Need Advice: Nascar Digital Set

[Macks_Mom]

Hi,

For my son's 10th birthday, I'd like to buy him a Digital Nascar set.

1. Is this the best (and most current) digital Nascar set?
2. Is this what you'd recommend - or is there something better?
3. Which additional items should I buy?

Thanks in advance for your help

SCX Nascar Basic Set (Digital) SCXD10011X500
3 NASCAR-licensed cars (#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr, #29 Kevi Harvick, E16 Greg Biffle or #18 Kyle Busch)
3 hand throttles
1 central unit power line
1 360mm terminal track
7 360mm standard straights
2 changing lane tracks
18 banked curves
16 barriers for the banked curves
8 banked curves
4 tapering borders
1 electronic transformer
Length of track: 19' 4" (6m)
Dimensions: 8'6" x 5'3" (2600mm x 1600mm)

Additional Items To Buy:
1. Pit Box
2. Chronometer
3. Lap Counter

[2FER SLOTS]

That sounds like fun!
Was ten when I started slot cars.
I am hoping some more digital dudes chime in, but I am partial to Carrera.
This looked like a cool set.....from a good supplier.
http://www.hotslots132.com/all-carre..._1001_521.html

[MrFlippant]

If your son likes NASCAR, then he'll have a BLAST with that set.
There might be a pit box NASCAR set, though, that would save you some money, but I'm not up on SCXD set options.
Don't get the accessories straight away (unless you're rich). You never know for sure if he'll really get into the hobby or not. The Pit Box set can declare a winner and so all the fancy fuel stuff and be a lot of fun. If he really gets into it, then look at adding accessories.

If his birthday is coming soon, just do it. All digital is a lot of fun.
If you've got some time, take a look at the other options, such as Scalextric and Carrera Digital. All systems have their pros and cons, and are worth looking into in order to decide which is the best fit for your son (and you ;-).

[dw5555]

Hi Macks Mom,
According to our lastest poll, we don't have alot of SCX digital users here but if that is what you would like, I would agree with Mr Flippant. I think I would hold off buying any accessories until he plays with it awhile to see if he likes it and wants to stay with it.

Depending on your timeframe you make want to browse around the site. There are plenty of comments on all the systems.

Click on our latest poll.

http://www.slotcarillustrated.com/portal/forums/showthread.php?t=62455

Dave

[Macks_Mom]

SCX or Carrera Digital Nascar Set?

Wow, now I'm wondering if I should get the Carerra Nascar set instead of SCX.

Questions:

1. We'd like a set that is good out of the box that won't require modifications with soldering and all that. Which brand is better in that regard - or is digital slot racing in general going to be like that?

2. Are the wireless controllers better than the wired - as far as the way they function?

3. My husband is worried we'll constantly be having to stop and go over to re-position cars that get knocked off the track. Any difference with brand on that?

4. Someone said the Carerra is stainless steel and can be set up outside. Could it be left outside though - like on a screened-in porch?

5. In the future, which brand do you think will produce new Nascar cars and/or accessories?

6. So, ... SCX vs Carerra Digital Nascar Set ... what do you think?

Important Note: This would be for a Dad + Mom + 10 year old boy - who love the computers, internet and techie toys, who want to buy the best quality digital set and love Nascar, but aren't looking to be engineers doing modifications and troubleshooting


Thanks So Much,

Mack's Mom

[Ranzumze]

We're out there, but coming here soon

Hello Macks Mom,

Please do not let the amount of users that appear to be present here on SCI fool you, up until now we have had our own dedicated website forum to discuss the wonders of SCX Digital. From this point forward, you will probably see much more interaction from us with these forums as the SCX Website appears to be closing their forums.

I have had SCX Digital (GT Pit box set and basic set) with lap counter and chrono for about 4 years now, my family and I LOVE IT!! You can race up to 6 cars together at a time, manage fuel usage, real race strategy. Unfortunately I cannot compate SCX to Carerra since I have never had Carerra, but I am very happy with our purchase. Our family (Wife, 17 year old daughter, 12 year old son, 9 year old son, and myself along with my 17, 19 and 34 year old nephews) can't get enough racing, we frequently have race weekends and we even use the set at the flea market allowing others to race on the track and use our cars.

I can safely say, we have had it basically running nonstop from January through August (at home and the flea market) with absolutely no mechanical failures whatsoever. We have had the occasional issue with a car that has gotten bumped around a little, but nothing broken, just needed to be snapped back together or glued (mirrors, spoilers, etc).

The NASCAR set you mentioned will be something you and your family will enjoy for many years to come. Just plan ahead, be prepared for the extended tracks, larger spaces to race and more cars to buy. Its all just part of the "sickness"

Ran

[MrFlippant]

Every brand set has issues that you may or may not run into that need a little TLC to get past. It's not a sure thing there will be any problems, but none are 100% reliable 100% of the time. Just know that whatever the problem, come HERE first, describe the problem as best you can, and help will arrive shortly.

1) None of the brands require any mods. Just open it up, put it together, and have fun! Mods only come when there is a problem or you want to push the envelope of the set's current functionality, or when you want to get more cars from other brands. SCX is very hard to "chip" other cars for. Carrera is much easier comparatively.

2) Wireless is better because there are no wires. This is especially useful for new racers who will crash a lot, because you can go put the car back on and keep racing from there, rather than go back to a set point to continue racing from. Also, it makes it easier to place drivers AT those crash locations so that when the car(s) come off, there will already be someone there to replace it.

3) Your husband knows that slot cars are not MEANT to stay on. If they were, where would the challenge be? With Carrera, you can turn the power down so much that they can't come off, but then they'd be slow and boring. SCX has a "kid" power level, but it's still plenty fast to come off at. Carrera's 10 speed steps will give you the ability to set them to never come off, and slowly increase the speed as the driver gets better, so that might be worth considering.

4) A screened porch should be fine for Carrera. Stainless steel CAN rust, but it takes a lot of abuse and exposure before it does. Other systems would require long lasting rust prevention to be applied in a location like that. Certainly possible to do, and recommended in any case, but Carrera doesn't need it.

5) Both brands produce quite a few NASCAR vehicles. It might be a toss up. If I had to pic, SCX probably does more NASCAR in a year, but I haven't counted. Note that it's easier to make an SCX analog car into Carrera digital (chip it), than to make a Carrera (or any other car) into SCX Digital. It can be done, but it's not easy.

6) In my honest opinion, I think the Carrera system would be a better choice for you. And this is coming from a Scalextric user. ;-)

If they're out yet, see if you can get a Carrera NASCAR set with the new wireless controllers. Otherwise, if you get wireless, get the new ones, not the IR-based ones. The new ones come with a special track piece to charge them on, and a little receiver that plugs into the control unit.

[boopiejones]

Questions:

1. We'd like a set that is good out of the box that won't require modifications with soldering and all that. Which brand is better in that regard - or is digital slot racing in general going to be like that?

- if you wanted to solder, there are plenty of modifications that can be done to digital sets, but none of the brands of digital require any soldering to get them working out of the box.

2. Are the wireless controllers better than the wired - as far as the way they function?

- personally i think that all stock set controllers are fairly weak. this is true for both digital and analog. but i'd start with the stock controllers and you can always upgrade later.

3. My husband is worried we'll constantly be having to stop and go over to re-position cars that get knocked off the track. Any difference with brand on that?

- carrera's stainless rails have slightly less downforce, but carrera cars come with two magnets. scx cars have a single magnet, but it can be adjusted to provide more or less downforce. no matter what, crashing is possible with either system. but i'd go so far as to say crashing is desirable, as your son will lose interest quickly if he can just go full throttle without crashing. it is a pretty short learning curve to figure out how to modulate the power to avoid crashing. and kids tend to learn even quicker when you make them marshal their own cars...

4. Someone said the Carerra is stainless steel and can be set up outside. Could it be left outside though - like on a screened-in porch?

- i think so, but i'm no carrera expert

5. In the future, which brand do you think will produce new Nascar cars and/or accessories?

- not sure. SCX recently got bought by a different company, and i think the verdict is still out on the direction they will take.

6. So, ... SCX vs Carerra Digital Nascar Set ... what do you think?

- i'd probably go with carrera, unless you are limited on space. carrera track is a lot wider than SCX, which is great for racing but makes it more difficult to fit a decent track on a table. scx relies on a plunger in the car's guide to control lane changes, so it can be very difficult to chip a non-SCX brand car to work on SCX digital track.

to throw another kink, you might want to consider Scalextric especially if space is a consideration. their track is the same width as SCX but their nascars (and most of their other cars) have "easy fit" digital plugs, which allows you to chip a car for digital in about 30 seconds using just a screwdriver. chipping non-scalextric cars to work on scalextric is extremely easy as well.

[dw5555]

Don't really have a whole lot to add, Mr Flippant and Boopie said most of it. As a Carrera user I am partial but Carrera is a bigger track so that has to be taken into account if your space is limited. Like all plastic track they can be taken down and put back up but the connections between the tracks may get weaker over time. Carrera has been used outdoors with fairly good results so I would imagine your covered porch would be fine.
One feature that has not been mentioned with Carrera, which was the selling point for me is the Ghost car feature. Several cars can be programed to run by themseves while you race along side. They obviously have to run slower so they don't deslot but it makes for interesting traffic you have to race around.
Whatever brand you choose I'm sure your family will enjoy it.

Dave

[ryk4racing]

One nice thing about the Carrera nascar set I picked up was the banked turns- they are steep enough that a ghost car can be set at a fairly high speed. A real driver can still go faster, but speeds are much closer than if you have flat curves.

[JCZPT]

SCX all the way

Haveing been a SCX Digital racer the past 5-6 years I can vote for the SCX Nascar Set.
The Car selection is very good, the equipment is very forgiving and easy to set up.
As far as using it, the digital sometime need to be opened up, and snapped back together to make sure contact is made, but the good thing no wires to solder, and there are videos on u-tube walking you through any and all problems.
you really dont need the accesories right away, get used to racing and having fun.
Enjoy

John C

[YturnRight]

Another fan of SCX-D here. We started with the NASCAR set around Christmas and have grown to about twice the size since then. As Ran said, it becomes a sickness. Even with the beatings that my 6 year old son puts on the cars (crashes are fun!), we have had next to zero problems with the set or the cars. The SCX NASCARS are virtually indestructible (but other body types can be fragile). Don't worry about soldering either Carrera or SCX cars, but you'll still have to open them up for regular cleanings if you want them to keep running smooth.

Our local hobby shop was high on both Carrera and SCX digital products and has had demos of both. Personally, I am glad I chose SCX but I believe you'll be happy with either choice. If you have a local hobby shop, I'd wander in and see what they have on their shelves. You'll always find better prices on line, but there's something big to be said about being able to go to a local store and support your local economy for that part/car you need right now.

As others have said, you probably can hold off on the accessories until everyone's sure they'll be into it. Then I would start with the lap counter and add the pit box and chronometer later.

Cheers! And Welcome to the hobby!
-Don

[LDFan]

Normally I would say SCX-D since I've had my system for the last four years and overall I'm quite happy with it.

However, it's true that SCX hasn't made any new improvements for quite some time and they were recently taken over by a new company who hasn't quite given us any official word on what direction that the digital side will be taking (analog is probably not going to change in any way).

So I would say it's probably between Scaly and Carrera at this time. Both systems are great but you'll have to decide which of the two offers the features you desire. And if you still can't decide, you can still wait and see what SCX has to offer in 2013 (or later ) and then decide between the three systems.

Anyway, hoping for the best when it comes to SCX because I sure ain't going to throw thousands of $$ down the drain to switch.

Dave

[Belator]

Macs_Mom, you should stick with either Carrera or Scalextric. SCX's digital product is quite old now and may or may not survive the recent acquisition of the brand by Educa Borras. Also, they haven't licensed or produced any new NASCAR liveries in almost two years, and I doubt they will in at least the near future.

At least as important, I don't think their digital product is suited to younger racers. The control unit does not support saving a default program setting, meaning that it will always default to the highest performance settings and it can display some peculiar driving characteristics that are difficult to troubleshoot. (I had an issue where cars actually accelerated out of control when I released the throttle that I never was able to solve.)

I wrote about my experiences in a posting here.

Hope that helps... It is a great hobby that can last a life time, I hope your son finds it fun.

[baharris3]

scx has released two new Nascars in the last year, the office depot tony stewart car and a second version of the number 1 bass pro shops car. And they have many more nascar paint schemes to choose from, both COT and aero nascars. If you like Gordon or Johnson, scalextric. Not sure if scx will be making new paint schemes or not at this time but you have over 20 to choose from. No one else has close to that but I think Carrerra is beginning to focus in new paint schemes.