# Best Intermediate Controller?



## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

Hi Guys. 
As stated in my introduction post, I'm getting back into slots after a 26 
year break. Recently purchased the AFX Super International set to get 
me started and back in the game.

I'm looking to upgrade two of my controllers. Not ready to spend the 
big, big bucks yet because there are still cars and other accessories
I want to purchase for my son.

If you have an opinion about intermediate controllers, I'd love to hear
it. I'm admittedly still very ignorant in the controller department. Looking
for something a step up from stock that will make the experience a 
little better. 

Thanks, guys.


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Hey Jay, (IMHO)I think the Parma "Economy" controller is a good intermediate controller if you choose the best Ohm range for your type cars.


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## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

Thanks for the reply! 
Right now, the bulk of the litter is AFX and Tyco cars. 
..so the best would be 45 Ohm, correct?


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

I really am *not* an expert on suggesting which Ohm controller would best suit *your* needs. Although I'd guess a 45 Ohm would be good, 'tho I note that alot of OEM Tyco Controllers are rated at 70 Ohm from the factory ! But I guess your choice depends alot on what style of driving *you* do ?


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## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

Gotcha'. I'm going to do some Googlin' on the Parmas. I guess I'm just 
interested in more control overall. The whole idea of a brake wire tapped
into the track has me thinking too.


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Hey Jay, just wait for more replies to your/this thread, as the experts will chime in and give you all the best advice, and get you thinking on the right track


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## martybauer31 (Jan 27, 2004)

Super G+, SRT, Mega G and the Tyco equivalents, 45ohm is great, running t-jets you're going to want to go with a 90 or somewhere in that range.


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## Sir Slotsalot (Jan 23, 2010)

Spider,

Choosing the ohms is best determined by your layout config, cars and driving skills. If you have a lot of curves and short straights, use higher ohm. Just the opposite for long straights and fewer curves. The 45 ohm is a good place to start especially if your layout is not permanent and you want to make changes. If you run cars with down-force magnets like Tomy SRT and/or Super G+, lower ohm is also a consideration. In addition, consider an adjustable power supply for more flexibility with driving skills. Tomy's Tri-Power wall-pack is not too expensive (around $38 bucks). It will give you 6-12-22 volts at 1 full amp and will plug right into the Tomy track.

http://afxracing.com/products/power-pack-tri-power-pack

Hope this helps.


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

http://www.professormotor.com/product-p/pmtr2121.htm

an controller like the 1 above can save money because you only need 1 to support various kinds of cars. They have other variations as well.

these are what I consider intermediate. 

JMHO


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## cwbam (Feb 8, 2010)

http://www.scaleauto.com/parma/recommnd.htm

With clips is nice
218D 45-ohm Plus Controller (assembled Turbo controller) $41.95

http://www.hoslotcarracing.com/ 
under electronics
power & wiring

has anybody tried 
Scalextric Analog 1/32 Slot Car Hand Controller ?
are they 45 ohm?
cheap


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## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

If you buy a Parma Turbo Controller, DiFalco makes a conversion kit. Contact DiFalco directly when you are ready to purchase the kit. This way you have a way forward. I prefer the feel of the turbo controller over the economy controller. The local raceway has used these kits with great success on their 1/24 track.


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## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

Thanks for all the info, guys. I love having new info and reading to do. My 
first track is permanent. And since this first one is to share with my 
son, It has a few nice straights as well as an equal amount of curvy
areas. I set it up so that we could do as much landscaping / model building
as we do driving. Very landscaping friendly. So something in the mid-range
would probably be perfect.

Oh, the initial setup is the AFX Super International set. So I'm running the 
adjustable power supply already. After being out of the game for so long, 
I really expected the difference between beginner/intermediate/expert to 
be minimal when reading about the new power supply. I was really surprised
to see such a difference in the settings. It will be nice to hand my boy the
controller on Xmas and watch him do an entire lap without the car flying
off the track.  ..Then I can switch it to "fast as hell" at night. 

Again, thanks for all the info and taking the time to throw in all the links. 
I'm like a sponge right now. I've been wanting to get back into slots for 
the last ten years so it's exciting to actually be doing it.

I may buy him one of the lower end Parmas to start since he's still so young
and buy myself a "big boy controller"..


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## Crank_It_Up (Oct 8, 2011)

how much trouble is it to switch the resistor in the parma economy controllers? If it's not too bad, I would think having both the 45 and the 90 ohm resistors for each controller might be the way to go.


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

It's not that hard to switch resistors in a Parma Econo,but it's probably not something you'd want to do on a day to day basis:thumbsup:


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## partspig (Mar 12, 2003)

cwbam said:


> has anybody tried
> Scalextric Analog 1/32 Slot Car Hand Controller ?
> are they 45 ohm?
> cheap


CW, I use the Scaley controllers at home and when I travel. They work just fine for the ten bucks that I spent on two of them!! 

And for Spider RPM..........
If you go the Parma route I would buy a controller like the Plus or Turbo, ones that have a full frame in them. I opens up some interesting things that you can do with them down the road. Simple, cheap things, like adding a brake pot! If you desire to do so. Or like this modification that I have done to my Plus, as shown in this article, it works fine on a variety of different cars. See it here - http://www.howorld.net/archives/howto/controllermod/resistor.html

I WOULD NOT buy a Difalco or Professor Motor or any other high end electronic controller. Just a waste of money in my opinion, unless your gonna do the pro circuit. Then you will need one to be competitive. Right now, it is just my honest opinion that your money is better off invested in your stable of cars and parts and having some fun with your son. There is nothing like building, painting and detailing your own race cars with your best buddy!! Have a good day! pig


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## beast1624 (Mar 28, 2009)

The best prices I have found in the ohms ranges mentioned are here:

http://www.hobbylinc.com/parma_slot_cars

If they are in stock they ship fast. Anyone found any new controlers cheaper?


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

PG:If you use a 12 watt 100 ohm pot instead of a bank of resistors,you get a lot more adjustment out of your base resistor,and only one switch is needed.:thumbsup:
Wires in the same way the extra resistors wire in


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*There's no rush!*

I'm with Pig on this. For what you'll spend on ONE bottom end electronic, you can set up a handful of econos or a coupla turbos. Four bills plus to outfit your new four-laner??? Yeah right! 

There is GOBS of archival compost on the great controller debate and many great tutorials to be found. You can putter along, tune or modify your chosen wand(s) as you grow back into the hobby. The important point is to upgrade the "set" controllers and power supply. Keep them for spares. 

Sure I got a couple space shuttle controllers collecting dust somewhere's; but my chosen favorite is just the plain old Parma econo. Naturally they've had their resistors changed, epoxied, sanded, and adjusted to be a very satisfactory controller.

Everyone gets the same stick unless they wanna bitch about color. It levels the playing field and IMUO promotes good basic driving instincts for newcomers and returnees.


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## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

Lovin' all the info guys! Thanks! I've made big progress catching up with everything 
over the past couple weeks.


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

I had myself and my kids, I also did club racing.

The problem i had was the parma controllers all had different feels to them, even the ones with the same ohms!

the professor motor controllers are low cost, and 1 does the work of a few parma controllers, so in the long it often cheaper than a hand full of parma controllers!

2 you have the same trigger feel for any car you race

bottom line
consistency and saving money by using 1 controller was what I did by going electronic


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## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

I'm big into modifying anything and everything myself...
So tweaking out a Parma myself is sounding really good right now.


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

cool
I think there is info out on building a omni type controller
could be in 1 of the prev posts? did not look at all the links

the resistor is replaced with diodes or something

that would let 1 contoller handle multiple type cars as well

the omni was my 1st non-resistor based unit


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

Does anybody still make the Omni kit :thumbsup:

By the time you built an Omni,and did it right with heat sinks,extra sensistivity ,adjustable brakes,etc.it wasn't a cheap controller to build.
But they worked good,as long as you weight trained in the off season,so you could pick it up when racing season started,they were god awful heavy,by the time you had them optioned up:wave:


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## Sir Slotsalot (Jan 23, 2010)

I really wish someone would come up with a cheap conversion to cordless controllers using some simple IR technology. I'm sure someone is working on something but we'll have to wait a while for the "cheap" version to become a reality. Right now, I can't afford controllers & systems at hundreds of dollars a pop.


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## ajd350 (Sep 18, 2005)

+1 Pig and Bill. When I got back into racing t-jets this spring, I got a smokin' deal on a DiFalco. Although I still use it as my main controller, my first win came with a 95 ohm (nitro) Parma. I'd forgotten the DiFalco at home that night. If you spend some time on the Parma, they can be very nice for not a lot of bucks. You can often pick up a used turbo low ohm for a song, especially from someone selling out. Drop in an appropriate resistor and off ya go. Shop the swaps if there's any in your area.


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## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

I'm doing my research and preparing to buy a couple controllers for modding. 
In the meantime, I'm going to hook up with a couple econo Parmas for an 
instant fix. This is what I love about slot cars. Everything is capable of being 
modded or upgraded. You guys have been a lot of help. I'm never leaving this 
forum. Ralphthe3rd referred me here. I was wanting to click on the link but 
I kept getting the virus / harmful to your computer warning. Glad I he finally 
told me it was legit. 



> I really wish someone would come up with a cheap conversion to cordless controllers using some simple IR technology. I'm sure someone is working on something but we'll have to wait a while for the "cheap" version to become a reality. Right now, I can't afford controllers & systems at hundreds of dollars a pop.


Yeah, that's the problem when tech is still really expensive. A cheap version would 
mean the communication between the controller and the base at the input jack would
probably have problems. You'd have to stand at a 45* angle..facing slightly away from 
the track..with your left hand up at shoulder height and your right foot propped up on
a stool to make a good connection. If you moved, it would constantly fail.  Probably
also have to wear foil on your head.


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## cwbam (Feb 8, 2010)

Triggers
Plastic vs. Steel
in a cold garage a plastic trigger can be very nice.


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

> Triggers
> Plastic vs. Steel
> in a cold garage a plastic trigger can be very nice.


This made me laugh!
I used to always tell my kids to where shoes in the basement!
but they would forget and run to track and grab the old parma econo and shout when the got shocked cause they were grounded:jest:


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## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

slotking said:


> This made me laugh!
> I used to always tell my kids to where shoes in the basement!
> but they would forget and run to track and grab the old parma econo and shout when the got shocked cause they were grounded:jest:


Hah! We had an old fridge with the metal handle that would do that. 

On the controller tip, I've got a couple things to buy to have the track 
ready and landscaped for xmas. Then I'm picking up a couple Parmas 
and a couple controllers for modding. Totally excited.


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## bemoore (Dec 23, 2008)

My first recommendation would be for an adjustable power supply. Then, even with the stock controllers, you can adjust the power to make the cars drivable. Then, as you upgrade controllers, you can still dial in as much or as little power as you want.


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

Steve Medanic(Maddman) has some good tips on modifying the old Parma


http://home.comcast.net/~medanic/Tech-1.htm


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## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

bemoore said:


> My first recommendation would be for an adjustable power supply. Then, even with the stock controllers, you can adjust the power to make the cars drivable. Then, as you upgrade controllers, you can still dial in as much or as little power as you want.


Got the adjustable power supply. It is, indeed, awesome. I love it. 
My Xtractions love the mid-level power. My son is getting the Mega-Gs 
because they're practically glued to the track at any setting. 



Hornet said:


> Steve Medanic(Maddman) has some good tips on modifying the old Parma
> 
> 
> http://home.comcast.net/~medanic/Tech-1.htm


Thanks! Gonna' check this out.


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

spambot


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

He's outta here. Thanks!


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## SpiderRPM (Nov 2, 2011)

hankster said:


> He's outta here. Thanks!


Hey Hankster, I see you're in Kalamazoo. 'Bout an hour and a half from 
me. I'm just south of Detroit in "Downriver".


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## ___cory___ (Dec 21, 2010)

Hornet - Do you mean 12 watt or 1/2 watt? Also, a 100 ohm pot would generate much lower impedance values than we'd want for overall compatibility (t-jet to magnet cars). A 100 ohm pot at its highest value (assuming it's paired with a 120 ohm HOW resistor) would only make 55 ohms. I'm thinking a 500 ohm pot would be better. No? I know my electronics knowledge is rusty, but I'm basing this info on the article in PartsPig's link.

-Cory


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

You're right,i wasn't accounting for the 120 ohm resistor.
A 100 ohm pot is usually good when your base resistor is 60 ohms or less.
A 12 watt pot is overkill,but you need something that'll take the amps and heat,and a 1/2 watt pot is a little light,especially if you want the controller to also run a magnet car:thumbsup:


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## partspig (Mar 12, 2003)

One problem you will have by using a variable pot, instead of the switch set-up is that you will never know exactly what the ohm rating is for a particular setting on the pot. That is, unless you want to hook up a meter to it!  JMOFHO pig


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

But it's alot simpler then running a bank of resistors and switches.
You could mark the pot so you got a rough idea of where you're at.
And you can adjust it while racing, to suit the car as it's on the track.

Going way off your base resistor also makes the controller get a little weird,so using a 500 ohm pot and 120 ohm base resistor,might not be that good a combination,you don't want the resistor spread to big:thumbsup:

If you click on the link to Maddman's site which is posted at the top of this page,he has some of the resistor combinations already listed in his modifying a Parma segment


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## partspig (Mar 12, 2003)

I wouldn't use that chart as the absolute correct values for the resistors that you buy. They all vary a bit, even coming from the same batch. I suppose that a variable pot would work and be "easier", but to me getting the ohm resistance on my controller just where I want it, is an important feature. It is one reason that I did that modification. I get that with the switches and four different resistors wired in. Using a variable pot, to me at least, would be like using hand grenades, as long as your "generally" in the area it's all good. NOT! JMOFHO pig


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