How to make a Slot Car Analog Ghost Car Controller Re-visited

[@HuesofReality]

Hey Tom, I came across your recent video on making a Slot Car Analog Ghost Car Controller and wanted to say thanks for sharing such a helpful DIY project! It's always great to see practical solutions like this for enthusiasts like us. Looking forward to more of your innovative ideas!

[@tomsidener]

You are very welcome

[@markphillips5368]

My Carrera Evolution track uses a three-wire positive common setup for the track wiring, and as such a friend and I were able to design and build a ghost car controller for it with a small PWM module. I also have another PWM module wired to the 12 volt lines of an old computer power pack, which I use to power my tyre truer, keeping the speed of the tyre down and avoiding overheating and destroying the tyre.

[@tomsidener]

Yes carrera is by far the easier to create a ghost car. I have another video that covers carrera specifically.

[@TEGSLOT-RACING]

such a great help again Tom answered questions i hadt had the chance to ask yet . great work and advice

[@tomsidener]

Glad to hear it was helpful

[@nobodyshome758]

Thus would probably solve my AFX ghost car issue we have discussed previously!

[@tomsidener]

I think it would

[@nobodyshome758]

@@tomsidener ordered using your link. 👍

[@tomsidener]

@@nobodyshome758 Thanks always appreciated!

[@nobodyshome758]

@@tomsidener That did the trick! Works great! Thank you so much for all your hard work on this. Much appreciated!

[@tomsidener]

@@nobodyshome758 Your very welcome

[@slotcardude68]

Great hint, thanks for sharing!!

[@tomsidener]

Your welcome

[@BSslotcars]

Lots of info here. what I do I just use a controller and wrap the leads around it holding the trigger to the speed I need or if you really are into this just get a old controller take the spring off and just move the trigger in the position needed for the speed you want the car to go.

[@tomsidener]

Yes I considered the old controller trick but I did not have one and figured if I had to buy a controller, I could just buy a rheostat.

[@Madd_Dadd]

That’s my fault Steve, I bombarded Tom with so many Questions, he had no choice but to make a idiot friendly video 😂

[@tomsidener]

@@Madd_Dadd I hope the video answered some of your questions.

[@BSslotcars]

@@Madd_Dadd He blew my mind! LOL!!!

[@Madd_Dadd]

@@tomsidener yes, it did, thanks

[@chrissimone4916]

Hello, i’ve viewed your newest video of the four lane policar track. is that layout built on two8 x 4 tables? I’m sorry I could not leave a comment on that video. Chris

[@tomsidener]

I had to add about 1.5 feet to each table so it's more like 5.5 X 8

[@benjaminandersen1097]

i'm sorry, but i don't understand the problem with the pwm modules, as long as they are in series with the motor, it shouldn't be a problem? i.e, thev take the positive wire (+), modulate it, pass through the positive road-rail, trough the motor, onto the common negative road-rail (-)? the module also need a ground (-) of course, for the circuit to function. using a transistor like this ought to work, i believe

[@tomsidener]

Unfortunately they do not modulate the positive wire (only the negative). The policar only allows the pass back of the positive lead through the connector. You would have to rewire the power unit to get it to work.

[@benjaminandersen1097]

@@tomsidener im struggling to see the problem, not meaning to be a bother, but these modules should in practice function like a potentiometer/variable resistor, used in the same placement as the original pot. alternatively you could grab the positive lead form somewhere, and run it directly to through the pwm mod, into the possitive road rail, surely this would work. -in function, the negative output from the pwm becomes the positive input to the car. all road rails shared a common ground right? otherwise, there might lye my confusion :)

[@benjaminandersen1097]

oh no, shame on me, i understand now, it took me a while to figure what you ment, english is my second language🤭 but another rout that WOULD work is using a simple trasistor or mosfet, and a cheap microcontroller to pwm control it, like an arduino connected with a pot to adjust the timing, i have done so with a three phased motor from a hdd (BLDC motor), and got it up to 7000 rpm. well, good luck, i like your project, hence the spamming of comments :D

[@tomsidener]

@@benjaminandersen1097 I tried everything I could think of and I could not get it to work. Yes the rails share a common ground but that ground does not pass back through the controller. If you are able to get it to work, please let me know because I would much rather use the PWM than the Rheostat.

[@tomsidener]

@@benjaminandersen1097 The controllers that come with the track modify the positive rail only. The positive power runs through the controller, gets modified by the Rheostat and then passed back to the positive rail. The ground gets passed to the controller but does not get passed back to the track. The three wires in the controller jack are positive out, negative out, and positive back.

[@richardlange9094]

So what is your opinion of the Policar track?

[@tomsidener]

For multi lane, I do not think there is anything out there that is better.