Testing Scalextric cars?

anotherbob

Rather smaller cars than usually appear in this forum, but cars nonetheless

I "inherited" a few Scalextric cars but I have no means of testing them. Might a cheap multimeter do the job?

Anyone help with this?

macman

IIRC the power supply on these is 12 to 14V DC, so you just need a suitable DC supply.

anotherbob

Mickey666 said:

A multimeter won't be able to power up the cars to check if the motors still run.

I'd say the first step would be get a suitable power supply to power up the cars.  A multimeter might subsequently be useful for fault-finding if they don't work.

I've got the usual drawer full of power supplies. If I cut the plug off the end of the lead and touch the ends of the lead to the pickups on the cars should that do it? The one I'm looking at says Output 12v 2A.

AdrianC

A 9v battery across the two pickup strips will show if they work or not.

anotherbob

A 9v battery is the one I haven't got

However the 12v power supply has done the trick and all the cars are buzzing nicely.

Thanks to all for advice

Manxman_in_exile

Out of interest - how old are the cars and what are they?

Biggus_Dickus

Scalextric cars were way ahead of their time. 😎

mrprosser

AdrianC said:

A 9v battery across the two pickup strips will show if they work or not.

That is exactly how I used to test mine after replacing the pickup braids as a kid.

And a good way of replacing the braids was to strip the copper screen mesh out of TV co-ax cables and push it flat.

macman

A shame you didn't inherit some track and a transformer /controller too...

HansOndabush

I've just been renovating my old Scalextric and adding a few bits - pit lane, a MRRC Cobra and a couple of Ninco F1 cars which are much better detailed than the Scalextric.

What cars have you got anotherbob?

AdrianC

If you fancy taking Scalextric up a notch, have you seen Chase Cars?

http://www.chase-cars.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ff2NzKj6U

Suspension, designed to allow body roll and oversteer, for that 70s-hollywood-car-chase vibe...