Now I don't know anything about Scalextric, but I'd venture a guess.
I would assume these are resistor wire based, i.e. your trigger moves across a coil of resistor wire, giving you more or less resistance. These controllers tend to get toasty especially if there is a lot of almost-but-not-quite full throttle, as you're dumping a lot of power into a short wire.
Since the controllers came with the track, you'd assume they are sized for the application, so it could just be the old electronics grime burning up. You could open the controllers, check them out and give them a good scrub with soapy water (rinse well with deionized water). If you see any burnt spots or discoloration, the controllers are being overloaded and probably won't last long on your setup.
Thanks for the reply! I’ll open them up and take a look. Are there any recommendations for good “aftermarket” controllers that might fare a little better?
If you're in Europe, DS, Truspeed and MB Slot make a sturdy controller, with versions from basic to bells and whistles. DS and Truspeed come with a Scalextric compatible plug, MB you'd have to wire yourself.
Now I don't know anything about Scalextric, but I'd venture a guess. I would assume these are resistor wire based, i.e. your trigger moves across a coil of resistor wire, giving you more or less resistance. These controllers tend to get toasty especially if there is a lot of almost-but-not-quite full throttle, as you're dumping a lot of power into a short wire. Since the controllers came with the track, you'd assume they are sized for the application, so it could just be the old electronics grime burning up. You could open the controllers, check them out and give them a good scrub with soapy water (rinse well with deionized water). If you see any burnt spots or discoloration, the controllers are being overloaded and probably won't last long on your setup.
Thanks for the reply! I’ll open them up and take a look. Are there any recommendations for good “aftermarket” controllers that might fare a little better?
If you're in Europe, DS, Truspeed and MB Slot make a sturdy controller, with versions from basic to bells and whistles. DS and Truspeed come with a Scalextric compatible plug, MB you'd have to wire yourself.
It could be that there was a thin layer of dirt and grime on the inside of the controllers from sitting unused for so long.
Yeah I’ll be sure to take a look tonight and see if I can find anything!