speedy_w_beans

Those Turnigy 6000mAh packs I mentioned earlier have a sticker on them claiming up to 10C charge rate. There's no way in the world I would take the risk of pushing 60A into a pack!!! 1C charge rate is good enough for me!

I think 48 dp is close to 0.5 mod, not 0.6 mod. DF03 uses 0.5 mod, but some people have tried 48 dp with it and it makes some noise.

DT02 chassis = 0.8 mod / 32 dp, 17T and 19T DF02 chassis = 0.6 mod, 16T to 19T with stock spur TT01 chassis = 0.6 mod, 19T to 22T with 61T spur, 22T to 25T with 58T spur, 25T with 55T spur DN01/TRF201 = 48 dp DB01/DB01R = 48 dp TB03 = 0.6 mod with 64T spur, 0.4 mod with 96T spur Robinson Racing is what I use for steel pinions.

I've been pretty conservative when it comes to selecting Lipos so far. I'll take a motor's peak current rating and treat it as the continuous rating, then select a Lipo with a higher C rating so there is some margin. As an example, the motor in my 1/8 e-buggy is rated 129A peak. The Turnigy 6000mAh packs I use with it are rated 65C continuous discharge, or 390A continuous. The motor should never overload the Lipo and it should be safe. The wiring and ESC should go up in smoke before the Lipo does. If I was running a silver can 540, then that motor can draw 60A peak. If I was using a 4000mAh Lipo with it, I'd want a 30C continuous discharge rating (120A) to have some margin. I try to avoid relying on the Lipo's burst current rating because that implies a certain amount of current for a period of time, but the time is almost never stated... Is it a half second? Five seconds? Ten seconds?

Lipos, like all batteries, lose capacity over time. The rate at which that capacity is lost is dependent on charge level and temperature. Lipos lose capacity fastest when they have a full charge and are stored at higher temperatures. They lose capacity the slowest at roughly 50% charge and cooler temperatures; that's why people apply a storage charge and then sometimes put Lipos in the refrigerator (not the freezer). I usually have a storage charge on my Lipos and keep them at room temperature so I can fully charge them and use them at a moment's notice. If Lipos are respected I don't think there is much of a safety concern. As long as they aren't overcharged beyond 4.2 V per cell, discharged below 3.2 V per cell, and loaded beyond their C / discharge rating then they should be just fine. I suspect most people's problems stem from violating one of these three limits, which leads to puffed cells, lost capacity, higher internal resistance, and thermal runaway. You can find a wealth of battery information for all types at: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/

When the DB02 Leonis was first announced, I was excited to see something new from Tamiya similar in spirit to the DB01. What I mean is, the DB02 shares some design with the TRF502x just as the DB01 also shares some design with the TRF501x. When the first kits were shipped and people started building them, my interest waned a little as I read about the rear prop joint disintegrating and the overall heft of the vehicle. Those reports plus the street price turned me off and I pushed the DB02 to the back of my consciousness. Over the last month or so I've been reading TRF driver Jimmie Wright's blog entries (http://www.teamtrf.com/index.php/trf-drivers/latest-blogs) and he seems pretty happy with the buggy. He's had multiple wins and hasn't complained about breakages. One paragraph of note: "In conclusion the DB02 was un-challenged every round even with factory racers from Durango and support drivers from AE and Kyosho the DB02 completely held it's own and gave me the confidence I needed to solidify that I am taking the DB02 to the Reedy Race of Off Road Champions later this month! The 201 was consistent and held up to every round TQing 5 of the 8 rounds and winning 6." So, my interest in this buggy is starting to go back up. I wouldn't mind a DB02 or a couple of DB02Rs to go with my DB01/DB01Rs if this is a viable rig. Are there any TC members who have built this buggy and bashed it hard or raced it competitively? What are your experiences? I'm interested in experiences from actual owners. Thanks!

The Mad Bull makes a great sand buggy; the big tires give it a lot of ground clearance. I have mine mostly for the beach as well and don't feel guilty running it there at all.

With a $1200 MSRP and $700 street price, it's pretty difficult for most people to justify buying one. Comparisons against the Trailfinder TF2 and SCX10 are inevitable. The money saved on the competition can go towards all the hopups and accessories one could desire.

Does it feel like he was trying to strongarm you into a lower price without actually bidding, and was suprised when you accepted? I'm learning over time that potential buyers play all sorts of games... If the two of you were communicating at a rapid clip and he's suddenly stopped talking, I'd give him negative feedback and relist the item at the original price. I don't have much mercy when it comes to selling to strangers. He's still out there; he's just chosen to walk away.

I don't know if you noticed this on the page you linked to, but underneath the "Add to Cart" button there is a colored "ACC." button. Clicking on that reveals both of the following entries: "USB Programming Adapter for Hobbyking X-Car 120A & 60A ESC" "Hobby King HKSS programming card for HK 150A ESC " There are "Buy Now" buttons that allow you to add the accessories to the purchase...

The tool will likely outlast the batteries, and finding replacement batteries 5-10 years from now could be a challenge. I try to avoid battery-powered tools as much as possible and go for corded tools or hand tools -- no in-between.

It's been a few weeks since I looked at this truck; I have to say, it's really growing on me beyond "nice truck" to "bleeping awesome!" It really looks the business!

I'd definitely like to hear about your experiences with this ESC. They also have a 120A version. Did you get the programming card to go with it?

No need to rush. The latest Clod Buster is 58518 Super Clod Buster. Previous versions include 58423 Chrome Edition, 58321 Super Clod Buster, and 58065 Clod Buster. 518 and 423 come with ESCs, 321 and 065 come with MSCs.

I'd prefer a checkbox option to stop non-members from e-mailing me. My priorities are security, trust, and traceability; not convenience for the outside world. Others may feel differently and don't mind receiving e-mails from strangers. Therefore, the checkbox option in account settings lets people have it however they want.

I'd dispose of a puffed Lipo -- no need to take any risks. I always balance charge my Lipos, have the ESC cutoff set at 3.2V per cell, and stop driving as soon as the throttle response goes soft (even before the ESC cutoff).

Sorry, maybe I misunderstood the context. Any kit, or any kit in your list? If just your list, then Clod.

Thanks for the link!

TRF502x.

Futaba transmitters/receivers sold.

Yesterday I made some time to play with a servo so I could pan a camera under radio control; here's the result... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVGlnsEoPAc I'm thinking about modifying a second servo so I can control tilt as well as pan with a stick transmitter. There are also some small improvements I want to make, such as adding a light drag brake to keep gear lash in check, and replace the stick pack and ESC with just a small receiver pack. All of this plus a few other thoughts are leading up to building a dedicated camera car/rig for filming other vehicles.

Those are some really nice wheels and tires!

Found this via Google searching; it seems relevant: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1519559&postcount=12 Based on what I'm reading it doesn't look like a great material for RC car bodies. Some of the material handling requirements and lower cost associated with it explain why manufacturers are trying to use it, but I'd stick with polycarbonate/Lexan for a runner. Copied and pasted here for convenience: "PETG is actually less impact resistant than polycarbonate (Lexan). If you've ever run an RC car with a PETG body, you'll soon realise this. PETG is harder to cut and doesn't like the score and fold method, use sharp curves scissors. PETG doesn't accept paint as easily as Lexan, it requires a slightly different painting technique. PETG is also heavier than lexan for the same volume of plastic." "There are production advantages of PETG. It's cheap, about one fifth the cost of lexan. The low molding temperature is a bonus too. PETG only needs to be heated to 250 degrees to be moldable while Lexan requires temperatures of about 400 degrees. Lexan is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs ambient moisture from the air, PETG doesn't. This means that lexan needs to be heated to about 200 degrees for an hour before molding in order for it to pre-dry. If it's not pre-dryed, it developes bubbles when heated up to 400 degrees. PETG doesn't require pre-drying. You can mold 10 items in PETG in the same time span as one lexan item. It's very efficient." "The fact that it's not as impact resistant (and shatterproof) is the reason why PETG is not used for R/C car bodies or bulletproof glass." "I've vacuum molded with PETG, Lexan, ABS, Styrene, etc." "-Frank"

Second thought -- "don't drive through yellow snow..."

"Nice day for a build..."