Video going over how to install the power taps/jumper/extender's. On Skipper's Speedway. A Digital 132 Carrera slot track. Once one's track is over 50' it makes sense to add these extenders.
With pit lanes coming, & The expansion track pack I will definitely need these kind of jumpers. Will have about 70 ft of track then. Happy racing tonight brother 🏎️
Hi Metalhead. Carrera recomends an extra power supply, if your track is not longer than 12 - 15 meters, which will be 36 - 45 feet. Under that range, a power supply is not needed, if you keep the rails clean. Means, you need to clean the rails from time to time, due to the friction of the braids, which will leave dirt and dust- film from friction on them. I use Isopropanol alcohol to clean the rails. If you are familiar with Ballistol oil, which is used to clean weappons, you could smear a slight film onto the rails after cleanning them. That provides a better current transmission and keeps the rails better clean. If one does not have Carrera tracks, because the rails are not made from stainless steel and the inviroment is humid, that would prevent the rails from corrosion. On Carrera rails it is not necessary though, because they are stainless. You could also put a small drop of Ballistol onto the braids of the cars from time to time, which keeps the braids also clean and you do smear the rails automatically with it. Some folks do connect a power supply every three feet, or one meter, to secure the loss of power that happens, due to the contact resistances, which causes the loss of current and voltage after a longer way from the control unit. One can measure that with a Volt-Meter, that there is is the loss, after a longer distance on the track. In terms of the 143 Carrera Go!! system, you don`t need the power supply at all for longer tracks. They work just fine. I often did set up a track longer than 28 - 30 meters, equals 90 feet and no power transmission problems at all. I did read in a Go!! forum, that one guy had set up a 100 meters track, equals 300 feet and there was no power transmission issue on one lane. I my opinion, one can fix himself a power supply cable, by buying those clips extra and using cable, which sometimes is flying around the household, like old speaker cable and so forth. The original Carrera cable is pretty expensive, so if you have a soldering iron and solder and won`t have two left hands, it is easy done and way cheapper. But don not go under a a thickness of 0,75 square millimeter cable. Better is 1,5, or 2,5 square millimeters. Over and under those values, you could get problems. The cheappest way is to bend/fold over the loose undrilled/untined cable ends at a length of 4 cm - about 2 inch in the middle and shove into the slot. Than pull it a tiny bit back, which secures the cable spreads out for better and full contact on the rails in the slot and you got your cheap power supply cable done, if there is not any movement on the cable. Keep your guide in the ditch and have fun racing 🙂
