AlexAlbon

It occurs to me that slot car controllers are too basic.

Even the expensive ones with lots of knobs have a trigger that moves one way, the more you press it down the more 'go' you get. Some have brakes, that come on when you let go of this trigger, but the brake amount is on one of those knobs, and is the same every time you let go. You could in theory adjust the knob whilst racing, but in practice that is not possible with cars that cover 300 inches per second.

So, given that even a basic RC controller has variable brake and accelerate at the end of a digit, and even has what slot car racers call coast (Trim), could the idea by adapted into a slot car controller, and how would it be done?

chuck_thehammer

sure.. if you can live with all the added weight... radio, battery (maybe) then motor controller.. different motor..

so it becomes a Hybrid.... slot and radio car.

the rc guy

no not practical at all the added weight will slow ur 300 ips down.

AlexAlbon

Inches per second TRCG.

I just lost a long reply.

Tired now.

Bear in mind I can't post images yet.

The power to the car would still come from the slot car track rails, there would be no 'radio'.

It would be more about either adapting the slot car controller so it acts more like an RC 'gun' trigger, with it's resting point and 2 way action, or converting an RC controller that has that into a slot car controller.

big ted

iTrader: (2)

I think you'd essentially be modifying the r/c receiver to interface with the slot car power supply to the track. Shouldn't be too hard to make a circuit to take the receiver throttle output & use it to control the voltage to the slots...

waitwhat

iTrader: (4)

Think of a slot car controller as a mechanical wiper speed control. You could probably get an esc with the correct voltage capacity and hook it up how the slot car controller hooks up. Then use your transmitter and receiver to control the esc. I'd be surprised to find a group of slot car racers that would be happy to see someone do well with something different, or even a track owner that would let you try something different.

I want to build a slot car with an esc and a brushless motor. There are electronics small enough to do this, but if the car ever crashed and landed backwards on the track it would be like plugging the battery in backwards. Maybe it could work for a drag slot car.

With not having to steer, you use the adjustments on a fancy slot car controller with your non-throttle hand. Just gotta be quick because slot cars move so fast for how tiny they are.

AlexAlbon

The steering brings in an interesting consideration, which I will come back to.

I have tried to adjust in the way you describe, but it is horrible. The ergonomics of a standard slot car controller make anything beyond the one trigger pull heavily compromised.

So far, within the hobby of slot cars, reaction to the idea has been mostly negative. But then these same guys were the same about the Russkit style of controller back when they all used plungers, and are negative about 3D printing and the like.

Having said that, there are plenty of clubs that would allow one to plug something in so long as it uses the standard connection. It sound like you are advocating some kind of box that would have an Rx and esc inside it, the box would plug into the standard connection trackide, and the Tx (optionally) into the box from the other side.

Can I post pictures? I know some forums stop newbies doing that.

AlexAlbon

The steering part of the RC controller would be for Digital slot car racing, where 8 cars can race on two lanes, and change lanes.

jpeck

iTrader: (16)

Keep in mind that some of these slot controllers are now Electronic / FET based, have dib switches for fine tuning, can cost well over $600, and have adjustments for things like punch, brake strength, etc. I raced flat track slots for a couple years and had a ball, but never jumped very deep due to cost of the newer FET controllers.

1/8 IC Fan

iTrader: (102)

In slot car racing the simpler the better. You are looking to introduce complex electronics into a very basic sport. Want to kill a hobby, that is how you kill a hobby!!!! Slot cars are fun and simple and have been that way forever... why change???

1/8 IC Fan

iTrader: (102)

like what Carrera did in the 70/80's??

AlexAlbon

Digital is much more sophisticated than Servo.

AlexAlbon

I'm not looking to do that, although complex electronics already exist in some of the controllers. Slot cars have not been 'that way' universally for years, never mind forever.

I'm looking to have the same kind of trigger even a cheap RC gun can have. If that involves complex electronics then so be it.

The ergonomics, or lack of, are the big deal. There is a dial that sets how much brake is applied when the trigger is at rest. What if the dial was place near the trigger, and was even connected to it? That would use everything inside the controller already, pretty much.

On this controller you can see the ergonomic problem. The wiring for brake and accelerate are all in there. But the knob and trigger are a long way apart, and they require totally different actions, a bit like the rub tummy/pat head thing. Compared to what a child can do with an almost throw-away RC 'gun', this is bonkers.

(Sorry, no image, which sucks. How many posts before I can add images? To see the image I wanted to use google 'slot car controller brake knob Truspeed Carrera-D')

waitwhat

iTrader: (4)

Are you talking about Scalextric type slot cars?

UK.hardcore

I see 2 ways, power the track with a fixed voltage and put a ESC + RX in the car, or leave the car as is and power the track with a ESC + RX.
Should be fairly easy to try.