Slot.it SCP1 Controller

As per my previous post, here is the controller that I was so kindly gifted. The Slot.it SCP-1:

The Slot.it SCP-1 Controller

Before this time I had simply the controllers that came with the Carrera kit. They are passable for playtime, but they really don't convey all the subtleties needed when really wanting to burn up the track.

On first look the size is impressive. Scratch that; it's massive. From the base of the handle to the trigger alone is as large as a standard Carrera controller. In the first minute it feels a little bulky, but it quickly makes up for it in what it does. Cars run like butter now. So much control.

The SCP-1 easily dwarfs the stock Carrera controller in overall size, but that's mostly due to the electronics and dials. 

The SCP-1 has a host of functions, through dials, buttons, switches and dip switches. Almost every dial has more than one function, depending on the settings of the dip switches. Explain what each one does after only owning it for less than 48 hours is a bit tricky. Consider that each one controls some aspect of the power band and it's a bit easier to understand.

The LIN/CRV [Linear/Curve] Switch. Set to Linear, it will act like a standard slot car controller, with a pretty basic power band. Set it to Curve and you can control all aspects of the powerband parabolically. You can make it slow and steady up, or quick to mid-range, or hair-trigger, or whatever else you can come up with. 

These are just my findings on what each one does, from a not-totally-technical slotcar head:

The "Power Trim" [green] dial controls how much power goes into the car when you give throttle. Think about it like a traction control. All the way left and it's going to be a bit more gentle with the power distribution. All the way right and you're spinning your wheels.

The "Min Speed %" [yellow] dial controls how much power the car has from the time you first press the trigger. For example, you can set it so that when you give it the most gentle gas it is slowly rolling or going at a fast pace or anything in between. I suspect this would be a useful setting for racing on long tracks with a lot of straights [you'd probably set it quite a bit to the right for a long straightaway].
While driving, I noticed that setting the Min Speed to higher than 0% yielded good results. While being able to start from a dead stop to a crawl and then to full speed is a cool option, what's better is setting the Min Speed % to something like 15% or so. What this does is act as a bit of a neutral/coast. The deceleration isn't as drastic as when it is set to 0%, and it seems to allow for a better trigger flow.
This is important because it lets you set the amount of deceleration, so you can really get particular about how much lift you want to use in the corners. I found setting it at about 12 o'clock, with the Power dial set about the same produces a ride that is fast, on the edge, and easy on braking.

The "Brake" [red] dial is a two-step function, neither of which seem to have much effect on my Carrera cars. I suspect that has to do with the motor and built-in braking and all that, or maybe it's the polarity issue with the controller. On a proper car it would probably have to do with how much travel the car makes on its own after you let off the trigger. But that's just a guess.

The blue "Curve/Max" dial is a power cap. With the right switch/dip switch setting [linear/1off/2off] you can control the overall speed of the car. This is proving to be a great function. It's like regulating voltage; you can step the overall speed down so you don't wipe out in the curves. The rest of the controller functions just like it normally would otherwise. Great for kids and skittish racers who are off-track more than on.
I'm liking this Max option most of all, and have pretty much gone back to it every time. It's an electronic regulator. I can set it so the car is running it's fastest lap while the trigger is fully down, and work the settings backward from there. Once you get the top speed figured out, the rest falls into place. Settings like Brake and Min Speed% suddenly matter more and make the machine that much more flexible.

There are a few brake buttons, some of which control lane-change functions if you're running digital. Otherwise they're different brake styles of the 100% power-off variety. They would probably be pretty useful if you had your Brake dial set to a more wide-open setting.

There is also another valuable option, and that is Ghost Car Mode. This basically allows you to use the controller and set the speed of the car. This is great if you like to compete against yourself or just want more action on the field. Of course, the one drawback to doing that is now I have my good controller tied up as a ghost controller. So I doubt I'll do that much unless out of absolute boredom.

The dip switches are located on the top of the controller and are accessible with a pen or small screwdriver. Each setting corresponds to a part of the power curve you want to control. I experimented a bit with this and discovered that, while I can control the car's complete power range, it still is full power at the top, flying the car straight off the track. I'm sure over time I'll find the comfortable settings in Curve mode.

Dip Switches currently set at 1 and 2 OFF. That plus the selector switch set to the "lin" [linear] setting will allow you to control overall speed of the cars. Y'know....for kids.

This particular controller is the SCP01b, which has positive wiring, which is run on commercial tracks and is standard on handmade wood tracks. Carrera and other plastic track makers use negative wiring. This means that in order to run this controller on a Carrera track, you'll have to switch the polarity of the power plug. This will cause cars to only run counter-clockwise, and stutter if you try to run them the other direction [unless you flip the switch on the Carrera cars].
It's possible to buy a cartridge that would fit precisely to the Carrera track, but this one does just fine. Other cartridges are available for the various digital systems.

I wired 4mm banana plugs to the three wires and matched them black/black, red/red, yellow/blue. They then sit in the power track from left to right: yellow, red, black.

The controller is wired Yellow/Red/Black from left-right as you look at the track. Notice the reversal of polarity for the power plug. It needs to be that way to power the controller [positive wired]. The 4mm banana plugs fit snugly, but they fit. The "yellow" plug has a piece of yellow tape over it [I didn't have an actual yellow plug].

RESULTS:
Now I understand what I've been reading. This is one of the best upgrades you can make. There is no comparison between it and a Carrera controller.
This gives me more control over my car, a better flow and more understanding of my controller and what I can do. A quick adjustment and my Safety Car can compete with my R18. And suddenly my R18 is a breeze to drive, absolutely responsive and more like a shark than ever before.

It took a couple of sessions to get the hang of the controller and find a good comfortable start point. I ran a few time trials and not only were the speeds impressive, but the fact that there were no de-slots was even more interesting. I credit that absolutely to the controller. There is nothing else that can possibly explain it. From here on out I will be keeping my Carrera controllers in the box.

UPDATE: The SCP-1 certainly is faster and reacted very well to the settings given. I set up a stock Carrera controller as well to compare the two. The amount of throw on the finger trigger of the SCP-1 is longer than the throw on the Carrera thumbstick. The ability to make so many fine tuning adjustments to the SCP-1 made the Carrera controller feel primitive in comparison.
I keep coming back to one particular setting: Linear/1off/2off. This is what they call the safe setting for kids. The max power setting. It is, to me, the absolute best feature of this controller. I showed it to my wife a few minutes ago and she was actually excited that she made it around the track without crashing. Win/win.


BOTTOM LINE: Absolutely drop what you're doing and buy a good controller. I'm sure the SCP-2, the successor to this one, is likely very good, as are other controllers from DS and others. But it's the best piece of kit that I've gotten so far, and actually brings a smile to my face when I'm using it.


There is a newer version of the controller called the SCP-2, but I don't own that one, so I can't really comment on it. This one is about the old version, and since there doesn't seem to be that much info available online about it, maybe this little bit will help.