NINCO Power N Supply & Schlesser FOX - Home Racing World & Slot Car Garage

Thursday September 23, 2010

This feature is one we do not get to tackle often. Although the Schlesser FOX RAID buggy is far from a new release, it arrived here with something a little extra for us to look at: The NINCO Power-N supply. With new releases getting ready to bombard us in the next couple of months, it is worth looking at items that are still available and at times can be a good value.

The NINCO adjustable power supply. I have wanted to see this in person for a long time. Why? Of course there are a lot of after-market supplies out there, but this one caught my eye as NINCO actually wanted to provide the average home racer with a little more. I do not see many other companies in our slot car world doing this, so I felt it was worth looking at.

And to go with it we have the Schlesser Fox RAID off road buggy. We have really enjoyed most of the off-road models NINCO has produced over the years but I never got around to this wild thing. So now we have both and it is time to take a closer look.

First we start with our truck. To say it looks different than your average buggy is an understatement. So the body style here will either appeal to you or it won't.

The overall fit and finish is at usual NINCO standards and most of you should be pleased. Is it perfect? No, but close enough for my eyes. As wild as it looks, I like it. It has a very aggressive look to me. The detail level is more than enough with our driver and navigator snugly in place.

Wheels and tires are also the standard truck fare which is fine by me. The compound of these tires work just fine on our track surfaces even though we are non-magnet racing on wood.

The spring loaded drop arm guide is in place so this buggy can navigate or some smaller obstacles.

2 screws up front are all you need to remove the body. I will warn you, you will have to be careful as the rear is held in place with a tab system. My best advice is to use a small flat tip screwdriver to pry it up to release it.

Inside we see the NINCO Pro-Shock suspension system along with the NC-7 RAIDER motor. This motor is a very good power-plant and I think they have a good home in these types of vehicles.

Power to the Nth Degree!

Time to look at our power supply. The first thing that caught my eye was the dual outputs. You can either use the standard 12 Volt 0.5AMP output or the 8-20 volt 2 AMP side.

NOTE - DO NOT USE BOTH OUTPUTS AT THE SAME TIME. DOING SO WILL DAMAGE THE UNIT.

The controls are easily enough figured out by following the instructions. Once you turn on the unit the buttons on either side control the desired voltage you want to run. There 2 lights at the top as well letting you know power is on (GREEN LIGHT) and a short circuit indicator (RED LIGHT).

The unit is wired for direct plug and play to a NINCO power base. This is perhaps the most important feature of the unit for me. There are also outputs for other devices such as lap counters or other accessories that can use this supply. It also allows those that have hard wired their track like me to use it as well. I like that added touch.

To repeat, the direct plug and play feature is what many will appreciate. Why? Because not everyone who enjoys this hobby is comfortable with wiring or electricity. Some people simply want an upgrade with no hassles. Well, I can appreciate that because I am the same way in some respects.

TEST TIME
POWER ON 12 VOLTS

I turned the unit on and set it for 12 volts and placed our buggy on the track. It worked just as I expected and our test drive was all the fun you could imagine.

This buggy is not 4 wheel drive which surprised me as most of these models are, but in any case it functioned as intended. If there is one thing about these models I like is watching them lean over in the corners due to the suspension. It just adds realism for me.

I adjusted the supply up and down through all ranges and it worked flawlessly. And that brings me to what I think is the most important aspect of a supply like this: THE ABILITY TO TURN THE VOLTAGE DOWN.

Sure, there are some out there that cannot get enough voltage. Speed, speed, and more speed is what they need. But not everyone.

Especially our younger, beginning enthusiasts. Nothing can frustrate a parent or newcomer more than the cars "constantly coming off the track". There is only so much fun in chasing down cars and putting them back in. With a supply like this you can turn the voltage down to slow the models down and avoid a good amount of crashing.

Final Thoughts

The Schlesser FOX is a nice addition to any off road line up you might have already. And even though it is not a new release, the good news is that there are plenty available. AND even more important for the newcomer or those on tighter budgets is that they might soon be at lower prices at your local dealer. And with that said, let me focus a little more on our newcomers.

Although there are after-market supplies out there that provide more amperage and power, this one has the one advantage of being plug and play. For the advanced enthusiasts this means very little but to those newcomers and average racers who just wants to have fun it is worth looking at. No wiring to figure out, no soldering. Just plug into the power base and start racing.

Sometimes we forget that not everyone is an expert electrician or that they are as involved in this hobby as deeply as we are. This is where items like this come in very handy.

I would have to advise any NINCO track owner who just wants a quick plug and play answer to give this supply a closer look.

- Harry

As always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at harry@homeracingworld.com, or better yet drop into our Message Forum and share your thoughts with other enthusiasts!

Why not check our other NINCO REVIEWS?

Thanks Go To MRC For Providing Us With This Sample!