[Slotcross]

Has anyone experience as to what ohm's to choose for a DS controller?
Planning a technical 8x4 track to test builds on and setup.  My guess is 35/45.
Building a club style 3 pin hard wired analogue box.  

I'd like to go for a better fancy one with knobs on but don't know what to pick, cost is the main thing.  Some of those systems are getting towards the cost of a 1:1 used small car!   
I'd even build one if I could, I've done train controllers from kits.

[chrisguyw]

What motors do you most often use ???.........this will determine the ohm rating of the controller.

For typical Scaley motors a 35ohm will likely be just fine,...that said, as your track will be quite tight and twisty (on a 4 x 8), a slightly higher ohm value may be beneficial.

For most club racing using moderately quick motors (20/25K) a 25 ohm will be a better choice.

You may want to seriously consider an electronic controller (with a sensitivity pot), although initially more expensive, the sensitivity control will allow you to dial in a wide range of motors. (and tracks)........if you race with a range of motors (slow to fast), you will end up buying a few fixed ohm controllers, and these will not offer the fine tuning of an electronic. There is no need to buy one with all the bells/whistles,.....a good quality electronic controller with sensitivity adjustments can be had for $100 (ish)..........you will be happy you took the plunge !!

A good power supply and good controllers are the two best upgrades you will ever make 

Cheers
Chris Walker

[CMOTD]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

There is no definitive answer to your question as it all depends on cars used, track layout and personal preference but Chris' suggestions are basically sound.

As he says though an electronic controller is far superior for any purpose. You may find this section of our manual helpful. LINK

If cost of an electronic one is a major consideration then the Truspeed BP11 is a very good budget proposition. LINK

[Anthony B]

I would agree with Chris and Brian - if you are going to run 'out of the box' cars - and NOT the high performance cars like NSR, then a 45 OHM would be best on a tight track.

Best investment would be a slot.it type electronic, so that when you buy that 'must have ' car that happens to be high performance, you have the controller to handle it.
Wrong ohmage can create the controller to act like either an on/off switch, or if motor too strong and and ohmage high, cause the controiller to burn out. (last 2 examples are extreme and unlikely to happen with over counter cars - used for examples of mis-match only)

Welcome to the forum!!!

[Kevan]

If cost is a major consideration then the Truspeed BP11 is a very good budget proposition. LINK

That controller is adequate enough for any hard body racing, we have a set of them for racing club NSR Moslers, yes they're basic and you can't tune top speed but are very popular controllers, very comfortable in the hand and reliable.

[Savage GT]

Another vote for Truspeed here.
They are very nice bits of kit, well made and after sales support is top notch. 

[Slotcross]

Having looked at the options, my first choice would be Truspeed, but the club track one is out of stock.  Can the wires from say, the Scalextric analogue jack be reconfigured?

Should have said I already have a 10A variable PSU.  

Otherwise probably the Slot.it SCP-2 Universal Analogue Electronic from PSR.  If that's the right one. 
Only want wired. I'd like to be able limit speed to scale/purpose.  Stock levels appears to be an issue.

[CMOTD]

Have a chat with Steve at Truspeed, he is very helpful and can probably change the plug on a Polycar one for you. It is positive polarity so  just like the club one.

[woodcote]

Running at home - and at my club - I'm happiest using a 45 ohm Parma or DS controller. I grew up with 1970s Scalextric controllers, so that 'direct' resistor feel is what's most natural to me. The DS controllers are a good modern update of the Parma.

I do have a Truspeed MT1, which is excellent for all the reasons people have mentioned. But I prefer - and lap faster - with the 45 ohm Parma and DS when driving standard Scalextric, Fly, Ninco, Teamslot, Carrera, Slot.it, Policar etc models. Add in faster stuff and big club tracks, and a Truspeed will cover all eventualities.

[42redcat]

I’m a bit late contributing, I guess, but hopefully this will be useful:
I’ve used DS 25 Ohm controllers on my 9 metre long Policar home track. Pendles recommended them and they’ve been fine for everything from old Scalextric to modern Avant Slot long cans. The only control issue I’ve had was with a very light, no-magnet slimline (FF050) car I scratchbuilt, where the controller was just like a switch and I had to use a higher resistance Parma one instead. I also had a problem with one of the controllers arcing through its contacts so much that it stopped controlling. I fixed this by dripping solder onto the contacts to repair them!

I’m another fan of the Truspeed BPII controller. They’re very well made and the brake and sensitivity controls are nice to have. I originally bought one with a Scalextric jack-plug. When I converted to a club-type plug, Steve at Truspeed talked me how to change over the controller polarity by swapping transistors - not something I’d recommend, though, unless you’re pretty handy at electronics soldering! The Policar version wouldn’t need this change, as Policar use the same polarity as clubs. If you can wire a domestic plug, you’d find it easy to cut off the jackplug and fit a club 3-pin instead. I bought my plug on E-Bay.

Mike