The alternate programming methods shown here are a leftover in the firmware from the predecessor to the current digital control unit (called the Black Box), which did not have buttons for car top speed, fuel tank size, braking force, and the button for coding cars (CODE button). All programming was performed using the controller only. In the instructions for the newer CU, Carrera only includes use of the CODE button in the procedures, which is why the older methods, which fortunately still work, are not widely known.
Excellent, thanks. I remember doing this with the older black box... but didn't know it was possible with the newer digital control unit. Great explanation, watched all your Carrera videos.
Thanks for the info again. I hunt for videos made by you if I want info on something. You take the time to explain the subject throughtly. Most important part of every video. How, to proceed without causing death. Lol.
Very informative. Had no idea this was possible. Also, at the 4:43 mark is a good example of why you may want to use corded controllers. That way when the guy right by your flipped car does not marshal it you can throw your controller at him and then retrieve it with the cord.
This alternate programming method is incredible!!! Thank you so much for sharing this invaluable information! Having to remove the other cars from the track to program just one has always been the single most frustrating thing about digital racing for me. Awesome, awesome, awesome!!!
Nice alternative method here, you learn something new everyday! This will be a big time saver when others are on the track not having to remove them to code your car.
Johnnie, if the car does not have lights such as an evo model that's been chipped, does carrera sell kits??? These cars all have the moulded rails on the chassis to accept the light "boards" I have near exhausted myself trying to find them,
Unfortunately, I am not aware of Carrera having light kits available. We've added lights to some cars by hot gluing 5mm or 3mm LEDs inside the body or onto the chassis and wiring them to the leads from the chip. The two GTOs in the outro clip of this video is an example. Those cars, even though they were digital from the factory, did not come with either headlights or taillights.
Thanks for the reply Johnnie, I enquired because not everyone has those skills and was hoping there was a solution for them, perhaps you could post some pics of you makeing a set up, showing series resistor and what pins were used off the chip, it may help others a lot,
I love watching your videos, straight and to the point 2:30 . I have a question for you and would like to hear your take on this issue. Personally I like the rechargeable 2.4 ghz hand throttles. Carerra has just announced that they will be going to a 2.0 ghz AA or AAA battery. Other than the logistics issue associated with shipping lithium batteries, why the hell make the change? Is there some advantage to 2.0 vs 2.4? I hate the idea of off the shelf batteries (inconvenience of keeping a stock, price, not knowing how much charge you have left). I purposely choose Carerra because of the wireless rechargeable hand throttles. Would love to hear your take on the issue, maybe even a video for the community. I came from SCX digital where they didn’t seem to care about the hobby enthusiasts and kept on making hardware changes forcing obsolescence of many owned components for no real technical advantage. Hope Carerra is not going down the same path ignoring its present customer base.
Check out page 57 in their just released 2024 catalog. After re-reading the page, I misinterpreted the meaning of the “2.0”. The chargeable wireless was called “Wireless+” while the new AAA battery wireless is called “Wireless 2.0”. I assumed incorrectly that meant 2.0 GHz. From what I can see they are still both at 2.4 GHz. They do require a different receiver dongle though. The note on the page seems to indicate you can use both simultaneously however you cannot duplicate controller programming numbers. Still interested in your thoughts on if there are any other “advantages” for Carerra to go this route. I would have preferred keeping the rechargeable station but improving the quality of the controller. And why a different dongle? Thanks as always and keep the pedal to the metal!
This video is extremely helpful and appreciated. Thank you, I do have another question: I set up a track for the youth group at my church and it has these Carrera wireless controllers. How can I charge them without leaving the power on while not at the church?
You can't really unless you take the batteries out, take them with you and charge at home with a Li-Ion-specific battery charger. However, the track does power itself off after a certain amount of inactivity (much like your laptop or PC goes into hibernate mode). We leave ours on when done running for the night to allow the controllers to charge somewhat but I think it's only 15 minutes before the CU goes into sleep mode, so usually not enough time to fully charge a controller with a low battery.
Very cool! I knew about normal car programming like that, which is one of the unique features of Carrera Digital. I didn't know you could do the same for ghost and safety car. THANKS! :)
I like the general idea of Smart Race with the ability to track individual cars, times, fuel, etc. I have purchased several widgets. At this time, I have used Smart Race for practice. I have a Carerra 1/24 scale digital system. I tried to set up a race opportunity but created a real problem. Somehow, I have set the parameters for the cars to operate at full speed as soon as they are placed on the track. I do not have any control of any vehicle. How do I return each car to factory settings? Races planned for New Year's Eve appear to be in jeopardy.
It sounds like the cars have been accidentally programmed to be ghost cars. Try re-coding a car to a controller and it should return to normal operation. Of course you'll need to hold the rear wheels off the track when doing this. If that doesn't work, let me know. There's an alternate method for resetting the decoder.
Question for you. I just got a pace car but I also built a separate pit area just for the pace car. How do I program it so it goes into that area instead of the standard pit that every car uses? I used the 4 track chicane and not a standard pit entry.
We take the mirrors and some other small parts off before putting the car on the track. We usually leave the wings on. If they start to get loose where they fall off repeatedly, we'll just glue them on if they are low-rise, like those on the Porsche 911 RSR and Corvette C7. We don't glue the ones with tall supports (like the Ferrari 458 and 488) because then the supports will break instead of the entire assembly simply falling off. So cars with the taller wings we'll usually just run without them.
If it is a digital car then it sounds like it is in ghost mode. To reset, program it to a controller using either method (code button on CU or the click-and-lift method in this video). As soon as it is set to a controller it will reset the decoder and it will turn off the motor. Dumb question but I have to ask -- it is a digital car, correct?
Two things: 1) Turn the top speed on the cars down. If you have a smaller track and can't use all the speed of the car, limiting the top speed helps with control. 2) Be sure the tires are trued, which is the biggest performance improvement you can make. Check out this video for info on tuning the tires: th-cam.com/video/qbJuwGGWkZU/w-d-xo.html
can you run a ghost car without taking up a controller. I have two controllers currently and want to run 3 ghost cars along with my car. I have the smart race app if that makes any difference.
Absolutely! Ghost cars can be programmed using any controller, but they don't occupy a controller ID. You can program several ghost cars but the issue with that is they will all register as ID 7 so lap counting for the ghost cars won't be accurate. Here's a short article on workarounds for that: www.smartrace.de/en/the-smartrace-manual/race-fairly-against-several-ghost-cars/
Humility will get you nowhere but might just keep you on the track longer! I’ve had that exact same thought many times. Like the tortoise and the hare.
The alternate programming methods shown here are a leftover in the firmware from the predecessor to the current digital control unit (called the Black Box), which did not have buttons for car top speed, fuel tank size, braking force, and the button for coding cars (CODE button). All programming was performed using the controller only. In the instructions for the newer CU, Carrera only includes use of the CODE button in the procedures, which is why the older methods, which fortunately still work, are not widely known.
Excellent, thanks. I remember doing this with the older black box... but didn't know it was possible with the newer digital control unit.
Great explanation, watched all your Carrera videos.
@@jaredwhitfield5594 Glad it was helpful, and thanks for watching.
Thanks for the info again. I hunt for videos made by you if I want info on something. You take the time to explain the subject throughtly.
Most important part of every video. How, to proceed without causing death. Lol.
Not the biggest slot car channel on TH-cam, but definitely the channel that actually made me learn the most, best tips and the humor is top notch.
Very informative. Had no idea this was possible.
Also, at the 4:43 mark is a good example of why you may want to use corded controllers. That way when the guy right by your flipped car does not marshal it you can throw your controller at him and then retrieve it with the cord.
Waterballoon works, too!
I haven’t seen you for months glad to see your back. This was handy information that I didn’t know about thanks.
You bet.
This alternate programming method is incredible!!! Thank you so much for sharing this invaluable information! Having to remove the other cars from the track to program just one has always been the single most frustrating thing about digital racing for me. Awesome, awesome, awesome!!!
It's always good to hear when the info helps out. Thanks for the comment.
Wow thx. never heard about this until now. handy for changing the car i'm driving without stopping all the ghost cars.
Nice alternative method here, you learn something new everyday! This will be a big time saver when others are on the track not having to remove them to code your car.
Glad to help out, Massimo.
Great little trick right there.
Welcome bacl legend
Don't even know how you figured that out but I just tried it and Wow. Very cool & useful! Thanks
You bet!
Excellent Detail. Thanks for Your Channel work.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching.
Johnnie, if the car does not have lights such as an evo model that's been chipped, does carrera sell kits??? These cars all have the moulded rails on the chassis to accept the light "boards"
I have near exhausted myself trying to find them,
Unfortunately, I am not aware of Carrera having light kits available. We've added lights to some cars by hot gluing 5mm or 3mm LEDs inside the body or onto the chassis and wiring them to the leads from the chip. The two GTOs in the outro clip of this video is an example. Those cars, even though they were digital from the factory, did not come with either headlights or taillights.
Thanks for the reply Johnnie, I enquired because not everyone has those skills and was hoping there was a solution for them, perhaps you could post some pics of you makeing a set up, showing series resistor and what pins were used off the chip, it may help others a lot,
Very cool! Thank you! I did not know this!
Thank you so much! Didn't know about that feature
Happy to help!
Great information I love your videos. Thank you!!! Cheers!
I love watching your videos, straight and to the point 2:30 . I have a question for you and would like to hear your take on this issue. Personally I like the rechargeable 2.4 ghz hand throttles. Carerra has just announced that they will be going to a 2.0 ghz AA or AAA battery. Other than the logistics issue associated with shipping lithium batteries, why the hell make the change? Is there some advantage to 2.0 vs 2.4? I hate the idea of off the shelf batteries (inconvenience of keeping a stock, price, not knowing how much charge you have left). I purposely choose Carerra because of the wireless rechargeable hand throttles. Would love to hear your take on the issue, maybe even a video for the community. I came from SCX digital where they didn’t seem to care about the hobby enthusiasts and kept on making hardware changes forcing obsolescence of many owned components for no real technical advantage. Hope Carerra is not going down the same path ignoring its present customer base.
I have not heard of this and couldn't find find any mention of it on the Internet.
Check out page 57 in their just released 2024 catalog. After re-reading the page, I misinterpreted the meaning of the “2.0”. The chargeable wireless was called “Wireless+” while the new AAA battery wireless is called “Wireless 2.0”. I assumed incorrectly that meant 2.0 GHz. From what I can see they are still both at 2.4 GHz. They do require a different receiver dongle though. The note on the page seems to indicate you can use both simultaneously however you cannot duplicate controller programming numbers. Still interested in your thoughts on if there are any other “advantages” for Carerra to go this route. I would have preferred keeping the rechargeable station but improving the quality of the controller. And why a different dongle? Thanks as always and keep the pedal to the metal!
This video is extremely helpful and appreciated. Thank you, I do have another question: I set up a track for the youth group at my church and it has these Carrera wireless controllers. How can I charge them without leaving the power on while not at the church?
You can't really unless you take the batteries out, take them with you and charge at home with a Li-Ion-specific battery charger. However, the track does power itself off after a certain amount of inactivity (much like your laptop or PC goes into hibernate mode). We leave ours on when done running for the night to allow the controllers to charge somewhat but I think it's only 15 minutes before the CU goes into sleep mode, so usually not enough time to fully charge a controller with a low battery.
Very cool! I knew about normal car programming like that, which is one of the unique features of Carrera Digital. I didn't know you could do the same for ghost and safety car. THANKS! :)
You bet. Always good to hear the positive feedback. Thanks for watching.
Nice vídeo 👍👍
Dude, I just used this hack in a situation and it was so cool! Thanks! anything else we don't know oh magnificent one?
(Old Crow)
I can't think of any other hacks right now, but when I do I'll be sure to put out a video.
I like the general idea of Smart Race with the ability to track individual cars, times, fuel, etc. I have purchased several widgets. At this time, I have used Smart Race for practice. I have a Carerra 1/24 scale digital system.
I tried to set up a race opportunity but created a real problem. Somehow, I have set the parameters for the cars to operate at full speed as soon as they are placed on the track. I do not have any control of any vehicle. How do I return each car to factory settings? Races planned for New Year's Eve appear to be in jeopardy.
It sounds like the cars have been accidentally programmed to be ghost cars. Try re-coding a car to a controller and it should return to normal operation. Of course you'll need to hold the rear wheels off the track when doing this. If that doesn't work, let me know. There's an alternate method for resetting the decoder.
@@johnniehobby Thank you. Problem fixed. Keep up your great channel.
Question for you. I just got a pace car but I also built a separate pit area just for the pace car. How do I program it so it goes into that area instead of the standard pit that every car uses? I used the 4 track chicane and not a standard pit entry.
Are you using the chicane for the pace car pit, or the drivers' pit, or both?
I know this is off-topic, but I’m New to the problem with parts falling off leg mirrors spoilers do you bother putting them back on?
We take the mirrors and some other small parts off before putting the car on the track. We usually leave the wings on. If they start to get loose where they fall off repeatedly, we'll just glue them on if they are low-rise, like those on the Porsche 911 RSR and Corvette C7. We don't glue the ones with tall supports (like the Ferrari 458 and 488) because then the supports will break instead of the entire assembly simply falling off. So cars with the taller wings we'll usually just run without them.
I just a carrera plymouth superbird car. As soon as I put the car on the track it races and I can't reset it. What do I do to get it to stop?
If it is a digital car then it sounds like it is in ghost mode. To reset, program it to a controller using either method (code button on CU or the click-and-lift method in this video). As soon as it is set to a controller it will reset the decoder and it will turn off the motor. Dumb question but I have to ask -- it is a digital car, correct?
My cars go off railway too much.
How can I get them to stay on railway longer?
Thanks.
Two things: 1) Turn the top speed on the cars down. If you have a smaller track and can't use all the speed of the car, limiting the top speed helps with control. 2) Be sure the tires are trued, which is the biggest performance improvement you can make. Check out this video for info on tuning the tires:
th-cam.com/video/qbJuwGGWkZU/w-d-xo.html
can you run a ghost car without taking up a controller. I have two controllers currently and want to run 3 ghost cars along with my car. I have the smart race app if that makes any difference.
Absolutely! Ghost cars can be programmed using any controller, but they don't occupy a controller ID. You can program several ghost cars but the issue with that is they will all register as ID 7 so lap counting for the ghost cars won't be accurate. Here's a short article on workarounds for that:
www.smartrace.de/en/the-smartrace-manual/race-fairly-against-several-ghost-cars/
cool..👍
👌
Being that I'm my own worst enemy, I'm wondering if racing my car in "ghost car" mode would benefit me...
It might, and also maybe benefit a select few others in the club, too.
Humility will get you nowhere but might just keep you on the track longer! I’ve had that exact same thought many times. Like the tortoise and the hare.
@@dhgmllcshea5038and see, I always thought it was HAIR....THAT is where I was going wrong!
This is THE best way to take a car out of ghost mode. At least imo!
Siekaas I have to 3