So if I buy a Brand new car to race .

Now in my last post I said I really think 2wd buggy is where I would have the most fun but I also sayed I didn't like the Idea of buying on ebay unless it was uber cheap because most of them have been raced and probably need a good deal of work . So I have done a bit of research and have came up with this list to roughly figure what my budget would need to be to a fairly competitive buggy with parts support at the track I plan to be at .

Oh yah parts support for the most part points me directly at the RC10b4.2 and if it was in my budget the factory team kit would be superb but really it has a lot of things I don't feel I need I might want them but I don't think I need them . So that leaves the B4.2RS RTR .

Now I'm not suggesting you go out and buy one and expect to win with it as it does have a few problems as the motor and speed control leave a lot to be desired and the steering servo well its supposed to be very slow .Some people do like the radio but after holding it i'm not a big fan and would prefer some of my cheapos. The tires are also a area of debate but I know they probably won't do well where I plan to run

So if I was to go this route I think this exactly how I would do it .Prices are  from tower hobbies and hobbyking.(this doesn't factor in coupons, shipping, or any other possible discounts)

Tower Hobbies order.

Stock Number Product Description ITEM NOTE Order Qty Ship Qty Back Order Qty Price Each Remove From Cart  LXDNDVBY  Associated RC10B4.2 RS 2.4GHz RTR Blue/Yellow 1 $ 249.99   LXBVF9  Associated Factory Team Buggy Front Spring Kit (8) 1 $ 10.99   LXBVG0  Associated Factory Team Truck/Buggy Rear Spring Kit(10) 1 $ 10.99   LXSF70  Associated Factory Team Green Slime E 1 $ 2.29   LX3306  Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 40 Weight 2 oz E 1 $ 3.69   LX3304  Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 20 Weight 2 oz E 1 $ 3.69   LX3305  Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 30 Weight 2 oz E 1 $ 3.69   LXEAK4  Associated Kimbrough Spur Gear 84T 1 $ 3.69   LXEAK5  Associated Kimbrough Spur Gear 87T 1 $ 3.69   LXEPF7  Associated Factory Team Heavy Duty Servo Saver Spring 1 $ 1.50   LXBNFW  Associated Front Buggy Dish Wheel White (2) 1 $ 5.49   LXCRVA  Associated Buggy Rear Wheel Hex White B4.1/B44.1 1 $ 5.49   LXGGV2  RPM Front Mini Bumper Black B4/T4/GT2 1 $ 4.89   LXVT96  RPM Heavy Duty Rod Ends Purple 4-40 (12) 1 $ 4.89   LXDCKG  Pro-Line 4-Rib 2.2" 2WD M4 Off-Road Buggy Front Tires 1 $ 12.29   LXZJS6  Pro-Line Caliber 2.2" M3 Off-Road Buggy Rear Tires (2) 1 $ 12.29   LXCTER  STRC Alum Front Hinge-Pin Brace Associated SC10/B4/T4 1 $ 8.79   LXEX34  Robinson Racing Pinion Gear 6-Pack Even 16-26T 1 $ 12.69  In-Stock Items:  $ 361.03

Hobbyking order (US Warehouse) :

Quantity	Stock	Product description	Price	Weight
	OK	9192000047 - Turnigy Trackstar 80A Turbo Sensored Bru..	$35.32	115
	OK	9192000049 - Turnigy TrackStar Turbo and Waterproof E..	$10.19	152
	OK	9192000037 - Turnigy TrackStar 9.5T Sensored Brushles..	$32.63	250
	OK	TGY-1258TG - Turnigy 1258TG Digital Titanium Gear Ser..	$32.75	169
TOTAL: $110.89				686g

Now I know this isn't cheap but some money can be gained back from selling off parts you don't need right off the bat on ebay and really this is the best thing you can do as you can sell them as new and freshly removed from the car. Rough figures as to what this stuff should go for.

XP SC-500BL & Reedy 540-R 3300 KV Motor Brushless Team Associated $85.00

Team associated 9664 premount rear tires $10.99

Team associated 9663 premount front tires $12.99

TEAM ASSOCIATED XP2G 2 CHANNEL  2.4ghz RADIO i RECEIVER 29215 $34.99

Team associated servo SHV1504MG or S1903mg  $5.00-$11.00

Total  - $149.00


Now I didn't put a radio in this because this really is up to the individual user and I don't think I need to add another into my collection just yet so I left it off I also added some tuning supplies into the tower hobbies list that are pretty much gotta haves if your going to run on a track.

I hope this helps someone out there .

So now I have gotten the race bug

Well now I'm on the lookout for a chassis that I can race with at a local track and to be honest I'm not to picky well wait I am picky right now since I really don't have the money to buy a new RC I'm watching ebay for something that should be competitive and frankly is a great deal for what I'm getting .

 Right now what I'm looking out for are cars that fit in these classes 2wd SCT Mod, 4wd SCT Mod ,2wd mod buggy,4wd mod buggy, Stock Slash,1/8 E-Buggy .Now I know the odds of finding  a competitive 4wd buggy that suits my needs in my price range is pretty low and I know a 1/8 e-buggy is rather unlikely to sell in my price range as well  unless it needs a good chunk of work .That pretty much leaves 2wd sct,4wd sct, and 2wd buggies , After looking on ebay a lot I have decided the odds of me finding a buggy I like for cheap is pretty unlikely as most have been raced and probably are going to need everything rebuilt and that wouldn't be very cost effective but there still is a chance . After all this typing that leaves 2wd and 4wd short course trucks and here is why . They are bought by more people as a first rc at this time than any other car on this list I have to choose from and that does two thing it means I should be able to find a lightly used model from someone who decided it wasn't for them .

This really does happen a lot person thinks RC's are cool drops 300-400 dollars on a RC and then it sits and sit then they throw it up on ebay to try to get a little cash back .

Now this isn't a good way to save cash on buying Your first RC. If you do buy used buy in person and have it demonstrated to you. On ebay I try to never pay over 50% the original price on a used car/truck and I don't recommend you do either as there are too many unknowns .

But i will continue this in another post later . So back to the purpose of this post Now I haven't ruled out some other options totally as I really think I would enjoy  2wd buggy a lot more than Short Course Racing Which leads to my next post .

Well I went to a race this past weekend as a spectator only

Well a found out about a RC track close to where I live (not real close but close) I made a visit a while back on a practice day and was impressed by there 2 tracks 1 indoor offroad and 1 outdoor offroad and this past weekend I went back to watch a race .This past weekend they were hosting a race for the Circle City electric offroad championship series or CCEORCS for short . Can't say there was a huge crowd of spectators as pretty much everybody was there to race but there were a few . To my wife's dismay this definitely has stirred the idea of me going racing but first I have to free up some funds to buy a new 2wd buggy as they don't have a 2wd stadium truck class and I would also need to buy a transponder to participate but neither of these will prevent me from showing up on practice days to play around for a bit .

Well to wrap this up if your around the Indianapolis west side I recommend stopping in and checking them out they also have a small hobby shop on site and i'm sure if they don't have what you need they would be glad to order it for you .  For more details visit there website http://www.e2raceway.com/# or their face Book page.https://www.facebook.com/esquared.raceway?fref=ts .

ZIPPY Flightmax 4000mAh 2S1P 25C Car Lipoly (ROAR APPROVED)

2 year plus update Link

I heard really good things about this pack and with them being the cheapest hardcase packs ($15.50) on hobby kings site I just had to give them a try and see what they were made of .
Well I started by checking the voltages when I got these in . One pack was at a little down with cell 1 at 3.84 and cell 2 at 3.85 . The second pack which by the warranty number was a bit newer was at 3.86 on both cells so in my opinion things looked pretty good from the start . I then solder on a couple of dean's style T-connectors and proceeded to charge the packs up . After handling the wiring harness a bit I decided I didn't want to use the stock harness for running in my car or for fast charging and made 2 more harnesses minus the balance plug as it could be damaged . After the packs got done Balance charging I decided to take them for a spin and yes virginia these packs do have some punch dare I say more than the Turnigy 30C 4000mah packs I tried hmm further testing is needed because despite feeling Zippy these packs did warm up a hair bit but that may be due to this being there first outing . After I get a few more cycles on these and the Turnigys I will be updating these post .

This pack has a Relative Amp 25C x 4A = 100rA 
$15.50 / 100rA = 0.155cE the lower the number the Cost Effective




Where to buy it
ZIPPY Flightmax 4000mAh 2S1P 25C Car Lipoly (ROAR APPROVED)


Manufacturer description:

 Zippy FLIGHTMAX batteries deliver full capacity & discharge as well as being the best value batteries in the hobby market today!

Spec.
Capacity: 4000mAh
Voltage: 2S1P / 2 Cell / 7.4v
Discharge: 25C Constant / 30C Burst
Weight: 235g (including wire, plug & shrink wrap)
Dimensions: 138x47x23mm
Balance Plug: JST-XH
Discharge plug: 4mm Bullet-connector to your own custom plug

UPDATE Latest stock has improved soldering and tab joins. Removing previous issues related to 'cold solder' breakages.

Now officialy approved by ROAR for race use!

PRODUCT ID: Z40002S-25

Parallel charging Board for 6 packs 2~6S (T Connector) (USA Warehouse)

Well I got this from the US Warehouse with my last order . I planned on using this to charge my smaller packs for my 1/16th scale and 1/18th scale cars but I have found that this also handy for slow charging my larger packs in bulk . So far I Have no complaints especially when I could have paid a lot more for a very similar product and since I won't be using this to much I think why spend money I don't have.

For those that don't understand the benefits of using this device I will attempt to explain .
If you have a charger that has the ability to charge at a higher and rate then your batteries are recommended to be charged at you are wasting precious time . My personal example would be my GT power X-charger C6 It is rated to charge at up to 6.0 amps when charging a 2s lipo battery pack  rated at 1500mah and a 1c charge rate .  What happens is that this board connects the batteries in parallel to each other and then connects to the charger . The charger only sees the batteries as one big battery when connected like this and when the batteries are connected in parallel the charge rate is divided among them . So if I connect 4 batteries rated at 1500mah and charge them at a 1C  rate then I will be using the full potential of my battery charger .

Now as my public service announcement :

All Batteries That You Plan To Charge Must Be Of The Same Capacity at the minimum but personally I will Only be charging packs of the same rating from the same manufacturer .  

Manufacturer's description :

Charge SIX (2~6S) lipo packs with same capacity & cell count simultaneously with this parallel charging board.

That means you can charge 6 3S 2200mAh or more at the same time with a standard charger!


Spec.Cell: 2~6SVoltage: 0~22.2VDCMax current: 30ABattery: 6 packs same capacity & cell countConnector: T Connector/Jst-xh

PRODUCT ID: 9171000064

Where to buy :
Parallel charging Board for 6 packs 2~6S (T Connector) (USA Warehouse)

News flash Turnigy Stadium King 2wd truggy / ZD Racing ZMT-10 Brushed motor model is 3s capable

Well I decided just for giggles to see is a 3s lipo would burn up the esc for my ZMT-10 and was surprised to find out that the esc recognized that the pack was a 3s . Normally the esc ( currently in a Clodbuster ) Goes through its little beep sequence and I give it little thought but when I hooked up a 3s lipo to the esc I knew something was different instead of the normal BEEP-BEEPBEEP-BEEP IT WENT BEEP-BEEPBEEPBEEP-BEEP signalling that the voltage cut off recognized that the pack was a 3 cell I couldn't believe it . after driving for a bit the esc showed no heat increase so I feel safe in saying this esc is good to go on 3s lipos but I still recommend a lipo alarm as the voltage cut off is too low for my taste.

Hobby King Programming Card for Car ESC (USA Warehouse)

Well it does exactly what it is supposed to do its only downfall is that its construction is primarily a circuit board and card board and it doesn't seem like it would put up with much abuse so I recommend keeping it in a  safe place. I do wish there was a cheat sheet for the buttons as there layout makes it a little hard to remember what the far left and center arrow functions are unless you use it constantly.

According to my research this programing card works with these esc's 

Hobby King Brushless Car ESC 100A w/ Reverse (Upgrade version 
PRODUCT ID: HK-100A 

HobbyKing Brushless Car ESC 60A w/ Reverse 
PRODUCT ID: HK-60A 

HobbyKing Brushless Car ESC 45A w/ Reverse 
PRODUCT ID: HK-45A 

HobbyKing Brushless Car ESC 30A w/ Reverse 
PRODUCT ID: HK-30A










Where to get it .
Hobby King Programming Card for Car ESC (USA Warehouse)

Manufacturer description :

Hobby King  Programming Card for Car ESC 

LED programming card for Hobby King 100A car ESC.

PRODUCT ID: HKProg-card

YKS 5000mah 20c lipo batteries my opinion

Well I bought a 5000Mah 20c 2s 7.4 v lipo battery pack from a company in Brooklyn New York .

06/10/13 - 09/01/14 RIP

Minimum Capacity:	5000mAh
Configuration:	2S1P / 7.4v / 2Cell
Constant Discharge:	20C
Peak Discharge (10sec):	30C
Pack Weight:	308g
Pack Size:	145mm x 52mm x 30mm
Balance Plug:	JST-XH
Discharge Plug:	NO
Quantity:	1

I had  good experiences with their smaller batteries as can be found in other parts of this blog but I find myself not being able to recommend this pack and many of their other higher capacity packs .

 This particular pack was the best deal as far as I could see but after getting it  I realized it wouldn't fit anything I owned its several mm wider than a shotgun style NIMH pack  and longer than a 6-cell pack but slightly shorter than a 7-cell pack . This made fitment virtually impossible in almost all my models but my ZD Racing 1/10th scale truck and really it was such a tight fit that It makes me uncomfortable . 

The other problem I had was that the power output in my opinion is low even for a 20c rating I found I could only get reasonable performance for around half the pack after the voltage dropped below 4.0 volts it could not provide the amperage needed for my mild brushless system that I was testing it with . The measured usable  capacity was normally around 3000 Mah .

This pack has a Relative Amp 20C x 5A = 100rA 

$12.99 / 100rA = 0.1299cE the lower the number the Cost Effective

Now looking at this graph it should give you a idea of why my battery didn't meet what most people would expect from the ratings  . To clarify if you don't see what this is showing is that the mah rating was determined at a 1C discharge or a 2.2 amp draw but when a 25C load  was introduced the usable capacity dropped off from 2250 ish to 2050 ish .

Its also Important to note that when a manufacturer uses this method that the gap between the  listed capacity and usable capacity gets bigger as the capacity get bigger . This is one of many reasons why most sellers and battery makers don't use the 1C discharge method to determine battery capacity.

The reason I find it hard to recommend (or even buy ) there other higher capacity and C rated batteries is that for the cost you could be buying a battery that is well known in the hobby community for good performance and value with a more appropriate battery rating  .

Other pack capacities available from YKS are:

7.4V 1600MAH 20C

7.4V 1800MAH 20C

2200mah 7.4v 30C

7.4V 3300MAH 30C 

4000mah 7.4V 20C

4000mah 7.4V 30C

7.4v 4500mAh 30C 

5000mAh 7.4V 20C  

7.4v 5800mAh 25C 

11.1V 1500mah 20C

11.1V 1600MAH 20C

1800mAh 20C 11.1v

11.1V 1800mah 40C

3000mah 3S 11.1v 20c

11.1V 3300MAH 30C

4000mah 3S 11.1v 20c

11.1V 5000MAH 20C 3S

11.1V 5000MAH 40C

5800mah 3S 11.1v 25C 

5800mah 3S 11.1v 30C

2650mah 4S 14.8v 30C

14.8V 5800MAH 30C 4S

3300mah 5S 18.5V 30c

5800mah 5S 18.5V 30c

22.2V 2650MAH 30C 6S

3300mah 6S 22.2v 30c

4000mah 6S 22.2v 20c

5000mah 6S 22.2v 25c

Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 10AWG (1mtr) RED and BLACK ( USA WAREHOUSE)

Well seems like I always need wire for something so I bought some from Hobby king and all I can say is wow this is some excellent wire for the price the silicone is some of the best I have ever bought and the wire its self  has a nice balance of flexibility from being a fine strand wire but the strands are big enough that strength should not be compromised .
I ended up purchasing 10 gauge wire mostly because it was in stock at the US warehouse and I hope they add more sizes as time goes on because well 10 gauge wire is a bit overkill in most situations.

So if you need some quality wire for cheap , look and see if they have the size you need .

Manufacturer's description :

High quality TURNIGY Silicone wire.
High strand count.
Pure copper & pure silicone.
Temp rating: 200Deg C
Guage: AWG 10#

1 METER 

PRODUCT ID: R10A1780-06 / B10A1780-06

Where to buy :

Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 10AWG (1mtr) RED (USA warehouse

Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 10AWG (1mtr) BLACK (USA warehouse)

got my second order from hobby king yesterday

Well I have determined that on my order paying 2 dollars more for 2-3 day shipping was worth it in every way but one . First off my package arrived on  June 6 and I placed my order was placed 

Jun 3, 2013 14:19:47 PDT . Compared to my last order this was like getting bumped to the front of the line. My only complaint is that this shipment was not packaged as well .It wasn't terrible but I was not impressed. Check back as I post about my recent purchases .

Well I just got done placing my second order with hobby king.

Well this order is a bit of a cleanup order where I'm getting a few things that they didn't have in stock last time so here's the list .

Here are a few buddy codes for these Items also  so you can get a deal on them .

ZIPPY Flightmax 4000mAh 2S1P 25C Car Lipoly (ROAR APPROVED) (USA Warehouse)

http://www.hobbyking.com/buddy.asp?code=3881A250-F1B5-413F-9182-F276E8C73DA8

Hobby King Programming Card for Car ESC (USA Warehouse)

http://www.hobbyking.com/buddy.asp?code=AB63CF1E-59DD-44EA-BED4-D34738E13BC4

TURNIGY Voltage Protector (USA Warehouse)

http://www.hobbyking.com/buddy.asp?code=2EFC242A-6F65-43C2-87C4-7BE95CB91782

Parallel charging Board for 6 packs 2~6S (T Connector) (USA Warehouse)

http://www.hobbyking.com/buddy.asp?code=ECE0F300-BA19-4203-9FB0-12198FBE16F4

Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 10AWG (1mtr) RED (USA warehouse)

http://www.hobbyking.com/buddy.asp?code=27550CDE-EAB2-4E09-B07A-F528DFD38ABF

Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 10AWG (1mtr) BLACK (USA warehouse)

http://www.hobbyking.com/buddy.asp?code=BF58C020-E06F-4FC3-B471-63D9F906B41F

Balance Plug Savers (JST-XH 2s) (5pc Per Bag) (USA Warehouse)

http://www.hobbyking.com/buddy.asp?code=651C2DF3-54A0-4863-A650-E66B71942403

Well been beating on my truck.

Thought I would post up this video of me beating on the ZD racing ZMT-10 ?Turnigy Stadium king with its brushless system back in action .

Hope you enjoy .

Turnigy 4000mAh 2S 30C hardcase pack

Well I picked up a pair of these out of the USA warehouse . All I an say is wow the value of these packs are great they have nice thick wires and can definitely dump the amps with very little voltage sag . Probably the most notable thing is that these packs live up to there rated capacity  But I don't plan to buy anymore of these after trying the Zippy 4000mah because the case an finish is much better in my opinion .

This pack has a Relative Amp 30C x 4A = 120rA 

$19.99 / 120rA = 0.166cE the lower the number the more Cost Effective

Where to pick up :http://www.hobbyking.com

Manufactures description :

 The new number one in performance and price!The new Turnigy Lipoly packs deliver full capacity at the said C rate.

You wont find a better deal in Lithium Polymer batteries anywhere!

Spec.
Minimum Capacity: 4000mAhConfiguration: 2S1P / 7.4v / 2CellConstant Discharge: 30CPeak Discharge (10sec): 40CPack Weight: 254gPack Size: 135 x 45 x 21mmCharge Plug: JST-XH Discharge plug: HXT4mm

Now officialy approved by ROAR for race use!

PRODUCT ID: T4000.2S.30HC

Hobby King Brushless Car ESC 100A w/ Reverse (Upgrade version)

Well bought this out of the USA warehouse to replace my old esc In my ZD Racing ZMT-10 and so far I'm pretty happy for the price . According to reviews the weak point of this esc is the receiver lead and the on/off switch . So far the lead has been fine but the switch died very fast . So far it has been a cheap easy to program esc that doesn't break a sweat easy .

As time goes on I will update this but for now this esc gets a A+.

Can be found here:http://www.hobbyking.com

The programing card for this esc I bought after it came back in stock.
Hobby King 100A car ESC.


Manufacturer's description:
Hobby King upgrade version ESC provide more power support to the MCU, resulting better throttle response and high speed performance.Also software upgrade gives better startup effect and support different type of motors.  

Features:Full protection feature including low voltage, over-heat, throttle signal lost, startup
protection and self-check.
Compatible with sensorless brushless motor.
Excellent startup performance, linear and quick throttle response.
Supports highest motor speed 240,000RPM(2 poles), 80,000RPM(6 poles) and 40,000(12 poles).
Easy to configure with program card.
System can automatically detect throttle neutral point, and neutral range is adjustable.
Three work modes for different environments.
4 step reverse force adjustment

5 step start force adjustment.
3 step brake force adjustment

5 step drag brake force adjustment,

4 step initial brake force adjustment.

Specification:Input voltage: 5V-17V (support 2-4S lithium batteries)
Cont. Current: 100A
BEC output: 3A /5.5V (switch)Size( length X width X high): 47x41x29mmWeight: 95g

PRODUCT ID: HK-100A

Lipo Balance Plug Savers

  

Well I have seen these being used by a few other hobbyist so I thought I would pick up a set just to see if they are as great of a idea as I think they are and to see how long they last .  
                      

Well after getting these little buggers in I believe they are a great investment but don't expect to swap these between batteries they are not designed for that and will break after opening and closing them several times . The only thing I can think of to add is I think a layer of heat shrink would be good to keep out dust and to lend a bit more strength to the case. 


Where to Pick some up cheap :2S balance plug  3S balance plug

Manufacturer description :

A great device which makes plugging or un-plugging your lipoly balance charge lead much safer and more convenient, the re-usable Balance Plug Saver simply snaps onto your JST-XH balance plug to give you a decent finger grip, no more yanking on balance plug leads!

PRODUCT ID: JST-XH-CLIP3S

Turnigy Hex Driver set 4 in 1 1.5~ 3.0

Well bought this out of the Hobby king USA Warehouse and I like the fact that it's light and convenient to carry since it has a storage area for the bits in the handle and that it has almost perfect knurling that isn't so sharp that it starts to bug your hands after using it for a while . I do have 2 complaints though the bits are not the standard 1/4" size hex that I like to use and the finish scratches off pretty easy .

In short makes a alright main tool but I myself would use it primarily for its great mobility and use it when Im away from home.

Can be found here :http://www.hobbyking.com

Manufacturer's description:

The Turnigy 4 in 1 Hex driver set comes with lightweight handles and includes 4 interchangeable tips 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0.
The hardened tip and shaft ensure no rounding or breaking on even the worst of hex bolts.

PRODUCT ID: S638