TXT 1 Questions

[mobias]

Hi all. Ok I finally took the plunge last Friday (or at least my bank account took the plunge) and bought myself the ultimate Tamiya kit (of the current line up anyway) the TXT 1. Got it from a German model shop selling it NIB at Ebay. The bargain was just to good to miss, I'm saving a vast amount of money over buying it here in my LHS.

I'm not going to start building it immediately as I want to get some nice bits for it which I'll have to save up for. I've been going through the many posts here and been referencing Dr Doug T's excellent FAQ site which has pretty told me everything I need to know however I still have a few questions for all the TXT drivers out there.

I already have a Tamiya Sport Tuned motor, I was going to buy another and use the two wired in parallel, is the Sport Tuned a good option for this? Dr Doug recommends a whole load of motor types but I'm having trouble finding any of the ones he recommends here in the UK, maybe I'm just not looking in the right places.

Is the TXT now being shipped with an ESC? (I know it never used to be) If so does anybody know if this ESC will work with the motors wired in parallel?

Does anybody have a 'perfect' set up for their TXT in terms of battery life to a speed/torque ratio? I guess I'm looking for good rock crawling ability but also a nice top speed and good battery life. I've read someone at TC gets a whopping 40 mins of battery life out of their duel battery set up, sounds very impressive.

I'm going to go for a 4 wheel steering set up and I've noticed on Ebay that TowerPro make some nice high torque servos which you can get quite cheaply from Hong Kong, has anybody had any experince of these? Am I right in thinking that all servos pretty much work with all recievers or do you have yo match the right one's up to a certian make?

I've read on these forums, and elsewhere on the web, that putting axle wideners on the TXT improves over all stability. If so I may go for this option, does anybody know if you can get axle wideners in the UK or do you have to import them from the US? Which one's are recommended?

And lastly what is the best method of waterproofing the steering servos? Tamiya's rubber balloon thingies?

Thanks in advance to any help. Hopefully, touch wood, my TXT should arrive later this week.

Toby

[backtomyroots]

Welcome to the TXT-1 club [Y].  You started out well by reading the Dr Doug's FAQ's.  Here goes:

Wheel Wideners:  probably not necessary unless you are breaking speed records.

Servo:  Probably any High Torque Servo is great.  Hitec 645MG is used by many here on TC.  You should be able to plug any new servo into any relatively new reciever.

ESC:  Truck does not come with one.  Recommended are the Novak Super Rooster, or if you want two battery packs to run the Novak Super Duty, or a Traxxas EVX

Motors:  Most mildly modified motors will do.  Sport tuned I don't think will make a big difference.  try something like 17x2. This is where other members will need to step in I run a HV Maxx Brushless just to be crazy [].

Bearings:  Get a full bearing kit !

Extra recommendations:  I receommend a stainless steel screw kit, I got one and it makes a big difference !

Here's my txt-1:

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.a...01&sid=7434http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=32401&sid=7434'>

Hopefully this is a little helpful [].  Check my movie clips out to see 'er in action !

[Bigwheels_inc]

Hi Toby

i dont have a txt-1 but can answer some of the questions as some parts are the same as the clod

from the problems ive had with the towerpro MG995 high torque servo's and other people have too you need an esc which has a 6v output to the reciver if using two towerpro servo's (top of the range esc's like novak quite often have 6v output) so if using towerpro servo's make sure youve got a good esc otherwise you may get servo freeze etc but they are fairly water tight

you can mix and match recivers and servo's (i do)

for good top end speed and torque i would go for the venom motors two 19x2 motors would give a good top speed and plenty of torque i use two 17x2 venoms in my clod crawler and it will pop wheelies and there fitted with bearings and zero deg timing from the factory and at about £13.oo each new there well worth the money (look on ebay)

the wheels wideners vary in type and material i use the inet rc alloy ones which add about 1 & 1/2 inchs in width (doesnt sound like much but stops it falling over on its side) there very well made and i havnt had any problems with them so far there the same as the ones rc4wd sells and they do come up for sale sometimes on ebay but its just as easy to buy them from the states

hope this helps

Pete

[Cul-Tech]

Remember you have the option to wire the motors in series or parrallel,

if you use connectors you can make the change on the bench in an

instant. Wire them in Series for crawling and parrelel for faster

running. 19 turn motors are cheap and good for this type of application.

I agree, only use the wideners if you're running super fast, the extra

width takes place after the pivot point of the steering putting extra

strain on the srevos.

Mike.

[mobias]

Thanks for the info guys much appreciated. Looks like a good ESC is a worthwhile investment then, I'll have to see what Ebay has to throw up.

If anybody has any other hints and tips on building and running the TXT they'd be greatly appreciated. I'm especially keen to hear any good servo/reciever/ESC waterproofing methods people have as I fully intend to get this truck as dirty as possible as quickly as possible.

Cheers everyone. Toby

[mjohnston39]

Here are my suggesting regarding the TXT-1, some will have been mentioned above:

1) Build the truck with bearings, tearing it apart at a later date is a PITA

2) By a high torque servo and servo saver, I use the Hitec MG 645 and a Kimbrough large servo saver

3) Run a separate 6V receiver pack, you get more torque from the steering servo

4) Buy the best ESC you can afford, buying a cheap one might seem reasonable but just about everyone wants to upgrade the motors at some point so you may end up getting a higher spec unit later on...

5) Make decisions regarding motors, pinions early on when your building the truck, as with the bearings, trearing stuff down can be a PITA at times

6) Look to replacing the Tamiya ball ends for the spuspenion links, I went with the 6.8mm Kyosho ones.

Mike

[mobias]

Still eagerly awaiting the arrival of my TXT-1. In the mean time I've been doing some more online research and have come across a couple of interesting TXT-1 websites that may or may not be new to people here. Firstly there is this website which is a kind of building blog but has some interesting tips and nice photos

http://www.jeff-z.com/rcstuff/txt1/txt1.html

And then there is this place which has it all

http://www.txt-1.com

Just out of interest has anybody here ever made the 'on demand' 4 wheel steering mod for their TXT? sounds really, really cool I might have to do that in the long run once I've got to grips with how it works. Anyway here is the link

http://www.txt-1.com/hairmods.htm#od4ws

Cheers

Toby

[rroodd]

Hey, Toby,

I too have suddenly found a f ascination with the TXT-1, and am seriously thinking about shelling out some cash for one..... Tower Hobbies has them for $345, and that's about the best price i've seen. (I'm in Australia, and like you, they are waaay too expensive to buy locally....).

What's the build time on them..? A few days, i've heard. I'm totally new to any type of 'Rock Climbing' truck, so maybe it's the perfect vehicle to start with......??

Rod.

[mobias]

Hey Rod. Yeah the TXT seems to be the truck to have whether you're a beginner like us or even for the more serious monster truck enthusiasts. It looks like its endlessly upgradable and moddable, it's such a superb kit. I think the build time depends on how much time you throw at it, I've read here that someone built it in 6 hours. I guess it depends on what you're technical skills are like and how much experience you've got. I intend to mod it from the beginning so its going to be a little on going project I think. I may even do the 'on the fly' lock out 4wheel steering option, it sounds like such a good idea, depends on how difficult it is for a relative beginner.

Have you tried looking on Ebay for one? I got mine (well it still hasn't arrived yet) about half price from Germany. However there is an Ebay dealer in Hong Kong who occasionaly has brand new TXT's going very cheap and he ships world wide. I think his name is Hong Kong Cowboy, he's got a good reputation I think, it may be worth tracking him down and emailing him to see if he can get you one.

Toby

[mymonsterbeetleisbroken]

the txt-1 is an amazing kit [H]

what made me buy one was the use of aluminium, the high quality machined chassis plates are works of art! []

i bought mine new built, before xmas last year (so prices were a bit higher than normal, but i just had to have it [])

just to add to whats been said,

during building, make sure the pinion mesh is perfect on the adjustable motor mount plate - and make sure the grub screws on the pinions are tight. when i got mine, one pinion had actually come loose, so it was running on only one motor [:S] doh!

make sure you get a good servo saver. the stock tamiya one is rubish. i broke one yesturday, it saved the servo so i guess it did its job, but at about £6 a servo saver its worth getting a kimborough one or something along those lines.

glue the tyres to the rims, or use rubber bands on the inside to help them grip the rims. the torque of the txt-1 is imense, and is wasted if the tyres slip.

i'm running mine with 2 wheel steering. the turning is fine with a high torque servo. i doubt a normal servo would do the job, so get a nice metal geared high torque one. i want to run 4ws, but i'm going to wait and get a 3 or 4 channel radio, so i can control them independently - because thats the coolest way of steering the truck []

my txt on the rocks -

[mobias]

Been having fun running my TXT, its a great truck and I'm about to get 4 wheel steering set up. got a question though. When I buy a servo Y harness preumably I have to get one that reverses the motor on the rear servo to get it steering in the opposite direction to the front one. How do I do this? Do I have to buy a special type, if so which one?

Cheers Toby

[Bigwheels_inc]

you realy need one with a sevo reverser built in ripmax do one for about £10 as far as i can remember !

Pete

[mobias]

Excelent, thanks for that I'll have to get one. Most of the online guids you read don't mention you need a reverser but I thought that can't be right.

[Cul-Tech]

You don't need a reverser, if you follow the manual closely they will

show you how to hook up the rear servo in a matter different from the

front to correct this. Page 21 of the manual.

As usual Tamiya has it covered.[H]

Mike

[mobias]

Got the second servo fitted and makes such a huge difference, the truck almost turns on the spot, thanks for the advice guys.

Got another question now for those who have added serious 'bling' to their TXT's.

I'm going for a red and yellow colour scheme on my TXT. At least I've nicely painted my spare shell red and added a few nice touches to it. Looking through other peoples TXT's in the show room I've noticed a few people have nice yellow shocks or have nice yellow springs over aluminium shocks. Does anybody know where you can get these? I know InetRC used to do them but they've discontinued the 3.5 inch one's which I'd be looking for. Even just getting some nice yellow springs would be nice if i can find some.

Seriously in love with this truck even though its still got its stock 540's in it and lumbers about a bit. Its just ace to look at as much as anything else.

Cheers

Toby

ps Rroodd, how did you get on with your TXT which you got at the same time as I got mine?

[backtomyroots]

Hey Mobias, how about something like these (Duratrax Evader ST Front Shocks):

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti00...=LXAMK1&P=7  [Y]

Duratrax has a good inexpensive selection (although I haven't shopped for other brands).

I just put 2 sets on my newest build here:

 

[mobias]

Hey nice looking truck. Thanks for the link I'll need to get myself a set of those shocks. At the moment I'm saving my RC budget for a decent ESC that can handle my 17 turn Venom motors. Is that what you've got in your truck? They look pretty similar from what I can see of them in your pic. Do you get a decent speed out of them?

Cheers

Toby

[backtomyroots]

thanks for the compliment toby.  It's my new built clodbuster "rage".  Yes it's running 2 x 17 turn venoms.  The esc is the LRP Quantum Pro Reverse ESC.  It was a little pricey and I think it's right near it's limits with these motors.  Oh, with a 7 cell batery they go very well and with a six cell battery it's still very quick !  (nothing like my HV Maxx Brushless txt-1 though).  I think yours will be for the txt-1 ?  I would go with a Novak Super Duty if you can.  Or any "no limit" esc such as Novak Super Rooster (although they are wired for one battery).  Although with the super duty it's meant for 2 battery packs/motors. 

I'm currently building a Thundertech "Ripper" TXT-1 Chassis and will be using a Novak SS5800 brushles system, so I might have to hijack a line in your topic here and post a pic when it's done [].

I got a fair deal on the esc at "rcboyz" on Ebay.

Here's the Super Duty Specs:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti00...LXJAC0&P=ML

Here's a pic of the esc I'm using for the twin 17 turns:

 

 

[mobias]

Hey thanks for the info. I'll probably go for the LRP option like you have. The two Novak's look amazing but are well out of my budget, although I like the two battery option with the super duty. I must admit I'm not a huge speed freak i just want a good balance of decent speed versus good crawling ability. Before I bought the TXT I read peoples revue's here and thought people were probably overly complaining about the TXT's stock speed but once I got it running I completely agreed with them, it is ponderously slow out of the box although for crawling its not bad, it'll roll over before it gives up.

I haven't locked the differential yet I'm a bit worried about loosing turning performance although if I start getting more into serious crawling I may tinker with it. I'm still tempted to get axle wideners, the TXT does seem to roll quite easily due to its high centre of gravity.

[mobias]

Ok I just went to my LHS and was about to part with quite a bit of cash for an ESC to run my two 17 turn Viper motors when he utterly confused me with some contradicting information. It seems there is a bit of a quagmire of information regarding running twin motors in any way.

I'd love to get people's opinions regarding these two options. Please note I'm on a limited budget and can't afford the £100+ ESC like the Super Rooster.

Option 1. Wire everything seperately. Buy two Mtronics RV 15's and a Y connector. Run a seperate battery for each ESC and motor. The guy from UK Modelsport recommended this set up. Longer battery run times and not to expensive, though has additional battery weight in truck. The RV 15's are also water proof which is a BIG plus.

Option 2. Buy a budget ESC and wire everything together. Though there seem to be conflicting opinions about how good 'budget' ESC are. Most seem to have experience of them blowing up. I was thinking about the Silverstar ESC which is only £50 but i've heard they may not handle two 17 turn motors wired in parallel. I suppose as with anything you get what you pay for but £130 or there abouts for a good ESC seems like a silly amount just to get your truck to go backwards and forwards.

Basically what are the benefits of wiring the motors in parallel versus wiring them seperately off two seperate ESC's and batteries.

Cheers folks

Toby

[Lemming]

I'm currently building a Thundertech "Ripper" TXT-1 Chassis and will be using a Novak SS5800 brushles system, so I might have to hijack a line in your topic here and post a pic when it's done [].

Someone else doing the SS5800 with TXT/Jugg axles.  It should be awesome if my Brushless Carbon Juggy is anything to go by.

Looking forward to the video!

[mr_pushrod]

Basically what are the benefits of wiring the motors in parallel versus wiring them seperately off two seperate ESC's and batteries.

Cheers folks

Toby

You wouldn't neccessarily need two batteries with two ESCs, in my Kyosho Heavy Metal I use a Y lead from a single battery to two ESCs. In the case of your truck you would then use a Y lead as you mentioned to allow you to plug both ESCs into the reciever, removing one red wire from one of the leads to prevent the reciever getting too much voltage.

[mobias]

Well I've bitten the bullet, or rather my bank balance has, and bought two Mtronics RV 15's. Got them in OK (god the TXT transmission is a nightmare to get apart) and got my 17 turn Vipers installed. Haven't had much of a chance to test other than along my hallway, there seems to be a bit of juddering in forwards gear but not reverse. I'll have to go through the ESC set up again.

With a two battery set up in the TXT the rear is obviously now really heavy. Does anybody know if this effects the handling drastically? I've heard of people reversing the body shell of the TXT so the rear becomes the front. I'll just need to experiment.

[mr_pushrod]

Could try one battery pack, if your cells are high capacity you'll still get decent runtime.

[DCLXVI]

The TXT are awesome, I would have looked for a pair of 550 motors though, like the Kyosho Magnetic Mayhem (may be somewhat hard to get hold of though)...Mtronic also has a line of truck ESC's (I'm using the Super E-Truck witch is good but overpowered), you don't need 14,4 volts for crawling, there's no point, nor is there any point using two battery packs...40 minutes on dual packs is still 20 minutes per pack, sure, you have to change less but that isn't really that much of a bother really...

Get a good servo (I'm using two Hitec 945MG and they are awesome) and throw anything that looks remotely like a servo saver in the bin, I have been crawling quite alot with locked diffs and aluminum horns w/o saver for quite awhile...

Also, I wouldn't recommend wideners, I'd recommend T-maxx adapters instead, gives you alot more tire options (the stock savage GT-1 tires seems great, so does the IMEX Super series)...