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Is electric 1/10th scale off road dead?

Is electric 1/10th scale off road dead?

Old 10-01-2006, 01:58 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by Jack Smash
Our club runs 5 minute quals and mains for electric and 5 minute quals and have now switched from 10 minute mains to 7 min mains in nitro due to how long the day was taking to get done.
That's what people forget.I enjoy racing but 12 hour race day's become like work and not as much fun.(my 2 cents)
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Old 10-02-2006, 08:08 PM
  #47  
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I love the "Electric vs Nitro" debate!

Electric always wins....

Glow ignitor, BATTERY powered(plus it's own special CHARGER)
(Usually a second for back up!)

Starter Box, BATTERY powered(Charger required, special one if a 12 volt is used)

Receiver, BATTERY powered(Electric racing charger is usually used)

Transmitter, BATTERY powered(same as electric, but still one more BATTERY!)

Temp Gun, BATTERY powered(Radio shack for watch batteries)

You can't even start the car you drive to the track in without a BATTERY!!!




Let's see, 6 batteries and 3 chargers needed for gas.

3 batteries and 1 charger needed for electric.
(Including transportation to the track, LOL)

LOL, fun argument anyway though.

...Jim
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Old 10-02-2006, 08:21 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by W.E.D.Jim
I love the "Electric vs Nitro" debate!

Electric always wins....

Glow ignitor, BATTERY powered(plus it's own special CHARGER)
(Usually a second for back up!)

Starter Box, BATTERY powered(Charger required, special one if a 12 volt is used)

Receiver, BATTERY powered(Electric racing charger is usually used)

Transmitter, BATTERY powered(same as electric, but still one more BATTERY!)

Temp Gun, BATTERY powered(Radio shack for watch batteries)

You can't even start the car you drive to the track in without a BATTERY!!!




Let's see, 6 batteries and 3 chargers needed for gas.

3 batteries and 1 charger needed for electric.
(Including transportation to the track, LOL)

LOL, fun argument anyway though.

...Jim
LOL....

Going club racing each week....50-100 bucks

Buying a gallon of fuel every couple of weeks.....30-35 bucks

Having people in your class to race with (usually nitro now)....priceless...

Having some place to race electric indoors in the winter....Sanity.....and you can't put a price on that!!!

And so it goes....lol.
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Old 10-02-2006, 08:30 PM
  #49  
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Hey WILDTHING, Ive seen your truck are you sure its gas powered?
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Old 10-02-2006, 08:32 PM
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Nope....it's rubber band powered....lol. At least it's lighter now with all the rust, so I don't have to stop and wind it up as often....
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Old 10-02-2006, 08:34 PM
  #51  
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I thought so.. lol
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Old 10-02-2006, 09:49 PM
  #52  
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I am running 1/10 scale electric stadium trucks, and love the competition. But, there is 1 indoor electric track and 3 nitro tracks in the area. It would be nice to have a choice of where to run on race day. Being a mechanic, the nitro cars interest me so I went and watched some racing at a nitro track. The longer races and the bigger track are pretty compelling. So, I have tried to sort out the pros and cons.
People say that nitro is too expensive to get into. Well, I've only been racing for around 3 months and I still don't have all the stuff I need to run electrics.
You price a truck ~$275, at least 3 battery packs ~$180, charger ~$140, a couple of motors ~$100, servo ~$100, speed controller ~$125, discharger ~$50, batt. equalizer ~$75, soldering iron ~$50, new rear tires every couple of races ~$30, sounds to me like I could have afforded a nitro set-up.
The other knock I keep hearing on nitros is the engine dying during a race. The nitro races I watched, I don't remember anyones engine quitting mid-race. I have already had several races with my electric where a brush got stuck and put me out. Are you nitro guys really having that much trouble with engine failures?
I have been told that 1/8 scale nitro buggies are extremely tough and only break something in a horrendous crash; usually into a wall or landing upside down. In a 5 min electric race with 8-10 drivers, at least 2 guys break something.
If anything, electric seems to be a race where he who has the most money wins. (better batteries, better motors, better speedos, better servos, newer tires)
Is this the same in nitro ?
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Old 10-02-2006, 10:43 PM
  #53  
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Nitro buggies and truggies are very durable. Anything will break. They are tough. I would say 9 out of 10 nitro engine problems occur from people who don't tune or maintain them well, or run too close to the "edge" of performance. Some engines are very time consuming to tune, others are very forgiving. If you get a motor that's easy to tune, and one that maintains it's tune, all you need to do is keep up with the maint - which is arguably less time consuming than keeping up with electric motors.

I would say 1/10th truck are the most fragile out there. Mostly because that is where most new nitro drivers start... Monster (big or small block) truck is probably the next most brake prone out there. That's because most of those trucks just aren't race worthy without mods. They just aren't that tough for their normally novice / sportsman drivers.

The new truggy designs and most competative 1/8th scale buggies are very durable. Probably the most durable vehicles out there on dirt. I've gone entire seasons without any parts replacements due to damage during racing. If your car is so fast that you are breaking parts, kick up the expo, turn down the epa. A slower car that doesn't break finishes before a fast car that does break.

Money helps to some degree. Crazy motor and battery numbers aren't really that important - the traction just isn't good enough to make a difference. Any competative spedo will work fine.

Wallet racers in Nitro can afford some crazy fast ($500+) motors. You can usually tell - this guy shows up with this motor for a club race, and usually can't tune it to save his life.

Money can't replace skill during long mains. You need to be smooth and consistant. Wallet racers tend to be throttle stabbers and usually take themselves out at the turn at the end of the straight.

These are observations that I have made at the tracks that I have raced at over the last 15 years. Don't bother to flame, they are just my observations.
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Old 10-02-2006, 10:49 PM
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yes in all racing it can feel like he who has the most money wins but it is not true. 3 years ago you pretty much had to run the kyosho or mugen buggies, now there are a lot fo options jammin, hyper 8, losi, x-ray. cars can flame out it is a pretty regular occurance it happend to travis amezcua in the nationals. You chances of finishing a race in nitro is slimmer than electric but usually due to flameouts and very rarely due to car breakage. In a way i think that is what makes it fun for me, i know racing a pro in a 30min anything can happen.

if your just racing a 2wd drive truck remember there will be much more maintenence because of the 4wd and you will need to replace a whole set of tires not just fronts or rears. Also remember if you get into 1/8 to go smart and use your money wisely everyone reccomends not to get the best fasted engine for your first engine, buy the cheaper engines like o.s. rg, and run those till you have learned to tune and maintain a car properly, with 1/8 scale you need power tools a electric screwdriver is a must.
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Old 10-02-2006, 11:57 PM
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well this weekend is the nevada state electric offroad championship being held at Cutting Edge Indoor rc. www.cutting-edgerc.com This place is pretty new, and will be holding the Losi electric race for the next few years. If it werent for this place, i wouldnt even care about electric.
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Old 10-03-2006, 12:04 PM
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Nitro or electric... Blah Blah Blah... They can both be just as expensive as you let them be. I have not broken a part on my 2 electric vehicles in over a months. It all comes down to what gives you that feeling and makes you want to go out and race. For me that is 2wd and I like the ease of electric maintenance. I run brushless. Brushed is more maintenance. Cost of brushless is cheaper long run for me. Do not let anyone fool you into thinking either can not be expensive.

To me the key to either being fun is keeping a well maintained car. If you do not replace the correct items in nitro\electric before they wear out it will break in the main. Do the math. 5 min qual for 10 mins. 30 Min a main. That is 75% chance it will break in the main. Electric you will most likely break in a qualifier but the short mains of 5 mins means you can not afford to throw away a qualifier. Both of these to me say maintain your car. Replace bent or worn items so your fun is driving not being frustrated because you broke.


Bottom line - What do YOU like to race. What makes you want to go race again. Nitro and electric are actually fairly good for each other. They can coexist at the same tracks. It does work.

Electric is not dead.
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Old 10-03-2006, 12:11 PM
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Let's give a BIG hand to nichocgn who has figured it out.
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Old 10-03-2006, 01:55 PM
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There has been over 200 entries into each one of the JBRL electric offroad series races this year. This is a once a month, one day series race. The finally is this month. The Hot Rod Hobbies shootout was over 300 entries for a 3 day event. I would not say electric is dead here in Southern California.

It is a choice. Simple, clean, quite electric or noisy, tempermental, dirty gas. There is something here for everyone!
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Old 10-03-2006, 02:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Casper
There has been over 200 entries into each one of the JBRL electric offroad series races this year. This is a once a month, one day series race. The finally is this month. The Hot Rod Hobbies shootout was over 300 entries for a 3 day event. I would not say electric is dead here in Southern California.

It is a choice. Simple, clean, quite electric or noisy, tempermental, dirty gas. There is something here for everyone!
I think California is probably the exception in some areas of R/C, and maybe other hobbies/sports too. However, numbers like that do show that electric is far from dead, but it may be fading in the less populated parts of the country.
I also think that Nitro isn't as tempermental as most people think. While I wouldn't recommend ANY newb start off in nitro, unless they have some experienced freinds/racers that can help them with tuning, I think that once you understand the nitro engines a little better, they aren't as bad as the reputation they have. To many people have started off with a nitro car that new nothing about them, or even r/c in general, and got frustrated with the engines and quit. And then went around telling people how awful they are...lol.
I've had brushes stick and cost me a race, just like I've had a glow plug burn out and cost me a race.
Nitro is more dirty, yes, but if you have good equipment, keep it maintained, and know what you are doing (practice), they aren't as bad as the rep that they have been given....

I like what Casper said though.....no matter what you like, their IS something for everyone, and that's what we love ANYWHERE in America, is choices....

I'll race either one and have a blast, as long as my friends are their to race with, cuz to me, THAT'S what it's all about....
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Old 10-03-2006, 03:52 PM
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I have run both and believe both have a niche. I am really big into electric at the moment but do see myself getting into the nitro arena more especally 1/8 buggy/truggy. Tuning the motors seems to be the biggest problem most novice racers have with nitros. I see too many motors smoked or flameout due to incorrect tuning. You can spend big bucks in either one.
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