club controller - Printable Version

club controller - Printable Version

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club controller - OXO cube - 30th-Oct-21

hi guys
having been to my local club a few times , i feel its time i purchased my own controller
i have borrowed tru speed controllers as most at the club use them and they seem good ( but i have nothing to compare )
but i notice lots of others especially online use the slot.it controller ( spc 2)
so i have determined to buy one of the 2 mentioned , but which 1 ?

i was wondering if any1 had experience of both controllers
a kinda pros/cons of each
i have been told its a very personal thing , but i still need a nudge in which ever direction
it will be used only for club racing , analogue

any pointers gratefully received
Kev

RE: club controller - woodcote - 30th-Oct-21

Definitely try before you buy. If you like the Truspeeds, that's a good sign!

I have both - I prefer my Truspeed MT1 (£90), but then I haven't given the SCP2 (£100) the time and attention it needs. This is a personal thing - I enjoy racing slot cars and any preparation is a tiresome, but necessary chore... including controller set-up. I also want as little circuitry between my finger and the car as possible. I drive most hard-bodied cars fastest with a 45 ohm Parma. I know that might make me weird.

The basic Truspeeds are very easy to dial in and have a very familiar feel for anyone who is progressing from set controllers, Parmas, DS resistor controllers etc. Obviously you can step up to the more fancy Truspeeds with more knobs and dials. The handle and trigger are super-comfortable, in my opinion.

The SCP does take more getting used to - and it looks and feels like a 1970s hairdryer. You're jumping in with the full complexity of dials and switches - as opposed to two for the basic Truspeeds. The trigger feels very light and doesn't give the same tactile 'friction' feedback of a resistor controller (or the Truspeed). That can feel great - or can be a bit disconcerting. It does take time, practice and research to get the most out of it - but you can potentially end up with something 'better' than the basic Truspeeds, especially if you're racing in the same club track week after week. That's where the small adjustments come in.

With the SCP, you also have the various cartridge options for home, club, digital and oXigen wireless racing. If you've ever thought of doing oXigen racing, then you'll be using an SCP - and being comfortable with using one will be a huge advantage, which is why I have one. But if oXigen is not in your plans, then that's irrelevant... Both have good support - Truspeed HQ is in Shropshire and Slot.it is via their UK distributor in West Sussex.

RE: club controller - tatter06 - 30th-Oct-21

I have never tried a slot it controller but have a truspeed mt I, mtii and apex. I would recommend them all, and the manufacturer is in the UK, so if you are too theres a lot to be said for that from a service/repair point of view.

For 1/32 club racing I'd personally recommend the MTii if you use any punchy motors (roughly 300g torque +) as the addition of the acceleration control over the MTi can be very useful at this point. If you have a live start track the launch control can be quite useful, for a few extra pounds worth getting to try it anyway.

I think if you are new to club racing the apex would be overwhelming, it's a huge jump in complexity from an MTi/ii.

Hope that helps, but if it's possible try before you buy as I know people who swear by a Carsteen at our club and I find them unuseable so it's very much a personal preference.

RE: club controller - MrFlippant - 30th-Oct-21

If possible, try an SCP. As previously mentioned, both are great, but different in many ways. It's common for a person to prefer one over the other for no other reason than how it feels in their hand and how the trigger feels. I LOVE the light trigger spring and lack of friction. Some hate it.

As for complexity, it's only as complex as you want it to be. You can safely set and ignore all of the fancy feature aside from the min speed (sensitivity) and the brakes, and use it as you would any number of more basic adjustable controllers. As your experience grows, or as the need arises, you can make use of the other features to tame any wild beast of a car.

For those who haven't seen it already, I made a video to help people learn some of the basics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m-DIVxDEAo

RE: club controller - Fluff - 31st-Oct-21

Earlier this year I was in the same position ,,a few of my mates had a Truespeed but non had the SCP2 .I had no comparison to make y using others controllers .
After posting on here about what to choose ,lots of helpful information came back ,but the most useful was Mr Flippants video ,after watching it I decided on the SCP .
I had one problem with it ,I kept blowing fuses but after contacting Pendles they kindly sorted the problem out and sent it back ,even to putting a plug on for me .
I have found the SCP easy to use ,as I said the video made a big difference .
My lap times improved and I could set different cars up to my driving style quite simply
All in all I am very pleased with it
Hope this helps

Steve

RE: club controller - Nonfractal - 31st-Oct-21

(30th-Oct-21, 03:40 PM)OXO cube Wrote: hi guys

i was wondering if any1 had experience of both controllers
a kinda pros/cons of each
i have been told its a very personal thing , but i still need a nudge in which ever direction
it will be used only for club racing , analogue
Kev

Kev,
I own 2 SCP2s.
I use them at analogue tracks using the high current "metal" cartridge.
I chose the scp because of the Interchangeable cartridges which allows me to use the same controller on oxigen tracks.

I borrowed a truspeed apex last week during a practice session.
Using the Same car, the best lap times were the same.

Both controllers offer short and long Triggers in the box.

Scp2 positives:
-Contactless sweep arm on the trigger, impervious to dirt/wear on the circuit board.
-Multiple cartridges and analogue polarity support, including digital.
-Extensive tuning controls (provided you can master them) Refer to Mr flippant''s tutorial on youtube and the "braking explained" thread on this forum.
-Telemetry support (if that's your bag)
-Mode2 to limit top speed for kids or to tame motors that are too much for track conditions,
-Linear and curved trigger mapping options.
-Available from major retailers.

Scp2 negatives :
-Big and ugly. I defy anyone to tell me that this unit is pretty.
-Design favours right handed use.
-Superceeded by the SCP3 which is not yet a stable product and not yet used in DiSCA racing.

Truspeed apex positives
-Built in blast/bypass relay (it looks like it but only truspeed could confirm that this is really the case)
-Some very clever automatic brake response mapping.
-Simple controls
-Left hand Compatible.
-Quite pretty , well as pretty as a controller can be I suppose.

Truspeed apex negatives.
-No digital oxigen support although is is rumoured that Slot.IT will release the serial interface details for the scp3. If that us true, it would open the door for other manufacturers to support oxigen which would help grow the hobby.

In summary:
There is very little difference between the technical capability of each controller on an analogue track.
Do a back to back test as I did.
Evaluate your needs ( present and possible future needs)

AlanW

RE: club controller - Mr.M - 31st-Oct-21

(30th-Oct-21, 04:53 PM)woodcote Wrote: I drive most hard-bodied cars fastest with a 45 ohm Parma. I know that might make me weird.

I must be weird as well, I use one for everything.

Steve @ Truspeed kindly supplied some "dumbed down, knobless" versions of his controllers for our club when we used to host corporate/birthday parties there, and several of the club racers liked them and got their own ones. I have tried one, and found the same as others have said on here, that the feel is a bit too light for my taste.

RE: club controller - Nonfractal - 31st-Oct-21

Truspeed with onboard relay
[attachment=19069]

RE: club controller - CMOTD - 31st-Oct-21

Both controllers are very good but a cautionary note before you splash the cash:
The Slot.It controller is very much a Marmite item, people either love them or hate them. Don't buy one before you have tried it out or it could prove an expensive mistake. Truspeed ones do not produce the same extreme reactions and most people can get along with them as you have already found.

As regards after sales service, Steve at Truspeed cannot be faulted. He can be easily reached by phone or email and will quickly sort out the slightest problem. The downside of this is that Steve is a one man band and should he ever fall under a bus then you are completely stymied. With Slot.It you are at the mercy of a retailer/distributor/EU based manufacturer which may or may not prove satisfactory.

RE: club controller - Qman - 31st-Oct-21

Having 'club' raced since 1969 I have used a number of different controllers, I still prefer a thumb type, but can use finger, I was offered a 2nd hand TruSpeed a while back so thought I'd see what all the fuss is about.

It's fine for basic low powered cars but I've found a problem once I get to anything NSR and above, the controller just stops, like a cut-out, and restarts after you release the trigger, I thought it was just my controller but a couple of other members have suffered the same problems, my controller of choice is an ECE Rocket which I converted to electronic back in the 90's, still going strong, and has won at Scalextric and upwards to BSCRA Nationals.