Review: iWaver mini-z

Only topics reviewing or comparing tools, toys, etc. as well as resources such as parts lists, etc.
Post Reply
Son_Gokou
bitNinja
Posts: 587
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 2:30 pm

Post by Son_Gokou »

ph2t wrote:
Son_Gokou wrote:Update- I decided to modify the Escalation motor as well... there were 50 turns per pole, reduced that to 45 as well too. Sessiz, the Pn Racing Speedy motor has 45 turns, a ball bearing can, and some other shit...I rewound the Escalation motor, and the thing is pretty cool now....Also, when I opened it up, the brushes were nice, curved, and sharp....The breaking-in really worked! :smile: I reduced the winds, but I think I added too much solder to the terminals where the wires are supposed to be soldered. This probably got in the way of the endbell....

When I popped in the motor, it was actually slow as shit....And when I went in reverse....slower. :-( DOH!

I think that perhaps the Iwaver's Z stock FETs can't handle the 45 turn....
Charlie, buy the Tamiya min-4wd motors from rcmart.com:

http://www.rcmart.com/catalog/default.p ... 21_293_190

These motors have great armatures and also excellent magnets that are stronger than most magnets but not insansely strong like neo-magnets.
The plasma dash armature is the BEST ARMATURE stock. It is 25(27?) turns so you will need a turbo or fet upgrade. The other motors listed in the link are mean't to be shit hot as well...

ph2t.
Oops, skipped that post... :(

Anyways, if I do buy them, how many IRF7389's will I need per one stack?
Or, how do I install/make the "Woah Nelly" turbo?

Also, the reason that the motor wasn't working= a ripped armature from an adjustable metal holder on the tool room desk....DOH!
User avatar
Bird
bitPimp
Posts: 1303
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2004 2:22 am
Location: waste mifflin, pa

Post by Bird »

First of all, Goku.... thanks for posting the pics of the electronics... I don't have my own cam, and 219 doesn't always bring his when he comes up my crib... maybe this will help ph2t figure out if the Nelly will be usable by us iWaver owners....

Second... and please don't take offense to this... but, don't your parents get pissed that you spend all of your dough on cars only to get them and like 4 days later mess up the motors experimenting with re-winding them and stuff? Just curious...
ph2t
bitPimp
Posts: 1979
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 6:33 am
Location: taco city

Post by ph2t »

Bird wrote:First of all, Goku.... thanks for posting the pics of the electronics... I don't have my own cam, and 219 doesn't always bring his when he comes up my crib... maybe this will help ph2t figure out if the Nelly will be usable by us iWaver owners....
The codes on the MOSFETs are cryptic at best...... Gonna have to investigate futher...... after i fend off the rabid koalas :eek:

ph2t.

sorry dude i was already in edit mode fixin your quote.
User avatar
hogjowlz
bitPimp
Posts: 5014
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 4:05 pm
Location: uranus

Post by hogjowlz »

ok i just was at bird's crib and damn i like that i-waver. the snobs are right about the 512 clicks compared to 16. it coasts way better than the xmods to. for the price it totally kicks ass.
Image
User avatar
Bird
bitPimp
Posts: 1303
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2004 2:22 am
Location: waste mifflin, pa

Post by Bird »

haha now hog wants one, too!

I just got done posting in the thread on mzr for the first time... 219 jumped in it last night and they edited his stuff, so I was very nice about saying what I had to say... I can't wait to see what those guys have to say to me... I was nice for a reason. When they try to jump down my throat(which I'm sure they will), then it will be on. I will unleash the fury of a pimp who is tired of windbag suckas knocking shit that they don't even own, and probly get banned from their shit lol.(I will still be nice about shit... I love to kill people with kindness)

Almost a month old, and still lovin' my "cheap clone". Damn, I was SURE(lol) that it would have fallen apart by now(that was sarcasm).
sessiz
bitPimp
Posts: 4663
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 5:16 pm
Location: Upstate NY

Post by sessiz »

Go get em bird. :-)
MASTER of the Harmless CHAOS!!!1!
User avatar
hogjowlz
bitPimp
Posts: 5014
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 4:05 pm
Location: uranus

Post by hogjowlz »

its a little bit simpler than the xmod which is a good thing. it just feels more solid.
Image
sessiz
bitPimp
Posts: 4663
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 5:16 pm
Location: Upstate NY

Post by sessiz »

hogjowlz wrote:its a little bit simpler than the xmod which is a good thing. it just feels more solid.
I'm just the opposite, I think the xmod feels more solid.
MASTER of the Harmless CHAOS!!!1!
User avatar
Bird
bitPimp
Posts: 1303
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2004 2:22 am
Location: waste mifflin, pa

Post by Bird »

I like 'em both. I'm sure that when I get my range issues worked out on my x-mod, I'll be satisfied with it. But, I really am looking forward to hopping up this iWaver... it is fast and fun now, pretty much stock, other than the escalation motor and 2 bearings on the back axle in the pod.

sessiz, I remember you saying that you'd like to get some better h-plates if the price would allow... I've seen 3 packs of the carbon fiber GPM ones on dinball pretty cheap, like 9-10 bucks for the 3 different thicknesses. Thats the route I intend to go... the inexpensive stuff, ie TopCad ball diff and alloy wheels, etc... most of that stuff is really nice, and affordable.

Last night I started messing with some of the model car bodies I have... and the AMT '64 Impala will work, if I make a really long h-plate. It is just wide enough that the wheels tuck and let it sit waaaaay slammed, but still turn full lock without rubbing. I have a decent collection of unbuilt OG Impala kits (2 '63s, 2 '64s, and a '67 fastback) that should all work with the same length custom h-plate. The '64 that I was experimenting with last night used to be a hardtop, but I convertiblized it a few years back, very cleanly, and will probly be the first I try, unless the Dodge concept car(already built & painted snap together) that I'm swiping the brake discs from for my x-mod will be easier to adapt.
sessiz
bitPimp
Posts: 4663
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 5:16 pm
Location: Upstate NY

Post by sessiz »

I've never ordered from dinball before, guess there's always a first time. I still want another iwaver for a swap though. First things first, I gotta setup my track. Which means clearing the attic, sweeping and a bunch of other crap I'm too lazy to do. :-)
MASTER of the Harmless CHAOS!!!1!
Son_Gokou
bitNinja
Posts: 587
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 2:30 pm

Post by Son_Gokou »

Bird wrote:First of all, Goku.... thanks for posting the pics of the electronics... I don't have my own cam, and 219 doesn't always bring his when he comes up my crib... maybe this will help ph2t figure out if the Nelly will be usable by us iWaver owners....

Second... and please don't take offense to this... but, don't your parents get pissed that you spend all of your dough on cars only to get them and like 4 days later mess up the motors experimenting with re-winding them and stuff? Just curious...
#1: You're welcome Bird, I owed you one. :-)
#2: Offensive? NAH....And yes they get pissed....I need a job! :x

So today, I was desperate for a good 130 motor. My 2 motors (stock Iwaver Miniz and Escalation for the Iwaver) had bent/cracked armature poles, and I'd gotten a spinbrush toothbrush for the motor....$8.50 down the drain, the armature leg was too short for the pinion to reach the differential gear. So, I got desperate and busted open my mini fan (there goes a souvineir from my vacation to Florida! :( ) and wound that motor down from 95 turns to 45. I saw some white plastic flaps, on the bottom and top of each pole on the armature. I ripped em off, not realizing what a mistake that would be. I threw the motor in my mini-Z....within seconds, the board smoked. The FETs were ok....And I looked in my Spinbrush armature, and that motor had the plastic flaps.

My guess is that removing those flaps must have caused some kind of short in the motor....I guess the wire isn't enameled. Oh well, I think I'm gonna buy this little jewel right here...

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?c ... =273%2D258
sg219
bitPimp
Posts: 4244
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2004 1:00 pm
Location: Kennywood, PA
Contact:

Post by sg219 »

@ Bird--They locked that thread down!!! All because of someone can't take a different model of car on the market and someone stickin' up for it!!

Did anyone read it before it was edited? Just curious. I had some good stuff in there.
User avatar
Bird
bitPimp
Posts: 1303
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2004 2:22 am
Location: waste mifflin, pa

Post by Bird »

No, I missed it... tell me later I guess. Theres a "clone faq" thread now... I'm going at it in there, now... Those dudes don't wanna hear it though. Whatever.... I dig my iWaver, and nothing they say is gonna change that.

Goku... bummer. Maybe you should get a decent motor and just leave it go? You seem to be having bad luck with these experiments.
Son_Gokou
bitNinja
Posts: 587
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 2:30 pm

Post by Son_Gokou »

Bird wrote:No, I missed it... tell me later I guess. Theres a "clone faq" thread now... I'm going at it in there, now... Those dudes don't wanna hear it though. Whatever.... I dig my iWaver, and nothing they say is gonna change that.

Goku... bummer. Maybe you should get a decent motor and just leave it go? You seem to be having bad luck with these experiments.
Yeah....the thing is, with that motor from RS, I can't wind it down because of the fucking brass pinion... Didn't think. Gonna do some more searching...
User avatar
Bird
bitPimp
Posts: 1303
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2004 2:22 am
Location: waste mifflin, pa

Post by Bird »

Goku, did they kill your iWaver thread over there? I can't find it anymore... Anyways, they killed the other one, and started this one:

http://www.minizracer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13376

So, as it stands right now, I have 4 posts on mzr, maybe 5, dunno, and they really don't want to hear it. It really is a shame, though, the iWaver is a nice little ride, and a lot of those dudes would probly find it handy to have around to get other people interested in what they are into without having to risk inexperienced drivers wrecking their expensive Kyoshos.

Oh well, whatever, I feel as if I am wasting my time over there, so I will probly let it go. I know that the iWaver is a good enough car for me, and in the end, that's all that really matters.
Post Reply