Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Cheap speed or effiecancy Hobbyking Style

So you have a car that you want go as fast as possible run a long time on a charge with as little coin as you can . Well the first thing you need is voltage so a 4s pack is a good place to start. Then you need a motor that can handle 14.8 volts of raw power so something in the 3000kv range sounds good . Then you need a esc that can handle 4s voltage and a good deal of amperage. pretty standard recipe.How about all that for $76.00 + shipping now theres somthing special . Now the motor I have listed is not available i the USA warehouse yet but I'm sure it will be eventually and the battery I have listed is normally out of stock "didn't say this would be easy just cheap".

Turnigy 5000mAh 4S1P 14.8v 20C hardcase pack (USA Warehouse)$24.19

HobbyKing Brushless Car ESC 60A w/ Reverse$27.99



So how fast will this make your car I can't say for sure but according it should be fast and run for ever on a charge.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Competition to the HobbyKing Basher 1/8th Nitro Circus MT Updated 10/30/13

Well since a Price point had been given out of $250 dollars for the Basher I think It would be fair to take a look at its competition .

Now for the most part there are not a lot of 1/8th scale monster trucks in this price range but assuming that this is going to be sold ARR needing a radio and Batteries I think it safe to assume adding a few additional dollars to your budget would be suggested . The great thing is you can mild or wild with picking the stuff to go with this truck and in many cases it is a better deal to buy these items separately so keep that in mind when shopping This list will start from Low to high and these prices are not list prices but retail.

So here is our base line .

HobbyKing Basher 1/8th Nitro Circus MT 
RTR $322.06  ARR $279.00

POWER SYSTEM

Powerful 2075KV Brushless Inrunner Motor
80A Brushless ESC w/ Reverse
4S or 2x 2s Lipo Battery w/ HXT 4mm Connector (Required)
15Kg Heavy Duty Steering Servo
  • DRIVETRAIN

    Full time 4WD
    Steel front, center and rear sealed differentials
    Hardened steel pinion gear
    Heavy duty drive shafts
    Hardened metal drive cups
    Full ball bearings

CHASSIS

3.5mm alloy chassis plate
Adjustable screw shock absorbers
Oil filled, big bore shock absorbers
3.5mm shock shaft
Adjustable toe-in and toe-out
Adjustable camber and castor
Independant wishbone suspension
Officially licensed Nitro Circus engraving

MEASUREMENTS

Length: 577mm
Width: 480mm
Height: 314mm (To top of cab)
Ground clearance: 110mm (Adjustable)
Battery area: 138mm x 46mm x 25

First contender 

Integy i8MT 4x4 Brushless RTR 1/8 $240.49

www.integy.com

FEATURES:Chassis: 0.14" (3.5mm) thick aluminum with plastic side guards
Drive: Four wheel shaft
Differentials: Three bevel gear type
Motor:Brushless, 3674 size 1510kV with heatsink motor mount and cooling fan for efficient heat dissipation
Radio: GT3 2.4GHz with high-torque steering servo
Electronic Speed Control: 80A continuous, 380A burst current, with XT-60 battery plug (see battery recommendations)
Shocks: Composite body big bore oil filled
Tires: All terrain 3.25" (82.5mm) wide, 6" (152mm) diameter with foam inserts
Wheels: Six spoke plastic black in color, 3.4" (87mm) diameter, 2.2" (56mm) wide
Bumpers: Front and rear plastic
Body: Trimmed and painted polycarbonate
Caster: Adjustable, caster/toe-in refers to the angle of the front suspension when viewed from the side of the car in relation to the chassis
Camber: Adjustable front and rear, camber refers to the angle of the tops of the tires from vertical when viewed from front or behind vehicle
Ball Bearings: Full set included
Includes:RTR i8MT Monster Truck with Brushless Motor, 2.4GHz Radio, High-Torque Steering Servo, Motor Cooling Fan, Painted Body, Decals and Instruction Manual
Requires:AA Batteries: Eight for transmitter
Battery: 11.1V LiPo 3S (A connector to match the selected battery will have to be soldered to the ESC leads if not using a battery with an XT60 connector)Battery Charger: To match selected battery
Maintenance and track equipment Vehicle
Length: 20.5" (521mm)Width: 14" (356mm)Wheelbase: 12.5" (317mm)Weight: 8.2lbs (3719.5g)BodyLength: 16.8" (427mm)Width: 6.9" (176mm)Height: 4.9" (126mm)


Team Magic E6 Trooper Electric Monster Truck RTR w/H.A.R.D. 2.4GHz Radio System $317.00

www.amainhobbies.com


E6 Trooper Features: 
  • THOR Brushed ESC
  • THOR 775 Power motor
  • HARD 2.4GHz radio system and heavy duty metal gear servo 
  • Hardened steel transmission gears
  • 4mm aluminum shock towers
  • 6061 aluminum spur gear linkage plate
  • High quality bearings
  • Adjustable turnbuckles
  • Aluminum servo horn
  • 3.8" chrome wheels and 5.575 all terrain tires
  • Center driveshaft dust cover
  • Hardened steel CVA driveshafts
  • Tub style chassis
  • ESC protection cover
  • Super strong long travel suspension 
HARD 2.4GHz Specifications: Channels: 2
RF Power: Less than 20dbm
Modulation: GFSK
Code Type: Digital
Sensitivity: 1024
Low Voltage Warning: Yes (less than 9V)
DSC Port: Yes (3.5mm)
Charger Port: Yes
Power: 12V DC (8 AA Batteries)
Weight: 328g
Antenna Length: 26mm
Size: 159x99x315mm
Certificate: CE FCC

E6 Trooper Specifications:
Length: 500mm
Width: 410mm
Height: 220mm
Wheelbase: 350mm
Track: Front-410mm; Rear-410mm
Ground Clearance: 76mm
Weight: Approx 4290g
Needed to Complete: 
  • (8) AA Batteries for transmitter
  • (2) 7.2V Rechargeable Batteries & Compatible Charger


Redcat Earthquake 8E Brushless Electric Truck $329.99

Features:
1/8 Scale 
Fully Assembled, Ready to Run
4 Wheel Drive Shaft System
Chassis Type: Fiberglass
2.4 Ghz Radio Remote Control
Includes remote and manual Specifications:
Ground Clearance: 58 mm
Length: 510 mm
Wheel Base: 325 mm F/R
Height: 250mm
Width: 380mm
Motor Type: Electric Brushless 8T 2400RPM 540
Chassis Type: 3.0mm 6061 Aluminum
Shocks: Oil Filled Big Bore Shocks
Speed Control: Brushless ESC EZRUN-80A
Battery: Dual LIPO 7.4V Batteries (20c 3200mAH 2s) & Charger included
Radio System: Redcat DSM-2C 2.4 Ghz Remote & Receiver



HPI E-Savage Truck with GT Truck Body w/Batteries & Charger $349.99



INCLUDES:

  • Dual 14.4V high power electric motors
  • Low-mounted dual batteries
  • 8 long travel shocks
  • Savage style TVP chassis
  • HPI GT Speed
    Specifications: Controller (14.4V)
  • Safety protected reverse
  • GT escape charger (with DC 12V adapter)
  • Dual Batteries (HPI GT 7.2V 3300mAh/2pcs)
Length: 455mm (17.91in)
Width: 363mm (14.29in) 0
Wheelbase: 293mm (11.54in)
Tire Size: 138x70mm (5.4x2.8in)
Weight: 9 lbs






Redcat Racing AVALANCHE-XTE Avalanche XTE 1-8 Scale Brushless Electric Truck with 2.4GHz Remote Control $349.99





Motor Type: Electric Brushless.

 Drive System: 4 Wheel Drive.

 Length: 526mm.

 Width: 442mm. 

Height: 230mm. 
Wheelbase: 365mm. 
Ground Clearance: 60mm. 
Chassis Type: 6061 Aluminum. 
Shocks: Oil filled Big Bore Shocks. 
Speed Control: Brushless ESC 80A. 
Battery: Dual LIPO 7.4V Batteries (20c 3600Mah 2s) and Charger Included. 
Radio System: 2.4GHz Radio System.




Iron Track Raider MegaE8MTL 1:8 SCALE RTR 4WD Brushless Monster Truck  $369.00



Electronics:
2.4ghz Transmitter and Receiver
11.1v 2700mah Battery Pack 
3674 2075kv Motor
S8A 80amp Brushless ESC
9KG Metal Geared Servo

Specification:
Length: 596mm
Width: 403mm
Height: 248mm
Wheelbase: 370mm

Required to Run:
2-3cell Li-Po charger
AA Batteries for Transmitter
Not recommended as It and its brothers have more durability issues than others in this price point.



1/8Th EP Mad Beast Monster Truck Racing Edition Ready to Run w/ 540L Brushless Motor/ ESC/ Lipo Battery $369.00



2 Channel 2.4ghz Exceed RC Radio System
540L (36x65mm) 2150kv Sensorless Brushless Motor
XeRun 80A-R Programmable ESC 2-4S LiPo 3A @ 5.75v
ND1009 Metal Geared Steering Servo
Two 3mm thick aluminum chassis plate
8 Aluminum body shocks w/ adjustable threaded collars
Aluminum steering hub
Hardened & Coated Steel Gears 
Multi-piece Anti-Sway Bars
Fully Sealed Ball Bearing Set
Robust Slipper Clutch Assembly
Two 7.4v Li-Po 3300mah 20C Cont / 40C Burst batteries included
Pistol 2.4Ghz Remote Control Radio
WheelBase:15"
Weight:5.2kg
This item Does NOT come with Charger


Redcat Racing Terremoto 1/8 Scale Brushless Electric Monster Truck. $379.99

http://www.redcatracing.com



Specifications
Motor Type
Electric Brushless KV 2260
Transmission
Forward and Reverse
Drive System
4 Wheel Drive
Length
550mm
Width
460mm
Height
240mm Without Body
Wheelbase
376mm
Ground Clearance
95mm Adjustable
Shocks
Qty 4 Big Bore Oil Filled Aluminum Adjustable
Speed Control
Waterproof 80A ESC
Battery
Qty. 2 - 7.4v 3200mAh 20c LIPO & Charger Included

Radio System
2.4GHz Radio System



Now this is not a complete list but a grouping of the low end 1/8th scale models (less than $400) that are available in the US at this time. All of these trucks are relatively comparable With the exception of the HPI it does have a bit more parts support but it also has a less powerful brushed system.The Team Magic truck is a little out of its element being compared to these trucks as well since parts support in the US is spotty/ possibly less than any of the other's listed here and it is powered by a brushed system .

Now with the information in front of you you're probably  wondering what the batteries and radio are worth to you as to be completely honest you should just forget the included chargers with the RTR's exist, as to be frank there a joke .

A basic 2.4ghz radio system 
Price Examples
Hobby King GT-2 2.4Ghz 2Ch Tx & Rx (USA Warehouse)$19.96
FS-GT2 2.4G 2CH Gun Transmitter w/ Reciever $21.99

best batteries listed in the RTR's are 2 x 3600 mah 2s 20c packs 
Price Examples
ZIPPY Flightmax 4000mAh 2S1P 25C Car Lipoly 2x $15.50




Monday, August 5, 2013

All about the hobbyking basher.

Well since I have been thinking about this truck a lot lately so I thought I would post a bit of info here and about it like its closest competitors and what is known about the truck at this time.



Well the first views of this truck where on the Hobbyking facebook page October 18, 2012  and at the time everyone was focusing on the soon to be  named SkullCrusher 2wd monster truck that Hobbyking had been teasing  everyone with .

As can be seen in the photo's they had rigged it up with lots of cameras to use it as a chase car  for some of their online video's.
Then all went quiet on this Truck till 6/1/13-6/2/13 and Hobbyking unveiled it at RCX  and a website had sprouted up with no announcement http://www.basher.com/ and then a video appeared.  On YouTube for RCX  and then another just featuring the Monster truck after that another video just teasing us with a frankentruck version . 




Now after paying attention on the last video it is stated that the truck will have a $250 dollar price point and that was a big deal as everything up to that point was just speculation . Somewhere during all this the Hobbyking TrailBlazer 1/8th scale MT disappeared from the US warehouse and I suspect others to make way for this monster but as of now it is still a no show .

But here are the pic's we have to go by for now and the spec's as currently published. 

POWER SYSTEM

Powerful 2075KV Brushless Inrunner Motor
80A Brushless ESC w/ Reverse
4S Lipo Battery w/ HXT 4mm Connector (Required)
15Kg Heavy Duty Steering Servo
  • DRIVETRAIN

    Full time 4WD
    Steel front, center and rear sealed differentials
    Hardened steel pinion gear
    Heavy duty drive shafts
    Hardened metal drive cups
    Full ball bearings

CHASSIS

3.5mm alloy chassis plate
Adjustable screw shock absorbers
Oil filled, big bore shock absorbers
3.5mm shock shaft
Adjustable toe-in and toe-out
Adjustable camber and castor
Independant wishbone suspension
Officially licensed Nitro Circus engraving

MEASUREMENTS

Length: 577mm
Width: 480mm
Height: 314mm (To top of cab)
Ground clearance: 110mm (Adjustable)
Battery area: 138mm x 46mm x 25



















Sunday, August 4, 2013

Basher a Hobbyking monster truck

Well I have had several people message me on Youtube asking if I plan to buy this truck when it is finally released since I got a Turnigy Stadium King 2wd truggy pretty close to when they were released . So far I have determined I probably will pick one up but I will likely not be a first adopter for a few reasons .

  1. I am cheap and broke this means I will have to save and scrape up the money to purchase the truck nothing too unusual there even given its suggested price point of $250 (and yes if the truck is a durable little bugger that's a great deal).
  2. Given the buzz around this truck I'm sure hobbyking will be bringing this truck to the US warehouse rather quick and I'm  content with waiting for it to make it to Washington as this normally brings the total price down a bit .
  3. At the moment I think I have my hands pretty full right now and I'm not up to racing the other Youtube channels for views or anything like that so being the first doesn't really drive me to gotta have it first.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Tires tires tires there without a doubt the most expensive ongoing cost when you're racing and i found a deal.



Alright i was shopping around for tires for my new RC10B4.2 RS before It even got here as I was positive the stock ones would not be very competitive . In my search I noticed Team Losi tires were a bit cheaper than other manufactures . This lead me to doing a bit of research and eventually I started looking to see what was on ebay . Really it didn't take me all that long to find a good deal . To my surprise the seller was Associated Electronics also know as Team Associated . After ordering 4 pairs of tires and having them shipped to me door for just less than $24 I'm glad to pass this on to you. Here is a link to there store http://stores.ebay.com/teamassociatedclearance  and If you need some help in deciding what to get I reccomend checking out this link to get a Idea of what your buying or need .  http://www.petitrc.com/setup/tires/losi/.  Just in case I would like to point out that these were most likely bought By Associated for testing purposes and these are probably the left over's that they didn't use. 
.

Well I got my RC10B4.2RS here are my gripes

I got it in the mail the other day and made a unboxing video for my youtube video and decided I didn't like it so I won't be posting it but I will be posting some of my complaints that I had right when I unboxed it and some I found while I was disassembling it .

So here is my list of complaints from most irritating to least and your opinions may change this order for you.


  1. Being this is a RTR Buggy I expected to be able to just pop a couple battery in and be able to test the electronics . This is not the case . Apparently Team Associated doesn't bind the Transmitter and receiver at the factory at first I thought it was fluke but the manual clearly states that they do not bind them at the factory . To me this is not the way for a beginner to have to start there RC experience and despite this being a simple procedure it could cause trouble for a beginner . 
  2. The pinion gear set screw was extremely tight so tight I think the Hex was stripped from the factory as with little to no force my hex driver finished stripping it . I then dug out my Pinion gear gear puller and removed it but the pressure required bent my puller a bit . At first I assumed thread locker had been used but this was not the case .
  3. There is lots of play everywhere . I am assuming that Team associated has changed there ball cups as Previous ball cups I have had from them where normally a bit too tight and needed to be polished and broke in a bit but the ones included are very loose and allow lots of play in the suspension. Another place of note would be the front caster blocks as there fitment to outer control arm pin is very loose and allows several degrees of movement forward and back allowing the caster to change a great deal. There is also excess play between the rear control arms and the rear hub there are 2 spacers located here to allow changes to the wheelbase but really there is enough room for a spacer with around a 1 mm thickness to be installed.
  4. Alright now we're getting to thing that are more nit picky the esc was not properly secured to the chassis . double sided tape was put on the esc but it was not stuck to the chassis.
  5. The motor wires were not secured or  routed in what I consider a reasonable manner as they where route between the shock tower and shock and was allowed to flop around and rub the shock . 
  6. The decals on the body where not properly installed on the body and the corners had rolled up and would no longer adhere to the body. Once again not a deal breaker but frustrating as the decals in question did not have duplicates in the included decals .
  7. The pre mounted tires that were included had been glued in a pretty sloppy manner leaving glue on the rims in a very visible yellow hue on the white rims a little simple clean up would have prevented this .
  8. Every other screw on this Buggy uses a hex but the one that attaches the arm to the servo. All it would have took was one more screw.
  9. The receiver box really should have had a bit of servo tape put under it to help secure it to the chassis.
So far these are my complaints . As a premium RC manufacture I must say a few of these made me a bit disappointed as I would understand a little play in the suspension but this has much more than I can consider acceptable . 

T.T.F.N.


Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Now why didn't I buy the RPM stuff to go with my RC10B4.2ES from .

Well I skipped a few Items I had on my list when I placed my order To Tower Hobbies and I'm going to try to explain why I skipped them for now .

 LXGGV2 RPM Front Mini Bumper Black B4/T4/GT2

1$ 4.89 Delete this item
 I skipped this for 2 reasons . Number one is because I'm broke and cheap so I opted out on this one to spend a little more on necessities as i don't feel that at this time I will really benefit from the Little bit of extra protection or weight that this item adds . You can expect me to add it in the future .

 LXVT96 RPM Heavy Duty Rod Ends Purple 4-40 (12)

1$ 4.89 Delete this item
Now when I was putting stuff in y shopping cart I realized I already had around 20 new Team Associated ball cups setting in a parts box doing nothing . So I decided to hold off on these till I upgrade my Tie rod's to titanium  as it seemed silly to me .

73732 Front A-arms & Bulkhead for the
B4, B4.1 & B4.2 - Available 07.31.13

Suggested Retail
$14.95 pair w/ bulkhead

Now I didn't order these simply because of 3 reasons .
1 These are not scheduled to be released for sale till 7/31/13 and that is the same day that Tower has several of their discounts ending on  and I felt I would forget and end up paying more because of it .
2 The part has not really been proven yet and to be honest RPM is due for a flop .
3 If I bought these i would have a stock front suspension just lying around collecting dust . 

So I will wait till the ordering frenzy dies down and after i break a few control arms .

Another pair of things missing off my list was a set of tires and to be blunt my cheaper side won out . My decision here was because I found a good deal on some Team Losi treads on ebay from associatedelectrics and I felt they would do as good or a little better on the outdoor course I
 planned to run on compared to the Proline tires .

Monday, July 29, 2013

It almost here

Well my Tower Hobbies order is almost here It hit the big town today and should be on my porch tomorrow. For those wondering what this means for my Blog and YouTube page I think the main thing that I'm going to cover with this buggy are basic ways to improve , modify and customize on a budget and alot of people don't realize how much there is to do even if your car is a RTR.

Friday, July 26, 2013

well I made a order with Tower Hobbies .

Well I didn't make the order exactly like I planned but It was close and I think I will have all I need for now .

Stock NumberProduct DescriptionStock Status/QuantityExtended Price

LXDNDVBYAssociated RC10B4.2 RS 2.4GHz RTR Blue/YellowIn stock, shipping 1$249.99
LXSF70Associated Factory Team Green SlimeIn stock, shipping 1$2.29
LXBVF9Associated Factory Team Buggy Front Spring Kit (8)In stock, shipping 1$10.99
LXBVG0Associated Factory Team Truck/Buggy Rear Spring Kit(10)In stock, shipping 1$10.99
LX2594Associated Shock Rebuild Red O-Ring (8)In stock, shipping 1$2.79
LX3305Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 30 Weight 2 ozIn stock, shipping 1$3.69
LX3304Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 20 Weight 2 ozIn stock, shipping 1$3.69
LX3306Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 40 Weight 2 ozIn stock, shipping 1$3.69
LX2605Associated Shock Rubber Cap Gaskets (4)In stock, shipping 1$1.50
LXEAK4Associated Kimbrough Spur Gear 84TIn stock, shipping 1$3.69
LXEPF7Associated Factory Team Heavy Duty Servo Saver SpringIn stock, shipping 1$1.50
LXBNFXAssociated Front Buggy Dish Wheel Yellow (2)In stock, shipping 1$5.49
LXCRVBAssociated Buggy Rear Wheel Hex Yellow B4.1/B44.1In stock, shipping 1$5.49
LXCTERSTRC Alum Front Hinge-Pin Brace Associated SC10/B4/T4In stock, shipping 1$8.79
LXEX34Robinson Racing Pinion Gear 6-Pack Even 16-26TIn stock, shipping 1$12.69
LXZWK3Associated Factory Team Arm Mounts 2.5/3/3.5/4 (4)In stock, shipping 1$5.49
PC7140$40 Promotional DiscountIn stock, shipping 1$40.00-
The following is a membership and is not a shippable physical product
L61010Tower Hobbies #1 Super Saver Club MembershipIn stock, shipping 1$9.99
Order SummaryIn-Stock Subtotal:
Standard Shipping:
Total Current Charges:
$ 302.75
Waived
$ 302.75


Only a few more to items left to order.