12 replies to this topic

[edscars]

I got this controller box that's 4" long with a sticker labeled Dynapower, that was purchased along with some late '60s mostly Champion brand parts. Anyone know who made it and what it was for, aside from I assume connecting up a controller with phone jack type connections?

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim Difalco]

open it up and lets see the inside. Is the threaded bushing next to the switches a connector?

[old & gray]

OK ladies and gents place your bets.

 

I'm guessing there are mounts inside for D-cell batteries and the switches allow you to select the amount of reverse polarity brake you want.  

[Eddie Fleming]

All I see are pop-rivets. Was it intended to be opened? 

[Paul Menkens]

open it up and lets see the inside. Is the threaded bushing next to the switches a connector?

lt is a connector, a 1/4" phone jack. My guess would be that you plug the TRS plug on top into the track and your controller into the jack, maybe the switches change to polarity or something

[edscars]

Thanks for the comments guys. It appears that you were all on the right track.  I'd never tried opening it before, since I thought it was riveted shut as Eddie was thinking. But it did open right up. It's powered by 2 "C" batteries that luckily never leaked, and the metal is stamped Keystone Electronics, NY. in a couple of places. Whether that means that was the manufacturer of the whole device or just the aluminum housing, I don't know. Jim, that bushing is smooth on the inner wall, so it might be a connector for a controller jack, as Paul M. is thinking.  Bob S. might be right as to the purpose of the box. Let me know what you all think, if the pictures of the insides tell you anything.

 

In the picture #2104, it looks like the circuit boards are made of two different materials, the one on the left appearing more like wood grained compared to the one on the right, for what that's worth. Not sure why, but probably no matter really.

Attached Images

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[Bill from NH]

Yes, that "connector" is the female part of a phono jack as Paul previously mentioned. The Mr Raceways tracks of the '60s came with one at each driver position in addition to the red, white, & black posts for clips. When you installed a phono plug on a controller, you had to make certain the plug's wiring was correct to prevent shots. Those batteries might be much newer than the box.

[Paul Menkens]

Yes, that "connector" is the female part of a phono jack as Paul previously mentioned. The Mr Raceways tracks of the '60s came with one at each driver position in addition to the red, white, & black posts for clips. When you installed a phono plug on a controller, you had to make certain the plug's wiring was correct to prevent shots. Those batteries might be much newer than the box.

My local track was a Mr.Raceways so it deff had 1/4" plugs, l never saw anybody use them though. the other raceways in Burlington had them on the Royal at Burlington Gran Prix and the Yelo at Burlington Speedway, those could have been added for the rental controllers though. Those batteries are pretty old, lucky they didn't leak or the inside would be a bog mass of corrosion! They were made just down the road from my house!

[Samiam]

Those Evereadys are nice. Collectable   

[Bill Seitz]

Keystone Electronics is still in business making a variety of hardware type items (enclosures, battery holders, sockets, connectors, PWB material, etc.) related to electronics. In this case, Keystone made the battery holder being used here, and they might have also manufactured the aluminum project box the whole thing is housed in.  The "circuit boards" are just variation in phenolic used in the slide switch assemblies - they're part of the switches.

 

As has already been mentioned, this does seem to be a "brake box". Since cars of the 60's usually had weak dynamic brakes, a reverse polarity brake battery helped. I used a single "telephone" battery, but this box looks like it could apply 1.5 or 3 volts depending on the switch settings.

[edscars]

Thanks Bill for all the info. I don't know if it was built by someone from 'scratch' starting with Keystone parts you mentioned, or if some slot car company basically did the same and branded it Dynapower. Sometimes with oddball items it's hard to tell for sure.

[88honcho]

The switches, plug and jack are Switchcraft (Japan) brand. Keystone was the importer of those components.

 

This unit served two purposes.

 

1- The outboard mounted slide switch is for on/off 3 volt (only) reverse braking. 

 

2- The switch in the center is to reverse the polarity.

 

Some driver station panels had a polarity switch, some didn't.

Rewiring the controller plug at the track was never a fun task, The switch on the Dynapower solved the problem if the track didn't have a polarity switch at the driver panel.

[Flathead]

It is indeed the "HighJack Dynapower" powered brake box. Here is mine with same original batteries (no leaks! Looks like old batteries were built better) and all the labels intact showing what the switches do, one for polarity and one to switch between normal dynamic and power brakes.