My Slash

[SHAUN]

Heres my 1:10 Slash.

Chassis
RPM Front A-arms
RPM Rear A-arms
RPM Caster Blocks
RPM Front Knuckles
RPM Rear Hubs
RPM Front Skid Plate
RPM Rear Skid Plate
RPM Gear Cover
RPM Rear Bumper Mount
Slayer Rear Tires(Thinner inner sidewall so they don't balloon as much)
RPM Valving in Shocks
Big Bore Aluminum Shock Caps

Electronics
Vellineon Brushless System
Traxxas TQ3(hopefully getting a DX3S soon)
Traxxas 2075 Water Proof High Torque Servo
SMC 24C 5200mAh 2 Cell LiPo

[PimpFloyd]

Hi Shaun,

What's your average run-time with the BL 2S LiPo combo?

Thanks!

PF

[SHAUN]

Hi Shaun,

What's your average run-time with the BL 2S LiPo combo?

Thanks!

PF

Normally around 50-60 minutes, if I'm on the throttle alot, I can get more if I don't drive it as hard.

[sidewinder]

Hey Shaun, hows the power with the 7.4V battery? I was thinking of saving the money for now and going with the 2S and then upgrading to the 3S latter. But I suppose if I do that I might as well just use my NiHM's.

[SHAUN]

Hey Shaun, hows the power with the 7.4V battery? I was thinking of saving the money for now and going with the 2S and then upgrading to the 3S latter. But I suppose if I do that I might as well just use my NiHM's.

The LiPo in this thing is wicked. Its really quick. The SMC 2 Cell 24C 5200mAh, can be bought for around $84, on the net or in any hobby shop.

[crazydave]

Hey Shaun, hows the power with the 7.4V battery? I was thinking of saving the money for now and going with the 2S and then upgrading to the 3S latter. But I suppose if I do that I might as well just use my NiHM's.

Yep, I do not find the performance gain of a 7.4v Lipo significant enough to rationalize the extra expensive, and potential danger. Furthermore, you could go with a 7-8 cell pack and still pay less than the Lipo. Just my 2 cents. I'm obviously not a huge fan of Lipos.

Hey Shaun, did you shorten those battery wires? That looks way too tight to me, that's how you get problems with broken wires, etc. later on down the road.

[SHAUN]

Hey Shaun, hows the power with the 7.4V battery? I was thinking of saving the money for now and going with the 2S and then upgrading to the 3S latter. But I suppose if I do that I might as well just use my NiHM's.

Yep, I do not find the performance gain of a 7.4v Lipo significant enough to rationalize the extra expensive, and potential danger. Furthermore, you could go with a 7-8 cell pack and still pay less than the Lipo. Just my 2 cents. I'm obviously not a huge fan of Lipos.

Hey Shaun, did you shorten those battery wires? That looks way too tight to me, that's how you get problems with broken wires, etc. later on down the road.

I didn't shorten them, it looks like it front the photos, but it has plenty of slack.


With the LiPo you get alot more than just voltage.

No drop off
High discharge(which means more punch, and more speed)
High mAh

They aren't anymore dangerous than NIMH, I have seen NIMH cells blow the caps off when under stress. A Hard case lipo is the safest battery out there. Just MHO.

[PimpFloyd]

At some point, maybe sooner more than later, I would like to install a BL motor in my Bandit. Should I run with the Traxxas BL motor and controller or an after market? I think a Traxxas package is around 100 bucks but I may be wrong on that figure.

Thanks

PF

[SHAUN]

At some point, maybe sooner more than later, I would like to install a BL motor in my Bandit. Should I run with the Traxxas BL motor and controller or an after market? I think a Traxxas package is around 100 bucks but I may be wrong on that figure.

Thanks

PF

Traxxas Vellieneon system is $159.99, it is one of the best brushless systems out there. The only other option I would consider is a Novak Havoc system, and they ranger from $145 to $170. Brushless is definitely worth the money, there's so many advantages compared to brushed it isn't even funny. And in the long run its way cheaper than brushed.

[PimpFloyd]

Thanks for all the info, Shaun!

A "must" on the upgrade list

PF

[crazydave]

Hey Shaun, hows the power with the 7.4V battery? I was thinking of saving the money for now and going with the 2S and then upgrading to the 3S latter. But I suppose if I do that I might as well just use my NiHM's.

Yep, I do not find the performance gain of a 7.4v Lipo significant enough to rationalize the extra expensive, and potential danger. Furthermore, you could go with a 7-8 cell pack and still pay less than the Lipo. Just my 2 cents. I'm obviously not a huge fan of Lipos.

Hey Shaun, did you shorten those battery wires? That looks way too tight to me, that's how you get problems with broken wires, etc. later on down the road.

I didn't shorten them, it looks like it front the photos, but it has plenty of slack.


With the LiPo you get alot more than just voltage.

No drop off
High discharge(which means more punch, and more speed)
High mAh

They aren't anymore dangerous than NIMH, I have seen NIMH cells blow the caps off when under stress. A Hard case lipo is the safest battery out there. Just MHO.

I wasn't saying voltage was the only advantage, though I can see how it could be interpreted that way.

Bottom line, I've run Lipos and NiCd, and I don't see a $50 performance difference. You got the money, fine, then go for it, but I happen to know Sidewinder has been shopping for something on a budget, and I'm trying to help him make the choice that will make him feel like he got his moneys worth. Beside the battery itself costing an extra $50, good luck finding an adequate charger for under $100. When you can just spend an extra $10 on a 7 cell pack, which knowing Sidewinder, I believe that will get him the performance he's looking for.

And if they're just as safe as NiMH then why do they sell the Lipo sacks? I've come to realize that if treated properly they can be totally safe, or they wouldn't sell them, but I am still nervous about their sensitivity to heat. I live in a place where the out side temperature can exceed 120 degrees. What if say like my air conditioning goes out while I'm at work? Yes Lipos can be safe, but safer than NiMH much less the safest? That is a flat out falsification. The chemical compound by its very nature is just not as stable.


I'm not trying to bad mouth Lipos here, that was never my intent, and I'm not trying to get into it with you, just because you're Shaun. The problem I had with in the beginning, and the problem I'm having now, is that you always got to get the best of the best, and you have all these awesome toys. That's great and all, but you assume that's the way it is, and that's not the way it is for everyone. If sidewinder was talking about how he's got all this money to blow, then I would have never said anything, but this guy has been bouncing back and forth trying to decide what to get within his budget, and I'm just trying to tell him, don't fret it, get the cheaper battery, you'll have lots of fun, while you're saving for the more expensive battery. Dig?

EDIT:In retrospect i think I sounded harsh. Sorry I just got off work when I posted. I try not to do that. It just kind of frustrates me when you've been having an ongoing discussion with a regular, and someone that hasn't been around in a while pops up like, "I have all the answers." Don't mean to be an ass, I just am.

[sidewinder]

No Dave, your right about the money, I've even been thinking about getting a 9-5 job again...which kind of shows how good my timing is. Actually I am thinking of starting an actual graphics service, I've been doing some freelance stuff and I've managed to get enough attention that I've just been invited to be a moderator on an international photo-manipulation board (the first new mod in a couple of years)...ok, it pays as well as being a mod here does but it has the potential to open some doors and lets me pimp my services to a true international audience. The problem is when I set up the graphics site I'll have to figure out a way to set reasonable prices and figure out how to do a google bomb.

That and I'm looking for new markets for my writing and some of my artwork...I even had an idea that I was thinking of pitching to a couple of RC publications. But I'll have to do a bunch of research first (don't worry Dave, I'm not asking for help...I always hated that when people did that with ODTR Weekly).
.
I appreciate Shaun's advice, he probably remembers a short time ago when I didn't worry too much about money, but times have changed.

[SHAUN]

I'm just giving my opinion here. I have installed several of these Vellinion systems in cars and trucks, and they are all slow on NIMH and NICD packs.

Dave, I have not always had the best, I always want to get into RC when I was younger but, never had the money and neither did my parents. Now I have two jobs and work around 60 hours a week, I have a hell of alot of money for any 16 year old, and I enjoy all my expensive toys, and I don't have a problem showing them off, considering I work my ass off for them.

His plan was to get a 3S lipo, any decent 3S lipo with the discharge and the mAh he will need is going to be around $170-$200 Thats why I proposed the SMC 2S 24C 5200mAh. It pushed my slash to 53mph, and its scary fast, the thing is really 1/8 scale. The SMC pack is $84.99. The lipo will be cheaper in the long run because the packs never wear out, you can only get so many cycles out of a NIMH or NICD pack, hard core racers before LiPos became popular used to only run a NICD pack once, then toss it.


This is all MHO, and you have your opinion, that's the great thing about the 'net we all got opinions!

[sidewinder]

I was looking at the Zippy Lipos, apparently they use decent cells but the internal soldering kind of sucks, but that shouldn't be too hard to fix...unless I short things out and vaporize it in my face...which evidently can happen if you're not careful.

[SHAUN]

That might hurt.

From what I have heard the soldering has been fixed.

If you were talking about the tabs on the 4000mAh car packs. A few months ago there soldering went to crap, but it has gotten alot better now. I personally have never had a problem with any of my Zippy packs.