hyperx

hey there,

I'm new to rc cars, and have recently started to purchase gear off ebay :/ so far i have a Losi XXX-s graphite+ chassi and other little things. The part where im lost is now getting a remote, esc, engine & battery. (thats really all I need, right?)

I have put some links below for the gear I was wondering if it's any good? I mainly just want to race not drift or anything.


Futaba Radio Set

JR Racing XS3 Pro Radio Set

Novak Programmable GTX ESC

Ko Propo VFS-1 PRO ESC

Sanyo 3600 Cells Battery


Also I was looking at 'Reedy PT 7 turn double', 'Fantom 9 Turn Double Hand-Wound' or maybe a 10t motor, are they any good for racing?

I'm sorry for all the links and questions, but those are the items that I was wondering if are any good. Any help would be g-r-e-a-t!

Thank you,
-hyperx

LeadFoot

I would start by going to your local hobby shop and see what they have and what they are racing.

I would start with a 19T before you go to one of those lower turn motors.

As far as radios, Futaba, KO, or Jr are all good choices. The problem with the "MegaTech" version is that you will be able to get it serviced by Futaba USA if there is a problem.

The KO or Novak are fine speed controllers but if you shop around at the various online hobby shops like www.speedtechrc.com or www.kthobbies.com you can get a better price than what is listed and guaranteed to be new in the box. Also check your LHS shop you may get a good deal if you get a radio/esc combo locally.

I would recommend that you do not purchase any batteries from eBay. I suggest you purchase from one of the battery matchers that adverstise on this site. Some are offering some good deals at the moment.

rctoyguy

iTrader: (21)

Take a trip to your local hobby shop and/or race track. Especially since you are starting out, the one on one help that they can give you is priceless. Don't be afraid to ask the so called stupid questions - It's been said many times, and is very true - we all started out somewhere.

You don't mention any kind of budget that you are trying to follow - do you need to stay "cheap", or do you have a good chunk of money to put in to it? Whenever possible, I would buy the nicest stuff you can get, because you do usually get what you pay for, and it's cheaper in the long run to buy nice now instead of cheap now and replace with nice later.

You will find that there is no end to discussion/argument over which is the best radio, speed control, servo, etc. Ask 10 people and get 10 different answers, most of the time.

I know it is tempting to get the fastest mod motor you can find to start out with, but I think that is a mistake. Even a stock motor will be plenty of speed for you as you start out - as you get more comfortable with the car, move up to 19t or hotter motors. (this comes back to getting a nice enough ESC to handle hotter motors later).

Jon Kerr

iTrader: (17)

Either of those radios would be good. The ESC, I'd go for the Novak. it'll be easier for you to use than the KO. Also, stick with a good matcher on batteries and stick with the GP3300 cells. The Sanyo 3600's aren't up to par yet. You can go to the Fukuyama link in my signature for some good battery packs. And please, don't go for a high end, low turn modified motor. You'll regret it. The reason I say this is these motors are FAST! And if you're going to be racing, the guys you'll be able to race with running those motors have a lot of experience. You should start out with stock motors. They will have plenty of power for you, you'll be able to control the car better and you'll have a lot less maintenance. Also one thing you'll want to look into getting is a motor lathe to cut your commutators. It's one of the best investments you can make. Make sure you have brushes and spare parts for the car.

wcoyote

For the Radio I'll tell you what I have had my eyes on. One of them you have on your list. JR XS3 Pro, Airtronics M8 (I noticed the price of the Futaba. It should be about the same on Ebay). And the Airtronics MX-3S. The MX-3S should be around the same price as the JR remote. Both are crystalless systems. The only reason I don't go for the Futaba is that my old remote's servos may not run with that system.

I have a XXX-S G+ myself and run an old Airtronics VT2P AM radio, of which in 10 years and 3 cars have never had a problem with it. I just wanted a newer FM and something with more features.

The GTX is a good one. Either that or the GT-7, if you want to stay with Novak. Remember this though. Tekin is coming back into this and many people don't realize it. The Tekin I got was one of the best at the time and still works like a charm. I wouldn't totally dismiss them.

GP3300's are still the best racing batteries out there so far. Fusion, Trinity, Pro Match, Fukuyama, seem to be the top matchers. It's best to buy those new, not used. You never know how much abuse a pre-run pack has been through.

As far as motor, go with the 19T for stock or at the most 16T to start out with. I highly reccommend that if you go with the 16T, practice in some parks/parking lots or somewhere where you won't have to worry about narrow tracks/spaces. You will have the room to learn and make mistakes without fear of breaking your car. When you feel comfortable enough with how it handles, go to the local track. Remember learning to drive isn't about how fast you can take a corner, near as much as if you can take the corner clean. Speed will come with time. Have fun RC'ing!

rctoyguy

iTrader: (21)

1 clarification - 19 turn is NOT stock - Stock is 27 turn. They are ran as 2 different classes everywhere that I have seen.

wcoyote

I guess with most of us racing 19T or modified we kind of forget that. I wouldn't be too surprised if the 27 turn goes bye bye in the near future. And 19 turn becomes the new stock class.

hyperx

Whoa, thanks for the quick replys and help/info you guys.

Yeah I've been looking around now and have made up my mind as of what to get, I'm getting the Futaba 3PK Radio Set, the Novak GTX ESC, and as for the battery pack, I'm not sure yet. It'll proberly be a GP3300 due to what I have also read about the 3600's not being all to good. Also a 19T motor.

Once again,

Thanks heaps,
-hyperx

rctoyguy

iTrader: (21)

Since Jon Kerr got in a free plug for Fukuyama batteries - I want to be sure to mention ProMatch batteries - Here is the link . The customer service there is outstanding, not to mention some awesome batteries and prices. If you do happen to talk to anyone at ProMatch, tell them that Jeff from the Birmingham crowd sent you. (They don't necessarily know me, but I race/hang out with a couple of their team drivers, so they will know what the Birmingham crowd is.)

Sorry - didn't mean for such a long thread on ProMatch batteries.

*edited to correct spelling typo

mvp2319

nice equipment but if your new to RC thats a bit too advanced Id say...

hyperx

Oh, just before i buy them, I've just relised something. The 3PK doesnt come with a servo, any recomdations? and also the Novak GTX ESC, is only 6V? but all the battery im looking at are 7V :/ am i right, and will that screw up?

thanks,
-hyperx

wcoyote

As far as the 7.2 Volts and 6V you must remember that the full power is not going to your ESC. 6V is usually how much the ESC needs to operate optimally. That is why as your battery gets closer to full discharge, the ESC will usually make your car seem like it is stuck moving slowly forward and you may not be able to operate your steering. Your battery isn't dead yet. The battery is just no longer able to supply the 6V the ESC needs to operate. Since your battery isn't dead yet you need something (discharger)that will drain the battery down to where it needs to be.

There are several dischargers out there. But you can make one using a soldering iron, some wire, the connectors you use for your battery, and some full size car taillight/side marker bulbs. It's also wayy cheaper, if you have, or know someone who has the knowlege/access to the equipment. If not, there are some you can buy pre-made. It's not adjustable like some of the high dollar dischargers are, but it's a good low $$ solution. Just make sure your wires are connected right.

wcoyote

As far as the servo, you don't need anything extreme. Make sure they are for 1/10 scale cars.. There are many ways to look at servos. Speed, transit time, torque are the main ones.

Most standard servos are great for regular backyard/parking lot bashing, they are inexpensive. Many upper class servos have torque ratings above 100 oz/in. Most of them are metal geared instead of nylon geared, which is better. Steering you need a fair amount of torque, so I wouldn't go with anything below 70 oz/in, if you are racing. Futaba also has two types of servos when is comes to speed. They have a digital (high speed) and a regular. If your pocketbook allows it, get the digital. Some people say they can't tell the difference. But when you are racing it makes a difference. Check out Futaba's web site www.futaba.com Go to Radio control and the product heading. They also have an application chart in their servo page to help you find what you need. Also Hitec Servos have been very well recieved by people on here that I have seen. I don't know if you need an adapter plug to use them though with Futaba recievers.

wcoyote

That's funny rctoyguy about the free plug, I mentioned both of them

Remember hyperx, you can get your self way too gizmo oriented here. Especially for beginners. The Futaba radio you are looking at has more features that you will know what to do with. I'm not even sure I would need/use half of them. Learn to drive first using as little of the settings as possible. Throttle, and steering ATV, endpoint adjustments, and maybe how sensitive the throttle/trigger would be are a good start.

Most of those settings effect how far the servo travels, where it is centered, or how much movement it takes with the radio to move the servo/ESC. Get good at this first. Then start messing with the other adjustments. You will be better able to see the difference, and whether or not you need to use that adjustment at all. All of this advice is pretty much geared towards making you a better driver/racer, if you intend on doing that. Otherwise, do whatever you want.

hyperx

I know I should'nt buy stuff on e-bay :/ but I found this http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....MakeTrack=true any idea if it would work with the Futaba 3PK 75MHz radio? I also found a Futaba servo, on a diffent site, but cant find it anymore - it was better but more $$$.

I'm sorry that I have sop many llama/newb questions. but i will get there one day.

Thanks for the help
-hyperx