I've had my IB4200shv for over two years now, and i have followed the same routine on each of my packs without a single cell blowing up or dropping to zero volts.
1. Turn up to race and equalize cells to 0.9volts per cell (never go below 0.9v per cell).
2. Charge cells at 5amps with cutoff set to 2mv per cell temp at 47degrees C and max charge of 4500mA.
3. After the race let the pack cool down next equalize cells to 0.9volts per cell (never go below 0.9v per cell).
4. Charge pack and put in 1000mA and store away at room temperature.
5. If you are leaving the packs for longer than a week between use then put more charge into the pack.

This has worked for me and i'm still getting 4100+mA into my packs, they do lack in punch but have plenty of runtime in them.

hope this helps
Steve

Hi guys, the 1/18th AE shocks have worked great on my 12th car. They don't leak or fall apart after a hit. If you think that it's made to be durable enough for an off road car, then it will certainly be durable enough for a 12th on road car.

As for end point adjustment, I have the steering travel set at 100%, then adjust the end points just below the amount needed NOT to make the servo buzz at full lock. Then I steer full left (with the car on a tape join or something similar) and push the car 180 degrees around. Then I turn the car around at that point, steer full right and then push it back to where it started from. Hopefully, it will return back to the original position on the tape join. If not, I turn down the side needed and do the whole thing again until the car returns to the start point. I then turn the steering down to about 75% and do the whole process again just to check that all is well. When I get to a track, the overall steering is set to get around the tightest corner so not to scrub any speed off by having to much steering lock. Sometimes this means that if I have an accident and end up facing the wrong way, I don't have enough steering lock to get the car facing the right way!

i've got the novak gtb brushless with their 10.5 motor in my genX and it's been flawless. It works great with 4cells (and no reciever pack is necessary), and I'm very happy with mine. A few guys at our track have chosen other brands (mostly LRP or speed passion) and some have had frustrating teething problems or compatability issues. By contrast, my novak system (emphasis on the word system) works perfectly and is plenty fast. I've had none of the shut-down or radio compatibility issues that I've seen others suffer with. The other speedos (especially the speed passion) do seem to have more adjustments available but I've not had any trouble finding a good setup and driveability with my novak. For a simple to use, and ultra reliable plug and play brushless system, I'd say that the Novak setup is an excellent choice. And it sure doesn't hurt either that the pricing on their combo package is very reasonable. Just be ready to put a huge rollout in the car. Mine seems to like about 60mm on a fairly large carpet track. Even with this huge gear it's still nowhere near the heat limitation that's called out in the instructions. But it is geared way higher than they suggest. The motors don't have big RPM but they have so much torque that they can easily pull most any gear that will fit in a 1/12th scale car.

hold up, really? the mongoose can handle say a 17.5? with what mods?

I never said it can handle, I said its rated power was good enough for 10.5. The software which drives the motor would have to be devloped. A 380 motor and 540 motor require different programs to get the most out of the motors.

Novak is aware that the Footprint on their GTB's is a little large for the 1:12 scales. They developed a Mini scale 380 system that based on power capability can handle maybe some of the stock brushless motor in 540 size. It would be awesome if there was 540 mode in the Mongoose for those who race just the stock/super stock brushless classes. I would assume Novaks approach would not be to bridge 1:12 and 1/18 scales with the same ESC but to Bridge 1:12 and 1:10 scales with one ESC. The reason would provide a more powerful esc that can be used in 1:10 sedan and 1:12 with any motor. Since my XBR could not handle all the motors I may use, I upgraded to a GTB in my sedan. A modifed Mongoose system would also limit motor selection so not ideal for all racers. But most of my 1:12 racing was done with a 13.5 motor anyways so I would consider a smaller system even if it limited my racing option to 21.5/17.5/13.5 and 10.5 motors. The current 4-cell GTB i have takes up too much space IMO but I did make it fit.

ahh, gotchya. I dont see why brushless escs are so large? youd think theyd be a lot smaller by now, but i guess not.

It took decades for brushed ESCs to come down in size...BL is still new so it's still large but it won't be long before they get smaller.

You've got to remember too that a brushless ESC is the equivalent of three brushed ESCs in one case - one ESC for each phase. Hence the reason for the size being so big. The size will come down.

So would this mean it will take some time before the brushless esc's will get considerably smaller? Is there going to be better performance when a new one comes out? I just measured the space I have in my L4 and it would be a snug fit. I would hate to buy one and find out a much better one is coming out soon. Decisions, decisions

Hey OD, don't mean to bust bawls but I have a few things to say about my servo inquiry.

We don't "know" each other. I've met you twice. I appreciate the time you've taken with me in person.

For future reference, when I say this "thing" is larger and heavier this is because I believe what I say. Call it a "belief engine". That which I know to be true, finite, becomes, in my mind, a belief.

So I take mild offense in your statement . . .
"Both servos are exactly the same size, so your information there is wrong."

If I were not an asshole I would let this lay. But I am an asshole. Being a noob on this forum and have vested trust in your advice I feel obligated to inform you of the physical and performance attributes of these two servos. The Futaba S9650 and the S9602.

Side by side specs . . .


The S9650 on my scale tipped out at 24.1, minus horn and screw . . . prolly 2 grams . . .


The S9602 . . .


Tall S9650 . . .


Tall S9602 . . .


Wide S9650 . . .


Wide S9602 . . .


When I "say" something I mean it . ..

That is all . ..

Wow...that was a lot of work to prove Michael correct. For all practical purposes when installed in the chassis they're the same size. Perhaps he shouldn't have said "exactly", but his meaning was correct. They are direct replacements for each other. The only dimension they differ in any significant way is overall depth and I'd argue that your measurement from front to back is less important than the measurement from the back of the mounting tabs to the front which I'll bet is DARN close.

Way to send THAT bridge up in flames.

At this point as a noob in 1/12th scale I think it's time I stop listening to everyone else and figure it out for myself. Yes he shouldn't have used the word exactly because that was inaccurate.

But there's more to racing than racing.

I relish the day I get to evaluate that burnt bridge . . .

Yeah, because the advice you've received is SO wildly inaccurate

You go girl--figure it out on your own. Let us know how that works out for you. You've got one of the true "Oracles" of 1/12 racing right there at your disposal and you'll ignore him WHEN HE WAS, FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES, CORRECT???!!! Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Ah well, it's your face I guess...

Well that's the problem with advice, it's often free and *good* advice is often fatal.

Everyone is different, so the same question is met with different replies.

I know OD is the guru, so is Layman and George Lin, Caliendo . . .

I'll bug them with the occasional question but where does that really get me?

At some point I have to understand the system in my own way. OD doesn't have the time. Layman/Lin/Caliendo have different answers to the same question. This is really valuable.

I appreciate your feedback because communication is really what it's all about.

If I didn't care I wouldn't have posted my servo salvo . . .

I am in the process of buying a Kawada M300RSX.. I was wondering if it is possible to convert the rear end to a corally sp12x rear end?? i know i can buy the associated rear end conversion for the M300RSX. any help would be greatly appreciated