Scalextric Stock Car Challenge Review

I have to give Scalextric credit for investing heavily and bringing us plenty of American slot car products.  This Scalextric Stock Car Challenge race set is no exception, with two 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlos that are available for the first time as a 1:32 scale slot car.  The included cars are exclusive to the set which are fantasy liveries but still look the part.

The race set came well packed in a really nice box that has a lot of good information including all the features of the race set.  Opening the box, the track is bundled together with rubber bands and the ends protected with cardboard.  Each car is held in place securely from the bottom of the chassis with a screw-in fastener.  The instructions and warranty information come in a clear bag.  Overall, I'm very impressed with the packaging which is always part of the fun of getting a new race set.

Now it's time to get into setting up the track.  Some considerations are that Scalextric track is made of a somewhat soft plastic, so it's best supported on a hard surface such as a hard wood floor or a table top.  If going the table route, be sure that you have some sort of barrier system in place since 1:32 scale slot cars tend to have a lot of detail and aren't really made for flying off the table to the ground excursions.

The Scalextric track is really easy to put together.  You just slide it together and the tabs on each end locks it in place.  To disassemble, you only need to push the tabs on each end in and gently slide the track apart.  I chose to start off with the layout on the front of the box which takes up a space of 7' 4" x 4' 4" with a total running length of 18 feet.   The instructions also include 3 alternate oval layouts that can be built using the included track.  The set comes with banking supports that bank the curves 10 degrees for even more realism.

Now that the track is assembled, it's time to hook up the AC/DC transformer and the controllers to the power base.  The plugs are made in such a way that you can only plug the transformer plug in the center of the power base and the controller plugs will only fit the controller inputs on the power base.   Traditionally, Scalextric race sets came with an AC output transformer that was converted to DC by using electronics inside the power base.  Well, Scalextric has simplified things by going to a 15 volt DC output transformer that is rated at 1.2 amps, which is more power than the 0.8 amp transformer used in previous Scalextric sets. This extra power helps to eliminate any power surges on the track which ultimately leads to better racing.

The wait is almost over, just take a quick look at the cars and it's time to start racing.  Scalextric did a really nice job with these Monte Carlo stock cars. They are advertised as Super Resistant so the cars should hold up well and are also Digital Plug Ready, which means these cars can be easily converted to the Scalextric ARC Pro digital system at some point.  A quick spin of the wheel  found them to be very true on both cars which is a good sign for consistent handling.  Time to put each car on the track.

The set comes with all new Scalextric hand controllers that are very comfortable to hold and have 4 speed settings: 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the available power.  Just to get a feel for the track, I started at 25% and found the car very easy to drive with the ability to almost go wide open around the entire track.  This is a great option for young kids and those with little to no slot car racing experience.  I tried the different hand controller speed settings and found the 75% setting to be ideal for this oval track.  On a larger track the 100% speed setting might be the way to go for the more experienced slot car enthusiast.

I did come across a problem when trying the second car as it would just stutter and barely move at times.  I then tried the second car with the the controller that I used with the first car and it ran fine.  This led me to believe something was wrong with the second controller so I decided to open it up by removing two screws.  After opening the controller, I found the problem right away.  The metal wiper arm that rubs against the resistor was barely touching the resistor.  It was an easy fix, by gently bending the wiper arm a little closer to the resistor.  After reassembling the controller, it worked perfectly.  Scalextric race sets come with a 90 day warranty that covers the correct functioning of the product which would also have resolved the issue that I had with the one hand controller.

I was surprised that an oval track could bring so much fun.  It reminded me of watching a NASCAR race on TV as lap after lap you could slowly inch up on the car in front of you and also have a lot of side by side battles.   This set can also be expanded to a road course so you can replicate say Watkins Glen for those who also like to turn right.  Another thing worth mentioning is that Scalextric even got the clockwise direction right which is correct for a 1:1 oval stock car race.
 
Pros

• Included 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 1:32 slot cars are durable and look the part.
• Hand controllers are comfortable and love the 4 speed settings.
• Transformer is DC and has 1.2 amps of power.
• Track is easy to assemble and disassemble.
• Race set is compatible with Scalextric and other brands of analog 1:32 scale slot cars.

Cons

• Controllers don't have brakes and one controller needed adjusted out of the box.
• Track is made out of a soft plastic which needs to be used in a temperature controlled environment to resist warping.

Final Thoughts - I would say overall, this race set offers a very good out of box experience.  This Scalextric race set is a great option for those who plan on running only 1:32 scale slot cars on a hard surface in a temperature controlled environment and are somewhat limited in space.  Even better, you can upgrade this set at some point to either the ARC AIR power base which gives you wireless controllers, working brakes, lap counting and pit stops or the ARC PRO digital system which has all the features of the ARC AIR, but with the ability of racing up to 6 cars on the same track which can change lanes at special lane change tracks.

For those who want to run both 1:24 and 1:32 scale slot cars on a track that can also be in a garage or attic with wide temperature changes and/or folds up against the wall, then Carrera would be the better choice.

This race set is available for purchase right now at BRS Hobbies for $ 149.99 with FREE shipping within the United States.  Here is the link - Scalextric Stock Car Challenge

Redcat Caldera SC 10E Short Course Truck Review - Newest Version

The Redcat Racing Caldera SC 10E 4WD Brushless 1/10 RC Short Course Truck has been revised several times over the years so I felt it was time to review the newest version to see what it has to offer.  Also, this same Caldera 10E platform is available as a buggy and a monster truck with the main differences being the body, wheels and tires.

Upon opening the box, everything seems well packed and I was impressed with the paint job of the body which looks much better in person than the pictures I have seen on the internet.

I removed the truck from the box which is twist tied to the bottom cardboard tray.  Looking the truck over, I noticed an issue with the front wheels rubbing right behind the front wheel well area on both sides.  At first, it appeared the body hole locations were off.  Upon further inspection, the front body posts were angled forward somewhat.  It's hard to tell if the one body post is like this from the factory or if it has been tweaked slightly from being in the packaging.  The solution I came up with was to swap the two body mounts so the one with the angled body posts was on the rear.  This moved the body back about an 1/8 of an inch.  Additionally, using some curved scissors, I cut out the front wheel wells right on the mold line.  After doing this, the tires had plenty of clearance.

The next step was to install the antenna tube to the antenna tube holder.  I had to use a small flat blade screw driver to open up the clamp for the plastic antenna tube.  Then it was a matter of feeding the antenna wire into the tube, pushing it into the holder and tightening the nut.

I was impressed to find mounted in the Caldera chassis a Hobbywing 60 am brushless ESC combined with a 3421KV 4-pole brushless motor.  The ESC is easily programmed with a SET button that is held down with blinking lights to confirm each setting.  The ESC has the ability to program - 2 running modes, 4 maximum brake settings, 8 drag brake settings and 4 punch settings.  The included battery is a Hexfly 7.2V 3200 Mah LiPo battery with a deans plug.  A Redcat female T plug to 4.0 banana plug adapter is included so you can also run a Hexfly 7.4V LiPo that has a 4.0 banana plug with the Caldera SC 10E.  The AC charger puts out 900mA, so more of a slow charger that will take about 90 to 120 minutes to fully charge the battery. 

Moving onto the radio gear is a really nice 2.4GHZ transmitter that has a flip up cover for adjusting steering trim, throttle trim, steering dual rate and reverse for both channels.  The radio takes 4 AA batteries and has a really nice feel to it, very well balanced.  The servo is just a plastic gear 3KG Hexfly servo but so far has held up okay.

After charging the battery, I was checking the steering and noticed that the steering rack was contacting the front center drive cup when turning all the way to the right.  The solution was to readjust the steering links so they were both the same length and I also set the links so the front has about 1 degree of toe out.  You can also turn down the steering dual rates which will limit the maximum travel each direction.

The truck has plenty of adjustments which gives a lot of tuning options to help fine tune the handling.  You get 3 shock mounting options on the shock tower and on the arms both front and rear, as well as an adjustable camber and two inner upper link mounting positions front and rear.  While the Caldera SC 10E is primarily made for bashing, it's good to know that you can fine tune the handling to get the car dialed in on your chosen surface.  A tuning manual is also included which has setup sheets which could come in handy when trying different set ups.

Speaking of the tuning manual, it covers adjusting gear mesh.  I did find the gear mesh to be just a tad on the loose side.  Ideally, the spur gear should just have the slightest amount of wiggle as you check it in several different spots.  If the gear mesh is too tight, it will feel locked in some spots without any play between the gears which are 32 pitch (mod .8).

Everything on the truck is heavy duty including the shocks which are big bore size.  They are plastic but feel pretty good.  The 4wd drive train consists of front and rear gear diffs with a center spool.  Power is transmitted to all four wheels with CVA drive shafts.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the axles are 5mm compared to most 1/10 vehicles this size that come with 4mm axles.  The rod ends do feel a little tight but don't seem to affect the suspension movement or the steering.  Plus they will loosen up as they wear and I would rather have them a little tight than with too much slop.

 

 The wheels and tires are soft and seem to provide good traction on most surfaces but have a really tall profile.  Since the tires are so tall, I moved the lower shock position to the outer most hole on each lower suspension arm.  This lowers the truck slightly and also helps to reduce the side to side body roll.  Switching to a more traditional SCT tire will lower the truck and will also help the handling. 

After checking the truck over one more time, it was time to have some fun.  The truck has really good acceleration and top speed.  Very minimal cogging with the sensorless motor.  The brakes were too strong with the default esc brake setting, so I adjusted it from 75% to 50%.  Handling was really good but the truck was loose while turning off power.  You can get a sway bar as an option which I will try in the front to take out some of the off power steering.  The truck really rips around and seems very composed over the surfaces that I ran it on.

Some tips:  use some blue thread-lock on any of the screws that go into metal and be careful not too over tighten any of the screws.  You only need to tighten them until they feel tight and don't need to tighten any further.  The electronics are listed as waterproof but I would take care when driving in wet conditions to only drive over really shallow puddles since most electronics aren't made to be fully submerged.

Recommended upgrades would be

1. The Hexfly 15KG metal gear servo which is much more durable than the stock plastic servo.
2. A faster charger such as the Hexfly HX-403 LiPo charger which is 3 times faster than the stock charger.  
3. The Redcat BS903-111 metal steering knuckles are a good option to beef up the front end even more.  
4. Something else worth considering would be to get the sway bar which you can try in the front or back or both to help get the handling to your liking.  To make one sway bar unit you will need one Redcat BS905-009 anti roll bar and two Redcat BS903-029 anti roll bar links.

Overall, I am quite happy with the Caldera SC 10E it really offers a great value considering what you get.  It has more tuning options and a longer wheelbase than the Redcat Blackout SC.  The longer wheelbase helps keep the front end down under hard acceleration.  Really the only downsides are the plastic gear servo which is easy to upgrade for around $18 and the tall tires which may be good enough for bashing but generally I find a lower profile tire will provide better overall handling.

My out of the box ratings for the Redcat Caldera SC 10E are

• Speed  =  4 out of 5
• Handling  =  3.5 out of 5
• Durability  =  4 out of 5
• Electronics  =  4 out of 5
• Upgrade Part Options = 3.5 out of 5

TOTAL = 19 out of 25

This Redcat Caldera SC 10E Short Course Truck is available for purchase right now at BRS Hobbies for $ 249.99 with FREE shipping within the United States.  Here is the link - Redcat Caldera SC 10E Brushless 4WD 1/10 RC Short Course Truck

Redcat Radio Control 1/10 Vehicles

Established in 2005, Redcat Racing has become the premier name for Fast- Affordable - Fun ready to run, electric powered remote controlled surface vehicles. All Redcat Racing vehicles come fully assembled and ready to run right out of the box making it simple for anyone to get started in the R/C hobby. Redcat Racing has a complete line of parts and accessories as well as a wide selection of vehicles, ensuring that there is a Fast-Affordable-Fun vehicle for everyone.

To see all the Redcat Racing RC vehicles available at BRS Hobbies, please click on this link - Redcat RC  

NEW AFX Mega-G+ Mustang Mach 1 & Camaro SS 350 HO Slot Cars

The new AFX Mega-G+ Mustang Mach 1 & Camaro SS 350 HO slot car comes with all new 5 spoke wheels and is expected to ship out to customers mid to late February of 2018.  For more information - AFX Mega-G+ HO Slot Cars