MolonLabe

New member here - GREAT SITE!!

Went to the local indoor offroad track to see where the hobby has gone in the last 15 years.

All I can say is WOW

When I gave it up, I was a fairly good 1/10 paved, 1/10 carpet, and 1/12 carpet racer. We had a pretty sweet hobby store/track in New York, that unfortunately went out of business. Now, living in Colorado, the opportunities aren't as good ( less population - less racers ), but want to get back into it nonetheless.

After watching about 10mintes and deciding that I didn't want to get involved with the hammer fests these guys are calling racing, I met a guy who claims that there is about 15 guys that will be running some "spec" 1/10 onroad class.

I'm trying to get a list going of what I'll be needing as far as equipment. More than likely, I'll be going with a TC5 or XRAY for a car, but need some help with the rest of the gear as well as spares. No LHS carries parts for either car, so the internet will be my supply.

My budget is flexible, but I'd rather tend to spend my money on more value rather than outright uber top tier performance.

I'd like suggestions for:

1. Remote
2. Charger
3. Batteries ( How many will I need, and quality?)
4. Motor
5. Spares
6. Pit Equipment

Although I've been away for a while, I'd like to make a somewhat competitive return to my racing as now I have the money to support the hobby.

Thanks guys for any and all input!!

FREAKAH

Team Associated TC5(R or F depending on track)

Novak Havok Brushless System(depending on your spec class)

Airtronics MX-Sport FHSS / Futaba 3PM-X / Airtronics MX-3X / KO Propo EX-5UR Radios

Any high quality(Futaba, Air, JR, Hitec, KO) coreless servo with a good balance of speed and torque.

Fantom/Thunder Power/SMC Lipo. 4000mah-up. Two packs.

Electrifly Triton EQ or Hyperion EOS 0606i AC/DC Chargers

Spares: Arms, C-hubs, knuckles, CVD's, bearings

RPM camber gauge, Integy tools, set-up board

Couple sets of spec tires?

jag88

iTrader: (1)

$$$$$$$$$ and time......

MolonLabe

Well, I have both of those covered, so what do you suggest?


Thanks FREAKAH for the suggestions.

vr6cj

iTrader: (124)

I would get a Xray T3 of the two but the TC5 is alot cheaper on you. I perfer the Top Photon.

Remote - Airtronics M11
Charger - THUNDER POWER TP-1010C or any good 10amp lipo charger
ESC - Tekin RS
Batteries ( How many will I need, and quality?) 2x Thunder Power 5000 40c or SMC 5200 50c
Motor - 17.5 Trinity Duo
Spares - Ask the xray T3 guys what breaks and you'll need for set up
Pit Equipment - Setup tools and board. Lipo sack. Good set on allen drivers. Extra sets of tires. etc.

MolonLabe

How long do these LiPo packs last these days?

Thanks guys for the help so far. Doing my research.

timmig

iTrader: (25)

DEFINITELY GO BRUSHLESS AND LIPO'S!! That is the technology that has arrived and is BETTER than the old brushed nicad setups. I'd recomend picking up a used Futaba 3PK off of RC Tech--as there are plenty of them out there--and IF you want to move into any other kind of racing--will do ALL the mixing you would ever need. Be SURE to go 2.4 also--it just makes life much easier than dealing with frequencies etc. too.
As far as car and power--you'll need to create your spec class's-- but IF they allow it--the Tekin RS has computer programmability that is to DIE for!! IT can make your brushless system SMOKING fast---by controlling a LOT of functions-- you can set throttle --speed--BOOST-- timing on the motor--all kinds of things. Depends on if your' spec brothers want to go to that expense. Otherwise--Novak and many others make good quality esc's that work fine.
Enjoy being back--- I"ve just got back in after leaving in 1994!!
Tim

niznai

Is that meant to be 1/10?

If it's a spec class you're better off finding out what the specs are first. These can be quite restrictive and may limit your options regarding motor, battery, tires and recently I have seen on the forum ESC/software.

Best go to the track and see what others are running and perhaps find out what is easier to get in your area/at the local hobby shop. No point buying something that needs every single part ordered interstate or overseas (though in the long term most racers end up buying overseas as costs flare up and resources lean out).

MolonLabe

Yeah, I meant 1/10

I'm pretty certain that the tires were pretty much all this guy said was going to be controlled.

As far parts availability - this area has pretty much no onroad parts support. I'd have to order everything I need, unless Traxxas or E-Flight makes a car.

ByteStream

iTrader: (2)

Small world .. I am in the same situation as you are and am getting back into racing and live in the same state. I'm planning on racing 1/10 TC carpet at CORRC and the HobbyPlex. I've spend the last month or two doing my research and visiting the local tracks and here is what I went with.

Car - I heavily debated between the XRAY T3 and the Schumacher Mi4LP and decided on the T3. There IS local parts support for these kits, or at least partial support. Try HobbyTown(Westminster) and eTeamHobbyPlex (Fort Collins). Most people have said the T3 is pretty solid and can take a decent hit(s). Both kits are represented locally.

Remote - Spektrum DX3R, alot of local racers have these and most importantly for me, it felt good in my hand. I also looked at the 4PK, I couldn't get my hands around a KO though.

Charger - Hyperion 0606i AC/DC, Onyx 230 is also popular in the area.

Batteries - 2x Thunder Power 5200 50C

ESC/Motor - Tekin RS w/ 17.5 Brushless Combo. I was interested in the LRP SXX Stock Spec as well, but most people seem to be having issues with them so I decided to wait on it. I really was looking at the LRP for 1/12 scale since I wouldn't have to run a rx pack or booster. By far Tekin is the most popular in the area.

Tires - Jaco Blues (spec at CORRC) w/ Jack the Gripper tire additive

Body - MazdaSpeed 6 or LTC are the most popular.

Pit Equipment - Nice tools, Board


Hope that helps.

Paul Ohlsen

We (CORRC) have a tread under the Colorado section.

We race on Thursday night and Sundays on carpet. Starting soon we will be racing out side on Sunday.

Go to our web site www.corrc.org for more info.

Any questions pm me.

syndr0me

iTrader: (32)

17.5 touring has been the popular class as of late at CORRC. It's the spec rubber tire class. We've been trying out a new rubber tire (Solaris medium) lately which has been fairly well received. You can buy those at the track. We're still allowing people to use Jaco blues as well.

The XRay T3 is a fine choice, and although parts can be more expensive, there is local parts support as well as a number of XRay team drivers in the area. It's also the most durable car out there, which can be a big factor when just getting started.

The Tekin RS is the best choice for ESC, and everybody locally is using it. I think the Novak Ballistic 17.5 is a good motor choice since you can rebuild it easily if you burn something up. The Trinity DUO/DUO2 motors are also popular.

Batteries are all over the map. You might consult the thread of the car you decide to purchase to see what LiPo most folks are running. The Protoform Mazda 6 or Mazda Speed 6 (avoid the lightweight for now) are the most popular body choices, with the speed6 being more aggressive, but possibly harder to tame when you're first starting out.

Definitely come by some night and chat with us in person. We race Thursday & Sunday, and there's almost always a few of us there practicing Tuesday nights. If the door is locked, just knock.

Daddy'o

Ohhh, do I ever know what you are going through!

It's been almost 25 years for me.. and moving from dirt oval to 17.5 TC on top of that.

I did a lot of research as well and settled on Xray's T2R Pro with a few well placed upgrades. I'm running asphalt outdoors though and could justify the glass chassis for the extra flex over carbon fiber.

The savings went into gear and tools that will be used as I shake the cobwebs out and gain some track time - assuming these old eyes and reflexes are capable of regaining any skill at all!

Here is a partial list of what I've started with:

[1] Xray T2R Pro (definitely need to get adjustable turnbuckles)
[2] Novak Havoc Pro ESC & 17.5 Brushless Ballistic Motor
[3] Futaba 4Pk Radio, receiver and brushless servo
[4] MuchMore Silent charger, power supply, Lipo balancer & tire warmer
[5] Hudy set-up station (with a few extras for trackside adjustments)
[6] EDS hex, screw and nut drivers (good stuff, reasonably priced and the engraving is a nice to touch to keep them from walking off - by accident of course!)
[7] AMB personal transponder (just got that today!)
[8] Batteries I'm still unsure about, but I did pick-up a couple of Pro Tek 5000 mAh 40C's to use until they become the limiting factor

and because we are racing outdoors...

[9] an EZ-Up tent, table & chairs and finally
[10] a Honda generator.

What I haven't listed is the typical jetsam and flotsam that comes with racing - bodies, tires, gears, springs, etc. - but if you have raced competitively in the past, you should already be aware of all that.

Hope the list is helpful. Sure wish somebody had done the same for me 9 months ago when I made the decision to get back into racing.

If you have questions on why I made a particular choice on any item, let me know. Nothing was done by chance... (out of stupidity? Maybe, but not by chance!)

Daddy-o

vr6cj

iTrader: (124)

People keep recommending you get a 6amp or less charger. I dont agree. Get a 10amp or more even. All the newer 5000+ lipo packs can be charged at 10amps easy with no issues. It will take over a hour to charge a 5200 lipo pack at 5-6 amps but at 10 amps it's 35 mins. Your choice though.

Just make sure you do your research on the charging and storage of Lipo's...totally different ball game to nimh

YR4Dude

iTrader: (44)

Its also a totally new ballgame for the new Lipos compared to when the Lipos came out three years ago.

As for chassis, the Xray gets my nod.

Other than that in regards to tires, body, ESC, and motor; I would check the rules of your intended spec class before making any decision. No sense in buying a $200 speedcontrol if your spec class doesn't allow it. There are some spec classes that don't allow the use of the Tekin RS speed control.

In regards to batteries and chargers, just about any Lipo better than 5000mah and 40C is good. Make sure to get a charger that has a balancer built-in as well.

Depending on your driving style and your track there may also be other mods you'll need for the Xray but that will come when you tune it. The best way to know what you'll need is by going to your intended track and check out what everyone else is using.