[Overshoot5930]

Hi everyone. First post here after buying a Carrera Digital 132 starter set.

I'm just getting started and looking to expand with more track and cars. I'm wondering whether my only option is to stick with the Carrera brand or whether there are any (cheaper) third parties for track?

For cars, is it possible to convert / mix and match? I see people showing interest in a range of brands and I'm guessing they have a single system so presumably this is possible to some extent.

If there are any online resources to help get me started that would also be great. Struggling a little to find my feet as Carrera doesn't seem to be as widespread as Scalextric here in the UK.

[Nonfractal]

Welcome to the wild West 
Track adapters have been made to connect all Kinds of different tracks together, but are not always currently available. 
Tracks themselves are not the same, the geometry, track spacing, rail height &grip are all different.

Most 1/32 cars will run on most 1/32 tracks but may need some tuning.
Parts for the cars are (more often than not) incompatible so swapping guides , axles, gears, wheels between cars from different manufacturers is often not possible.

Resources? Right here on the various slot forums.
AlanW

[MrFlippant]

Since you mentioned digital, I'll make one thing clear...

You can run ANY car on ANY digital track... so long as the digital chip is of the correct kind. A car with a Scalextric Digital chip will not run on a Carrera Digital track, nor vice versa. But, you can install a Carrera Digital compatible chip into a Scalextric car, or any other brand of car. 

In some cases, it's plug and play, such as with the Carson DPR chip (which is Carrera Digital) into a Scalextric car that has the DPR hatch on the bottom of it.

In other cases, you will need to choose a chip that will fit in the available space, drill a hole in the chassis in the right location for the IR LED to poke through, and do some soldering of wires to connect the chip to the guide lead wires and to the motor, as well as secure the chip somewhere to keep it from bouncing around in the car as you race it.

The other thing I would suggest is to look into the options for making your digital track also an analog one. No, you cannot have a digital base and an analog base in the track at the same time and "only plug one in" as that may cause damage to things. What you want is a way to actively switch between the power that goes to the rails, from the digital base, or from an analog one. Another option is called "chipping the lane" which is not a complicated DIY procedure, and it allows you to use the same controllers for both digital and analog. With the ability to flip a switch and run one or two analog cars on your track, you can enjoy the wide variety of cars on the market without having to purchase and install a digital chip into them just to get some laps in.

As far as "will brand X car 'fit' on Carrera track" the answer is yes. Pretty much any slot car on the market will fit on a Carrera track without any need for modifications (other than the aforementioned chip, if the track is digital only).

[woodcote]

Welcome to SlotRacer Overshoot  

With Carrera Digital 132, you've joined a fairly exclusive club in the UK - although all Carrera users will argue it's a superior product... And I think they have a point.

If you have room, the Carrera track is beautifully large - running 1:32 and 1:24 scale cars comfortably - and the track also has wonderfully smooth surface. The current digital system is 15 years old and has had one major revision in that time (in 2010) to create the Control Unit that runs everything on the track. Because of that long period of product stability, there are some excellent third-party accessories that are fully compatible. Instead of buying the various (expensive) physical accessories, most people now get the AppConnect dongle and then run the SmartRace app on a tablet or phone. This app does everything - and more. Plus there is English-language support. Oh, and there is no compatibility across various manufacturers' digital systems.

Track: Because Carrera track is so much bigger that its rivals, that's what you'll need to buy. There is no easy way to mix different track systems. In the UK, buying new is full-price. However, you will sometimes find used Carrera track pieces on eBay and Facebook Marketplace - and especially at slot car swapmeets and shows (see here for the 2022 calendar). Carrera track in analogue 'Evolution' sets is compatible with your digital set - it's all the same track system - although do avoid any Profi or Carrera Go!!! track and any Pro-X digital pieces.

Controllers: The current Carrera Digital 132 wired and wireless controllers will work with your set. Evolution and Go!!! controllers won't. There are some third-party upgrades - and the British-made Truspeed Carrera-D IV Digital Slot Car Controller (see here) is a sensational piece of kit with a more traditional trigger controller format.

Cars: All cars will work on Carrera track - however, to work with Carrera Digital 132, they will need to be fitted with a Carrera Digital 132 compatible chip. The simplest way is to buy Carrera Digital 132 cars. Sure, there are rarely bargains in the UK, so check out those swapmeets! It is possible to swap the Carrera chip between cars - meaning you could buy analogue Evolution cars, which are available in the UK for between £30 and £50 brand new, and then add one of the chips from a Carrera Digital car or buy more chips separately.

Some other brands - like Slot.it and Policar - are designed to be easily converted to Carrera Digital 132. Slot.it produce the SP43 Universal Carrera Digital Chip, which will connect into the latest Slot.it and Policar models without soldering. Or you can buy the SP45 connectors to solder into any car - then you can easily swap the SP43 chip between cars. If you don't have to have one chip for each car, digital become much more economical.

Scalextric Digital Plug Ready (DPR) cars can be converted to Carrera Digital 132 using the Carson 500707130 Digital Plug Scalextric (EasyFit) for Carrera Digital 132. It's a quick, non-solder 60-second job and can be swapped around. Supply in the UK is limited. Slot-Car-Union in France is a good option for Carrera Digital compatible accessories (see here).

Resources: The big market places for Carrera slot cars is Central Europe (Germany, Austria etc) and North America - so there are German and English-speaking Facebook groups and forums, all of which can be a bit overwhelming. YouTube is a very useful resource - for beginners and more advanced racers. Although published in 2011, Dave Chang's 'Digital Slot Car Racing in 1:32 scale' has an excellent overview of Carrera Digital 132 and of digital slot cars generally - worth picking up a copy if you prefer your info being in one place.

Equally, there's loads of good info here at SlotRacer that is applicable to all systems. On the website side (https://slotracer.online/), there's the SlotRacer's Manual, the Library and SlotCar Alley - plus an extensive track plan database, including some Carrera layouts. On the forum, there's a Carrera Digital area just waiting for your questions and to show us all what you've built. If I would suggest starting in one place, it would be the SlotRacer's Manual.

Clubs: Normally a club is a brilliant place to go for tips, advice and to race with other people. There is one club that I know of in the UK that races Carrera Digital 132 - and it's also one of the biggest and best. Derby HO Racing Club are based at Rolls Royce in Derby and started a new digital branch last year. If you're within an hour or two from Derby, I'd highly recommend you drop in and see them.

I hope that helps!

[Overshoot5930]

Welcome to SlotRacer Overshoot  

This is exactly the set of pointers I needed. Thank you so much woodcote, and to everyone else who has replied.

[42redcat]

In case you haven’t discovered them already, Pendle Slot Racing in U.K. carry a good range of all brands of slot cars, including Carrera. I’ve always found them really helpful. I’ve had good service and prices from Top Slots n Trains, too. Both have excellent internet/mail order setups.
(I’ve no connection with either - just a satisfied customer, but not a Carrera user).
Mike