54 replies to this topic

[Alchemist]

Paul,

 

I may build him a very slow rubber duckie

 

 

What about your Duckie dragster?!?!?!

 

Just gear it 12:1 - LOL!

 

Please share photos when the little guy starts to woop your "behind" on the track - LOL

 

You're a great grandfather Paul! ! !

 

Be well.

 

Ernie

[Bill from NH]

Two-year olds have a much shorter attention spans than a four-year old. Just don't expect too much, too soon, but have fun!

[Pablo]

After I opened the box of track parts, accessories, and cars several things were obvious:

 

-I got a great deal

-This is too much for a 2 year old

 

The kid is coming for a visit next weekend, and I hope to have it set up by then!

We will see if it "grabs him" or not.

 

My job today was to re-arrange my 8' X 12" master bedroom from a paint room and storage area, to a paint room and 1/32 slot car raceway. I re-arranged, consolidated, purged, and cleaned.

 

I went from this:

 

 

 

 

 

To this:

 

 

 

I hired a full time turn marshal (just kidding):

 

 

Hope to be racing at my new "local track" soon LOL

 

 

[John Streisguth]

Glad you liked what you got Pablo.  Just set up a small, simple oval with the power turned way down so he can just make it go on his own when he presses all the way on the controller.  If you're lucky, it might hold his attention for 2 minutes    (that's just the way kids are  LOL)

[Pablo]

As I was laying the track down my rat terrier seemed very interested.

Maybe I should make him a rat theme car, that would make his hairs stand up! LOL

 

 

Jeff and Jimmie are ready for the power supply 

 

 

 

[Pablo]

Several power supplies came from Johnny VW, but the variable one is a "BK Precision 1651", very sophisticated.

I printed out the 38 page owners manual 

 

 

 

[Pablo]

The 2 switches to set the voltage input for 120V are really confusing to me. Do I have them set correctly?

 

 

I see a connection for GROUND. Do I need it?

 

What is the normal volts and amps feed for a 1/32 home track? The A/B outlets go up to 5 amps.

But the gauge only goes up to 600 Ma?

[John Streisguth]

Yes, it's set correctly.  See where it indicates 120V? That's how the dipswitches are set. 

 

A/B outlets go up to 0.5 amps.  So the meters have a little in reserve

 

What ground are you talking about?

 

Everything worked fine for me...

[tonyp]

Have fun. I bought a Scaleletric set for my grandson when he was 8. The interest was about 10 minutes before he was back with the video games.

[Pablo]

Thanks John. I read the amps output wrong, it's .5 amps, not 5, .5 is 500Ma so that makes sense.

The ground is the green knob on left marked "GND"

 

But the AC converter is working so well and it stays cool, so I'm not going to employ the big power supply. Yet.

[John Streisguth]

 

I'm guessing the ground would be for when you are working with components that are electrostatically sensitive

[SpeedyNH]

you shouldn't need the green front panel load side ground terminal. half an Amp per output is pretty thin though if you're using one for each lane instead of paralleling them up. 

[Pablo]

Thanks guys. No ground needed, understood.

 

Grandson arrived last night and my goal was simply to see if it interested him, before unsnapping the track to make room for the guest airbed.

He was captivated. Mom helped him with the controller, and it seemed he understood the throttle makes the cars move and stop.

 

That's all the motivation I needed to plan an HO set for him for Xmas. I keep this track for myself 

Now I'm free to make it bigger, more lanes, banks, etc.

 

At one point he tested a controller to see if it would substitute as a cell phone 

 

New subject, if anybody plans to buy an airbed for guests, I am very pleased with the quality of this one from Walmart.

Mine is a queen for $70, very good value IMO. Air pump is an integral unit and whisper quiet. One slide switch "Inflate-Deflate-Off. Fills up in about a minute or less.

 

 

Doggone thing even has a headboard. My son, daughter-in-law, and child are not small people are they said it worked super. Highly recommended   

 

[Rotorranch]

Not sure I'd do HO for the kid. They are small and finicky, especially for a young kid. Too many little parts that could be put where it shouldn't be.

 

JMHO

 

Rotor

[Pablo]

You may be right. He's running around the house with a cane pole trying to shish-kabob things.

Maybe I should get him a Tonka truck this year and think about slot cars later .......

[John Streisguth]

LOL...and see my comment to Cheater about the rails needing to be cleaned all the time.  

[Pablo]

I loved having Noah here for 2 days, but I needed a break. At one point there was a pint of olive oil and Chex Mix on the kitchen floor. We cleaned that up then he was running down the hallway with channel lock pliers in one fist and a vacuum cleaner attachment in the other.

 

Today I found all my missing remote controls etc, cleaned house then JoJo and I slept all day 

[John Streisguth]

[Bill from NH]

Little kids can soon tire out an adult.    I recall when Aliyah was that age. 

[Pablo]

Bill, I need the exercise 

 

Guests are gone. Now the track is back; more technical than before. Just wait until I make a rat car for JoJo 

 

 

Is this the right place to ask the difference between analog and digital 1/32 home set slot cars?

Does it have something to do with lap timing? I'm totally clueless, but I'm learning fast 

[Isaac S.]

Analog is how pretty much everyone races. Digital lets you race on the same lane as another car. Very crazy and weird in my point of view. I say race like a normal person. You need a special track to race digital. Here is a video that kinda shows you the difference. https://www.youtube....h?v=OhzECpHwHZE

[John Streisguth]

Digital is in the cars and controller, from what I know about it.  Each brand has it's own system (they weren't smart like the model train people, who settled on one system to make the hobby grow).  The track is the same.  Scalextric even has a system called "ARC PRO", which uses a phone app and wireless controllers.  Go to their website to check it out.  It looks pretty cool, if I stayed with it I would have probably gone that route

[Isaac S.]

Huh, very interesting. Not what I have heard but you know much more than me. I don't understand how they pass other cars but maybe someone can answer that. 

[Pablo]

Thanks guys, that explains it. I'm an analog guy for sure. Next question, where is the best place to get the supports that raise the track for banking?

[Tim Neja]

Digital tracks have switch's from one lane to the other to change lanes with a button on the controller.  They are literally similar to train track switchs. 

The cars all have to have little decoders in them--and John is correct--none of the systems are compatible with the other--so you can't put Ninco cars with Scalextric etc.  VERY short sighted on the slot car manufacturer's part.  I"ve got one and NEVER use it--I just use the analog scalextric set for my grandsons now that I don't have a routed track.  But the routed track is coming next year!!