Please Update Me

[Merlin1886]

Hi All,

Seeking information on modern equipment for RC cars. I raced cars 15 years ago and i am a little rusty on what is current in terms of Tx, motors and cells.

I moved from cars to aircraft and now fly electric models, I have just ordered a Hotshot for my son as it was my first real car that I enjoyed so much.

Back in the day I used SAFT NiCad 7.2 with a Futaba ESC and a 27mhz Tx.

I am now starting from fresh again.

Is 27mhz still the norm?

Are we now on Li-poly?

Has a brushess can replaced the old 540?

Any information will be greatfuly accepted, links to good shops would be a great help.

Many Thanks,

Chris.

[markbt73]

Well, at the entry level, not much has changed, really...

27 mhz is still in use. The Hotshot will come with a silver-can brushed 540, just like you remember, but it now comes with an ESC included with the kit. If you use these items with a Ni-MH battery, you'll get nice long run times without the hassle of caring for Li-Po batteries.

You can go brushless, but you'll have to buy a new speed controller. Probably not worth it to begin with.

Oh, and they still don't come with ball bearings, and you still need them.

Welcome back!

[Merlin1886]

Many Thanks,

Ok I think i will go down the Li-Poly route as i have lots of cells for my aircraft, recall the weight of the Ni-Cad's and the isses i had with breaking wish bones and bumpers. Thinking is, if i reduce the weight, there will be less reasons for me keeping a stock of parts.

What is the rule on the motor types, ESC etc where do i need to look?

[Rambo John J]

Li-po batteries are mainly used with brushless systems at the mo, not too sure how they perform with brushed,

Motors and esc's need to be matched to a certain degree, esc has to be classed at less turns than the motor (you probably already know this) many motors can be found on ebay including tamiyas own motors and other variants of 540 cans (motors), stock (in the box motor) will be a 27 turn J Motor, Lesss turns = more speed, have seen motors as little as 7 turn, real fast but drain battery real quick!

As your only just getting into it again id recoment a tamiya RZ motor with a 21 turn esc, Make sure u ball race the car as plastic bearings will melt!!!!

Happy driving! Im sure ur son will love it!

[Mad Ax]

As you probably know from your aircraft, the higher current the motor draws, the higher spec your ESC neds to be to cope with the draw. As you may not know, 1:10 car motors and ESCs these days are not rated with amperage limits, but are simplified with the number of turns in the can. To run a 27T motor, you need an ESC that can handle 27T or less. To run a 15T motor, you need a 15T or lower speedo. As has already been said, it's usually a good idea to have a bit of leeway, although on 27T motors this isn't a necessity.

The 540 is still the standard size for car motors. Some bigger trucks come with twin 550s and can handle 16.8volts, but they won't fit in all 1:10 cars. In most cases, lower turn modified motors give the best performance. Brushless setups are gradually becoming more affordable and will probably replace the brushed motor one day, but for now they are still a luxury and not a necessity; even in racing circles, the brushed motor fares well against its brushless rivals.

NiMH are now the battery of choice for most car owners. 7.2v stick or side-by-side packs are easily available; stick packs fit all the current range of Tamiya 1:10 RCs, side-by-sides are required for some race chassis. The old plastic 6v and hump-pack 7.2v packs went out with the arc but some people still make custom saddle-packs for certain applications. 8.4v packs are doubled-up for some big 16.8v trucks, but nobody really uses them in regular 1:10 cars these days - better performance can usually be had by fitting a faster motor rather than forcing higher voltage through your existing one.

If you are going to use your LiPo batteries with a brushed motor setup, check that the pack voltage doesn't exceed the maximum of the ESC or the motor. I know some LiPos designed for aircraft push out around 10v, which is too much for the standard silvercan and Tamiya's basic included speedo. Also check that your LiPos will actually fit into the battery slot in buggies like the Hotshot. Note: the battery ends are exposed to gravel flicked up off the wheels and can get bashed. Check that you're happy for your expensive aircraft LiPos to get smashed about before committing

I hope that is useful or rings a few bells

[Wireless]

Welcome back to the hobby...! What I would add is that although r/c has moved on through the years, the new Hotshot is only as capable as the 1983 (or whatever) original. Personally, I wouldn't bother with brushless or Lipo in there. Get a couple of really cheap NiMHs (you can get a pair off eBay for 30 or less) and have fun. Drop a nice torquey Super Stock RZ motor in there and have fun...!

[Merlin1886]

Many Thanks for all of your comments.

Ok on reflection i may stay with the 7.2v NIMH packs, as yet my son is not going to racing just playing. Most of the Li-po pack i have are 7.4v which would be ok i feel. I understand about the discharge rates and most of the lipo's i have are 15c which would be fine also. I just dont like the thought of my son filling them with water!!.

What is the ESC controller config now, mine had a break then into reverse. I could set the breaking period and reverse on Pots. I always remember from a point of just messing around, the old servo mount controller was better because it went from forward to reverse as fast as the servo would move!! (I was a kid!!) Do they have a reverse and are they adjustable in any way?

Also have an MG Yellow spot if that means anything?

Where is the best place to look for motors and cells and also for the ball race's? (do i need them for gearbox's and hubs?)

Many Thanks for your input.

[Origineelreclamebord]

Well, it seems like brushless motors are an option... They got cheaper last year I think... The brushless(+esc) comparable to my esc and 17 (or 19 turn) motor I bought 3-4 years ago costs the same now as my esc and motor cost me 3-4 years ago... But maybe that is because I haven't looke that the prices of brushless in the netherlands yet, only from a flyer from carson...

And I am not sure you could use a Li-Po efficiently right now, but I am convinced Li-po will become more used in rc cars in the coming couple of years... like it has too in the rc flight world (At least, that is what the people at the local rc flying club told me.. replace my ni-cd I got with my RTF easystar for li-po)...

[Merlin1886]

And I am not sure you could use a Li-Po efficiently right now, but I am convinced Li-po will become more used in rc cars in the coming couple of years... like it has too in the rc flight world (At least, that is what the people at the local rc flying club told me.. replace my ni-cd I got with my RTF easystar for li-po)...

Li po are a fantastic move from ni-mh and ni-cd due to there endless power output (they dont drop off until the death) also power to weight is fantastic. Just have to take care of them, the dont react will to the damp and they have to be kept above 2.7v per cell or they are only fit for the bin. This means ESC with auto cell detection and cut off mode. You also need to spend some money on good chargers as the charge rate is critical. I think this is right for all cells but the charge rate is the same as the capacity. A 2000 mah cell can be charged at a 2 amp rate so any size cell should take an hour to charge. Also on occastions, each cell should be equilised by charging each cell on its own, they run at 3.7 volts each. Saying all that, i have not managed to burn the house down yet or even destroy a pack so they are not all that bad.

[markbt73]

The ESC that comes with the Hotshot kit is much easier to set up than the old pot-type. It has one button; takes about five seconds to set. It has a "double-click" reverse function: 1st push is all brakes, then if you go back to neutral and push again, you get reverse. If you do it fast enough, you can get reverse while the car is still moving forward.

[Singapore_959]

And I am not sure you could use a Li-Po efficiently right now, but I am convinced Li-po will become more used in rc cars in the coming couple of years... like it has too in the rc flight world (At least, that is what the people at the local rc flying club told me.. replace my ni-cd I got with my RTF easystar for li-po)...

Li po are a fantastic move from ni-mh and ni-cd due to there endless power output (they dont drop off until the death) also power to weight is fantastic. Just have to take care of them, the dont react will to the damp and they have to be kept above 2.7v per cell or they are only fit for the bin. This means ESC with auto cell detection and cut off mode. You also need to spend some money on good chargers as the charge rate is critical. I think this is right for all cells but the charge rate is the same as the capacity. A 2000 mah cell can be charged at a 2 amp rate so any size cell should take an hour to charge. Also on occastions, each cell should be equilised by charging each cell on its own, they run at 3.7 volts each. Saying all that, i have not managed to burn the house down yet or even destroy a pack so they are not all that bad.

You can buy lipos in hard cases now (google Team Orion) or you could simply diy hardcase some existing ones you have. That is an option. But as others have said, I'd recommend some 3300mah nimh cells. You can quick charge these for your son at 4amp when he wants lots of goes. Your lipo chargers may (probably actually) also charge nimh so no additional charger required for you.

More popular radios tend to be 40AM these days, more expensive ones FM. Futaba and KO are still the main ones.

The Tamiya Sport tuned motor is cheaper than the RZ and BZ motors and has a closed endbell like the std silver 540, so is less maintenance, and not as rockship fast. I'd think that would be a more suitable upgrade for your son in the first instance. A dull metalic brown coloured can fyi.

Novak, LRP, KO, and a host of other big names make reliable escs. Motronics is another one that seems to be good (but is UK only so I cannot comment with personal experience). But the std one that comes with the hotshot kit is fine. It doesn't like moisture tho. Simple to use, plug in a go!

If you order bearings, I'd suggest asking for rubber shielded ones as you will be using the car outside. Metal shielded ones are great, but will require cleaning from time to time.

Hope your son enjoys it and it gives him a great hobby for life, his wallet will probably not thank you tho when he turns 30 and rediscovers it like most of us on here LOL