[woodcote]

If you haven’t removed the digital powerbase, do so. That should get the analogue base working at a decent speed with standard controller. To be honest, don’t try anything with the SCP until you have the analogue pb working perfectly with the standard controller.

The issue with the SCP seems to be that there’s an overload - removing the digital pb might help. As for the wiring, UK club wiring is common ground, Scalextric is common positive... I think Ninco and Scalextric wiring is the same (ie same wires on controller going to same bands on the stereo jack), but that is worth checking too - you may need to swap the banana plugs round if it isn’t.

[BAracer]

Cheers. Will start by stripping the track back to exclusive analogue and then take it from there.

[Nonfractal]

Jeremy,
Sorry it seems you didn't have a perfect Christmas day.
No one likes it when their new toys don't work.

I've searched lots of sources to definitively find out about polarity of scalextric but terminology messes up any concrete findings.

Eg  "common ground" is not the same as "negative polarity" 

To do some fault finding, unplug from the scalextric power base and rig your SCP2 up like this (pic directly from the SCP2 PDF)
You can use a pp3 9v battery. 

If your test car works like this, its a problem with the scalextric power base. 
Maybe  a fault, maybe polarity. 

Hope this helps. 
Alan W

[BAracer]

I was going to mention the childish tantrum under the Christmas tree when this all happened, but I managed to hold back my trears...

I have two of those power bases, so that should be able to eliminate one area of risk.

There are only six possible combinations for plugging into the Ninco converter, so as long as any of those don't blow any fuses...

And then there are the two jumpers and the polarity issue.

So some options for when storm Bella arrives later.

[BAracer]

So...

Removed the digital power base and lap counter from the circuit and the car now runs at speed round the track using the original controller (although in the opposite direction to the digital cars, but am assuming that's can be sorted at the guide connections).

However...

When I plug the scp in, without touching the trigger, the car creeps forward in the 10 seconds before the base light goes out. Pulling the trigger during that time has no effect on the speed.

Swapping the Ninco plugs around cuts out the base light instantly in a couple of combinations. I have reverted back to the arrangement in my picture.

Off for a boxing day walk shortly, then will get down to business later!

Thanks for the advice so far Alan and Andy.

[woodcote]

Hope you had a good walk! And glad removing the digital pb did the trick. Next, sort the polarity of the SCP...

My favourite resource on tracks and wiring is the BSCRA site here - Chris Frost has put together something pretty wonderful. One of the diagrams is this one...

   

The ‘common’ bit is where the brake connects to either the ‘ground’ (-ve) or ‘positive’ on the power supply. Common ground is the top two diagrams, common positive the bottom two.

I read ‘wiring’ or ‘polarity’ (+ve and -ve) as what terminal on the power supply connects to the controller input. I’ve seen some read this as the polarity of the left rail on the track - ie the direction of travel - but I believe that is a red herring... it won’t have an impact on the controller in any way. So the top two diagrams are positive wired, requiring a positive polarity controller; and the bottom two negative wired and require a negative polarity controller.

A BSCRA transistor controller will be damaged on a common positive (negative wired) track as they are wired for common ground only. Most modern hobbyist controllers (eg the SCP, Truspeed) will have some protection - but worth connecting it correctly if at all possible!

I have checked a number of sites and can confirm...

1) the Scalextric Sport powerbases are common positive / negative polarity. ie the opposite of a club track.
2) Scalextric and Ninco plugs are wired identically, but it’s worth checking the SCP wire colours correspond to the colours on the Ninco adapter...

There are these pics on the BSCRA website here:

         

I hope that helps and doesn’t muddy the waters more!

[Nonfractal]

I found this PDF on the slot it website.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=w...rpfofCPh5F

If I am reading this right, the SCP home analog cartridges come in 2 variants to suit the different track schemes.
2 options:
- convert your track wiring to suit the scp2 
- order the scp cartridge to suit the scalextric scheme.

If you want your cars and controllers to be useable at a club  rewiring your track is the better option.
Flipping  your analog cars' guide wiring would work to fix the direction of travel, but there are drawbacks.
- all visitor cars to your track would go in the wrong direction.
- the guide self centring on some cars would be messed-up (Even if the wires are long enough to be able to swap them over )

There is a SCP cartridge,  the 201BC that has a jumper to remove. (J1)
This being a new controller, you might be lucky and have that cartridge.
Can you tell which you have? 

Alan W

[BAracer]

A lot to take in on a subject I have never really understood fully, electronics...so here is the easy bit!

As long as Pendle's aren't re-labelling dodgy Far East imports, I bought a SCP201bc Universal Analog Cartridge from them. 

The purpose of the cartridge was to tune analogue cars at home for Proxy Rally or Proxy Racing events, and also to enter some National GT3 events and use the controller there.

The guide wires will swap over easily.

I'm now going to go back and try and take in the last few posts.

[BAracer]

So I think a solution is forming...

According to Woodcote, my home Scalextric Sport track comes wired as common positive/negative polarity: and...

According to NonFractal, my cartridge comes with J1 inserted so is set for common ground: so...

I think I need to remove the jumper in order to configure the cartridge for common positive/negative: so...

How do I remove this jumper?

   

[Edit: removed, it just slides off using a toothpick or similar]

[BAracer]

So with the jumper removed, I get the following happening (although I have not tried the following with the jumper inserted)

With all three banana plugs connected to the Ninco jack, the neon light on the base glows dim, the car creeps along the track for 10 seconds and then the light goes out and the car stops.

With just the black and red banana plugs connected to the Ninco jack, the base light glows brightly but the car does not move with any trigger action.

With just the black and white banana plugs connected to the Ninco jack, full power is fed to the track and the car shoots off with no movement of the trigger.