Thursday, July 18, 2013

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 NumberProduct DescriptionITEM NOTEOrder QtyShip QtyBack Order QtyPrice EachRemove From Cart
 LXDNDVBY Associated RC10B4.2 RS 2.4GHz RTR Blue/Yellow

1$ 249.99 Delete this item
 LXBVF9 Associated Factory Team Buggy Front Spring Kit (8)

1$ 10.99 Delete this item
 LXBVG0 Associated Factory Team Truck/Buggy Rear Spring Kit(10)

1$ 10.99 Delete this item
 LXSF70 Associated Factory Team Green Slime
E1$ 2.29 Delete this item
 LX3306 Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 40 Weight 2 oz

E1$ 3.69 Delete this item
 LX3304 Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 20 Weight 2 oz

E1$ 3.69 Delete this item
 LX3305 Associated Silicone Shock Fluid 30 Weight 2 oz

E1$ 3.69 Delete this item
 LXEAK4 Associated Kimbrough Spur Gear 84T

1$ 3.69 Delete this item
 LXEAK5 Associated Kimbrough Spur Gear 87T

1$ 3.69 Delete this item
 LXEPF7 Associated Factory Team Heavy Duty Servo Saver Spring

1$ 1.50 Delete this item
 LXBNFW Associated Front Buggy Dish Wheel White (2)

1$ 5.49 Delete this item
 LXCRVA Associated Buggy Rear Wheel Hex White B4.1/B44.1

1$ 5.49 Delete this item
 LXGGV2 RPM Front Mini Bumper Black B4/T4/GT2

1$ 4.89 Delete this item
 LXVT96 RPM Heavy Duty Rod Ends Purple 4-40 (12)

1$ 4.89 Delete this item
 LXDCKG Pro-Line 4-Rib 2.2" 2WD M4 Off-Road Buggy Front Tires

1$ 12.29 Delete this item
 LXZJS6 Pro-Line Caliber 2.2" M3 Off-Road Buggy Rear Tires (2)

1$ 12.29 Delete this item
 LXCTER STRC Alum Front Hinge-Pin Brace Associated SC10/B4/T4

1$ 8.79 Delete this item
 LXEX34 Robinson Racing Pinion Gear 6-Pack Even 16-26T

1$ 12.69 Delete this item

In-Stock Items: $ 361.03








Hobbyking order (US Warehouse) :

QuantityStockProduct descriptionPriceWeight
OK9192000047 - Turnigy Trackstar 80A Turbo Sensored Bru..$35.32115
OK9192000049 - Turnigy TrackStar Turbo and Waterproof E..$10.19152
OK9192000037 - Turnigy TrackStar 9.5T Sensored Brushles..$32.63250
OKTGY-1258TG - Turnigy 1258TG Digital Titanium Gear Ser..$32.75169
TOTAL: $110.89686g
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 .





Wednesday, July 17, 2013

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 .




Monday, July 15, 2013

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 .


Saturday, June 15, 2013

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 PlugJST-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