- HO Slot Cars: HO (1/64) slot cars are the smallest category of slot cars, about 2 1/2 to 3 inches long. Click Here to learn more about this exciting family hobby. Here are a few links to get you racing: HO Slot Car - Race Sets (All Sets) HO Slot Car - Cars (All Cars).
- Your source for HO Slot Car Racing Sets, Track, Parts, and Accessories from AURORA, AFX, TYCO, LIFE LIKE, Model Motoring and more since 1999. FREE Shipping on orders $75 or more. Under $75, $6.95 Flat Rate Shipping.
Shop for Track Slot Cars Toys & Hobbies at HobbyTown. AFX HO Scale Track Clips- 100 Pack. Available in Stores. Not yet reviewed. In Select Stores.
“Scotty, we’ve got to have more power – NOW!!”
How about those cute little Tomy AFX Controllers? Pity there not much good for adult hands. They have a limited life span and will fail after a point. So if you have worn out your controllers, you are faced with a choice. Now is a good time to purchase a better controller.
If you have a hobby shop with a HO raceway close by, see if they can order you a Parma 45 ohm Econo Controller. If not, go on-line or to eBay and look them up. They are a great first-step upgrade.
When you have it in your new unit, you can see it has three wires – not two like the set units. That third wire is for ‘dynamic braking’. Check the back of the Parma box for wiring instructions. ’Dynamic Braking’ gives you better car control with some car designs. It’s a nice feature to have for cars that tend to ‘roll’ a lot after you let off on the trigger.
Once you have better controllers you should invest in a better power supply. You are after a REGULATED power supply (one that is variable is good) that has plenty of amps. If your cars slow to a crawl on the far side of the track it may not be a car or track problem. The blame is more than likely the small amount of Milliamps being put out by the standard Tomy AFX power pack. A better power supply will fix that problem. It also means that you can use the ‘Dynamic Braking’ feature of the controllers much easier.
Modern AFX and Tyco slot car motors require a power supply producing 18 to 20 volts of direct current (VDC), while older Model Motoring cars require 20 to 24 VDC. The wall-outlet power pack supplied with most boxed racing sets is not sufficient for use on large table-mounted racing layouts.
DC power supplies normally have two specifications, the output voltage and the output current. Modern HO slot car motors require at least 18 VDC, and 1 ampere or more of current for proper operation. Most of the DC power supplies currently being manufactured provide only 12 to 13.8 VDC. These WILL NOT work for HO slot car tracks. They will however work properly for larger 1:32 and 1:24 scale slot car tracks.
A good quality DC power supply is essential to safe, trouble-free racing and prolonged motor life. Investing in a good power supply will quickly pay for itself in motor savings alone.
A good rule of thumb to use when determining the size of the power supply required is to multiply the number of lanes by 1 ampere or more. Especially long layouts or very hot motor armatures may require more power, but 1-2 amperes per lane should be sufficient for all but the most demanding racing situations.
A 5-10 ampere DC power supply would be a good choice for a long 4-lane racing layout. This should provide sufficient power with an adequate reserve.
Power needs to be applied evenly around the entire race track. Slot car tracks with lane lengths greater than about 20-25 feet will need to have power applied at several locations. The rail connections at the joints in plastic sectional track are the single largest factor contributing to voltage drops as the cars move farther and farther away from the power terminal track.
Modern AFX and Tyco slot car motors require a power supply producing 18 to 20 volts of direct current (VDC), while older Model Motoring cars require 20 to 24 VDC. The wall-outlet power pack supplied with most boxed racing sets is not sufficient for use on large table-mounted racing layouts.
It is often said that power should be applied every 15 or 20 feet for an even power distribution. This is true, but an even better way of determining power terminal track spacing is to count track joints. It is the joints that rob your track of power not just the length. Applying power every 12 to 15 track joints will assure that your track is properly powered.
It is important to determine where power will be applied before you build your track and mount it permanently to a table. Racers who skimp on adequate track power distribution will be disappointed when they have completed their track and find that cars slow dramatically on those sections of the race track farthest from the power taps.
Replacing the power supply with a unit producing higher amperage has very little effect on power distribution. Inadequate power distribution produces voltage drops around the circuit. All of the amps in the world can’t overcome this drop in voltage though.
Powering each lane with 1 or 2 amperes is sufficient if power is distributed evenly. It’s far more important to apply track power evenly around the racing circuit than it is to have a high-output power supply feeding a single set of power terminal tracks. Regardless of the power supply output, cars will slow down dramatically as they travel farther away from the power source.
Generally speaking, a 4-lane race track mounted on a 4×8 foot table would require 2 or3 power taps, while a 4×12 foot table would probably require at least 4 or 5 taps. Even larger and longer race tracks may need as many as 10 power taps. Count the joints for a single lane and then divide by 12 or 15 to get a better idea as to how many power taps your particular track design requires.
If you get a variable power supply wired in, varying the voltage output to the track directly affects speed. The standard generally accepted voltage level is 18 volts. The more volts, the faster you go, the faster you come off the track!!
Our 5 1/2’x16′ custom-built track table hosts HO racing on a 6-lane TKO routed layout from March through Labor Day weekend, and 1/32 racing on a 4-lane MDF routed layout from Labor Day through the end of February, we finish the race year with a two week Digital season on a Scalextric Sport Digital 6 car layout. . On non-racing days, the current track layout is available for track rental. Learn more about the tracks below:
HO Layout:
- Manufacturer: TKO
- Track type: Routed composite
- Lap Length (average):64 feet
- Lanes: 6
- Crossovers: 1
- First season: 2010
The current HO layout, a TKO routed track, debuted in 2010. It replaced a 6-lane Tomy AFX layout that had occupied the same table since 2005, when it replaced the vintage Aurora Tub (ultimately refitted with Tomy AFX track) that had been NJ Nostalgia Hobby’s original racing layout since 1990.
1/32 Layout:
Afx Ho Slot Car Track
- Track Routed MDF
- Lap Length (average):60 feet
- Lanes: 4
- First season: 2014
New for 2014 is a routed 4 lane layout on MDF (medium density fiberboard). The advantage of the routed track is the lack of joints every few inches, thus providing a smoother driving experience. This layout provides power through magnetic braid which provides about 70% of the down force of steel rail.
1/32 Scalextric Digital Layout
Afx Slot Car Parts
New for the 2012-2013 race season. This track was fairly easy for us to put on top of the existing 1/32 Scalextric Analog track. We covered the analog track with a 5 ½ foot by 16 foot long single piece of green felt and constructed this digital layout using the Scalextric 6 car power base. The layout for the digital track mimics the analog track but allows 6 digital cars to race at a time. We had this track up at different times during the race season and had 3 Scalextric high impact car races and two specialty races, the first being a 500 lap team NASCAR event and the second a Scalextric GT race. The 1/32 season runs from Labor Day weekend in the fall to the first weekend in March of the following year. See the race schedule for individual events.
Afx Ho Slot Car Parts
- Track Manufacturer: Scalextric
- Track type: Scalextric Sport plastic
- Lap Length (average): 63 feet
- Lanes:2/3
- First season: 2012-2013