12th-Dec-23, 06:59 AM
You’ve got pretty much everything spot on VanPost 
The only correction I’d add is that there is no in-track pit sensor for ARC Pro. A pit stop - simultaneous tyre change and refuel - is triggered manually by pressing and holding the brake button. In theory, this could be done anywhere on the circuit, but in practice stopping on the circuit will result in being rear-ended by another car. My suggestion is that triggering a pit stop anywhere apart from the designated pit lane results in an immediate DNQ. The Magic app has the facility to add a lap after a pit stop, the Scalextric app does not.
In a nutshell, ARC Pro is more streamlined, but the features seem more than good enough for families and groups of racers - less so for solo racer requiring complex pace car features. The only ARC Pro upgrades available are the Magic app and Slot.it oXigen controllers (flashed with ARC controller firmware). There is plenty of scope for more development, especially via third-party software. My dream would be for SmartRace to produce an app - as they do for Carrera and SCX Advance.
As for the C7042, Scalextric ceased production 5 years ago and there are only a very small handful of new units available. Truspeed no longer produce their SSD IV wireless controllers, although other wireless options (eg Scorpius) are available via a PC dongle. The wired Truspeed SSD III controllers are still in production. SSDC and RCS64 are no longer supported by their developers. Riko still sells his APB to PC cable and the PitPro Deluxe - and he ships worldwide. SmartSensor is no longer available.
As for future developments… there are always rumours. These include from the RCS team that the long awaited RCS Next Gen (for oXigen) might also be SSD (APB) compatible. Pre-covid rumours were that Truspeed were developing a new wireless controller, but was it for ARC or APB? Various rumours have appeared about other third-party ARC apps (they haven’t materialised), plus Scalextric app updates, which have appeared annually (another due soon), but haven’t added features. Also rumours about a long-term plan for an ARC replacement, but also that this isn’t in Hornby’s plans. There’s also a ‘will they, won’t they’ over whether Scalextric release the communication protocols for the firmware update port on ARC Pro - and whether this would unleash any extra functionality. The bottom line - I wouldn’t trust rumours!
The only correction I’d add is that there is no in-track pit sensor for ARC Pro. A pit stop - simultaneous tyre change and refuel - is triggered manually by pressing and holding the brake button. In theory, this could be done anywhere on the circuit, but in practice stopping on the circuit will result in being rear-ended by another car. My suggestion is that triggering a pit stop anywhere apart from the designated pit lane results in an immediate DNQ. The Magic app has the facility to add a lap after a pit stop, the Scalextric app does not.
In a nutshell, ARC Pro is more streamlined, but the features seem more than good enough for families and groups of racers - less so for solo racer requiring complex pace car features. The only ARC Pro upgrades available are the Magic app and Slot.it oXigen controllers (flashed with ARC controller firmware). There is plenty of scope for more development, especially via third-party software. My dream would be for SmartRace to produce an app - as they do for Carrera and SCX Advance.
As for the C7042, Scalextric ceased production 5 years ago and there are only a very small handful of new units available. Truspeed no longer produce their SSD IV wireless controllers, although other wireless options (eg Scorpius) are available via a PC dongle. The wired Truspeed SSD III controllers are still in production. SSDC and RCS64 are no longer supported by their developers. Riko still sells his APB to PC cable and the PitPro Deluxe - and he ships worldwide. SmartSensor is no longer available.
As for future developments… there are always rumours. These include from the RCS team that the long awaited RCS Next Gen (for oXigen) might also be SSD (APB) compatible. Pre-covid rumours were that Truspeed were developing a new wireless controller, but was it for ARC or APB? Various rumours have appeared about other third-party ARC apps (they haven’t materialised), plus Scalextric app updates, which have appeared annually (another due soon), but haven’t added features. Also rumours about a long-term plan for an ARC replacement, but also that this isn’t in Hornby’s plans. There’s also a ‘will they, won’t they’ over whether Scalextric release the communication protocols for the firmware update port on ARC Pro - and whether this would unleash any extra functionality. The bottom line - I wouldn’t trust rumours!
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