[VanPost]

Hello there from the States,
 
I’ve been getting the urge to get back into slot racing again.  I had an old AFX and TRX track back in the day and after getting an urge about 10 years ago, I decided I wanted to get back in with the ability to change lanes.  So I ended up buying the Digital Platinum 6 car set and found some extra track.  I set it up, started racing, and then started reading, probably the posts from the same people who will likely answer my questions (Andy, Riko, DrC, and MrFlippant), which led to all the capabilities the digital world for racing offers.  However, at that time, it seemed there was no cohesion, you had to buy extra parts, software, a serial/usb cable, computer, and then it was a little buggy as well.  The Pit Lane game was something that I found would add a lot of fun to the hobby, but I think at that time, it was in the early days of having to solder in sensors, cut track, and then add lights – before the “actual” pit lane piece was created I believe by Riko (nice work!).  Well, then I bought a new home, moved, and the box was put in a closet and at least 10 years have passed since I glanced at it and wondered what was new in the world of digital slot racing…
 
So here is what I gathered (mind you, I want the most out of my experience so looking for the “best” setup in terms of enjoyment which may require dealing with bugs in software.  So, there are two ways to run digital, the fairly easy way and the slightly harder way.  So I figured after reading some more on these forums, why not just buy the new digital ARC pro platinum set because by the time I buy the conversion to the new ARC Pro + the things I don’t have in the 6 car platinum set, I basically get a lot of extras for free including track and cars not to mention the ability to go wireless.  Then have the best of both worlds.  Andy has some really good posts on both systems and how to set them up which I will try to link for each scenario because my biggest issue has been splitting my time between searching posts on ARC Pro and the APB C7042.  So this brings me to my first question which pertains to both sets:
 
Is my thinking correct here:
If I look online, a pit lane track now exists that you can order and it states that it “has sensors”.  I assume this is the same track piece in the ARC set and now a working setup of having the sensor similar to the pit lane game – so you can now incorporate pits (weather, tire wear, fuel, etc.) into both digital systems with software (by software I’ll just go with Magic for ARC and RCS64 for the APB) and modify a setting based on where you locate the pits in accordance to the base (with the base either being in the pit window or outside in regard to counting laps).
 
So, next question, is this correct:
Many “problem” configuration posts I’ve read seem to point toward bugs in the software or hardware or both.  The above on lap counts was one, and then the speed issue hitting the lap counter in the old APB was another.  I assume firmware has fixed these issues and the most recent software for both is likely pretty stable.
 
I can read the initial manuals and things to get setup and have no issues with software tinkering, so on to the configuration pieces and I’ll start with ARC Pro since it seems much simpler:
Andy, thanks again because I thought this post was pretty encompassing with links for any other info that a person may need if they choose to move in this direction:
Scalextric ARC Pro Platinum GT - is it worth it? (slotracer.online)
It has links for ARC Pro guide, MagicARC app, and setting up a GT Endurance format.  Is this link missing anything else that might be pertinent?  My thought is I can set this up and start racing while working on the APB if I choose to go in that direction or simply as a backup plan.
 
Now, on the slightly harder configuration with the ABP 7042:
First, this post Add-ons for C7042 Advanced 6 Car Powerbase (slotracer.online) has most of the links embedded in it that would likely get me up and running.  Is the Riko cable still the best thing out there at the moment?  And Riko, is this link in the post the best place to get this, being that I reside in the States?
Buy the cable, download the firmware, upgrade the APB, buy the desired racing software and load it on a PC, configure, and start racing - although that is probably the start of opening up all kinds of other things to do.
 
I found this to be most comprehensive tech data with links:
Really Useful Technical Links (Scalextric C7042 & ARC-Pro) - including car chipping database! | SlotForum
 
I don’t mind reading, but I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something since some of these posts are a bit dated on the APB, but I’m not sure the info is.  I appreciate any help or advice offered.

[woodcote]

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!

[ScorpiusWireless]

Hi,
Rick here from Scorpius. 

The best proven, quickest most reliable Scalextric digital combination still to this day is.
C7042
PC
Riko cable 
Scorpius Controllers
Scorpius Dongle
RCS64 race software. (Unsupported)
ICP flashed decoders.

Scorpius controllers the only after market controllers for SSD for a decade continuously without a single glitch ever. 
They are also very sexy

Advanced throttle mapping. LCD screen. Long battery life. Fastest lap times guaranteed or your money including postage refunded in full immediately. Available now in our web shop. 
   

Rick

[VanPost]

Thanks for the reply Rick and Andy.  So I think I understand the ARC Pro system and the pit stops.  I assume the "sensor" that Hornby claims is in their pit lane changers is for that, the lane change.  There is no pit sensing in the ARC Pro, it is activated by the button on the controller.

However, in relation to the pit box options (and only 1 option still existing), you mentioned that Riko still has the PitPro Deluxe.  I do not see it on his site.  Is this still available? What would be the pit options in the APB without one of these PitPro's?  I assume this sensor in the Pit Pro is what triggers the car in the pit. Can this work without the PitPro within the software?  I assume it needs the sensor.

That would kind of be a killer for me as I think that adds so much more good entertainment.  And with what you are telling me and reading the writing on the wall, there is no more support and maybe I should just scrap this idea and move on with the ARC Pro.

Rick, your controllers look great!  And something I can work for in the future when I have more funds.

[woodcote]

Riko sells his stuff on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=3...ortdigital

Long-term availability of Pit Pro will depend on how many Pit Lane Games are in Riko's shed.

Generally, I agree that the enjoyment of the APB is dependent on all the bells and whistles. Our APB set-up has been good for ten years of club racing and there's enough in the existing hardware and software to keep our racing formats fresh for another ten. Between us, we have enough spare kit to cover most eventualities. If there is more third-party development - eg RCS Next Gen - that would be a major bonus.

Having said that, we have started using ARC Pro with the Magic app for public events. For total newbies, it has a more gentle learning curve. The lack of pit entry/exit sensor isn't a deal-breaker and the level of racing fun doesn't seem any less than the APB set-up. There's no RCS64 complexity, although the Magic app is a small step in that direction.

Six years after ARC Pro was launched, there's very little to show in terms of third-party development. The community that enthusiastically worked on the original 6-Car pb to give us the APB either aren't around anymore or haven't embraced ARC Pro. To be honest, there isn't a lot for that community to get stuck into - almost all the development potential is on the software side. A good introduction (although nearly two years old) is here: https://www.slotforum.com/threads/scalex...er.206468/

[ScorpiusWireless]

A huge flaw in the Arc Pro which I don’t understand and isn’t necessary is the huge 1.8 sec delay with lapcounting which is confusing and annoying. For me it’s simply not acceptable.
Also it’s 5 years old and only one app has been written. And Hornby have released nothing extra. So virtually nothing for enthusiasts. Apart from that it does the job. I will say it’s days are numbered anyway as it’s 6 years old soon.

Scorpius made a pit detector for Scorpius that works with SSDC but due to lack of demand I shelved it.

[VanPost]

So, you would be the experts.  What would you want to see that isn't out there?  After looking at the Carrera system, it seems like it has all the hardware in place as a standalone system (assuming you add all the accessories) - a pit lane that functions correctly with sensors, a driver display showing fuel (you likely need one for each driver though), position, speed, and # of pit stops, the startlight which counts down the start of the race and any illegal starts, a position tower, the lap counter, a bluetooth add on to display on a tablet, and a control unit which can utilize all of these without the need for a RMS.  So these would be the hardware upgrades that could be made, but that is a lot of hardware that a simple connection to a computer and RMS erases in my opinion.  I do not know if you can hook up a computer, but I assume it does as I read a bit about SmartRace being a really nice RMS, but that might be table based and not computer based.  I know you could mirror the bluetooth to a TV for larger in race stats. And I see it has ghost car and pace car capabilities, but I do not know the extent of these.

I do realize the on track display items are for the modelers out there, but I am more concerned about functionality and if I can look at a screen and see those things, I'm happy.  So I am really more interested in the RMS.  And after reading the posts from Razamaraz, with over 2 years and no development, what is holding it up and I think Magic and Riko answer that in saying the protocol is limited.  And I'm guessing most of the people in this forum are over 50 with limited computer programming skills.  Why Scalextric didn't just put a USB connection on the ARC control and let the community build and sell whatever mods they wanted is beyond me.  They still would have made plenty of money.

If the RMS could get worked out, then we are still left with a pit lane issue in relation to the sensor correct?  I don't believe we can modify Riko's sensor tracks to the ARC unless he devices a bluetooth or usb out to get to a computer?  But I do wonder if the lane changers have a particular id structure that registers in the ARC and if/when/how the digital chip reads that data on lane change.  If it gives an id signature, maybe the RMS could interpret that, and in particular, identify a car has entered a pit lane changer, run the pit lane strategies off that.  Just a thought.

The only other thing I am needing/wanting to look into is the pace car or ghost car.  I assume the pace care in ARC is set it at a speed where it doesn't fly off the track and forget it.  But I think you can do more within RCS64.  When I think of ghost, I think of running a lap and having the ghost copy that lap, so then the ghost would mimic the throttle response for that lap assuming it starts in the exact same spot (so it would slow down at the corners and speed up on the straights.  Not sure if that functionality exists, but something I'll dig into once I get Riko's cable and the "old" system setup.

I'm sure there are many more things I am missing and it sounds like some of the who's who used to have some input with Hornby, but that is now gone.  I agree with Riko when he said this was aimed to be in the toy market with quick easy setup for 10 and under as much as 10 and over.  I'm guessing we are all 50+ peeps who still like to play with our old toys and that is what consumes this forum and why I think the development has slowed because of the limitations in the ARC itself and it would likely require a new control unit to do all the great things I and maybe most of you want in a digital setup.  Just my two cents.