Vampire SR1 - The Future of ESC's?
 

Interested to see what people make of the Vampire ESC's advanced features......

So, looking around at Speedo's - having tried many and melting my brain with the crazy options available regarding 'timing', 'boost' and 'turbo' etc, and having recently bought a Renventon Pro with 'Hybid Boost' as my latest speedo, i'm not entirely convinced.
It's all complicated, and yet another thing that I need to set correctly to get the best out of it at each track.

Then - it was brought to my attention that the Vampire speedos do all this for you, no crazy settings, the speedo just works it all out for optimum performance!

Quote from Jimmy's news page - "The SR1 Series both use Vampire Racing exclusive “PTS – Power Timing System”, providing a distinct advantage over most other brushless systems. Designed as an adaptive system which continually calculates the ideal timing value gained from multiple parameters, resulting in a much improved feel for your car. This not only provides more performance, it especially means that it can handle the massive power of today’s brushless systems better than ever before…."

Link to news article : http://www.oople.com/forums/showthre...hlight=vampire

Having seen a 7.5 system run in a 4WD, it was an absolute missile, much quicker than one would expect of a 7.5, so maybe this is the way speedo's will go now - removing the 'user' from the equation and the speedo working out the optimum settings / timing etc based on these elusive 'multiple parameters'.

So - question is, is this 'distinct advantage' really fair play?
Also - looks like Vampire dropped the 'distinct advantage' text from many press releases....

If I were to buy a speedo, based on what I know and I have seen, it would be this one :)

What do other people think - is this tantamount to a driver aid I wonder, as electronics are stepping in and making changes throughout the race.

Sorry , just re read that. You were talking about my car after all. I just bought another :thumbsup:

Indeed Jim - there were a couple of team drivers running them too and their cars looked nice and smooth in the infield - but plenty quick on the straights:)

You were just ballistic everywhere!

I'm kind of fed up with all the complicated ESC settings - and the Vampire stuff looks like a 'step change' in ESC technology - simple to use and optimum performance.

Seriously considering selling my gear and swooping, but I am interested to see what people think re the advantage this must give you?

When I explained it to one racing pal he was very surprised it was allowed....

I believe it's the same unit (internally and mostly externally) as the Yokomo BL-PRO2TW Turbo that Bally (MB) has just started doing: http://www.rccarshop.co.uk/index.php...rs/yokomo.html It's the same apart from a plastic moulded part of the case, everything else is the same, specs, leads, caps, even the box they come in. Software may be different though?
I've just picked one up for my GT12 car, which is great as it runs 1S lipo without a booster. I run it in blinky, so not played with the timing, but have been very impressed with it so far after my first meeting.

I've been running the sr1 in both my cars since they first came out. I moved on to them from speed passion, which I always rated as being nice an smooth. I was nervous of the change at first, but needn't have been, the vampire stuff is very smooth, and easy to set up. I've been very happy with mine.

Anyone else switched and rate the Vampire?

What are the available settings - and does the adaptive system give you the best of both worlds, smooth at slow speeds, and high top speeds?

Neal - I did wonder about the Yokomo ESC - not cheap though!
I wish Bally (MB) sold the Vampires now!

I don't think Vampire are doing anything fundamentally different to others, but they have done it really well. They're not measuring any external parameters more so than anyone else, throttle position and then the variables available from the sensor wire. The key is in the software and user interface.

I run a 7.5 in my 4wd (and an 8.5 in 2wd), commonly with up to maximum timing. This is because this allows for an extremely smooth bottom end but winding up to a great top end. The difference compared to the manufacturer I ran before and compared to some other manufacturers I've tried when trying others cars is that the software makes the transition completely smooth and linear and as a result it feels like you've motors that are like a 7.5, 7.6, 7.7 etc.

If you're at Batley today you're very welcome to have a go on my car.

Cheers Dan :)

Doing my mothers day duties today - so no racing :(

I recently bought Orion and Speedpassion ESC's, kind of wish I'd known then what I know now. The Orions are nice and smooth, but the Renvention is a bit much on the bottom end and the settings leave a lot to be desired IMO.

Think I'll give a Vampire a run outdoors, is there much between the 2 versions - and are they equally at home with motors from other manufacturers?

I've recently changed to Vampire Speedos and motors and I'm very impressed, fast and smooth - they have it all.

I came from Speed Passion speedos (GT2.0 and Reventon Pro) and Speed Passion and Reedy motors and can definitely say the Vampire stuff is a big improvement over what I have previously run.

I've got the SR1 in my 2wd and the SR1+ in my 4wd. The SR1 comes without a fan and cant go as low motor turn wise... Its absolutely fine in 2wd though. I'm running an 8.5 2wd and 7.5 4wd and fairly low timing. Ill probably stick with these motors for outdoors and up the timing a little. As Dan says. even with the timing up at max it's still smooth around the infield, but a nutter down the straight!

Can you put a fan on the SR1?
Are you running VPR motors as well?
Wheres a good place to check pricing in the UK?

this sound too good.

What settings can you change on the Vampire esc's? Punch, brake level etc?

Yes you can fit a fan to it, in fact I have done.! Yes I'm running with the vampire motors too. Great quality. DMS is a good place to look at pricing.

I'm not about to just up and change due to the cost factors, but interested in any real word experiences from Orion users now running Vampire.

Yes I could ask other pro drivers, but I don't think it's 100% fair to provide feedback when it's a sponsors product.

I remember a while back one pro driver said to me if it's reliable then you're doing fine.

MB have just ordered some ESC's to go with their stock of Vampire LIPO's and motors. Based on the prices in the link above, they are about 30% cheaper too.....

You can adjust the following...

• Cell type (LIPO 1 cell, LIPO 2 cell, NIMH, LiFe)
• PTS - Power Timing System (0 = Blink, then levels 1-6 from progressive levels of boost/power)
• Acceleration rate (5 levels from lowest to highest)
• Current Limit ( 6 settings)
• Motor rotation (normal/reversed)
• Automatic brake (dead stick break as some call it) (11 settings from 0% upwards)
• Initial brake (how much brake comes when you first start braking) (11 settings from 0% upwards)

The 1/8th esc looks interesting, any idea on price?

There will be 8th motors as well right?

It would be good to see another reasonably priced esc, 30% cheaper than the Yokomo unit would be very attractive. At that price (if correct) would surely appeal to many newcomers as well as being easier to program with less settings etc.

I'm dead pleased with all my Vampire stuff, the simplicity of the ESC settings is nice and the way the SR1/+ smoothly ramps the timing up is totally seamless.

The only two settings I change on mine are the initial brake (which gets set to minimum when first setting up, then left alone), and the timing level. The way the timing works is almost like having in-between motor winds to use, 6.5 too fast but 7.5 too slow? Set the timing to 3 on a 7.5 and you have what feels like a 7.0 turn :)