This is the bigger four lane set correct ? I have the smaller one ! Doesn’t compare to this set ! I should have paid extra and got this one . Did you add anything extra to it ?
Great video! I’ve done this with my track, but took it one step farther. Since I couldn’t justify the cost of wireless controllers, and was already planning on extending my controller cables, I decided to make three of my five call button junction boxes pull double duty. I cut the offset RJ-12 plugs from my controllers, leaving a pigtail to splice into; and I crimped standard RJ-11 plugs onto the controllers. Then, I spliced into the pigtails and extended them in pairs to the call button boxes. (1 & 2 to the first, 3 & 4 to the second, 5 & 6 to the third.) I carefully cut holes in the junction boxes to accept RJ-11 modular jacks. After snapping them into place, I reinforced each with a healthy glob of hot glue. Now these three call buttons each act as a driver station for a pair of controllers. (The other two are for marshals.) You just put your car on the track, plug your controller into the port on the side of the call button box and you’re good to go. With a 17 x 6 foot table and over 75 ft of track, we couldn’t all be huddled around the CU. Now we’ve got elbow room easy access to a call button from everywhere. Thanks for the video. Keep up the good work! 👍🏼
My Carrera Evolution track uses a three-wire positive common setup for the track wiring, and as such a friend and I were able to design and build a ghost car controller for it with a small PWM module. I also have another PWM module wired to the 12 volt lines of an old computer power pack, which I use to power my tyre truer, keeping the speed of the tyre down and avoiding overheating and destroying the tyre.
Tom, Thanks for making this video. If you could just clarify how the call buttons connect to each other before the control unit. I’m not very knowledgeable regarding electronics. Thanks Tom
just run a wire (2 conductor) from each call button to the other. It doesn't matter what side of the wire goes to what side of the button. It's just like hooking up a set of speakers. Just make sure if you are using the buttons in the video that you have the wire connected to the correct posts.
Thanks for posting Tom but but do you have an idea to operate an analog Lap Counter using the Position Tower Carrera 30357. I saw someone on the French Net offering a TekSlots box with this option?
I have seen that information also but I am not sure how they are doing it. I do not have a carrera tower so I have no way to experiment. If I ever get one in the future, I will be sure to post a video.
@@tomsidener Hello Tom, I am following up on my research to make an analog rev counter work with the same digital Position Tower Carrera 30357. At first, the question was how to recover a signal from the analog car? I found an explanation of the method in this video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t3_z0xptzQ4.html The trick is to drill a hole on the track just before the original infrared receiver to put an infrared transmitter this time. When the car equipped for the occasion with a small reflector paper passes over the first hole, the emitted signal will bounce down onto the receiver of the second hole and thus trigger the counting. The problem now is how to connect this additional transmitter? Do you have any ideas? Thanks again!
Yes you could use a hub. It works both ways. You can wire them all direct to the main connection coming out of the controller, or you can daisy chain them. I wired the close ones directly back and daisy chained a couple that were fairly far from the main connection (to save wire).
@@chrissimone4916 I think company is 132 Models...look at Swiftslots video from Gaydon SlotFest...he puts Robin figure in car and lists where he got it from...
They are 4x8 but I had to add about 16 inches to the middle. (5.5X8). It was very frustrating that it did not fit on 2 4x8 tables as I originally intended.
Hello again, l’ve since looked through some of your videos, it seems as if you built a 1.5x13 foot section and placed it between the two 8x4 tables?Thanks Chris
Hello, i’ve viewed your newest video of the four lane policar track. is that layout built on two8 x 4 tables? I’m sorry I could not leave a comment on that video. Chris
This is great. I love how you go through each card. Will you be doing any more of these expansions? I recently purchased Thunderstone Quest and it's nice to see walkthroughs of the cards and other components.
I have added amazon links in the description for the parts I used for this project. These links are Amazon affiliate links and If you buy from them, it helps out the channel. Thanks as always.
@Ayera11 I have another video where I show how to communicate with smart race. I have a link to some code in that video description you can look at. Unfortunately I do not have the code to stop the race because I do not own that smart race module. The module to yellow flag the race is an add on module I have not purchased.
Here is a link to that video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ALt0CYZ2Pqo.html Here is a link to the code. tomsidenerpoems.blogspot.com/2023/12/wifi-board-include-httpsarduino.html
i'm sorry, but i don't understand the problem with the pwm modules, as long as they are in series with the motor, it shouldn't be a problem? i.e, thev take the positive wire (+), modulate it, pass through the positive road-rail, trough the motor, onto the common negative road-rail (-)? the module also need a ground (-) of course, for the circuit to function. using a transistor like this ought to work, i believe
Unfortunately they do not modulate the positive wire (only the negative). The policar only allows the pass back of the positive lead through the connector. You would have to rewire the power unit to get it to work.
@@tomsidener im struggling to see the problem, not meaning to be a bother, but these modules should in practice function like a potentiometer/variable resistor, used in the same placement as the original pot. alternatively you could grab the positive lead form somewhere, and run it directly to through the pwm mod, into the possitive road rail, surely this would work. -in function, the negative output from the pwm becomes the positive input to the car. all road rails shared a common ground right? otherwise, there might lye my confusion :)
oh no, shame on me, i understand now, it took me a while to figure what you ment, english is my second language🤭 but another rout that WOULD work is using a simple trasistor or mosfet, and a cheap microcontroller to pwm control it, like an arduino connected with a pot to adjust the timing, i have done so with a three phased motor from a hdd (BLDC motor), and got it up to 7000 rpm. well, good luck, i like your project, hence the spamming of comments :D
@@benjaminandersen1097 I tried everything I could think of and I could not get it to work. Yes the rails share a common ground but that ground does not pass back through the controller. If you are able to get it to work, please let me know because I would much rather use the PWM than the Rheostat.
@@benjaminandersen1097 The controllers that come with the track modify the positive rail only. The positive power runs through the controller, gets modified by the Rheostat and then passed back to the positive rail. The ground gets passed to the controller but does not get passed back to the track. The three wires in the controller jack are positive out, negative out, and positive back.
Hey Tom, I came across your recent video on making a Slot Car Analog Ghost Car Controller and wanted to say thanks for sharing such a helpful DIY project! It's always great to see practical solutions like this for enthusiasts like us. Looking forward to more of your innovative ideas!
Damn Tom, when you said they’re loose on the track, you weren’t kidding, I have 2 revoslot cars, but have only ran them on my policar track, they don’t slide around like that, but they tip over real easy 😂 I don’t have magnets in mine either
@@tomsidener I haven’t done any tuning on them yet, I have the Datsun 510, and ford escort, they’re a little top heavy anyway compared to the viper and corvette. They also jump out of the slot if I gun it, need to experiment with some weight, body float and so on. Just need to find the time to do it
Lots of info here. what I do I just use a controller and wrap the leads around it holding the trigger to the speed I need or if you really are into this just get a old controller take the spring off and just move the trigger in the position needed for the speed you want the car to go.
Hello Tom, very cool. Your video just reminded me to buy the great set too. I saw this a few weeks ago but forgot about it. I was just lucky enough to get one of the last boxes... Greetings from Germany, Carsten
You have a nice big table to set up your track, I didn’t have that, had to build mine more in a straight figure 8. I bought the drift set before I bought that set just to test out how the track is, and it comes with R1 curves, so I was able to build a 6 lane,
I can't imagine how big 6 lane is. I almost bought the drift set to get r1 curves but after I saw how big this set was, I decided against it. I guess down the road I could maybe add 2 more lanes. How did you do power on 5 & 6? Upside down 1 and 2?
@@tomsidener actually I messed that up, lol, I had 2 lanes going the wrong way! That’s why I didn’t do a video. I think you might have to change the polarity on third.
Also, your track won’t be bigger if you buy the drift set, you’ll be just filling in the inside of your layout, and you’ll also need 1or2 boxes of straight pieces extra, I think
I purchased my Policar track system a year ago and it was the best decision I could have made. The quality is really good, the fitting of the track is very tight und the grip level is outstanding.
@@tomsidener I added a box to my Carrera track so I can do Analog and Digital. I am think about a Policar track after we get rid of some things in the basement. My wife is very understanding.
Nice video and explanation. I went through similar iterations on a call button. Actually did something similar on my previous SCX track. Out of interest, did you consider using the Smart Race Connect app which allows for individual driver info stations and call buttons for each driver on their cell phones? When racing we currently use that app which allows for a VSC mode, virtual safety cars. During this mode The app announces who caused the stoppage, slows down all traffic on the track to a user defined preset slower speed, and automatically restarts the race after a user determined VSC duration. This avoided having to modify the CU.
I fully understand. For me have now used both types, I prefer the mushroom call button also. I see my drivers fumbling trying to hit the cell phone button, and found it much easier to just slap a button. Am thinking about going back to the call button approach and your video will be. Tremendous guide. Thanks again for putting the info out there.
No there are no cars in the set but I have found some policar home racers on ebay for 20$ to 30$ and they run great on the track. They are pretty much the same cars you get in the policar drift set.
Great idea, I will be definitely making one of these ❤ You wouldn’t happen to know the resistance of the policar controller, would you? And what would happen if you used a different one, like a 5k, or a25k, I know absolutely nothing about electronics 😢
I just tested and it looks to be around 50 to 60 ohm. Here is a link to the Pots I purchased. I am going to try and do some testing with the 50 ohm in a few days. I will report my findings. Potentiometer Kit B5K 10K 20K 50K 100K Ohm (Amazon Affiliate Link) amzn.to/3TNylmP
I don’t know why I’m watching this, I just bought this set 6 weeks ago, absolutely the best deal you can get if you want policar track. I am 1000% satisfied with this track, I’m on my third layout already 😂
Yes I did use the side connectors. If you did six lanes I can see how you were able to leave out the inner 2 but on 4 lane (using the blue top connectors) it would have been hard to leave out those inner lane pylons.
