EmJayeX
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Posts posted by EmJayeX
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15 hours ago, OnTheTrail said:
Tower Hobbies has been around for decades. They were around before the internet and use to mail hobbyists a sales catalog about once a month back in the day (yes, I'm showing my age.....
) plus huge multi-page advertisements in modeling magazines. Their prices are usually reasonable and competitive. As for Tamiya hop-ups, from my experience, they're spotty at best. They have some items but not as many as we'd like.
That said, Tower was bought out my Horizon Hobby a couple years ago. Since Horizon is a distributor to most brick and mortar hobby shops in the U.S., that means if Tower or HH shows it on their site, your local hobby shop can get it for you as well. May take and extra week to bring in your Tamiya special order but at least you'd save the freight.
As for Amazon, your observations are correct. I call bull on the "Amazon Prime" where shipping is free on everything. Somethings yes, most things, no. If the small Tamiya part is say $7 through your LHS, through Amazon, it's usually $14 with <ahem> free shipping. Due to my wife's years of Kindle book downloads, we have two Amazon accounts in our house. One with prime and one without. Very rarely do I see a net price that's truly cheaper when I check between the two accounts. May get it a day or two quicker with Prime but legitimate free shipping...???? Not really in my experience.
Wow, I must be almost crazy for not knowing Tower Hobbies 😅
I agree on Amazon though...
So I assume that means that Tower Hobbies charges shipping? But overall, would be cheaper than Amazon with "free" shipping?
Also I ve been running my TT02 and went to check my pinion. It seems to be wearing down a bit already. It looks fine overall to me, but the dust looks to be "mixing" with the grease. Is it something to worry about yet? Or should I wait longer until I see visible extreme wear on the pinion?
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9 hours ago, one_hit said:
Yes it does make it go a lot faster. That’s why it’s not allowed in stock racing. For that you need an esc with “blinky mode” which as the name implies, has a blinking LED, indicating that timing is fixed.
Regarding the clone esc, I got mine from a local e-commerce site. I can see that it’s available in amazon and ebay for $20-28. As with anything from China, make sure you get it from a store with a return policy just in case it is dead on arrival. I have bought four of them already and so far each one is working. Just search for “120A ESC” and look for the blue chrome one like this:
Awesome, thanks! I see that it says brushless esc? Does that mean you have to have a brushless setup as well? Or will it work with the stock motor?
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Oh! And one thing I noticed when I was driving my tt02, theres a lot of understeer at speed. Is there any fixes for that?
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4 hours ago, OnTheTrail said:
They're only about $23 from Tower Hobbies (although out of stock at the moment). I have several sets and they seem fine. Most of the time, I just use the stock springs that come with the car kit and keep the others for tuning if needed. There are other Tamiya oil shock kits that don't come with springs so those should be a little cheaper I'd guess. I've gotten a few of those as well.
If you've never assembled oil shocks before, do a search on here or YT. Several good "how to" posts/videos.
https://www.towerhobbies.com/product/cva-super-mini-shock-4-tt-02/TAM54753.html
Thanks! It says it should be in stock in June. I might be ready to upgrade my stock shocks then. I havent heard of tower hobbies before. Do they sell other tamiya upgrades at a reasonable price? (Amazon seems to ridiculously mark up some things)
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4 hours ago, one_hit said:
Boost adds timing throughout the rpm range while turbo adds more timing after a set amount of full throttle. I’m using a cheap Hobbywing clone and it is well worth the $13. You do need the program card to load the Hobbywing V3 mod firmware which adds the turbo function.
Cool! Does the turbo thing actually make your car faster? Or just gives it variation making it a little more realistic?
Edit: Also! Would you be able to link that clone esc, JUST in case I would like to take a look? Thanks
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7 hours ago, one_hit said:
Yes the high speed hear set is worth it whether just bashing or racing. For a silver can or 17.5 and above brushless, you need to be able to gear way lower than what the stock spur allows. Mine is currently running a 66T spur and 39T pinion for a FDR of 4.4 with a Tamiya 16T brushless motor with boost+turbo.
Oh wow, yours must be blistering quick!
Ive seen it a couple times arounds here, but whats boost+turbo on an rc car? I know what that is on a 1:1 car, but not sure what that means with an electric motor. It makes sense if it was nitro though
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8 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:
If you go for shocks look for Tamiya 54753, they're the standard CVAs and they're pretty good in my experience.
I hear theyre pretty good, but from what I can see, theyre about $40-$50. So maybe I might consider something like the Yeah Racing ones or something a little cheaper (not too cheap though 😅)
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11 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:
It mostly comes down to budget, but as said above it's very handy to have extra pinions.
You can use anything you want, boxes, garden hose, pipes, just preferably something that won't damage your car much if you hit it.
And I'm glad to help! Hope you enjoy your TT02.
5 hours ago, TurnipJF said:The stock TT-02 can handle the extra speed, but will you be able to handle the stock TT-02 with extra speed? The bouncy stock spring holders don't do the handling any favours with their lack of damping, and their inadequacy will become more pronounced the faster you go. You don't ABSOLUTELY NEED oil-filled dampers, but they are a very good idea and will make the car more fun and less frustrating to drive.
You have probably heard of the"Big 3" upgrades that benefit any Tamiya that doesn't come with them as stock? These are bearings, oil-filled shocks and a steel pinion. I would start with these, then perhaps look at other upgrade options once you have the basics sorted.
Thats a VERY good question, and one that I dont think many ask (even for other things in life). Thanks for asking that question! I am learning and feel quite comfortable with my TT02 so far. So maybe thatll be a future upgrade then😅
Im only now figuring out that the "big 3" is a thing now. I have one of those already, bearings. My stock pinion seems to be holding up fine, so then next thing will probably be shocks. Thanks so much!
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32 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:
The high speed gearing set won't give you any extra speed by itself (maybe 2mph at most), to get the most of it you need to buy a slotted motor mount, then different spurs/pinions, and it can end up a rabbit hole.
The cheapest, easiest thing to do for any on road car is to build a track (or at least put down some light obstacles) and drive around them.
That makes sense. Rabbit hole doesnt sound too good 😂
I might just make some sort of track! Have a (mostly) empty parking lot across the street from my neighborhood. Other than cones, is there anything else I could use to fabricate some sort of track?
At least most pinions/spurs done seem to be that expensive. I might look into that too. And I know you guys have helped me on my other topics as well. Thanks for all the help with my new TT02! A lot of questions and things I wanna know about.
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1 hour ago, alvinlwh said:
The speed gear set actually works better with slower motors like the stock motor. I once paired the speed gear with a 18T motor and blew it. So if you are planning to put in a hotter motor, it is better to stick with the standard gear as it has a closer ratio suitable for faster motors.
While there is no chart for the TT showing what motor is suitable for what, here is the TA one and it shows that the stock silver can is actually suited for quite a high gear ratio, far higher than the stock 74/18 one.
Interesting...I think I mightve skipped this section in my TT02 manual. Good to know, thanks!
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Hello everyone!
Had some questions...about the high speed gear set. First of all, just some info on me and my first TT02.
Im not planning to do any sort of racing (but if I find one close to me, hey! Why not give it a shot for fun?) And im also trying to keep it as budget as possible.
So far, everything is stock except for bearings. The stock TT02 is the fastest rc car Ive had (running on 2s). But I guess I feel like the motor just wants to give more speed.
Now, to the questions about the high speed gear set.
Is it worth buying a set? (I know its only like $10 (US)
Do I need (ABSOLUTELY NEED) any other upgrades with a high speed gear set? Or can the stock TT02 handle the extra speed?
And Im not doing any sort of speed runs, and I dont have any sort of speed gps, but is it visually and noticably faster than stock?
If it gives maybe an extra 2-3mph then maybe I wont find it worth buying. But maybe 5 or more I might consider it 🤷🏻♂️ (again no way to measure the speed anyways)
Last question, is there any other cheap upgrades/mods to just make it more fun to drive?
Also! I heard you can trim the steering limiters and get some more steering angle?
Thanks in advance!
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14 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:
If you install the included fiber disc it'll do wonders to keep everything clean. They may not look important but they do help.
Yeah I noticed that was in the kit. Good thing I put it in then!
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12 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:
It's a bit flexible and loose, Kimbrough medium servo savers are decent and only $7. But I wouldn't worry about it unless if you find yourself unhappy with the stock steering.
For bearings look up "Winter", they're cheap but they're pretty good, I use them on everything.
In time you might want oil shocks, but for now I'd just build the standard shocks and roll with it.
If you stick to driving your TT-02 on road and leave it stock you probably won't be needing many repairs, they're pretty hardy all things considered. Just be sure to set it up in "rally mode" for a little more ground clearance.
That makes sense, thanks for the tips!
I did get bearings, and managed to put my tt02 together yesterday. Got to test drive it this morning and love it!
I think its in rally mode, though its pretty garbage in any sort of terrain other than gravel and road.
I dont mind the stock shocks so far, but we'll see. And good to know itll treat me (and my wallet well!)
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11 hours ago, Pylon80 said:
The reputation of the stock pinion being bad is grossly exaggerated but widespread. If you stay with the stock silver can motor and you are very careful not to introduce dust/dirt inside the gear box then it will last for a very long time. Just trying to save you a bit of $$$ here.
Note that the TT-02 rally kits come with a smaller pinion, well 2 actually, a 17 and a 19 and they're steel already.
And welcome to the hobby! 😀
Ahh I see. Good to know! I was hoping to try and take it easier on the motor/pinion. Thanks so much!
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13 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:
Anytime!
If you start having issues with your steering, your first upgrade should be a better servo saver, a Kimbrough medium should help. The stock servo saver is a bit sloppy.
So it is indeed an aluminum one. Hopefully I can make the pinion last a while.
What do you mean by the stock servo saver is sloppy? Im not too familiar with servo savers.
Thanks!
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ACTUALLY! Nvm! I accidentally plugged my esc into the reciever wrong. I put it in
S+-
Slot insted of channel 2 😅
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Help!
Im building my first tt02, and just fit all the electronics in. Everything is wired up, and as Im testing to make sure everything works...my motor isnt responding to the transmitter/radio. Servo is working perfectly 🤌
Ive tried disconnecting and reconnecting motor wires, then thought maybe I put the wrong color wires together?
Tried basically everything I can think of. PLEASE HELP!
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2 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:
Iirc the TT-02B comes with a steel pinion, the standard TT-02 comes with an aluminum pinion.
You'll want a 0.6 mod steel pinion, I use Robinson Racing pinions in my Tamiyas.
Ahh I see. My TT02 JUST got here so ill see if I can check just to make sure. Thanks!
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Hello!
So Ive been told the pinion gear on tamiya kits are made of soft aluminum. My TT02 kit has yet to arrive. I was starting to look into buying another pinion and then came across an older thread...someone said this....
"The TT-02 comes with a sturdy steel pinion right from the start, unlike other Tamiya kits where an aluminum pinion is supplies."
Is this true for TT02s?
Im trying to build my TT02 (my first rc kit, ever) on a budget and dont want to spend too much on upgrades, repairs, etc.
Any insight is much appreciated!
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Hello!
So Ive been told the pinion gear on tamiya kits are made of soft aluminum. My TT02 kit has yet to arrive. I was starting to look into buying another pinion and then came across an older thread...someone said this....
"The TT-02 comes with a sturdy steel pinion right from the start, unlike other Tamiya kits where an aluminum pinion is supplies."
Is this true for TT02s?
Im trying to build my TT02 (my first rc kit, ever) on a budget and dont want to spend too much on upgrades, repairs, etc.
Any insight is much appreciated!
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4 hours ago, droidy said:
Has anyone ever seen an RC "handbrake" option for added fun?
Thatd be cool, especially for drifting. Though probably not something I would go through the trouble of doing something like that for the tt02 at least 😅
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4 hours ago, droidy said:
... lol what markbt73 said but I've come this far, I'll post ...
The ESC and it's settings control braking. It's a bit like regenerative braking on an EV, where you use the motor as a generator and dump the resulting heat/electricity. (There's some tests out there claiming some escs do real regenerative braking by recharging the battery instead of throwing away the excess energy as heat).
You'll be able to configure whether you want forward/brake (for racing), forward/reverse (for crawling), or forward/brake/reverse (for general use) on a good ESC.
Crawler oriented ESCs will have a drag brake option. That locks the brake on when the throttle is at neutral, so you can stop on a slope and stay in place without rolling away. Normal brake mode has you tap the throttle into reverse for brakes, and either double-tap reverse throttle or come to a stop and then reverse throttle to go into reverse.
Different ESCs have different ways to "detect" braking based on what you do with the throttle. I've never seen a dedicated brake "pedal" channel although fancy crawlers can change gears and lock differentials and so on. Has anyone ever seen an RC "handbrake" option for added fun?
Some motors have a stronger braking force than others? I guess it's related to torque? The ESC will be the biggest contributor to brake force - the stronger the brake, the more energy the ESC needs to get rid of.
You'll be able to configure how strong and sensitive the brake force is in a good ESC although you might need a programming card or box.
I don't know about any transmitters with specific braking features. But you can apply exponential (how steeply the throttle signal ramps compared to physical throttle position) and dual rate or end point (how "strong" the signal is when the physical throttle is at its limit) which could change the feel of braking.
Thanks for the VERY detailed reply! Ill have to see what the stock tt02 esc can do. Thanks again!
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4 hours ago, markbt73 said:
Brakes on all electric RC cars are built in to the ESC, there are no mechanical brakes. The TT02 will come with either a Tamiya TBLE speed control or a Hobbywing 1060, both of which have very effective brakes.
Great! Exactly what I needed to know! Thanks so much!
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Is braking a feature on transmitters/radios and/or ESCs?
Or is it something else youd have to purchase separately?
Note: My TT02 kit hasnt arrived yet, so I dont know much about electronics.
TT02 High Speed Gear Set Worth It?
in General discussions
Posted
Hmm, I cant seem to find the Racing by post thread. Not really sure what "racing by post" means. Would you be able to explain a bit more please?
I did get some low profile cones (25 of them) from my local Walmart, for about $12 (US).