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Converting to Digital Scalextric If you already have Scalextric TRACK... you can upgrade to Digital very easily. All you need is a basic starter Digital set which will also give you a little bit of extra track, plus the digital powerbase, controllers and a couple of digital cars to start you off. Scalextric Digital uses ordinary Scalextric Sport track, with extra, digital-only track pieces such as lanechangers. See "About Digital" in the margin for more information on digital functions. There is also a digital conversion set, ref C7056, which is available only from www.scalextric.com and will give you a basic digital powerbase and throttles plus a lanechanger, but no cars.

More track required? If you need more track, or are starting from scratch, buy one of the larger sets, as you can get up to 6.7m bundled in with the cars and controllers. Or you can buy individual pieces in our track section. For any length of circuit however, you only need one powerbase. Do not try to connect more than one powerbase into the circuit as you will probably cause serious damage - it's not possible to race more than 6 cars as there only 6 different programmable car IDs.

Using Classic and SCX track If you have non-Sport track from before the mid 1990s, (that's track with the "spoon-type" connectors, as opposed to the modern flat tab insert connectors), you will also need a pair of these "Classic to Sport" converters, which will enable you to run digital cars over classic Scalextric track pieces from days of old, as well as over SCX track (not SCX Digital track), which has the same connectors as Scalextric Classic.

Track condition If you are using old Classic track, it does need to be in good condition, not warped, and it really needs sound electrical connection, so no missing, bent or loose metal lugs as this can cause problems with the flow of digital data through the rails. In the spares, parts and consumables section you will find track cleaner, which is recommended to use before racing. The best use of old style track is to introduce elements like Le Mans Starts and Goodwood Chicanes (that are not made any more) into the digital circuit. For ordinary straights and curves, unless you really are on a tight budget, or just missing one or two odd pieces, it may be less hassle to just go out and get some new Sport track.

Ninco track If you have Ninco track, you can get converters from a Ninco stockist to connect the slightly wider Ninco track (not the Ninco N-digital sections) to Scalextric Sport. So - although the different companies' digital systems may not be compatible with each other - you can certainly build a Scalextric Digital circuit using ordinary Ninco and SCX track.

Upgrading your cars In terms of cars, if it's got room inside it for a Scalextric digital chip, then it should run on the Scalextric digital system. There are two different chips for saloons and single seaters, and a small amount of soldering will be required. If you are coming to slot cars from the world of model railways for example, you should find chipping old cars a doddle. In some older cars it may be necessary to remove or adapt the interior. In all post-2004 Scalextric cars a small hole has already been provided in the floor of the car for the LED sensor. And where possible, cars made after about 2008 can also take a digital plug-in module instead of requring soldering. Your "analog" cars will not run on a Scalextric digitally-controlled circuit until you convert them - you will get an "overload" error or buzzing noise*. For information on cars of the past that have been successfully chipped for digital, look for the car chipping database on the Digital section of Slot Forum and see other chipping links in the margin of this page. *unless you have the latest PB-Pro with the analogue drive option, or the new C7042 6-car powerbase with analogue mode.

Justifying the purchase of Scalextric Digital to your wife This is a very important issue for many of our customers, who need to get their proposals to replicate Brands Hatch in the loft past the domestic financial gatekeeper. Here are some ideas to help you make your cost/benefit analysis nice and robust before it gets presented to "the board". Pick whichever ones are applicable to your own situation. Best of luck!

"I had a Scalextric when I was young... ...but the cars always kept coming off the track, and the track kept coming apart!" We often hear this from customers looking afresh at the hobby after long gap. If your experience of Scalextric has been with the sort of Scalextric cars shown in this photo, the cars of today are much easier to drive, if you want them to be. Many older cars did not have traction magnets in the base, so did not stay on the track too well. Modern "magnet" cars hence have much better roadholding. But the cars do still come off the track, and that is precisely the object of the game. You have to find and remember the limit of your car on every corner of every lap, without crashing, better than the other guys. Also, modern track, whilst still compatible with the old stuff, has a much a stronger interlocking system, giving solid electrical connectivity. Modern tyres and plastics provide better handling and glorious detail on the cars, and there are many robust models that will survive serious accidents without losing wings and other body parts.

In short, Scalextric has come a long way in recent years, and although still essentially the same concept, you will find it a much more enjoyable experience. The ability to do things like change lanes to overtake, and set different throttle power profiles to help youngsters stay on track better, which you now have with digital, is the icing on the cake; model motor racing the way it always should have been. Sorry it took so long! One other point about those four cars in the photo above. They are all from the store owner's personal collection and have all been chipped for digital - proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks!