26 replies to this topic

[Ken Bryan]

This week I was given several boxes of old slot car items. Included among them is an MRC Endura controller from the '60s which appeared to be in working order.

Although the controller had red, white, and black clips, a light comes on inside the controller when I hook it up this way, and the controller doesn't work. Yet when I disconnect the red wire it works fine, albeit with no brakes.

Anyone know anything about these? Is it possible that it has a different polarity and should be hooked up in a different order? I seem to remember my old Cox controller had a different wiring sequence as well.

Thanks for any help.

Ken

[Champion 507]

Hi Ken,

Are you hooking it up to a home track or at a commercial racing center?

If you are at a commercial racing center you will need to cross-connect the black and white clips to the posts at the control panel. In other words, connect the white clip to the black post and the black clip to the white post. Red stays the same.

A few years ago, I dug out my old MRC and actually changed and resoldered the black and white wires inside the controller so I wouldn't have to think about it each time I hooked it up to the track... and it worked! I even entered an FCR race with it and won, beating out guys with the latest Parma Turbo controllers at the time!

Good luck with it!

[Bill from NH]

Doug,

Ken as a nice wooden track in his basement. If you look back through some blog posts of about six months ago, Ken made several posts with lots of photos while he lengthened it. He and some friends race 1/24 retro classes on it in eastern Washington, I believe. They post their race reports here on the blog as well.

I too once had an MRC controller, with a phono plug, but over the years it disappeared.

[Hworth08]

Hi Ken,

Doug is correct. Just cross the black and white, then just "tap" the red brake wire to see if it sparks. No sparks and you know you're correct.

I suppose all the American made controllers were first wired for LEFT postive, in the direction the cars were to travel, in the early days.

The light in the MRC controller was to alert the user that the controller was hooked up wrong. This option also included a self-resetting curcuit breaker to prevent damage.

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

Actually, the american tracks were always positive right as I remember. With MRC, for unknown reasons they had not wired to standard. Thus, switching the black and white. For a While Revell had GREEN and Black!

In the day, it was standard practice everhwere to hook up the brake first and then spark test for the correct hook up. Controller standardization was IN the FUTURE.

Fate

[Ken Bryan]

Thanks, everyone. I reversed black and white and the controller works great. I am surprised at the control, but of course the thumb is a little awkward.

I have an original Cox, a later Cox Pro, and now the MRC. If I wanted to do a true vintage race on my four-lane track, what should I get as the fourth controller?

Ken

[Hworth08]

For a true vintage race I'd add a Tower Stat and the father of the Parma, Russkit. Both of these will be wired like the MRC and might not even have white, black, and red wires that makes the spark test even more of a challenge!

[Horsepower]

Hi

Actually, the american tracks were always positive right as I remember. With MRC, for unknown reasons they had not wired to standard. Thus, switching the black and white. For a While Revell had GREEN and Black!

In the day, it was standard practice everhwere to hook up the brake first and then spark test for the correct hook up. Controller standardization was IN the FUTURE.

I'm surprised at you, Rock! In the early days, it was ALWAYS positive left looking in the direction of travel. Read your old Car Models!

When we were racing at Turek's on Archer and Harlem, I remember specifically that his track was wired according to all the stuff I read from Ray Hoy and Schleicher. Of course, it wasn't much of an issue as all the tracks I visited then had reversing switches, so the analog controllers worked either way.

In regards to the original post, I have about eight good MRC controllers and they were always my favorite, although a little big for my hand when I was 12 years old.

[TSR]

Most vintage controllers from the 1960s were wired "reverse". The Cox controllers are other examples.

[Prof. Fate]

Hi,

One of the 20 racers I know who are always faster than me with my own car in the day drove his MRC with his finger!

Schleicher and Hoy, and for that matter me, got into the field through the "Southport" convention in England in '57. And IT specified Positive Left. But I do guarantee you that, having known Schleicher like forever, that he is fond of pushing things that no one else did. In '65 spending the summer crossing the US, hitting an untold number of tracks in towns big and small, commercial tracks were right! Those of us who pre-dated the boom always complained. On Schelicher's home track, he only switched to right a few years ago. All during the dark ages, his home track was left.

Even better, he used STROMBECKER.

Fate

[gascarnut]

Of course, as always, remember that whether the positive rail was on the left or the right makes NO difference to the way the controller needs to be hooked up.

Ken, if you want to add another vintage thumb controller to your collection, then the series 2 MRRC controller would be a good one if you can find any. They looked like the Cox controllers, molded from red or blue plastic as I recall. The first series MRRC were the little blue barrels.

[idare2bdul]

When I came back to slots in late 1974 I was using my old thumb controller to drive womps. It worked fine but when I wanted to race Group 27 I had to upgrade to the then popular double-micro controllers. It took me awhile to feel that driving with the trigger finger was an advantage until I went back to the old controller and the difference was obvious.

[Prof. Fate]

Hi,

My blue barrel MRRC was my first proper controller. But it disappeared duing my move in '65 from North Carolina to the west. I haven't seen one since, an always wonder if it was as good as I remember. I had, from '65 on, the first of the Russkit trigger controllers and Coxes and MRCs. I kept them, I have a vague idea that the MRRC disappeared at a track I stopped at for an hour in the Midwest. I had not used it in over a year and I don't think I noticed it was gone until someone was asking about it.

Fate
(waxing nostalgic)

[Horsepower]

Dennis, remember that MRC and MRRC were two different controllers.

[TSR]

Gary, Dennis got it right...

There were several series of MRRC (UK) controllers. The last ones look like a combination of the Cox and Strombecker and were built in Japan, as most were anyway.

The MRC are of course Japanese and built for the Model Rectifier Corporation of NY, USA. ALL MRC controllers are large towers with no finger catches. The best is the "Varipower", an adjustable resistance unit. All have those cool lights inside to tell you if connected properly, visible through their translucent handles.

[tonyp]

A nice thing about the MRC controllers is they would not stick like the Cox would when they got really hot and were way smoother.

[gascarnut]

Dennis, remember that MRC and MRRC were two different controllers.

Gary,

I was answering this from request from Ken:

I have an original Cox, a later Cox Pro, and now the MRC. If I wanted to do a true vintage race on my four-lane track, what should I get as the fourth controller?

As Philippe stated (thank you, Philippe!) I did get it right. I try not to post unless I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about...

[Horsepower]

Dennis, remember that MRC and MRRC were two different controllers.

I'll be sure not to post any more fictitious, erroneous info like the above. It was my mistake assuming ANYONE could confuse MRC with MRRC.

[TSR]

Gary, many do so don't feel bad...
Dennis is a bit like me, a Slotblog menace with a sharp tongue!

[gascarnut]

I was not trying to be sharp with Gary or anyone else.

I was merely pointing out that I was replying to a specific question from the author of this now-hijacked thread. I certainly did not see anything in my reply that prompted the sarcasm of the response, but if there was, I apologize.

[Ken Bryan]

I had my original question answered (how to wire) and my second question answered (get an MRRC as the 4th vintage controller). After that, Dennis is right, the thread went adrift.

So, anybody have a serviceable MRRC controller they might want to sell or trade? Or does that move this thread to another category?

Ken

[Zippity]

We have a racer here in NZ who uses a MRRC thumb controller - an old one (controller) at that

Do you want me to see if he has access to any spares/old parts etc?

PS Have a look here: http://www.hobbiespl...rc-c-22_35.html

[Ken Bryan]

Nice website. I'm tempted by the one for sale but it is a little pricey this early in the search. If my currency converter is right it works to $55US plus shipping, etc.

Think I'll check around and see what I can find nearby, but I appreciate the help.

Ken

[Zippity]

I have a MRC Endura 800 10 ohm hand controller.

 

Is it of any use?

 

[TSR]

As a paperweight, yes.