest Apple version will connect, but there are a couple of glitches with the Calibration process which means it is best to use the older Legacy app for now. I have written a guide to racing with the ARC app which might be useful: https://slotracer.online/arc-pro-guide/index.html Let us know how you get on. I hope you are up and racing with the app very soon. Merry Christmas!That’s great - thanks Andy ... Really appreciate the reply on Boxing Day!I‘ll have a read through and start again from scratch - hopefully I can get it to connect but I would have hoped that you could plug it in and play ... hopefully the answer is in your guide though!! I’ll let you know how we get on - Thanks againIt was a very comprehensive manual thanks Andy but I’m starting to think I’ve just got a faulty product. I manged to calibrate 1 car - the 2nd car just doesn’t move and the 3rd car causes a power surge when you try to calibrate it .... now the first car doesn’t move either and the Powerbase is back to flashing red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcote Posted December 28, 2019 Share Posted December 28, 2019 Hi LJay. ARC Pro is a complex system with various components, so requires a methodical approach when something isn't working as it should. The first thing is to test without the app. If everything works fine, then the issue is probably a software (app) problem. If there are problems running without the app, then there is a hardware issue - that could be a car, a digital chip, a controller, the track or the powerbase. It's then a case of working through each car (connecting them all to the red controller) seeing if they are all the same, or there is a problem with just one. That's what I mean by methodical. If a car is not moving or shorts out the powerbase (power overload) then I would check the car. I would first check the braid plate is correctly aligned. There should be a diagram in the set intructions. The set instructions and ARC Pro Quick Start Guide are really important to find your way around a new set. A power overload often happens because the braids are crossed - they should run straight back. If a car doesn't move (or runs at full power) then a faulty or blown chip could be the issue. Swap the digital plugs around the cars and see if the problem follows the car or the chip. The controllers are also worth checking - that they are switched on (not in sleep mode), the batteries have enough charge (good quality alkaline batteries - Energizer or Duracell - will work for months, rechargeables can lose their charge quite quickly) and the controllers are connected to the correct colours on the powerbase. You can tell which colour a controller is connected to by switching all the controllers off and then switch on one at a time - the corresponding light on the powerbase will come on. Of course, the car also needs to be connected to the correct colour. The track is often an issue if you have a permanent power overload with all cars and at all times. Something metallic might be crossing the rails - a piece of braid, a screw etc. It's a case of going round the track and checking. If the issue is the powerbase, then the fault will still happen if you remove the powerbase from the layout and power it up on its own. It is worth checking there is not braid or a screw shorting the rails on the powerbase - turn it upside down and give it a good shake. If you get all the hardware working fine without the app, then it is time to look at the software side. It might be you've solved all the issues. If you haven't, then the 'Preparation' and 'Troubleshooting' sections of my ARC Pro app guide are probably the best to look at. Don't forget that there is a currently a glitch with the iOS (Apple) version of the app with some users during the Calibration process. The Android and Fire versions are fine. The older App Race Control (Legacy) app can be a usefull tool to see if you have an install or compatibility issue with the latest app. I hope that helps. As I said, a methodical approach - even writing down each step and the result - will help you diagnose, understand and fix most problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJay Posted December 31, 2019 Author Share Posted December 31, 2019 Hi LJay. ARC Pro is a complex system with various components, so requires a methodical approach when something isn't working as it should. The first thing is to test without the app. If everything works fine, then the issue is probably a software (app) problem. If there are problems running without the app, then there is a hardware issue - that could be a car, a digital chip, a controller, the track or the powerbase. It's then a case of working through each car (connecting them all to the red controller) seeing if they are all the same, or there is a problem with just one. That's what I mean by methodical. If a car is not moving or shorts out the powerbase (power overload) then I would check the car. I would first check the braid plate is correctly aligned. There should be a diagram in the set intructions. The set instructions and ARC Pro Quick Start Guide are really important to find your way around a new set. A power overload often happens because the braids are crossed - they should run straight back. If a car doesn't move (or runs at full power) then a faulty or blown chip could be the issue. Swap the digital plugs around the cars and see if the problem follows the car or the chip. The controllers are also worth checking - that they are switched on (not in sleep mode), the batteries have enough charge (good quality alkaline batteries - Energizer or Duracell - will work for months, rechargeables can lose their charge quite quickly) and the controllers are connected to the correct colours on the powerbase. You can tell which colour a controller is connected to by switching all the controllers off and then switch on one at a time - the corresponding light on the powerbase will come on. Of course, the car also needs to be connected to the correct colour. The track is often an issue if you have a permanent power overload with all cars and at all times. Something metallic might be crossing the rails - a piece of braid, a screw etc. It's a case of going round the track and checking. If the issue is the powerbase, then the fault will still happen if you remove the powerbase from the layout and power it up on its own. It is worth checking there is not braid or a screw shorting the rails on the powerbase - turn it upside down and give it a good shake. If you get all the hardware working fine without the app, then it is time to look at the software side. It might be you've solved all the issues. If you haven't, then the 'Preparation' and 'Troubleshooting' sections of my ARC Pro app guide are probably the best to look at. Don't forget that there is a currently a glitch with the iOS (Apple) version of the app with some users during the Calibration process. The Android and Fire versions are fine. The older App Race Control (Legacy) app can be a usefull tool to see if you have an install or compatibility issue with the latest app. I hope that helps. As I said, a methodical approach - even writing down each step and the result - will help you diagnose, understand and fix most problems.Hey Andy,Firstly, thank you for taking the time to write such in-depth replies you really are going above and beyond and for that I’m extremely grateful as I’m sure other members are who you’ve helped in the past!i will sit down and go through each point step by step and hopefully a resolution... I really don’t want to have the box back halfway across the world!Apolgies for taking so long to get back to you but I thought I would get a notification if anyone replied to a post but that doesn’t seem to be happening, reagardleas will attack the problem over the next few days and hopefully work out the problem and fix it! As it stands though it just doesn’t work full without the app - although not working with it either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJay Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 Hi Guys,Just a follow up to the problem i was having....I got on the phone with one of the guys from Hornby Hobbies and went through step by step - The Cars, the track, the power base etc. The conclusion was that for whatever reason 2 of the cars were shorting out the track.They very quickly sent out 2 new cars which work like a dream and havent experienced any problems since!!I've returned the other cars back so they can test and work out where the fault was exactly - hopefully they can find something that can help in the future or maybe in was just one of those things?!?Either way, thanks for the interest in my issues, particularly Andy / Woodcote - your time is your most vaulable commodity and you gave / give plenty of it to help "us" all out! Thank you again.Can't speak highly enough of Hornby Hobbies either - they were great through the whole process!!Happy racing!LJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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