gETTING BACK INTO HOBBY QUESTIONS

[LUKEWMC]

hey guys! after a ten year break, i am finally getting back into rc. i am starting with a few used HPI RS4 rally cars i got off ebay as i can use them for touring car racing as well as some dirt oval and stuff at local tracks. bottom line is i want to have fun. There are so many battery, speed control and motors out there that i don't know where to start. What would be the best set up for fast and long run times? how are the brushless systems? how does the number of turns on a motor such as 10-turn relate to speed and runtime. I am completley overwhelmed by all the stuff availible today. Any suggestions or directions to threads would be greatly appreciated. What are the best brands of motors and speed controls in general?! I am having trouble deciphering the info i got from doing searches as to what really works and what doesn't! Thanks in advance for your help! I appreciate it.

[Mini-TBasher55]

Ok, I'm going to do a quick over view of some basics. I won't go into any depth, but this should help:

Yes, there are tons of batteries out there. The higher the mah, the better! The mah is the capacity, and the higher the capacity, the longer the run time. You'll want to pick up a few battery packs (most likely 6-cell sub-c). I don't know what your price range is, but right now, you can get some nice 6-Cell 3500 packs with Deans connectors installed. Do you remember Tamiya connectors? Deans have much less resistance and are now taking over, especially for high power applications. Check out CheapBatteryPacks.com (http://www.cheapbatterypacks.com). You can have them build nice packs.


Motors! Motors have changed a lot in the last ten years. A 10 turn will go VERY fast, but run times will not reach 10 minutes on a good pack, unless its a LiPo (Craps, care to explain?). I would suggest a 15 turn for most applications. It will give you speed (30+) and decent run time and acceleration. Thats another thing! The lower the turn, faster with less acceleration and run time. Lower turns require more matinence. The oppisite goes for higher turn. A 19 turn or 27 turn can be really nice for bashing, low matinence, and decent 20mph speed.

Brushless motors are the future. They require NO matinence! No comms to cut and no brushes to replace. They come in different ways. Check out the Mamba Max, Novak systems, and AE systems. They give a mix of insane speed and decent run time. A full system (ESC and Motor) will go for between $175-$250. Yes, they're expensive, but consider it an investment.

[Cain]

Welcome back!

I am assuming you are going to start up into sedans, and I would say for the fast and low maintenance setup, go with a brushless unit. That is the way things are heading right now, and not having to deal with brushes, comm lathes, etc is the way to go.

Best price for a brushless setup is the mamba max units. Alittle bigger, but very tunable and only $180 shipped from bpp.

As for battery packs, we went from Sanyo to GP and now Intellect cells, 4200mah, I think back 10 years ago 1700s were the thing? Also, there are lipo batteries now being used, up to 8000mah I have heard for stadium trucks getting 20 minute mains! Running with the nitro guys. i would say however start with standard NIMH batteries as lipos are still not legal for ROAR races and alot of classes. THough this can be track dependent.

As for radio gear, go with anything that is 2.4 GHZ. no more messing around with crystals. Just turn it on and go. You are guarenteed your frequency. Spektrum units are nice, and Futaba and airtronics have there own versions, also nomadio. I like the specktrums personally.