SCX Cuda conversion

[sparky5280]

Hello!

I just reinvested into this hobby and made the jump from old Tyco when I was a boy to the Carrera digital for my son and myself. I’ve had our track for about 3 weeks and have been adding as I can. I saw Dave Kennedy’s videos on the new Cuda and I was just struck. I prefer street cars and classic American muscle looks great. How much headache am I into as newish hobbyist trying to convert a different brand car into my digital collection? I can work with wires no problem, but I am a complete novice when it comes to soldering to chips. My son is young and loves to race rough and I’ve already had to rework 5 headlights with new solder. I’ve been able to get 4 of the 5 back to working order, but these little chips are a bit more difficult to work with than what I am used to. I ordered a few Carrera chips to have on hand, but what I’ve been reading is they may be too large for some vehicles. I guess my love for the car overwhelmed my brain before I asked myself if it could be done (easily). Any input is appreciated and thanks in advance!

[b.yingling]

I haven't seen the SCX Cuda- but I've put Carrera chips into much smaller vehicles. Plus, the old "Carrera chips are too big!" chestnut started when the form factor for a Carrera 26732 chip was almost twice as big as it is now. They are still slightly bigger than a standard Scaley chip for Scalextric digital (while also being far more robust!), but they can be fit to the vast majority of 1/32 scale models.

You never have to solder directly to the chip to digitize a car for Carrera. You have to connect the red and black wires to the braids of the car, and you have to connect the purple and gray wires to the motor of the car.

[sparky5280]

Thanks, b. yingling. I only have Carrera cars in hand until my order is here. How about mounting Carrera chips to chassis’s of other makes?
Also, do I need to worry about Carrera having a chip soldered to the motor and other makes just having a direct connection from braids direct to the motor?

[b.yingling]

The chip has to sit between the braids and the motor. Red and black wires on the chip attach to the braids. Purple and gray wires on the chip attach to the motor. I always use hot glue to hold chips in place in the chassis.

[sparky5280]

So are the purple/gray leads from the chip to the motor landing on resistors attached to the motor?I don’t know what I’m seeing on a Carrera motor that others don’t appear to have, and if I need to worry about adding that part to operate without burning something up. The part on top of the motor circled in my previous picture.

[sparky5280]

Sorry for what may seem like easy questions to you guys. I’m just trying to add these pigtails to the non digital cars so I can pull the chips out and put them in other cars so I can plug and play chips. I can invest in a few more makes of cars and decide what I like without buying an additional chip for each car. I’ll get there, but this is very early for me. For now, this lets me spend the money on cars and allow me to add chips later. In theory at least.

[b.yingling]

You don't need that little board in your picture. I have over 50 Carrera digital cars, and none of them came with that board. But then I don't think I've bought a Carrera car for two years or so.

I like to use pigtails just as you mentioned. Makes it easier to change motors/chips if needed.

[sparky5280]

Perfect! Thank you so much for your help! I spent many hours researching trying not to ask dumb questions I could find in the archives but that little board was such a hard thing to find any info on. I’ll post my success/failure story once it all arrives.

[R/TRandy]

The SCX 'Cuda was one of the first cars I chipped for Carrera digital, they are not too hard to do.
SCX cars are a little different than other brands of slot cars in that they do not use wires for the connection from the guide to the motor.
They have thin strips of copper laying flat on the cars chassis and in the lighted cars, like the new Cuda's, they use the copper to run to the lights in the body. The new chassis has been updated with a couple of
changes to the chassis, it looks like they added a circuit board and it has a different motor. There looks to be a hole in the chassis bottom that the Carrera chip maybe able to use for the chips sensor.
I will be getting my Cudas early this coming week so I will be able to look the new chassis over then.

Randy

The old Cuda's stock chassis and with the connections added for the digital chip, flat strips had to be cut so they didn't connect to motor.


Chip added to Chassis


The new chassis on top, new motor and circuit board

[R/TRandy]

Hopefully the pictures are there now!

[TRU]

This is your video isn't it?

https://youtu.be/-GtWozhfD1Y

[R/TRandy]

Yeah that's my video, according to the date that was close to 10 years ago!

[R/TRandy]

I received my two cars from Slot Car Corner this week and opened one up to check it over.
You can see how the lights are powered in this picture, Hopefully tomorrow I will have time to chip it.


Randy

[sparky5280]

I just finished my first Cuda. Actually, my first anything. It took me a few hours, but hopefully I can speed up the process for the next one. It runs well, just waiting on USPS on my larger guides. Hopefully I can have the other one done tonight or tomorrow so my son and I can get some laps in on them together. He’s loving so far though!

[R/TRandy]

Looking good!

[sparky5280]

[Dave Kennedy]

Very cool project!

[sparky5280]

Thanks Dave. I appreciate your videos, but maybe slow down on the content. My wallet is struggling to keep up. At least your kind enough to show preorders that are releasing in different quarters so I’m not hammering my bank account all at once!

[TRU]

I received my two cars from Slot Car Corner this week and opened one up to check it over.
You can see how the lights are powered in this picture, Hopefully tomorrow I will have time to chip it.

Randy...

Need your advice. Seller was gracious enough to send me an image of the car opened up. Will probably use a 26732 chip for this car. As I see it, looks simple enough with a little patience on working the dremel for sensor and switch holes in the chassis properly aligned. Do I have my wiring correct? I figure I can solder some pigtails in place and it should be good to go. Are these good solder points?

Thanks,

TRU

[sparky5280]

TRU-
Obviously Randy has more experience on that chassis, but it looks very similar to the new model. Your polarity is correct and those locations are exactly where I soldered my leads at. Just make sure to trim the copper that runs between the braids and the motor to break the continuity.