old-new driver needs advice

[TommieG]

Hi,
I'm quite new here, as I have just rediscovered the passion of my youth.
Being away from the "scene" for 20 years, I'm quite aware of the changes that have taken place in that time. Brushless motors (with special ESC's), Lithium batteries, 2.4 GHz radios, new brands of cars etc. etc.

Different from 20 years ago, I now have the economy in place to literally buy whatever I want, so I'm seeking advice from you guys as to what's the "hot stuff" of 2008.

I bought a Lazer ZX-5 Readyset as I stumbled in to a Kyosho store in Sweden this summer, and I had lots of fun with it. But I want to take it further, probably buying a Tamiya 501X or the new Schumacher Cat.

What brushless motor should I buy if I want to race the 501x or the Cat?
What ESC is the hottest today?
Are there any Lipo packs preferred by racers? ....and what charger should I buy? It must be able to charge NiCd and NiMh as well as Lipo's, and it should run from mains (220-240v).
Are Futaba still top of the line, or are other makes preferred nowadays?
What servos are the smallest, lightest, fastest, and best suited for a 1/10 Off-Roader?

Hope to get some constructive answers, and thanks for making this great site!

Tom
Norway

[ashleyb4]

Hi welcome back

Wo can on worms eeryone thinks there kit is the best.

But ill try to help you as much as possible.

Brushless motors: The best are proberly novak motors closly followed by orion/peak they seem to be the most reliable out of all of them from what i have heard and seen. But for the money the Losi motors are very very very good at just under 50 pound they are a true bargain. as your getting back into it a 6.5 would proberly be best.

Speedo again for the money the losi xcelleron has had alot of good press another one to look at is nosram matrix range and the LRP sphere range.

As Lipo cells are currently not legal for UK BRCA nationals or regionals not many racers run lipo it is a very difficult situation as you dont want to splash out on NIMH cells to find out next season lipo is made legal but as the season is almost over you might want to try lipo but make sure any clubs or series you want to race at alow lipo.

Most chargers these days are 12v only so you will require a power supply or a 12v leaiure battery. There are many many good chargers out there such as the Orion advantage carbon edition, Robotronics Overloader 2, LRP pulsar 3.

Radio gear futarba are still one of the top brands with th 3vc and KO is also one of the big brands with the new KO esprit 3 Universe.

Again servo's many people swaer by the brand they use so this what im going to do :p and that is KO I have a 2324 in my xx4 and its is proberly the best servo you can have for 1/10th off road with high quality metal gears and a good alround speedo and good torque.

Hope ive helped.

A

[mark christopher]

hi tom

looks like ash has done his norm and not read your post!!

personally i rate nosram motors, i dont like the motors with fixed sensor wring, seen to many damaged, nosram you can just fit a new wire.
same for speedo, never had problem, but as your in norway id see whats available round you, a 6.5 or 5.5 would be suited to 4 wheel drive

as your in NORWAY (CAPS FOR ASH!!) brca rules do not effect you, an i believe you can run lipo, Trakpower are one on the market leaders and have a full range of car specific packs.

as for charger look at the bc6 from bantam http://www.flighttech.co.uk/Products/Chargers/Bantam/bc6.asp does all you need and will need.

futaba are still up there and the 9551 servo is small and light.

[Lee]

Ash thought he was actually called Tom Norway :woot::thumbsup:

I think everyone should copy ash though, he seems adamant that what he has is the best and if you look at his results you would struggle to argue against it ;)

[millzy]

Hi,
I'm quite new here, as I have just rediscovered the passion of my youth.
Being away from the "scene" for 20 years, I'm quite aware of the changes that have taken place in that time. Brushless motors (with special ESC's), Lithium batteries, 2.4 GHz radios, new brands of cars etc. etc.

Different from 20 years ago, I now have the economy in place to literally buy whatever I want, so I'm seeking advice from you guys as to what's the "hot stuff" of 2008.

I bought a Lazer ZX-5 Readyset as I stumbled in to a Kyosho store in Sweden this summer, and I had lots of fun with it. But I want to take it further, probably buying a Tamiya 501X or the new Schumacher Cat.

What brushless motor should I buy if I want to race the 501x or the Cat?
What ESC is the hottest today?
Are there any Lipo packs preferred by racers? ....and what charger should I buy? It must be able to charge NiCd and NiMh as well as Lipo's, and it should run from mains (220-240v).
Are Futaba still top of the line, or are other makes preferred nowadays?
What servos are the smallest, lightest, fastest, and best suited for a 1/10 Off-Roader?

Hope to get some constructive answers, and thanks for making this great site!

Tom
Norway

I

think any brushless speedo will fit in the Cat or 501x- the current popular line up is Novak -LRP-NOSRAM there all tall Speedos - Speed Passion do a Low profile brushless Speedo Tekin also do this with there RS unit.


Losi have released a 10th scale unit that a few people on here have run and say is good.

Motors, Novak do a range of Light and Race motors, the lights are smother from what I’ve been told, LRP and Nosram both offer a good range of motors, as do Orion most drives run Novak or LRP but this does not mean they are the best just what the norm have

Lipos are meant to offer more power and better run times but are not BRCA legal for 2008- however a proposal for the 2009 has been put forward


Futaba are still good I believe, Neil Cragg has switched from Ko to Futaba- 2.4 is the way a lot of driver are going with regard to handsets and receiver, 2.4 eliminated the need for xtals. You will need a spektrum or 2.4 module and receiver for this

as for servos, I think there all the same personally, Ko are still the big boys with a huge line up of fast- torque and low profile - a lot of drivers are trying the AE line up and also

I hope this helps

[TommieG]

Wow, just got up from bed to find lots of good answers. I uderstand the fact that people likes to recommend what themselves are driving. Nothing unique to RC ;-) You won't get a Canon photographer to recommend a Nikon, or an Audi driver to recommend a BMW. Thanks to everyone that took their time to "re-educate" me. I will look into your suggestions, and decide what to get. BTW I have decided to buy the new CAT, but I believe the demand for it would be huge when it finally hits the shelves. It would probably be on back order for quite a while.

Tom

[mark christopher]

wrong area

[TommieG]

wrong area

Really?
My questions are about the electric parts like motors, batteries, chargers, radios, servos and esc's.
What would be the right area for questions about such items?

Tom

[CODMAN]

Have you given the Associated B44 a thought? Here in Canada, they are the best deal for the money! For the price, nothing even comes close (the other competitive 4wd cars are at least 100$ more expensive). I don,t know how much they are in europe, but it's a wicked racing machine and definetly worth a look...

As far as speedos are concerned, I chose the Mamba max system from castle creations because the local racing around here is non-sanctioned and we don,t have to follow any association rules... If you local racing scene permits them, I would definetly have a look at them. Once again, excellent value and the esc is incredibly programmable! You can really adjust almost everything you want (even the power and braking curves) via a USB connection. Just more food for thought...

Welcome back! I'm like you; just came back to RC after 15+ years! Last time I used to race, I was 16 and had a limited budget going up against big guys with all the toys... Now I can pretty much buy all I want... Unless my girlfriend finds out...:p Oopps, I can hear her coming around... I had better log off...:woot:

CHEERS!

CODMAN

[mark christopher]

Really?
My questions are about the electric parts like motors, batteries, chargers, radios, servos and esc's.
What would be the right area for questions about such items?

Tom
no i replied to a topic in the wrong area my post should have been in another section,!!! :blush:

your post is not wrong mine was

[TommieG]

no i replied to a topic in the wrong area my post should have been in another section,!!! :blush:

your post is not wrong mine was

:thumbsup:
haha, being a new member, I'm a bit edgy about doing the wrong things!

Tom

[millzy]

one thing you need to think about is where and when are you racing?

are there spares track side for the car you want?

are there people in your racing area who could offer advice on the day with your speedo?

[TommieG]

Have you given the Associated B44 a thought? Here in Canada, they are the best deal for the money! For the price, nothing even comes close (the other competitive 4wd cars are at least 100$ more expensive). I don,t know how much they are in europe, but it's a wicked racing machine and definetly worth a look...

Yes, I do have that one in mind, too. I'm a bit nostalgic, and always fancied the old CATs back in the days. But I'll take you up on your advice, and look some further in to the Associated car.

Tom

[Lee]

Its ok Mark still scares me :cry: :woot:

[TommieG]

one thing you need to think about is where and when are you racing?

are there spares track side for the car you want?

are there people in your racing area who could offer advice on the day with your speedo?

Well, living in one of the worlds outposts makes the idea of trackside spares like a wet dream, and the 1/10 activity is rather low in my area.
I will do some learning and practicing for a while, before eventually travel to race.

Thanks,
Tom

[millzy]

Well, living in one of the worlds outposts makes the idea of trackside spares like a wet dream, and the 1/10 activity is rather low in my area.
I will do some learning and practicing for a while, before eventually travel to race.

Thanks,
Tom

Sounds like you have worked out a good plan of attack.

what ever you buy people on oople will allways give you advice

[Lee]

what ever you buy people on oople will allways give you advice

My advice for the day would be, never ever under any circumstances listen to any advice given by (Cr) ashley. :thumbsup:

[millzy]

thats made my day reading that

Ash may think he as the best stuff , but you have to look at it that if a basher like ash, who dose regionals and club days is happy then the stuff cant be that bad

[ashleyb4]

Im not a basher. Im as serious with my racing as anyone else. Things just get in my way of racing like work but without work i cant go racing at all. And why would i ont recomend my kit i bought it because imo its the best for the job.

A

[millzy]

Sorry didnt mean it as you dont take it seriouse.

[Lee]

You bought a losi CR :lol:

[millzy]

you have to remeber it was adviced to him by a few team drivers who where also helping him set it up, if he didnt feel he was getting much out of his B4 and that he liked the losi and found there drivers easyer to talk to in the mid west then it was the right move

saying that yes he is a tit for getting one, but hes stuck with it and you have to give him some credit

[Lee]

To be fair i quite liked the losi, its no x6 and it wasn`t very quick but it was ok.

[TommieG]

Have been looking around a bit for motors, and was wondering if a brushless Novak Velociti 6.5R would be a good choice at $129 ?
And would the Novak XBR Sport ESC Brushless/Brush ($219) be a good choice to go with it?

I also see the Velociti 6.5R bundled together with the Novak GTB Racing ESC for $444, would that be a better choice?

esc: http://www.teamnovak.com/products/esc/xbr/index.html
motor: http://www.teamnovak.com/products/brushless/velociti_motors/index.html
bundle: http://www.teamnovak.com/products/esc/gtb/index.html

Any opinions appreciated.

Tom

[dan_kitty]

the sport version speedo has a limit of 8.5 turn brushless motors, so the 6.5 would be too hot for it.

the gtb speedo on the otherhand would work a treat, but is more expensive.

gtb is a common speedo for racers, i run one feels really smooth

[Tom3012]

buy an X11 :woot::p

[TommieG]

the sport version speedo has a limit of 8.5 turn brushless motors, so the 6.5 would be too hot for it.
aaah... I missed that when reading the specs.

the gtb speedo on the otherhand would work a treat, but is more expensive.

gtb is a common speedo for racers, i run one feels really smooth
I'll have a closer look at the GTB then.

Thanks for your input,
Tom

[TommieG]

buy an X11 :woot::p

I (think) I have decided to go for a CAT XS. :drool:

Tom

[CODMAN]

I (think) I have decided to go for a CAT XS. :drool:

Tom

Well that certainly is a nice looking 4wd...:thumbsup: I can't wait to read an eventual report on it from the Oople team (hint hint...:p).

Just a tip; I wouldn't buy a speed control directly from Novak. I believe you can get a much better deal for a combo ESC/brushless motor from mail order shops. For example, the GTB combos are 239$ at stormer hobbies in the US... Even with shipping, you will be saving big time. Shop around!:thumbsup:

CODMAN

[TommieG]

I have a few "concerns" regarding the Novak GTB. I know I really shouldn't have as they are popular amongst racers, but anyway......

The first thing is that the manual says to use Novak brushless motor only. Is that for real, or is it the usual corporate mumbojumbo?

The other thing is the fan.... I don't fancy having a mechanical part on the ESC, as failiure will eventally be inevitable (?)

Does anyone have experience with the "SpeedPassion Granturismo" ESC ?
http://www.speedpassion.net/main03.jpg
I says "Over 2.5R (turns) brushless/over 4 turns brushed", and operates with 4-8 cells/2-3 cells Lipo.

..or what about the "SpeedPassion Inspire"?
http://www.speedpassion.net/main11.jpg

..and what the heck is this???
http://www.speedpassion.net/main09.jpg
Wireless what???

Any thoughts?

Tom

[sparrow.2]

The first thing is corporate mumbojumbo, you might have to adjust the timing of the motor to suit though.

Don't worry about the fan. It's better to have one than not. It will lose some blades eventually and then you replace it with one from an electronics store.

The speedpassion stuff is nice but don't be fooled by the pictures, both have fans on them too :)

The inspire is a tiny speedo meant for crawlers which use high wind motors, so sadly nothing for racing.

The wireless power thing is supposed to replace your battery through wireless power transmission. It's a bit of a marketing gimmick by speed passion because they announced it for the end of 2009. If they pull it off hats off to them :D

[TommieG]

What about Tekin RS Pro? It seems to be quite "hi tech" with PC connection and downloadable software/profiles.
http://www.teamtekin.com/rs.html

I'm just trying to get a overview of what competetive alternatives I have, before I decide what I'll go for.

Tom

[Lee]

You cant go wrong with lrp, they even come with a 25 year warranty :thumbsup:

[dan_kitty]

good point, a big warranty can be a wise choice.

something to look at when making your decision

[TommieG]

You cant go wrong with lrp, they even come with a 25 year warranty :thumbsup:

Lee,
What lrp esc will you reccomend? They have like 30 different models! Please help me, so I don't have to read trough the specs of oll af them ;-)
What brushless models do most racers use?

Tom

PS
I'm really appreciating your help guys! Thanks!

[aeb4]

Lee,
What lrp esc will you reccomend? They have like 30 different models! Please help me, so I don't have to read trough the specs of oll af them ;-)
What brushless models do most racers use?

Tom

PS
I'm really appreciating your help guys! Thanks!
The lrp sphere. There's a competition one and a standard one.

[Lee]

Lee,
What lrp esc will you reccomend? They have like 30 different models! Please help me, so I don't have to read trough the specs of oll af them ;-)
What brushless models do most racers use?

Tom

PS
I'm really appreciating your help guys! Thanks!

I think its the 2007 TC spec. Its the top one they do :thumbsup:

I use the orion motors but thats just personal preference. I think they feel more like a brushed motor to drive.

[millzy]

What about Tekin RS Pro? It seems to be quite "hi tech" with PC connection and downloadable software/profiles.
http://www.teamtekin.com/rs.html

I'm just trying to get a overview of what competetive alternatives I have, before I decide what I'll go for.

Tom

The RS drives Brushless Sensored, Brushless Sensorless and Brushed motors

Where as the novaks LRP and Nosram only run sensored motors

[Bungleaio]

I've got a couple of GTBs, and they will also drive brushed motors, I'm not sure about sensorless brushless ones.

I recently blew one of the gtb's up, i didn't even think of buying anything but another GTB. The fans are quite weak though but they are quite cheap to replace. Between 3 of us we own 9 gtbs, but one of them doesn't work.

[TommieG]

Thanks again everyone! I'm overwhelmed by the response to my "newbie" questions.

Since the LRP don't take sensorless brushless motors, does it take sensored brushless motors from other makers, or is it limited to the LRP range?

I think I have made up my mind:

Motor: LRP Vector X-11 5.5 turn Brushless Motor $74.95
https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/seekpart.pl?src=cs&pn=LRP50681

ESC: LRP Sphere 2007 Competition Brushless Controller $189.95
https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/seekpart.pl?src=cs&pn=LRP80700

Am I on the right track here?

Tom

[KevLee]

Thanks again everyone! I'm overwhelmed by the response to my "newbie" questions.

Since the LRP don't take sensorless brushless motors, does it take sensored brushless motors from other makers, or is it limited to the LRP range?

I think I have made up my mind:

Motor: LRP Vector X-11 5.5 turn Brushless Motor $74.95
https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/seekpart.pl?src=cs&pn=LRP50681

ESC: LRP Sphere 2007 Competition Brushless Controller $189.95
https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/seekpart.pl?src=cs&pn=LRP80700

Am I on the right track here?

Tom

I've been running the RS for a while now and it is a great bit of kit and can run sensored motors and sensorless. I would recomend running a sensored motor but the great thing with this speedo is that if you sensor lead fails or the motor sensors fail/gets wet, it will still run unlike most of the top escs. Also, you can always have the latest software downloaded from the Tekin site. They are extremely reliable and probably the smallest brushless system on the market. You won't go far wrong with any of the top brands but its definately one to consider.

They also have a range of sensored motors coming out which have just been ROAR approved so should be BRCA legal very soon.

[mog ruith]

nobody mention castle mamba or sidewinder esc??

[Chris Doughty]

Thanks again everyone! I'm overwhelmed by the response to my "newbie" questions.

Since the LRP don't take sensorless brushless motors, does it take sensored brushless motors from other makers, or is it limited to the LRP range?

I think I have made up my mind:

Motor: LRP Vector X-11 5.5 turn Brushless Motor $74.95
https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/seekpart.pl?src=cs&pn=LRP50681

ESC: LRP Sphere 2007 Competition Brushless Controller $189.95
https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/seekpart.pl?src=cs&pn=LRP80700

Am I on the right track here?

Tom

You can't really go wrong with LRP stuff.

however, if you are in the UK I would highly recomend buying in the UK from a reputable shop.

[TommieG]

You can't really go wrong with LRP stuff.

however, if you are in the UK I would highly recomend buying in the UK from a reputable shop.

No, I'm not in the UK, but in Norway. I would however prefer to buy from Europe, like the UK or Germany, if the prices are comparable to the US prices.
Do you have any suggestions for a good webshop in Europe?

Thanks for your input
Tom

[Chris Doughty]

No, I'm not in the UK, but in Norway. I would however prefer to buy from Europe, like the UK or Germany, if the prices are comparable to the US prices.
Do you have any suggestions for a good webshop in Europe?

Thanks for your input
Tom

I can't help you there unfortunately.

but I would highly recoemend buying locally and paying a bit extra for the peace of mind when it comes to warrenty and local support

[CODMAN]

nobody mention castle mamba or sidewinder esc??


Well I did mention it, and I love mine; it's a fabulous system (Mamba max and 6900kv). But it is a non sanctioned setup (ah the politics of racing!!:yawn:) and if ever you want to race at sanctioned events, or clubs that follow sanctioned rules, it's a problem. Where I race, it's basically anything is allowed, as long as you have fun! I'd say about 90% of the racers are using Castle creations systems... But it is a small club just at it's beginings...

Cheers!

[mog ruith]

Well I did mention it, and I love mine; it's a fabulous system (Mamba max and 6900kv). But it is a non sanctioned setup (ah the politics of racing!!:yawn:) and if ever you want to race at sanctioned events, or clubs that follow sanctioned rules, it's a problem. Where I race, it's basically anything is allowed, as long as you have fun! I'd say about 90% of the racers are using Castle creations systems... But it is a small club just at it's beginings...

Cheers!

a small club is batter than not having any club as you said its all about having fun and i love mamba system and im using it just for bashing :thumbsup:

[TommieG]

After doing a bit more research I must say the sensored/sensorless "hybrid mode" of the Tekin RS Pro seems like a useful feature. I'm also tempted by its HotWire system, as I love everything that can be hooked up to a PC ;-)

I thank you all again for your input. It has helped me to get an overview of what options I have, and I'm now pulling back to make my final decision ;)

Thanks
Tom