Really stupid things in RC

[Sayer 742]

The TA05 M-Four. Who was that for?

[TA-Mark 195]

- battery compartment not suited for hardcase lipo (wake up, this is 2013)

More annoying is the Li-Po packs that are made the right shape (for cars designed for Ni-MH) are 138mm long, and don't need to be to contain what is inside the hard case. Make 134mm long Li-Po round edge case packs!

- several kits still coming with plastic bushings (really, it's end of may 2013 in the real world)

Saves $10 on the price of a kit (or less as Tamiya would buy in massive bulk of 5x11 bearings).

- reverse after brake with no protection, only a short timeout (some brushed esc's)

Very much dislike these ESCs and avoid them. Sucks that this is the 'norm' in VRC Pro electric cars, and I hate it!

- stock 1600mah nimh batteries on 1:10 cars (really? like 10 minutes of runtime with no punch? ...after slow-charging for 14 hours?)

1400mAh-1800mAh Ni-Cd/Ni-MH are great packs for kids. The limited punch makes the car easier for a beginner to control, and the more simple battery care needed (especially with Ni-Cd) is better for the young'ns. As an example, my son left a Ni-Cd on the charger for 24hrs yesterday. It didn't damage the pack, or the charger. If it had have been a Li-Po he left on there it might not have ended so well.

Not sure where you get 14hr charges from? 1986? All my Ni-MH/Ni-Cd chargers take less than an hour to charge anything upto 3000mAh (some will do higher rate @ 5Amp). The 1800mAh Ni-Cd packs I have for my kids (4 packs each, 4 boys) take about 35min to charge. 4 packs each keep them running non-stop or until bored, which ever happens first. The packs were less than $10 each.

- steering servos with plastic gears (wanna bet how fast they strip?)

Can't say I've had much of a problem with this on the majority of my cars. I do A LOT of driving, and in years of use I have only one servo with stripped plastic gears, and it was the supplied HPI servo a 1/8 Savage, and that Savage has had 75ltrs of Nitro through it. Servo died when I clipped the huge puffy wheels on a hay bale. All my Futaba S3003 servos still work like the day they were purchased. These plastic gear, slow basic servos only get put in cars that have no more than mild motors though. High power cars need fast servos (digital, bearings, metal gears, high torque etc).

- analogue servos that do not work with some digital radios (remember that 2013 thingy? we all use 2.4ghz... or not?)

I get nil radio interference on AM radio where I live, again, perfect for the kids in their basic cars running 27 turn motors, plastic geared servos and Ni-Cd packs. Faster cars (brushless/nitro) or the 2-stroke cars (1/5th), where the magneto causes interference, get 2.4Ghz radios.

- metric vs imperial and teeth vs modulo pitches (thanks tamiya for not being stardard)

(feel free to add)

Tamiya are not the only manufacturer to use metric module pinion sizes. More so, the problem is the makers of aftermarket steel pinions don't offer a full range of true metric sizes. Of course this wouldn't be a problem if Tamiya stopped using butter to make their pinions from.

[Sayer 742]

Not sure where you get 14hr charges from? 1986? All my Ni-MH/Ni-Cd chargers take less than an hour to charge anything upto 3000mAh (some will do higher rate @ 5Amp). The 1800mAh Ni-Cd packs I have for my kids (4 packs each, 4 boys) take about 35min to charge. 4 packs each keep them running non-stop or until bored, which ever happens first. The packs were less than $10 each.

Granted, I don't have much experience with these any more, but perhaps he means with the basic "adapter plug" chargers that are supplied with the RTRs? Those ones usually work by plugging the battery in for a set time, and with no way of adjusting the amperage, it's usually not a short time.

Back in the day, charging a 9.6v Tyco pack took 4 hours with one of these, and that was the quick charger.

[GregM 1109]

Not sure where you get 14hr charges from? 1986? All my Ni-MH/Ni-Cd chargers take less than an hour to charge anything upto 3000mAh (some will do higher rate @ 5Amp).

I think the quoted time comes from the overnight NiMH-only chargers still supplied with today's ready-to-run vehicles.

EDIT: Sayer was some seconds faster

[TA-Mark 195]

Granted, I don't have much experience with these any more, but perhaps he means with the basic "adapter plug" chargers that are supplied with the RTRs? Those ones usually work by plugging the battery in for a set time, and with no way of adjusting the amperage, it's usually not a short time.

I got one like that with the HBX RTR TL01B clone I bought. I couldn't workout how it was a charger in anyway (nor would I use it as one). It was just a 7.5v transformer pack with a Tamiya molex plug on it. I cut the Tamiya plug off and used it as a transformer pack to power some PC case fans.

Anything less than Delta Peak, even though it may have a fixed output amperage, is not a suitable charger (bin it or find a better use for it).

[JeepnMike 150]

Granted, I don't have much experience with these any more, but perhaps he means with the basic "adapter plug" chargers that are supplied with the RTRs? Those ones usually work by plugging the battery in for a set time, and with no way of adjusting the amperage, it's usually not a short time.

Back in the day, charging a 9.6v Tyco pack took 4 hours with one of these, and that was the quick charger.

We were definitely more patient as kids then the kids nowadays huh? LOL. Charging those batteries overnight was pure toture!!

[kaiser 8]

The TA05 M-Four. Who was that for?

it would be for me if it took a proper 540 sized motor. what were they thinking making the motor mount fir only 380 sized motors?

[Sayer 742]

it would be for me if it took a proper 540 sized motor. what were they thinking making the motor mount fir only 380 sized motors?

To be honest, it would have been for me too if it took proper sized motors and also accepted a standard sized battery pack instead of the bizarre and largely unavailable LiFe pack.

[wolfdogstinkus 1893]

Me.

I finally cut the plug off my 3s lipo, I might take a pic tomorrow, it was puffed up like a pillow and had a massive dent in it.

My blitzer beetle is breathing a big SIGH of relief.

Disclaimer: I understand the dangers of lipo but ignore them because I am an idiot.

[wolfdogstinkus 1893]

Really stupid things in RC

Me

I fitted a 3s lipo and a 4300kv brushless to my blitzer and keep crashing it.

[danb1974 93]

Seems I have to elaborate a little.

Hardcase lipos are square not because somebody thought lets make them not fit nimh slots. If you tear apart your tipicall 2S lipo, you'll find 4 stacked softcase lipo cells in a 2S2P configuration. In order not to waste space the case has to be rectangular or very near. To emulate the look of a nimh you have to waste space (hence lower capacity). But to still sell new cars that do not fit lipo, that I don't find acceptable.

Now on rtr packs. On one hand we have toy makers (like carrera) and not-well-known rc manufacturers (like df racing) that come with lithium batteries (li-ion in case of carrera) and fast chargers. And they run for like half an hour. On the other hand we have brand names that come with those pathetic low capacity nimh that run for 10-15 minutes and slow chargers. So no excuse here.

Plastic gear steering servo? Ask traxxas 1/16 owners how fast you strip one in that offroad chassis (yup, offroad with plastic servo). You can break one in like 5 minutes. Also helped by the almost useless saver.

And please, if you want to stay on crystal radio because you are the only one in the neighbourhood with rc and like to poke your eyes out with that antenna, be my guest, but it is hardly the norm these days. You can get cheap 2.4ghz programmable systems from hk (like gt3c), so price is no excuse.

[GregM 1109]

Hardcase lipos are square not because somebody thought lets make them not fit nimh slots. If you tear apart your tipicall 2S lipo, you'll find 4 stacked softcase lipo cells in a 2S2P configuration. In order not to waste space the case has to be rectangular or very near. To emulate the look of a nimh you have to waste space (hence lower capacity). But to still sell new cars that do not fit lipo, that I don't find acceptable

Well, the issue with those stickpack sized LiPos is that they are advertised as being compatible with old NiMH/NiCd stickpack shaped battery compartments. Here comes reality: 90% of these LiPos "stickpacks" aren't compatible at all. They may fit shape-wise, but not length-wise, as the norm for the stickpack compartments is around 134mm max. length, while 90% of stickpack LiPos are 138mm long.

If you take one of those hardcase stickpack LiPos apart, you'll finde a lot of unused length-wise space inside. Most battery manufactures could make their LiPo stickpack cases shorter to make them true NiMH/NiCd compatible, but they just don't.

Only a few LiPo stickpacks are truely compatible, and most of them are hard to obtain as they are only sold in some local areas, but unfortunately not worldwide. This battery issue is the reason for frequent discussions on TC.

[bromvw 744]

ME - for ordering all the TL-01LA parts to do the front end conversion on a CC-01 and waiting weeks for them to arrive only to remember I have no 2mm e clips in my parts box - DOH . Yet another phone call to make and a order to place .

[kaiser 8]

To be honest, it would have been for me too if it took proper sized motors and also accepted a standard sized battery pack instead of the bizarre and largely unavailable LiFe pack.

I didn't even realized that it only took those silly life packs.

i do alot of mini (1/12) 4wd racing and this car looks ace, but the motor and now the battery issue will keep me away.

the abc genetic and atomic vII are excellent 1/12 4wd's, if you are looking for one.

[Sayer 742]

I didn't even realized that it only took those silly life packs.

i do alot of mini (1/12) 4wd racing and this car looks ace, but the motor and now the battery issue will keep me away.

the abc genetic and atomic vII are excellent 1/12 4wd's, if you are looking for one.

That's why I was confused by their choice to make the m-four the way they did. The only reason to release a race spec 4wd mini would be to compete with the ones already in the market (like the Cup Racer, Genetic etc) but why on earth would I buy the Tamiya version, if chief on the features list are battery availability issues and a reduction in motor size.

[Theibault 1535]

The fact that I can't buy a big tub of Tamiya's anaerobic gel thread lock. I love that stuff.

[Psylence 25]

The fact that I can't buy a big tub of Tamiya's anaerobic gel thread lock. I love that stuff.

Really? Good lord I depsise that stuff! It smells odd to me and no matter what, I seem to get it all over my hands no matter how careful I am! Seems like it never sets up, so god help you if you brush your hand across a screw head 2 weeks after application... RED STAIN!

Why, why WHY, TAMIYA?!

[Theibault 1535]

Really? Good lord I depsise that stuff! It smells odd to me and no matter what, I seem to get it all over my hands no matter how careful I am! Seems like it never sets up, so god help you if you brush your hand across a screw head 2 weeks after application... RED STAIN!

Why, why WHY, TAMIYA?!

Use JAndersons trick of applying with a zip tie. I like it because I can get exactly the amount I want versus runny threadlock. Never noticed the smell, I'll have to take a whiff next time I use it. As for setting, it's my experience that it needs 24hrs to cure. You may be just using too much?

[Psylence 25]

Use JAndersons trick of applying with a zip tie. I like it because I can get exactly the amount I want versus runny threadlock. Never noticed the smell, I'll have to take a whiff next time I use it. As for setting, it's my experience that it needs 24hrs to cure. You may be just using too much?

I use a toothpick to get it into holes or nuts. Occasionally, I'll just twirl the very last couple threads along the perimeter of the AG cup to get a tiny bit on. Definitely trying to follow the "less is more" principle with this stuff!

[beefmuffin 1156]

I use a toothpick to get it into holes or nuts.

TMI dude, TMI ! !

[MetBoy 22]

The TA05 M-Four. Who was that for?

I snapped one up, I was happy to find a 4WD chassis for my Suzuki Wagon R RR that did it justice.

Why go to the trouble of recreating the thing so nicely to stick it on a FWD chassis.

I don't know, if you are going to race against the same chassis or stick it on the shelf, what difference does the 380 make?

I guess it makes it harder to share gear amongst other cars, but really, is it that big a deal?

Apart from the truly scary price! Needless to say, I did not pay the $632 MSRP (what is it with that price, surely they could round it down, or up!).

Cristian..

[Sayer 742]

I snapped one up, I was happy to find a 4WD chassis for my Suzuki Wagon R RR that did it justice.

Why go to the trouble of recreating the thing so nicely to stick it on a FWD chassis.

I don't know, if you are going to race against the same chassis or stick it on the shelf, what difference does the 380 make?

I guess it makes it harder to share gear amongst other cars, but really, is it that big a deal?

Apart from the truly scary price! Needless to say, I did not pay the $632 MSRP (what is it with that price, surely they could round it down, or up!).

Cristian..

That's kind of my point actually.

The option to race awd mini scale cars against each other already existed - with cars you could outfit from your spares.

If I was going to stick it on the shelf, then the chassis underneath hardly matters - so no incentive to buy the m-four there either.

If I was looking for an awd chassis to make a vehicle drivetrain accurate, why wouldn't I just get one of the other ones (they were largely compatible Tamiya bodies anyway) They were cheaper and didn't require me to go on a wild goose chase for a battery and possibly a new charger.

[MetBoy 22]

If I was looking for an awd chassis to make a vehicle drivetrain accurate, why wouldn't I just get one of the other ones (they were largely compatible Tamiya bodies anyway) They were cheaper and didn't require me to go on a wild goose chase for a battery and possibly a new charger.

You are of course absolutely right, and I do agree with you, but the M-Four is a just such a cool looking chassis, I could not help myself!

You don't even see it under the body for crying out loud!

C..

[wolfdogstinkus 1893]

Me.

I finally cut the plug off my 3s lipo, I might take a pic tomorrow, it was puffed up like a pillow and had a massive dent in it.

My blitzer beetle is breathing a big SIGH of relief.

Disclaimer: I understand the dangers of lipo but ignore them because I am an idiot.

Here is the photo evidence, Is this the worst lipo you have seen?

I have a new 3s on the way from hobbyking, my blitzer beetle is quivering on the shelf.

[MadInventor 3884]

Here is the photo evidence, Is this the worst lipo you have seen?

I have a new 3s on the way from hobbyking, my blitzer beetle is quivering on the shelf.

I bit the bullet and bought a 3S for my gravel hound this year. Best cash I ever spent on RC. Gravel hound is so fast on 3S geared up with a TT-01 spur gear that it's scary to drive, and I found as a bonus that the 3S also fits very nice in my basher Jugg2, which can now do standing start backflips on 2 silvercans. All cars in the future should be able to accept 3S.