Arc Pro

[Blagard]

It feels like a scalextric announcement of release of the arc pro must be due round about now. In time for Christmas...... 

I wait eagerly to hear more please 

It was years ago that it was first announced so don't hold your breath. It is a great shame but I do wonder if it will ever get released. I have seen many old time favourite hobbies bite the dust with only a very small loyal following to keep it going. Housing is smaller today than years ago so space is against scalextric generally. I would grab the existing digital set up now if you want digital.

[Blagard]

As I am unable to edit my last post I would add that since that Nov '16 indicator of the Arc Pro powerbase availability it would be prudent to wait until November just it case it does actually materialise.  Unfortunately I checked the Pendles list for other items, one of the proposed Oct16 releases C3755 but no sign of that. Also C3696 not yet released but timed for December (Was September).

 

The French seem to have a date of 31//3/2017 if the link below is to be believed

 

http://www.slotcar-union.com/en/scalextric-power-controllers/1046-scalextric-c8435-digital-rcs-pro-5010963584351.html

 

 

[Blagard]

With ARC Pro now available for Pre-order and an estimated release of Q4 2017, I have to wonder if it will still happen. After all, last time it was earmarked for Nov 2016 but got scrapped in April 2016.

 

I welcome the news although it is far too early and uncertain to tie up the sum involved. Good that a couple of controllers are included but I would need to also budget for the other 4 needed to complete the set and another power supply as it will still need a pair to run 4 or more cars. (power for the cars is not going to change is it!).

 

I will have to ask the question, but I wonder if the additional controllers / power supply can be added to a pre-order because it is no good them being supplied in advance of the only powerbase they would be used on with the potentail of the base being withdrawn. Likewise buying the powerbase with Scalextric running out of controllers would be most unfortunate to! - Note the current absence of simple extension leads for wired digital controllers, out of stock where ever you look.

 

Some sort of shake up needs to happen to stop similar issues re-occurring

[Popiet]

Hi and I wish you all a very happy new year.

As it happends every year ARC PRO is ... postponed !!!

Do you really want to pre order something that have been announced in 2013 ?

Moreover the price grows as the delayed time ... and as someone already said adding 4 non wired controllers will make the while cost very expensive.

Not for me ! too late

[F for Freddie]

Hi and I wish you all a very happy new year.

As it happends every year ARC PRO is ... postponed !!!

Do you really want to pre order something that have been announced in 2013 ?

Moreover the price grows as the delayed time ... and as someone already said adding 4 non wired controllers will make the while cost very expensive.

Not for me ! too late

I am optimistic that Scalextric will deliver this time. Its has too this time. I am so confident I have even Pre-ordered it myself and it WILL do everything and more than the current Digital 6PB and will have a lot of nice extra features. The French appear to be inline to get it first in March 2017? Hopefully the added features will make this extra fun for all. As to the price its cheaper than current Digital 6PB and includes a power transformer! If you are Scalextric Member its even cheaper! 

[Blagard]

Forget the French advert - they really won't get it any earlier.

 

Remember that you will need the pit lane package to make use of a lot of the apps features. When a car has to stop iin digital it needs to be in the pits as the two main lanes are clear for even just one remaining car to use.

 

Extra controllers at £22 each and an extra £42 for the power supply if you want 4+ cars does not make it cheap, add the pit lane if you don't have it already and it is quite an expence.

[peter_brady]

I have purchased the arc air over Christmas even though I still really want the arc pro. 

Logic being the 2 controllers on air will be usable on pro and possibly the transformer! 

I have now pre ordered the arc pro. So if/when it comes out I will have 4 controllers and 2 transformers from day 1.

I have all the other digital track from owning the platinum set and selling the powerbase 3 years ago. What a mistake that was. But my kids are young and I thought I could be patient.... 

I just hope the transformers for arc air is the same for arc pro. 

Christmas surprise with the arc air was short lived as the power Base was supplied with a 2 pin plug. So it still hasn't been played yet as I wait for jadlam to replace the transformer. 

You need thick skin to be a scalextric fan

[Blagard]

The digital power bases take a higher ampage transformer typically 15V at 4A but it is possible the new powerbase might run with less current but I doubt it as they still have to power more cars than analogue.

https://www.scalextric.com/uk-en/shop/spares-accessories/digital-accessories/digital-15v-4-amp-transformer.html

 

 

Do your controllers have the two buttons so you have both brake and lane change on the top? - I just wondered as the illustrations and controllers now being sold do have two on top  See the box photo in the link below

 

https://www.scalextric.com/uk-en/shop/power-controllers/arc-air-pro-hand-controller.html

 

[peter_brady]

I see my plan falls apart. 

The arc air controller has one button for brake. No lane change button. 

And the transformer is 15v 1.2amp. Not 4amp needed for pro power Base. 

So buying the pro power Base plus 2 extra controllers and additional transformer will total around £200.

[Andy P.]

Buttons:

[Blagard]

Andys link made easy:  😉

 

Now do you think scalextric will supply a lane change plastic button and stanley knife to cut out for the hidden lane change button?  I think not, but it does beg the question just what are they thinking! 

 

Given the delays in the ARC Pro, is that hidden button going to work, or does it somehow mess up ARC Air if you use it. All manner of questions can be guessed including will the next chipset be any different or have different programming to it, if indeed it is programmable. Note it is estimated the two button one will come out in May. The only reason I can see for hiding it is because they have not committed that part to the "Pro" design at that time for whatever reason.

[peter_brady]

Scalextric arc air up and running. Loads more power than the arc powerbase. 

I hope the batteries don't need replacing too often because it's a bit of a fiddle unscrewing the controller every time. 

Pace car runs in lane 2 only. I couldn't get it to work in lane 1. Not much in the way of instructions or online guides. But I will have another look. 

The wireless controllers. Priceless. So much more comfortable to play now. 

[Blagard]

The latest on ARC Pro is the estimated release date is no longer Q4 2017 but Winter 2017 which in my mind puts it firmly at the back end of 2017 rather than the early part of Q4.

 

I was reading through the thread  and noticed some discussion on the Pit Stop aspect. It cannot work the same way ARC Air/One does simply because in digital you have to be in the right lane to enter the real pit lane and the software cannot force you into the right lane. So it would have to work on the basis of the driver obeying the call to pits and/or getting a penalty if they don't within a lap or two. In the real world if you ignore a pit call you run the risk of fuel / tyres expiring and the car not finishing, that would seem one way to ensure the driver is alert to such things!

[tony_white1]

ok guys the lack of information is getting ridiculous

I want to push the button on the pre order for a shiny new 'ARC Pro' Pb

4 new controllers and probaby the second power supply to power the show..

I want to buy it but the scalextric info is bretty bad by any standard...

/media/tinymce_upload/3d1631cf4306d7ebe2a2051f93f936ee.jpg

Working with functions above... I want details and compatibility info etc before spending the hard earned!

We already have digital platinum and puchased stacks of track lane changers cars digital modules pit lane added rcs64 and usb computer connections etc (we take it pretty seriously now)

function 1: kers = how is it acheived additional button? is it adjustable through app?

function 2: lane changing, presume same as digital platinum

function 3: multicar, presume same as digital platinum

function 4: rumble pack, presume same as a play station, cool addition to the driving experiance! (big tick) 

function 5: brakes, presume same as digital platinum

function 6: weather, what and how is going to be acheived what will the user experience?

function 7: five and out, what is the light display tower? additional extra light gantry? hows it going to work

function 8: lap counter presume on the tablet etc

function 9: pit stop, (my big major want to know) how will this work, how does pitting work with or without pit lane how does the system know which car is in pit lane, how does it know if car is stationry in pit lane etc (will be talked about later)

function 10: tyre change (weather seems straight forward) but will it measure soft vs hard difference measuring how much throttle vs braking will degrade tyres so smooth drivers will get rewarded....or modify the feel of the throttle profile to simulate stickier tyres etc or less pridictable for wets etc

function 11: fuel usage will it be affected by trottle usage, more throttle burns more fuel, user modifiable car tank sizes, so it can be used as a handicapping devices, fuel fill speed so good drivers have linger stationry times

function 12: stats, sounds cool but it proably just give really basic stats...

As an overall, we really want to make sure that we can do what btcc, f1, lemans and aussie v8s have to do...other programs do it (SSDC and RCS64)... or at least hand the usb interface codes and info to these software guru's (then we would just to continue with the software of our choice)

another annoyance you cant even trial the app on ipad or android for example because you need power base to even try all the functions...so overall you are expected to spend a stack of cash on a thing that has less instructions that a garden rake!

RCS64 for example has used smart sensors optical under the track that sense the cars in pit, it automatically slows the car (or even stops it) opens the pit menus so you can short fill, change tyres. It also registers crash points stopping car for damage=pitt time for repair, cars get faster as the fuel loads gets burned off... software basically simulates all aspects of real racing.. it also creates a yellowflag stopped or slowed if a car is off off track automatically..it also does roation for any number of drivers on the 6 controllers so all can rotate through each car on race days

what are the details guys...the world wants to know if it is worth spending the cash on this, or knowing it is compatible with the existing equipment (because i would love the arc system and wireless rumble controllers with pit sensors to be compatible with rcs64 or ssdc software for advanced racing (the app being used for knock around days)

Tell us, Mr scalextric how good this system is and why we should spend money on it!

from an avid scalextric fan and user

 

[peter_brady]

There is platinum arc pro set for preorder - the look of the pictures tells me there is a simple set up for pit lanes! I have all the bits - sold the pit lane game even though it would have looked nice as decoration at least.

Is it all finally coming together now.........

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[Jaitu]

Very curious to know how the ARC PRO interacts with the pitlane. How does it differentiate the 'pitlane' from any other alternate route via single lane changer? Is this a new pitlane piece?

[Mike Indiana]

Hello, 

I have a large 4 lane analog track that is part classic - part sport. I have pretty much decided to move to digital when the ArcPro comes out. I believe it will be best to switch to two lanes for part of the track where the power supply will be. I assume I will need to use the pit lane tracks to switch from two to four lanes and back. I also want to use two pit lane sets in the pits with a crossover track to make a two lane pits. Is it known yet if that is doable with the ArcPro? I read through some of the other questions about pit tracks but didn't see an answer. 

Thank You!

[Blagard]

With Digital you can do all that and whatever you want as all tracks effectively become one big one with the cars able to go on any lane you want. So at least you then be able to race six cars at once. Definately get the extra power supply as well - The ARC Pro will come with one but it is pushing it for four cars so the extra power from the second transformer is the way to go.

 

You will know that all your Analogue cars will need digital chips or modules to run and that will be a further expense.

[Mike Indiana]

Thank You Blagard!

Sounds great. Just gonna get pricey. Yes I know I will need to get chips for cars. I'm not sure most of my cars are worth upgrading. I have four cars from other makers that are nice and worth the chip. I believe I know what to do to make the Scalextric chip work in those cars. I am thinking about getting the Pro Platinum Set when it comes out. That would give me one pit set, two crossover tracks, and the Arc Pro. I'll need to get the other power supply, like you suggest. 

[steve_strong]

 Any news on Arc Pro, and what its exspecting to have or do? im preety gutted at the slow pace of this to be fare of scalextric, Carrera are walking away with all the honours at the moment, 6 car race plus two ghost car racing, pit lane pull off then re join area, safety car feature, and theyve been playing with all these features for ages now, where are you scalextric your falling behind, i loved scalextric but getting to the point of changing brand, your taking to long. 

[gorp]

You must be new, cause carrera is on their 3rd restart of their digital system while scaly digitals cars from the beginning work on the original updated system.

Actually was going to go with carrera digital before scaly came out because their  ads were so enticing but then finally got a chance to try it and it sucked big time so went to my local scaly dealer who also was a big carrera fan and tried to discourage me from buying scaly but the unknown was better than known then and thats why have always used the superior scaly digital.

Could tell you how poorly 1/32 carrera cars were compared to scaly but best to say that only have 1 that no one else made and its original owner ripped out all the digital parts and switches to use it.

Owned a couple of their 1/24 but they ran on my revell track at slow whale speed compared to my 60s antiques. 

 Other digital system have come and gone too ie artin, ninco, and remaining is the loner scx. on its second version as a orphan.

The advanced took forever coming out too because I had developed the glad system before it came out to add up to 6 lanes of analog to the pb 6 and 4 to pb4.

A frustrated carrera user gave me the idea after he converted his to analog use and owners of slotit and scorpus provided chip and fuse advice while scaly england donated parts and encouragement.

Others at the time before the advanced added the sh to pb6 making pbpro-sh which is still an awesome powerbase.

Today the only real choice over scaly and carrera is the slotit system, if you can afford it.

If you check the net you will see that stock of advanced sets are being cleared out in the states and price reduced in England.

The arc pro is coming now and will be great with wireless controllers allowing the placement of the powerbase anywhere on the track thus solving track layout and space problems always there with wired controllers.

Patience is a virtue.

[Askham]

When is "now". I have digital Scalextric and would love the functions of ARC but have waited in patience until the Pro digital version is here. 

 

Looking forward to it :-) But when? 

[gorp]

"coming" in last paragraph is a mistake

please change to "preorder"

[gorp]

Checked this morning and arc pro base is no longer listed as preorder in states

but England has it still as preorder for oct.

[Andy P.]

It's not uncommon for announcements to be made at or right after the big uK slot car festival in May.

I don't know anything for sure that is just based on past experience..