sedanaddict

I guess like everybody else i also have an opinion. i really like using high speed throttle servos because i love abs. abs has allowed me to learn to enter corners much more aggressively and i think i can get around the track a little faster with it. you have to have a pretty fast servo to work right. secondly, i run 235 and most of the guys who run 1/8 swear that digital servos do not last as long as analogs on the big cars because of vibration. i didn't used to believe that until i put a fairly new jr 8450 throttle servo on my avance and it only lasted for 2 races and about 2-3 hours more in practice time. now i have 2 ko 2143(analog) servos for both jobs.

Solara

iTrader: (17)

At the end, it is all about "you want to spend the money NOW or LATER"....
For example, using 9450 and 9451 combo ($160 value).........you can use them on almost any RC cars (except 1/5th) and you can use them on any BIG or NATIONAL race (if your driving and setup skill are up to par...) They will last you several years plus (I cannot garantee anything but mine last me 5 years plus...still running and working now.)

A step down....use 9450 with 3010 combo ($100 value)....good enough for all 1/10th scale cars, and good enough for local race, or national....

Then the lowest...S3003....probably good enough for driveway bashing (my opinion only).........you get what you paid for, but for bashing, who need 0.10sec and 125oz torque...?

Yes...very good point from sedanaddict, if you are using ABS, you can't use some low-end servo....and also, I do have most of the analog servo (and only hand full of diigital) and yes, I do feel like ANALOG last longer then digital (from other ppl's stories of their digital servos...)

My 9303 9404 (discontinued by Futaba) are still on my Serpent Veteq........a little bit slower then digital, but 0.10sec speed does not help on my old slow right hand....LOL

mxs

For my application (Serpent 835) I am inclining to 9451 with 3010 combo. You mentioned that this combo should be had for USD 100 value, unless I misunderstood you. The best price for new I've seen so far was 9451/USD 95.00 and 3010/27.00 Do you know of any better prices?

Thanks

Artificial-I

iTrader: (17)

Towerhobbies.com has most futaba stuff for pretty cheap. There you will find it for 70 and the other for 30 or so.

Also if you can try your local hobby shop and bring in the car itself. I brought home a 625mg hitec, first servo outside of futaba that I tried...it was a good budget price and had .15 speed. Well I hooked it up and it moved slower than anything I had ever seen and it was jerky and would rebound on the left side.

So like a lot of people say. Stats are not a set standard and who knows maybe it wasnt compatible with my futaba receiver. But a good way to test how fast a servo is...is hook it up in the store and try a few of them out turn left and right and what not.

But my crappy .20+ s3003's were faster than the hitec so. You just gotta test around sometimes.

But I own both the 9450 and 9451. They are amazingly fast and precise.

mxs

Thanks for the tip. i had no idea that Tower would have them so cheap. I guess never say never. That brings me to ebay. I almost bought one used yesterday for USD 50. I feel sorry for the guy who bought it. 20 more bucks and he could have a brand new.

Solara

iTrader: (17)

S9451 for $95...? Special 9451 come with a 15 big block engine..? Just kidding...yeah, TOWER has the best selection and price on Futaba stuff, and Futaba HQ and Service is only 3 hours south of where I live.........seems like a no brainer to me.

Tower listed $75 and $24 totall...less then $100, like I said before....this $100 will last you good 2-3 years of racing....(at least).
Also, if digital is NOT your cup of tea, take a look at S9402 or S9405, both are good enough for steering on your 235mm.......both are as fast and as strong as the digital 9451...
Don't listen to ppl saying TOWER is only for newbie..........the bigger the company, sometimes, the better the deal......look around TOWER website, they have COUPON for things like $100 or more (not now, check next week if you can wait), or now, $199 or more with $25 discount..............sometimes, after the discount, their price is PAR or even cheaper then my dealer cost.........sometimes, I buy their stuff direct instead of using my dealer account cause that is cheaper then my dealer price.....crazy, but GOOD.

mxs

Interesting stuff RookieSolara.

It make me wonder now about digital vs. analog. If everything else is equal like in a case 9451 vs. 9402 which one to go for? Of course except for the argument "DIGITAL is no my cup of tea....". What would make somebody say that anyways. Aren't the guts of the servos almost the same except that digital transmit the pulses in a digital form? I am not that much into electronics, but my opinion would be that it should be the same except for DIGITAL might be more precise than analog, but question is whether the difference is big enough to be noticable. Maybe DIGITAL could center better then analog after a while. But that is more the mechanical part of the servo rather then electronical, is it not? What about lifespan between the two types.

I was so wrong in many things regarding servos before I posted this thread. I am very glad I did that.

Solara

iTrader: (17)

Add one more wrong thing on your list.......you asked (worry) too much.
To make it simple, buy the S9451 (digital), it is newer (I think, tower listed it on 2005 updated), the tag with red color looks cool, $5 cheaper then 9402....no one have trouble with that servo, and digital is the lastest thing (not really that new, but newer then analog)..........etc.

Forget about whos better, lifespan or other crazy factors.......you are the only one can tell yourself later, and you cannot tell unless you buy 1 and try it first...

Case closed.........

mxs

I guess that's it ....

I think it's time to buy one as you said.

Thanks for your time.

theRED5

I've used the 9450 for steering for years. It's perfect.

rocknbil

Set your NTC3 on the ground, hold the throttle full open, give it a good hard push, and hit the brake. How far does it roll before it actually stops? Imagine how far that translates when it's actually going full throttle.

Many racers just adjust to this and their reactions are in advance of where they need to brake. If this is of no concern to you, continue using the 3003. I gauged from 1-10 feet going from full throttle to brake on my GT - that is, from the time I hit the brake to the time I saw actual stopping applied. For the throttle, you want the fastest servo you can afford.

I love this thread. Use Futaba's exclusively, have some over 10 years old and still kicking. 9402's or old 9450's both places.

Tommy Bergfeldt

Fast servos is often more important on throttle than steering just because a delay from full throttle fo brake is the worst thing when racing.
I do often slow down the steering eitherway to get the car less twitchy on big tracks, i do seldom run the steering faster than about 70%

mxs

I am by no means an expert in this, but I don't see how the servo speed is more important on the throttle/brake servo. I see your point where you index the time from full throttle to full brake. Yeah there would be a difference, but only hardly noticable when going from full throttle to full brakes. How many times that happens on an average track with usually one long straight away. Only once two times max I would say. Turning from full left to full right can happen tens of times a lap. From that point of view speed on steering servo is more important to me. It's always better to have it and dial it down (if you can..) rather than not have it.

I usually loose more time braking too hard when the tires don't have enough traction and start locking up. I guess it's a question of an opinion and what everybody likes.

Good discussion though, I like it.

Solara

iTrader: (17)

Well, you don't see Factory driver use S3003 for steering or throttle, right...? Why...? They cannot afford a $80 servo...? Or because they are sponcered, everything is FREE for them right...?
It is because it DOES matter for these ppl by using the BEST stuff out there...

I will not agree a S3003 servo can do the job right....again, I don't use my car for bashing, I use my car for racing, 3 qualifiers a day and 1 30-45 mains, S3003 can blow any time and day. Not that a S9451 will NEVER fail on me, but for $80 (compare to $20), I would rather spend the extra $60 to get a piece of mine, the top of the line (at least up there...) servo that will last me severarl years without worrying about my servo is too slow or not strong enough to yank the brake when the car is hitting 70mphs......

Again, after you have these kind of servo on your car, at least you know if you are not as fast as the other guys, you know you cannot blaim your radio equipment......thats how I look at my stuff.

P.S....I am not saying you must invest $80 for your servo, but if you are plannign to have multiple cars (like me) and at least 1 of them are on serious racing....invested that $80.....otherwise, a $30 servo will do a OK forward and backward job.

Artificial-I

iTrader: (17)

Like I said above. I have been using the s3003 in my r40. Not because im poor. Just for the hell of it. Im actually pretty happy. I get weight savings , I couldnt care less if they die on me....but your right that would suck during a race.

But otherwise I was able to finish first in my standard class with 2 s3003's. I actually bought 9451 and have the 9450. I just figured why add all the weight and possibly break them. I figured im new to racing and Im probably going to break some stuff.

So far so good. And like I said my s3003 are way faster than the hitec 625mg servo. For what reasons why I dunno...but the 3003 works great.

I mean simply put take your car out with them and at full speed give a turn. If it doesnt turn....they wont work. Most touring cars will be fine....but yeah if you want that extra edge go ahead and get the fast stuff for sure.

I thought this way as well. But right now im just laughing it up with my 3003's. I guess next race if someone gives me trouble or the turns are too sharp for the car ill look into upgrading.

I guess the other reason for me going cheap is also because my steering on my car is all wacked out and binding. So I figure why overpower it already. Im just going to keep the thing as is. Keep working at it till it frees up, then Ill be able to tell more easily if its binding. Also whats .05 really going to do...not much.

Besides I always turn the speed on my fast servos down via the transmitter. This way Ive left it up and it seems pretty much perfect.

Im not pro s3003 here. But im saying if it works, it works.