Friday, October 18, 2013

Redcat Racing has a new MT coming out called the Terremoto its a 1/8th scale brushless monster truck

Well at this moment there are a few facts about this truck out and a few possible facts .

Yup here it is being displayed at the IHobby show in Chicago.

Soon some info was posted on Redcat's website stating that the truck should be released Oct.31.2013  
so at least we won't need to wait too long for this one to be available . Here is all the info listed on the website. 

The new Redcat Racing Terremoto is coming soon and it is Redcat's largest 1/8 scale vehicle to date.  

At just under 2 feet in length and a wheelbase of about 15", the Terremoto is huge!

Everything is included and ready to run right out of the box.  Fully assembled including KV2260 brushless motor with 80A waterproof ESC, dual 15KG metal gear steering servos, dual 7.4V 3200 mAh LIPO batteries, battery charger, painted lexan body and 2.4GHz radio.


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

So far no pictures of the chassis have been officially released but some pictures were posted on URC that seem to meet match several features of the truck and given the poster it seems these maybe from someone affiliated with Redcat or has access to the truck .

No matter the source the pictures. They show a promising chassis and design so lets hope this is it .








Sunday, October 6, 2013

Well redcat racing Tsunami 1/8 Scale Brushless 2WD Sand Buggy A competitor for the VATERRA Glamis Uno ?


Well Redcat Racing perked my interest today because of a post showing a few pics from the  Ihobby show in Chicago .  It contained 2 Vehicles I hadn't seen before A Monster truck that seems a bit bigger than the Earthquake trucks and a buggy so I started checking out their Website to if any info had been posted . Sadly no info on the MT but I did find the buggy . 

Tsunami 1/8 Scale Brushless 2WD Sand Buggy

Seems they have decided to make a buggy to compete with the Vaterra Glamis Uno and from several feet away and at first glance this buggy may appear to be a clone but in reality this buggy is pretty different once you really look at it .





 Specifications

Motor Type
Electric Brushless KV 2750
Transmission
Forward and Reverse
Drive System
2 Wheel Drive
Length
490mm
Width
310mm
Height
155mm
Dry Weight
5.5 LBS
Wheelbase
345mm
Ground Clearance
38mm
Shocks
Aluminum Body Oil Filled Pro Style
Speed Control
Brushless ESC
Battery
11.1v 30C 3000mAH LIPO
Radio System
2.4GHz Radio System




Since there are no body off shots and since the specs given are the bare minimum everythings up for debate till someone buys one and starts running it but given that this buggy's is running on 3s it most assuredly is faster than the Glamis as it comes with a 2S lipo but what happens when the Glamis has a 3S installed. Well this is pure speculation but I have the feeling the Glamis will still be out gunned as it is powered by a 4 pole 540 size 3300 kv motor and after seeing the extremely long canned motor in the Mirage I have my doubts that that the Glamis is packing something smaller than a 550 size motor . I will also speculate that like the Mirage this originally meant to accept a 4S battery as a upgrade to the system but given the problems associated with the 4s ESC this has also been downgraded to only a 3S compatible ESC. 

Update OCT.08.13
Got a response back confirming a few things I speculated about a few days before . So I copied and pasted it here for you.

Hello ,

-Yes the battery does load from the bottom of the chassis, similar to our Mirage and Twister vehicles.
-The ESC is a 60a splash resistant HobbyWing ESC that is also used in the Mirage, unfortunately the max voltage for the ESC is rated at 11.1v.
-On the motor, I will have to get back to you on that one, unfortunately I don't have the exact dimensions, and we don't have the motors in stock quite yet. I did buy one that I have been beating around, so I will see if I can pull mine apart and get you the dimensions on it.

Let me know what other questions you have, and I would be more than happy to help you out.


OCT.09.13
Parts have been listed on the site but not in stock yet http://www.redcatracing.com/Search#cv=TSUNAMI%20PRO This brings 2 things to light the motor is suppost to be a 540 size motor , it shares a few suspention parts with the Mirage, it has beadlock wheels, the gyro is a add on and not part of the transmitter, the transmission gears are plastic but if the description is right on the pinion they are at least mod 1 pitch, and the battery compartment looks large enough for a 4S power 2 me.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Am I the only one that doesn't think the (Vaterra Halix 4WD Monster Truck 1/10th RTR) is worth $429



Vaterra just announced their new monster truck . Of course the truck is 1/10th scale and 4wd and it has a brushless power system. To be blunt the only things that differentiate this truck from its competition are two acronyms  AVC and VTV . So what are these systems really well AVC is pretty much a gyro and a traction control system .I'm sure there are some people out there that like docile easy to drive RC's but to me these features are kind silly on a Monster Truck . So we have VTV left and it stands for Torque Vectoring Differential how VTV
stands for TVD I don't know but thats what they say. So here is the quote from there web page .
http://www.vaterrarc.com
The innovative VTV™ differential prevents wheel spin on loose surfaces when you're taking on corners or pounding the throttle. Its smooth actuation and consistent feel provide extra confidence over a variety of surface conditions. It is fully sealed and can be fine-tuned using different weights of silicone oil.

Pretty much I'm left with the feeling of "sealed differentials already do that " but to be honest there is the possibility of something new and innovative here and that the guy they paid to describe it laugh and ran away with the money they paid him in advance .

So what would impress me when this truck starts getting reviews. If the differential can actually compensate for varying terrain .

So lets look at what it has to compete against :

1: The Traxxas Stampede let's face it its probably the most popular 1/10 MT on the market ad for good reason .You can get parts just about anywhere and there is a substantial number of aftermarket parts for this platform. $387.99










 2: The HPI Bullet trucks have became very popular . Cant say it has huge aftermarket support but most shops can order replacement parts.$345.99















3: The Helion Invictus probably ranks lowest as it is a Hobby Town Exclusive and they are the only source for replacement parts but if you have one down the road that shouldn't be a problem. Currently there is little to no aftermarket support for the Invictus but Hobby Town does have a healthy list of upgrades for there truck. $289.99

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Turnigy Power Systems 5000 , Think You've got a Quick RC car Prove it ! ( HobbyKing Speed competition.



Well I have been thinking about this competition a lot since it was announced and despite me making my mind up early on that I would not be competing  I still had several thoughts as to what I would build.

Now most people are going to go after the 2S class simply because most people have chassis and power systems that will put them there. I do think lots of people will want to run in the unlimited class but most will not officially enter as it takes a unbelievable amount of power to push a car to 150+ mph and the bigger and heavier it is the more you need . So I really feel those that actually enter the Unlimited class will primarily be made up of people who really have experience in this and already have a purpose built high speed car.I can say I could be completely wrong  though . So if you have plans to run in the unlimited class more power to you but don't get your hopes too high.

If you need inspiration on the power needed the current high speed champ is Nick Case . He used a  NEU 1521 motor with a 1577kv rating running on 12S or roughly 50 volts .

Now I would like to point out http://scriptasylum.com/rc_speed/solver.html    Has a lot of calculators that will greatly help a person with there fighures if they want to do speed runs .

So what would I build for the unlimited class. well so far I decided I would need a chassis that is cheap and has the flexibility to be geared really high and that could be set up with lots of room for a high voltage system .  At this point i think I would be looking at the Sakura D3 CS drift. In stock form it would need lots of modifications just like any other chassis but I feel the front mounted motor provides a lot of advantages . Since its mounted in front of the front wheels it opens up the center of the chassis to allow more space for batteries.  The fact that with a simple front diff gear and center gear swap using essentially stock  parts will give it a 1.36 diff ratio makes it look even better. Basically that means you could have up to a 4.77 rollout with common parts and that equals a lot of wheel speed.

So what would be my main fear with this chassis?

The belts .They have several advantages over a shaft drive chassis but can they handle the load that would be put on them powering a car at triple digit speeds? I have no Idea .

 Wait what about 2S? Well thats pretty simple You want a mixture of the minimum and maximum you can get. You want the minimum chassis  in other words you want it light weight and the most powerful motor you can get your hands on a small front profile helps also. Since this is so much simpler I actually have a parts list containing most of what would be nice for someone on a budget to buy .

5: Turnigy TGY-4409MD metal gear servo    $12.84
6: Bearings (4) 1/8 x 5/16 flanged and (2) 1/4 x 3/8 flanger (Avid brand: standard $6.00)
7: Transmitter and receiver of your choice .

Theoretically using the included 20 tooth pinion and spur gear and the motor listed above the car should theoretically top out over 100 mph . Another option if you can wait would be the Turnigy Trackstar SCT 4T 550 motor as its rated at 960 watts and it has a theoretical top speed of 140 mph with proper gearing.   Of course these speed are not actually as far as things could be pushed as this is going off of motor specs for a one shot run they could be pushed much further. The main problems at these speeds would be maintaining control and finding a proper area to run .



Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Redcat Earthquake 8E to Turnigy Trailblazer and BSD Racing BS808T part number interchange list.

Well if you have owned one of these Trucks for a while you may now they are all brothers and sisters . If not now you know . If you live outside the US HobbyKing and BSD may be a faster and cheaper parts source for you if you live in the US Redcat Racing will Probably be the fasted way to get parts but HobbyKIng will be the cheapest if you buy in bulk. This list has a few upgrade parts scattered throughout and there are a few parts missing here or there I'm Sure.

I have added links to some of the part #s to places where they can be bought .( Not responsible for dead links or links to the wrong product ) verify what your ordering before you order. I have not included part numbers for screws and bearings due to there universal nature or any electronic items..


BDS and Redcat part number all seem to be the same so a additional column was not added for BDS.






Common name Redcat / BDS part # Turnigy part #
/product ID #
PIC'S
Lower Suspension Mount Block, 
Front/Rear ~
BS903-028 292000044
Antenna mount 3PCS ~ BS903-107 292000062
Steering Servo Mount A/B ~ BS803-005
Anti Roll Bar Linkage Set
(Qty 1, 2 are needed to 
mount 1 roll bar) ~
BS903-029 292000045
Center Diff Mount ~ BS803-020 292000086
Center Diff Upper Plate ~ BS803-021 292000087
Wiring Mount ~ BS803-018 292000084
Rear Suspension Arm Pin-Short(?3*34.5mm) ~ BS903-061 292000047
Front/Rear Upper Deck Mount ~ BS803-016 292000083
Front Upper Deck ~ BS803-011
Differential Drive Cup with Pin
 (2*10)
BS903-109 292000063
Differential Gearbox ~ BS903-097 292000059
Diff. Outdrive C Set Screw ~ BS903-083 292000051
Diff Drive Cup B/Pin(2*10) ~ BS903-110 292000064
Suspension Arm Pin-Long
(?3*56mm) 4 PCS ~
BS903-025 292000042
Bumper chassis-Fr ~ BS904-005 292000114
Bumper brace 2PCS ~ BS904-004 292000113
Motor Pinon Gear 12T BS808-007 292000130
Motor pinion 15T NA

292000089

Motor Pinion Gear 15T w/M3 Grub Screw - Turnigy Trailblazer 1/8, XB and XT 1/5
Receiver Case Top and Bottom ~ BS803-015 292000082
Stub Axle w/pin ~ BS808-001 292000115
Shock Tower ~ BS903-005 292000034
Bumper Chassis, Rear ~ BS904-006 292000115
Front Suspension Arm Pin-Short(?3*37.5mm) 4PCS ~ BS903-024 292000041
Front Chassis ~ BS903-026 292000043
Fr/Rr body post ~ BS801-008 292000112
Double Way Ball end 6 PCS ~ BS903-094 292000057
Upper Suspension Arm Mount (F/R) BS903-011 292000038
Diff. Gearbox Bulkhead-Upper/Lower ~ BS903-098 292000060
Front Lower Suspension Arm (L/R) ~ BS903-018 292000099
Hub Rear Carrier ~ BS903-058 292000046
Side Guard Left/Right ~ BS803-002 292000120
Front Center Diff Drive Shaft (1pcs) BS803-012
Center Diff Drive Shaft Rear 1pcs ~ BS803-013
SPUR GEAR (49T) ~ BS808-005 292000071
Wheel Hex with Pin 2*10 4PCS ~ BS808-002 292000126
Suspension Arm Mount Block 2 PCS ~ BS903-010 292000037
Left/Right Battery Strap 2pcs ~ BS803-009 292000078
Left Battery Tray ~ BS803-007 292000076
Right Battery Tray ~l BS803-008 292000077
Steering Linkage Set 2 SETS ~ BS903-030
Rear Lower Suspension Arms (L/R) BS903-059 292000102
Rear anti-roll bar set ~ BS905-009
Upper Suspension Arm Set ~ BS903-008 292000097
Front Suspension Mount ~ MPO-06
Rear Front Suspension ~ MPO-07
Diff Ring gear and Spider Gears
 1 Set ~
BS803-027 292000122
Drive Shaft Set (4*87.5mm) 2PCS ~ BS903-019
Aluminum Motor Mount ~ BS803-022 292000088
Bumper 2 PCS ~ BS904-003
Shock Absorber Unit(Plastic),2 PCS BS903-003-b
Servo Saver and Bell Crank 
with Aluminum Ackerman ~
BS803-010 292000079
Center Differential  ~ BS808-006 292000129
Steel Spur Gear 49T ~ MPO-019
Front/Rear Complete Diff 1 Unit ~ BS803-026
Front/Rear Complete Diff 1 Unit Hardened ~ BS803-026A
Aluminum Front/Rear Upper Deck ~ BS803-017 292000121
Front/Rear Complete Diff and 
Bulk Head 1 Unit hardened ~
BS803-025A 292000090
Steering Linkage ~ MPO-11
Center Differential Unit ~ BS808-004 292000128
Cast Aluminum Steering Knuckle L/R BS502-021 292000065
6065 Blue Aluminum Chassis ~ BS803-001 292000119
Shock Stay Mount ~ MPO-05
Steering Knuckle Set, Aluminum Upgrade Qty 2 ~ MPO-03
Rear Hub Set ~ MPO-04
C Hub Assembly, Aluminum Upgrade ~ MPO-02