Calling all challenger owners, HELP

[Patriotk11]

I finally got a challenger set.  It has a slight issue.  It will learn the track but the moment you push the race button it goes flat out and comes off on the first corner.

 

It's like it forgets the track or something.  Is there a way of reseting the car or checking it?

 

Kind regards

[gorp]

Considered challenger best scaly product of the 00s.  

So if you are using a plug instead of hand control,

remove it and plug in a hand controller.

Set challenger using full on.

Then rubberband controller at a lesser speed to run.

Adjust speed to handling desired.

Suggest you also use silicones on this car.

Usually get beat by challenger if toy racing it has less downforce.

Even converted one to digital but was not worth the effort.

Rubberband digital way back then to practice passing.

Good luck and enjoy challenger.

[Patriotk11]

After nothing working I have finally found and ordered a new Base with sensor.  I'll build it later and report back

[Andy P.]

Did you know that ARC AIR has a pacer function that essentially provides the same functions as the Challenger plus pits, lap counting and lap timing?

It works with any car that has a black guide blade.

[Patriotk11]

Hi

Yes and it does look like a good bit of kit but a bit pricey for me as I just want the race feature.  Once I've setup my track and completely happy I may swap my challenger for one but not quite yet :-)

 

Thank you though

[Smiley_47]

Did you know that ARC AIR has a pacer function that essentially provides the same functions as the Challenger plus pits, lap counting and lap timing?

It works with any car that has a black guide blade.

I understand that the Challeger system 'learns' the track. I have the Arc Air but cannot see how it can change speed. It just goes round slowly. Is this correct?  If so how can Challeger be connected to the Arc Air track?

Thanks

[Andy P.]

YOu cannot connect the Challenger to the track as far as I know  because the APP controls the power to the track. Besides, challenger uses dongles to connect to pwoer bases and there are no dongles for ARC AIR.

ARC AIR Pacer goes as fast as you let it around your track and believe me, even when it goes a constant speed it is really really hard to beat.

[Smiley_47]

YOu cannot connect the Challenger to the track as far as I know  because the APP controls the power to the track. Besides, challenger uses dongles to connect to pwoer bases and there are no dongles for ARC AIR.

ARC AIR Pacer goes as fast as you let it around your track and believe me, even when it goes a constant speed it is really really hard to beat.

Ok. I suppose it depends on the  layout. I have quite a long straight an some sharp bends. Making the pace car high performance would help, magnets and sticky tyres!! 

[Smiley_47]

YOu cannot connect the Challenger to the track as far as I know  because the APP controls the power to the track. Besides, challenger uses dongles to connect to pwoer bases and there are no dongles for ARC AIR.

ARC AIR Pacer goes as fast as you let it around your track and believe me, even when it goes a constant speed it is really really hard to beat.

Ok. I suppose it depends on the  layout. I have quite a long straight an some sharp bends. Making the pace car high performance would help, magnets and sticky tyres!! 

It means that the pace car can only go as fast as the slowest bend. I suppose I could just put the only power base back for when I want to use challenger and the pace function. 

[gorp]

Do NOT use dongles.

Use rubberbands so challenger can be used on any brand ie my 50 year old revell.

Full on (runs very slow) for 2 laps to memorize the fast and slow parts of the track.

Then adjust rubber band for top speed when racing.

If set up correctly , good luck beating it.

My guess is it will work with an appless arc track.

[Smiley_47]

Do NOT use dongles.

Use rubberbands so challenger can be used on any brand ie my 50 year old revell.

Full on (runs very slow) for 2 laps to memorize the fast and slow parts of the track.

Then adjust rubber band for top speed when racing.

If set up correctly , good luck beating it.

My guess is it will work with an appless arc track.

Thanks for that. Could you expand on the technique of not using dongles?  I haven't used the Challenger. A step by step set up would be gratefully appreciated!!

[Andy P.]

Seriously.. use ARC AIR.. it is much easier. Rubber bands only work for as long as their elasticity holds. After a while that changes and the get lax and the car slows. You also can't set a certain number of laps and you can't do a grand prix start.

Yes, the constant speed is slightly less challenging that the Challenger but only a little. I had a 2 meter straight and while I could outrun the ARC AIR Pacer on the long straight but it was hard keeping up in the curves.

Once you get over 20 or 30 laps you tend to make mistakes and the Pacer catches up...

I did the rubber band thing until I got my ARC AIR. It is great stop gap solution but the ARC AIR has features that I think make it much more fun.

[Smiley_47]

Seriously.. use ARC AIR.. it is much easier. Rubber bands only work for as long as their elasticity holds. After a while that changes and the get lax and the car slows. You also can't set a certain number of laps and you can't do a grand prix start.

Yes, the constant speed is slightly less challenging that the Challenger but only a little. I had a 2 meter straight and while I could outrun the ARC AIR Pacer on the long straight but it was hard keeping up in the curves.

Once you get over 20 or 30 laps you tend to make mistakes and the Pacer catches up...

I did the rubber band thing until I got my ARC AIR. It is great stop gap solution but the ARC AIR has features that I think make it much more fun.

Thanks for the advice. Will keep experimenting!!

[gorp]

You must have bought it used without a manual.

Have not used mine since chipping the challenger car for digital use,which I do not advise trying.

My spare is waiting for when next time comes.

 

First the tower must be pointed toward car placed in the lane at the magnet.

The magnet must be placed properly under the track between the lanes.

Believe the magnet tells the challenger chips to send a signal to tower to start counting or vice versa.

First the car starts at the magnet then goes around track 2 times slowly while memorizing straights and curves, then stops at the magnet.

Then tower is set for number of laps you want car to run and car starts at magnet with countdown.

Car stops when it has completed set laps.

 

You must know what a rubber band is.

When you place it on anything you can make it tight or looser.

Must be tight around controller for 2 lap memorizing.

Then loosen rubber band to set top speed for straights.

Adjust to car handling.

Buy silicone or urethane tires for rear and if you dare open it up carefully to add more downforce magnet.

The top of car is attached by the wired lights which come on when but I forget because usually too busy trying to beat it with less magnet and tires.

The challenger is a robot that drives repeatedly the same after setting it for the layout and then only adjusted by rubberband.

If you crash you will probably need to reset it with the 2 slow laps.

The dogles are used as replacement for the controller you own and a simple rubberband.

Always wonder how much they added to cost of challenger but must be designed to make it look more impressive.

Wished they had brought out other bodies but then digital arrived to capture my time.

After you work with using challenger a bit , it will come easier.

Hope this helps.

 

Saw the post above.

Rubberbands are replaceable and cheap.

Rubberbanding a slot track is for keeping a constant speed.

Rubbering banding challenger is to set memory and then to set top speed for the track ie faster on straights and slower for curves.

Challenger was the best thing scaly made until digital arrived.

It is still the best product for analog.

[gorp]

Forgot to add :

Take rubberband off controller when done playing with challenger.

Use a normal sized analog track, not a basement filler because car only has only limited memory.

Do not use crisscrosses XX or jumps because they break the flow of power to the memory.

(On digital when the digital chip has been added, you must physically push the car across changers at same speed for the memory to record properly and 2nd magnet must be used in case the car is switched over resulting in approximate track memory being used so best to avoid using upgrading for digital use)

[Smiley_47]

Forgot to add :

Take rubberband off controller when done playing with challenger.

Use a normal sized analog track, not a basement filler because car only has only limited memory.

Do not use crisscrosses XX or jumps because they break the flow of power to the memory.

(On digital when the digital chip has been added, you must physically push the car across changers at same speed for the memory to record properly and 2nd magnet must be used in case the car is switched over resulting in approximate track memory being used so best to avoid using upgrading for digital use)

Excellent. Thank you for taking the trouble to do this for me. I haven't actually used the Challenger yet!  But have read loads of good reviews. I will follow your ideas. 

 

Again in thank you. Roger