Well fellas, spent all night getting the EVO 5 MS ready, wiring in the new Tekin RS and Yokomo 10.5 brushless motor, only to get thwarted by the damn ESC connector that goes into the receiver!
After I got it all hooked up I was like, duh, unplug the ESC from the receiver so I can plug it into the Hotwire and program my initial settings...
Of course the connector is new so it fit in the receiver very snug and I broke the damn thing trying to get it out! I couldn't get it out using my hands so I used a set of needle nose pliers to try and wiggle it out. Started to work until I slipped my pliers across the face of the connector which broke one of the tabs that holds the pin in it!
ARRGH!
I have some spare connectors, and what do you know, none of them "catch" the pins.
I'm just frustrated because I was so looking forward to racing tomorrow. Tomorrow is our first race using new 2010 fiscal year rules in Expert class, which now allow the Yokomo 10.5 brushless motor in addition to any 23T brushed motor - only catch is that the 10.5 is limited to a final drive of 6.0 or higher (gear ratios for 23T are usually 5.8 for our track). Plus, it's a non-points race, so it's a chance to see how the car will do in competition without affecting the season leaderboard.
I rebuilt my EVO 5 MS from the ground up, and changed my one-way for a spool up front - figured everyone will be so fast with the 10.5 they'll have to let off way to early on the main straight to make the first turn using a one-way, and with a spool I can can stay on the power for longer and get by by late-braking them into the corner (it used to work when I raced Nitro touring with gear diffs). I may be fighting understeer though into the corner with the spool up front, but we'll see.
Anyway, yeah, I'm a little frustrated. I think my LHS carries the KO propo connectors w/pins. I'll check it out today, but I won't have any testing done at the track to be prepared for tomorrow.
I'm bummed because I'm the only one who is using an ESC with advanced timing controls, and until everyone catches on, I may have a slight advantage
It's weird, here in Japan, they'll all use the latest chassis, tire warmers, etc, etc, but for some things, we're way behind - for example, our rules call for NiMh's still, and are limited at 3700mah at that. There is only one battery even worth running at 3700, and that's the Atlantis 3700, from Intellect Japan. EVERYONE runs them - I don't even think you can get them outside Japan, and no one else makes a 3700 worth running that I know of. At least when I'm getting beat, it's not because of the power source, so it makes for some close racing.
I'll let you know how it all pans out once I get my connector sorted. Maybe it was a sign, telling me to shorten up the ESC wires while I'm at it.
- Paulie