Randy_Pike

iTrader: (6)

Eddie and others. I'm sure I'm reading the rule different than you are. I guess I'm trying to give the guys at ROAR the benefit of the doubt that they were/are aware of the current line of cars from multiple manufacturers that allow for multiple configurations.

I've yet to see a minimum battery "plug" tool.

I do agree that the way the rule is currently written leaves too much room open to interpretation.

liljohn1064

iTrader: (17)

I think the post above your's is from a chemical engineering type. To me it sounds like there is no standard size a battery needs to be, but rather an attempt to conform to the shape of older tech of the 6 cells. As far as the future is concerned we should see what the battery and motor makers can build for us, then start shaping the future around that technology. If you build a class around the new tech, the hobby will grow. I personally don't care what the shape is, but a different shape can give me more current and a longer run time, I'll eventually buy in. As far as shorties, too late. They are already allowed. They are the same tech, just a different wrapper so to speak. It is the cell size/shape specific chassis that are not allowed.

And yes it should be for the bleeding edge mod classes.

InspGadgt

Wow I got quoted by Bob!

As for the whole spec thing...Most if not all the controversy around the shorty packs are in stock and 13.5 1/12th scale and TC...Stock is not Spec. Currently the shorty packs are really only viable in stock 17.5 and 13.5 as they have lower capacity and would dump in mod classes.

EAMotorsports

iTrader: (79)

Linger is the person that does all the ROAR Lipo approvals and testing. He is some sort of Engineer and probably knows more about lipo's than everyone on this board combined so He would know better than anyone about them.

He's a very good guy to boot.

EA

InspGadgt

Which is understandable at the time since the cars were still designed around NiCad/NiMh cells. BUT now that NiCad/NiMh is gone from racing why are we still being shoe horned into the same sized battery packs? Now that shorty packs can have enough capacity for stock and 13.5 we need to start looking at cars designed only for those packs and probably even start re-evaluating our minimum weight rules again as well.

liljohn1064

iTrader: (17)

I'd like to hear a lot more of what Linger (or any other chemical engineer) has to say about batteries. Like what would be the optimum size and shape of a battery, max current and max run time for a given cell composition. Especially if the cost of manufacturing can be reduced on top of it.

frozenpod

iTrader: (1)

Yes it does sound that way.

RC flight packs are mass produced and built to suit the chemistry. They are similar in size and shape to mobile phone lithium batts not to mention camera lipos cordless phones ect. They are similar in many ways to the size and shape of our hardcase Lipos. Lipos fill up the gaps which were in the round cells.

I think we really are not far off the mark with the current batts but if they can be made smaller lighter and cheaper why not.

Have a look at the mass produced lipos in this link they are mostly dirt cheap and mass produced. They all have a somewhat common length width and thickness to the cells not far off what is inside the hardcases lipos we run now.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...brands_29.html

frozenpod

iTrader: (1)

Yep I agree but we could also look at using the increased capacity and running longer. We have been running 6 minute heats and 7 minute finals which has been great. Next year they are talking about going to 8 minute finals (I hope they do).

robk

iTrader: (22)

I am responding to you because you continue to push the argument. Just so everybody knows the losi 22 is NOT illegal. As a rear motor it takes a max size stick lipo, as a mid motor it takes a max sized saddle pack. How you arrange the electronics or use a smaller battery is up to you. Same with the guys posting the sedans that have a right side battery with the shorty pack and esc on the same size, that is fine. The custom car from the ETS is not fine, since only that shorty pack will fit. I contacted Technical Director Ron Schuur about the sedan scenario because when the rule was under consideration, it was worded a little differently, the "as presented thing" threw me off. It is the chassis that is the concern.

What gets me upset is the "ROAR = clownshoes" comments and the idea that ROAR is so stupid they are going to just outlaw a 5 year old car. Obviously everybody else is a bunch of geniuses, but anyone involved with roar is automatically a moron without the aid of logic or intelligence, or some sort of misanthrope who is waiting to foil all the best plans of the racing public. The fact that an attempt to standardize a dimension , just like the motors, or the width, or the weight, is met with so much derision baffles me. Even more amazing is that the change really doesn't affect anything commercially available right now. I really don't see why anyone would want to send home a guy with a jrxs or any other 6 year old car that may not fit a max sized battery. If you use some logic, Gil JR did not have a crystal ball to see this rule, and was not trying to get around it. The fact that it is undersized is due to it being old, not an attempt to use a custom pack.

At some point someone has to make decisions, and of course there will be people who don't agree. Unfortunately, rctech seems to be given to hysterics.

robk

iTrader: (22)

<<<From the Technical Director


This is from several pages ago. The biggest issue seems to be that ROAr is stifling creativity. Roar also stifles motor creativity, width creativity, weight creativity, and many other creativities (is that a word?)

The rule simply states that the car must fit the biggest battery. You may use the smallest battery if you wish, and innovate a new electronics layout if that is your desire. Yet the next guy can just put the car together and put a battery in it, and race. I acknowledge that it creates a "box" to design in, but that's kind of the point.

Team Lotus

So tell me, is the "box" going to stay the same for another 20 years, or are we ever going to be allowed to reinvent the "box"?

Basic overall car width and wheelbase and tire/wheel size SHOULD be regulated so that rc cars still look like real cars. But the chassis that resides under the car body shouldn't be so tightly controlled by battery and motor size and placement of such. There should be more freedom allowed; but that can never happen so long as ROAR and others force us to use only the one "box" design that they are pushing on everyone.

Enough of the "cookie cutter" chassis already!! All forms of rc racing are slowly but surely being turned into "spec racing" all under the delusion that it controls costs and makes it more affordable/usable for the average Joe. Well it has been my experience that the average Joe who walks in off the street and buys a car for himself and his kid, races for a year or two maybe, and then the kid finds something else he would rather do than race rc cars and he quits, kids today are very fickle; and then not long after, the father gives up since his kid isn't there anymore. Is that the group they are pandering to?

The die-hard racers stick with the hobby/sport because they love to race and they enjoy the technology and trying new cars and parts, etc. They are not afraid of change, but embrace it. Ask any real full scale auto racer if he wishes that race car design and technology would freeze at one level and never really change much. His/her answer would be HECK NO!! They love to drive new and different car designs; they are always looking for the next "new thing". The same is true with rc cars.

InspGadgt

That is an option...but 1/12th has always been 8mins...do we increase that to 12mins? Something to consider though...with lighter cars and the same time we should see a decrease in tire wear, for club racers that would be great...especially on asphalt.

frozenpod

iTrader: (1)

I also agree I was just suggesting an alternative option to consider.

I am personally fond of lighter cars as you say less drive line wear, less tyre wear, break less parts on impact, less power for the same speed ect.

We have lots of options to move forward and IMO the only certaintly at this stage is that we need to move forward.

jlfx car audio

iTrader: (37)

U know the new electric car from tesla motors has its battery under the entire car to lower cg and not take up any space , just sayin... One day the rectangle battery must change to something more ideal for the job if u will. Instead of stacking those 2s2p packs on each other put them all flat and mount them flat on chassis then electronics... One day the box will be rebuilt but I would rather it evolve

LonnyJ1950

I have not been a ROAR member since I stopped travelling to bigger races. When I first joined, I had a 4 digit number. Roar was introduced as a way to standardize rules so you could travel to a race and know you wouldn't run into a new rule that barred you from racing. In those days most of the rules concerned how the cars looked. Scale, or at least semi-scale, appearance was the goal. That has certainly gone by the wayside. Otherwise ROAR has generally done a good job, but this rule was obviously rushed into place as a reaction to The CRC Gen Xi, and the possibilities it raised in design. You can argue it's intent all you want, but it will be enforced by people who could use it to ban cars they don't like or, worse, people they don't like. It is too vague, and very poorly worded. if ROAR wants to restrict the size of batteries and the design of cars, fine, it won't bother me. These days I only club race, mostly with old friends and though we loosely follow ROAR rules, we enforce or ignore according to our needs and whims. Nevertheless, this rule needs to be revised for clarity so it won't be misused. As is it will almost certainly be misused or ignored. Maybe ROAR should just go all in and ask manufacturers to submit cars for approval like most of the other stuff we use. Then you either have a legal approved chassis or you don't. This is the system NASCAR has used for years.