Is digital racing dying?

[BARC 1]

I was just reading the slotbaer site as I was looking into some technical information on the data protocol. I found it interesting to see that Scalextrics has opened up its architecture for other 3rd party developers, and I guess that is why we have seen Slot it using Scalextrics protcols.

This is kind of what I was talking about when I said that slot car manufactures need to work together. This means everyone else has open access to all the Scalextrics protocols and can copy and use anything they want. So rather then invent their own system any company can get into the game and use the Scalextrics design

I never realized Scalextrics had done this, and it is a big gift to the industry.

So respectfully to Dave, I would suggest to say this will never happen in slot cars is incorrect as it already has. Maybe Carrera will never share, but the fact is Scalextrics has, so we are now looking at a Betamax /VHS type situation. On one hand you have the very good proprietary Carrera system, and the now wide open Scalextrics system. Not sure where it will lead as all the smoke surrounding the Hornby financial situation. This uncertainty was enough to make me choose Carrera as I was afraid that if I chose Scalextrics, the system might be orphaned. Should have done my homework, because the opposite is true. With the Scalextrics wide open approach anyone can make Scalextrics compatible equipment. So the Slot it connection becomes very clear now. They never worked out any special deal with Scalextrics, it is a simple case of Scalextrics opening the vault to their system for everyone to use. In my opinion this is an important fact that means all the other slot car manufactures who think the future is digital can make their own chips copying the Scalextrics design. Pioneer, Cartrix, Ninco or whoever does not need to redesign the wheel and employ capital to support their own system. Think of the support and reseach capital required to produce and support a unique Digital system. With Scalextrics opening the barn door, the need to employ capital for digital manufacturing and support disappears. Far better to just adopt the Scalextrics system and spend the saved capital on profit generation producing Scalextric compatible cars, and controllers. We can already see the benefit this has on the industry with the evolution of the Oxigen system that adapts the Scalextric system.

Interesting to see where this goes. On the one hand you have the very good Carrera proprietory system backed by probably the most succesful slot car manufacture, and the now wide open Scalextrics system that eveyone has license to use. I am either unaware or a little surpised we have not seen third party Scalextrix equipment on the market already.(Other then Slot it so far and this is more of a hybrid system)

Cheers

Dan

[goosenapper]

[BARC 1]

I will have to look. I found one site that a lot of information about the Oxigen system, as I was considering it, but it was just too much for my needs so I opted for Carrera. I am using the Carrera D132 chips in 143 scale so I don't find them too big. Here is one car I did and then the last picture shows the current 6 143 cars I have running on the D132 system








I really like the system and it has been nearly bullet proof through all of my hacking. However an open system free to all developers has a lot of potential.

For instance. You compliant about no computer interface. Any Third Party developer can build one if the market needs it. You don't need to wait on Scalextrics to come out with it. The protocol information is all there, all you have to do is design something to use it.

I guess the market for slot cars isn't as robust as other hobbies, as it seems getting advancement in digital technology is pretty slow and the primary reason this thread was started. I do believe though we will see a proliferation of Scalextrics equipment, once the the realization that Scalextrics has opened the door for developers. Anyone with an idea is free to design and build something, without having to wait on some large priority based corporate structure to make the marketing decision. There in lies the power of open systems

Cheers

Dan

[Czar]

Doesn't the Scaley system also allow cars without chips to operate in analog form with no modification?

[DaveKennedy]

[DaveKennedy]

And BTW you can use an Oxigen car (using a wireless Slot It controller) on a Carrera digital track as it is... Maurizio and I raced together on my digital demo track i had up a few years ago in Cleveland during IHobby. He with an Oxigen equipped McLaren and me with our McLaren... it works... ask him if you don't want to believe me.

[goosenapper]

[Fitzy]

Can't Carrera Digital Cars also run on any Analog track with the flip of a switch ?

[DaveKennedy]

Yes they can...correct.

[Dangermouse]

"and the now wide open Scalextrics system"

I thought I read somewhere that the Scalextric system was based on the train DCC format.

There is a nice digital system develop by a chap here in Australia called Scorpius - wireless digital chips and controllers - quite an impressive system.

Scalextric digital chip cars run on analog track but I have found the digital cars don't have any brakes :)

[BARC 1]

[buspor63]

I think digital is strong, you just may not see it here. If anything, I hope it's still in it's infancy as slot enthusiast realize what it has to offer. If someone wants a RTR set, it's more than likely a Carrera D132 set. Dave says the 143 cars outsell 132 cars though because of the low entry price. I'm glad to have digital, my group is usually between four and ten racers so that fits our nights action.

[ourwayband]

From what I've seen with digital kinda boils down to this.The folks that come over are more interested in the digital system rather then analog.They enjoy the pit lane/fueling,lane changing,and just having fun..Seems to be a lot like playing a high speed game to them,but with real cars on a real track..I like both types of racing,but just in my mind digital seems to be growing ..Which is a good thing for our little hobby.
Rusty

[proxieken]

Is it possible for one manufacturer to buy digital chips in bulk for cheap so they can make their cars work? For example, could Pioneer buy 100 digital chips from Carrera or Scaley and then sell digital cars?

[kidvoltage]

Seems unlikely. There would be zero incentive to help another mfg. It would also be much easier to make a generic car that can be easily adjusted to digital.