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Hello all:

Back in the 1960s, I had a fairly elaborate Aurora HO 4-lane slot car track and enjoyed tinkering with the cars, making modifications, changing tires and gears, painting, decaling, etc. I stumbled onto some YouTube videos of Carrera digital slot cars and, needless to say, was quite impressed by the technological advances that have occurred in the past 50+ years. I’m considering purchasing a Carrera digital set but, as I do more research, I become more confused rather than more educated.

I suspect I’d spend most of my time using the set by myself (which is why the “ghost car” option is appealing), although I also suspect my son and 8-year old grandson might join me occasionally (which is why the ability to adjust speeds is appealing), and I suppose if the word gets out some of my friends and neighbors might become interested in racing occasionally, as well. I would set up in my basement and have a reasonably large space down there. Based on that, these are my questions:

1. What would be a good starter set for Carrera digital (1/32)?
2. What is a good online source for purchase? (I live in rural Illinois, and as near as I can tell the closest hobby store that carries Carrera products is at least 90 minutes from where I live.)
3. Are there good sources online for information about Carrera digital racing products (in addition to this forum, of course)?
4. Pros/cons of Carrera digital or my plans in general?
5. Any retirees out there who have recaptured their youth via slot cars? ;-)>

Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

1. What would be a good starter set for Carrera digital (1/32)?

One with a lot of track. Decide if you want wireless or wired controllers. You can buy sets either way.


2. What is a good online source for purchase? (I live in rural Illinois, and as near as I can tell the closest hobby store that carries Carrera products is at least 90 minutes from where I live.)

http://www.CarreraSlots.com


3. Are there good sources online for information about Carrera digital racing products (in addition to this forum, of course)?

Yes, but forums will get you the quickest response. You will benefit from many voices chiming in with their experiences. Facebook can be another good source as there are some Carrera specific groups.


4. Pros/cons of Carrera digital or my plans in general?

A great choice. You'll have a great time. A solid product.

You may prefer a set based on cars you like. For me, those cars are modern GT and the DTM cars. Coincidentally, they also are some of Carrera's best handling cars.

Welcome back!
I would suggest that you get a Carrera digital set with the wireless controllers. You will love being able to walk around and fetch cars that have flown off the track without yanking the cord. You can get some used straight and curved track pieces on eBay or on the HRW For Sale site for less than buying a bunch of new pieces. The goodies do get a little pricey. The Pit Lane that uses the Fuel function is a totally engaging concept to the digital age.

The above mentioned dealers are very good.

If you have the room, build a table bigger than your initial track. That way you can add new pieces and features easier.

The Carrera home page has a frequently Asked Questions link that is quite helpful. I found reading all the questions and their answers actually helped answer questions I hadn't progressed to yet.
Enjoy! jeff

Looks like the learning curve is restarting! ;-)>

The lead representative has been released. They are closing the current location. I have heard a much smaller warehouse/center is in the works.

Hopefully good news follows and we see a new facility that will actually support our dealers as they should be.

And I just heard that things are changing to improve the support. SO we shall see how it goes.

I use Carrera Digital and it has been very robust. I use the in car chips as stand alone power supplies for individual lanes on my home analog layout,and they haven’t missed a beat in over two years of running.

The cars are probably over built. Big and heavy so they can handle some rough use in the hands of Children. Digital controllers are fine,and the system allows for different voltage settings and adjustable brakes. You can chip just about any car if you aren’t afraid of some soldering.

Having said all this, I am happy I modified my system to switch between analog and digital. 90% of the time I am building and testing analog cars on my track.

This is just my 2 cents , I have the Scaletrix digital sets , they will run 6 cars at one time . And I am just getting back into slot cars after a long layoff . Having not being tied to the track , and being able to run more than two cars at a time is a big plus for me .

You’re where I was in December of 2016. Rural Louisiana here - no clubs nor shops within 8-hrs. You’re in for a great ride! This forum is a great source as is LEB, Cincy, Clover, Prof Motor, 132, Carrera Slots and others. Wireless controllers are a great suggestion by others. Scalextric cars are easily adapted to Carrera, tho the chip is a little expensive. I like GT and DTM cars too, as another has suggested. Good luck - we can’t wait to help ya!