4x4 Slash + Phoenix 2 FPV cam + Gimbal stabilization = My rally trail ripper project

[smokee]

Hey, new to the forum. I did an intro post. More details on my current project...

I picked up a 4x4 slash vxl used last year. No radio, cheap amazon shocks and an hcg chassis. But a great deal and perfect for fpv experiments... The camera is a Runcam Phoenix 2 feeding an AKK Race Ranger vtx. I originally setup the cam/vtx in a diy stack to take the place of a gopro session to fit in the wearable gimbal. The gimbal is a Feiyutech WG2x set in follow mode. Works pretty well considering. I have only done a couple test runs so far, waiting on the cage body I ordered on aliexpress so I can lay things out better. It is now just the fpv cam on the gimbal and the vtx will be mounted close, this way I can use a bigger antenna. Also my first test were viewing from a diversity monitor setup. I now have a set of skyzone 04l goggles to test out, which also means dvr footage! Current onboard video is only from caddx peanut.

youtube> Cottage rally testing

More pics, progress and testing to come. Cheers.

 

[smokee]

Quick update. Cage body came in the mail. It didn't have a gentle trip from China. Two horizontal bars were cracked or broken out of the box. But I had to make things wider anyway. The roof bit will be redone with a piece of polycarbonate. Still just test fitting to see how the body will fit relative to the position of the Gimbal. The custom roof will have have a domed section at the front to accommodate Gimbal movement/clearance.
More pics once I have fabbed that up.

 

[smokee]

Bit more work done. Did some primitive thermoplastic work for the body. Pen torch on the sides. Heat gun and a lake stone for the roof bubble. Over heated some areas for sure, but it works. The polycarbonate sheet is 1.5mm iirc.
The Gimbal and vtx are mounted. Just need to solder up the power switch connection.
Picked up some parts at the hobby shop, some 2.8 trenchers, sway bars and a 15t pinion to compensate for the bigger tires.
Should be ripping soon.

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

Very cool project!! I look forward to some footage.

 

[smokee]

Thanks MrGoodwrench,
There is a youtube link in the first post, I didn't see the media option. I have done a few more runs since, I will post them in order here;

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

Great videos bud. Looks like a lot of fun. The range is pretty impressive. Is the video we see the same thing you see in the goggles?

Is it hard to drive like that?

I tried FPV drone racing and never really could get the hang of it. I can fly great LOS but I'm out of sorts looking through the goggles. I'd imagine driving that way would be easier but still not easy I bet.

 

[smokee]

Thanks MrGoodwrench, I am loving it. So much fun already and I am just getting into it. Range is good, I have one of the more powerful analog vtx's. akk race ranger. The video you see is not the live goggle feed, it is from a Caddx Peanut (Insta360 go2 - fpv version). I have analog dvr recording in my 04L goggles, but my old computer is having issues. So only the secondary cam footage edited on my phone for now.
It is weird at first, but if you have some r/c driving skill or are decent with video game racing, you adapt quick. You can't feel the g"s, like a video game. You have to anticipate turns, etc. But if I am having this much fun already with a 1/10 car and analog... I am all in. Planning a serious build for winter. King Motors Baja 5b roller with HW max5 8s power and pan/tilt head-tracking with digital fpv controlled through Radiolink/crossfire.
I have an MJX bugs drone that I have flown LOS twice a couple years ago, lol. I got into fpv for this... car guy at heart.

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

How much abuse can those camera's take? I have a 1/5 outcast on 8s I'd like to mount a cam too but it sees a lot of air and occasional bad landings . I have a bunch of FPV stuff from an eachine 250 racer that I was considering mounting up and giving it a shot since I can't seem to fly FPV. I have a decent set of goggles with built in DVR and an onboard DVR unit at well.

 

[smokee]

How much abuse can those camera's take? I have a 1/5 outcast on 8s I'd like to mount a cam too but it sees a lot of air and occasional bad landings . I have a bunch of FPV stuff from an eachine 250 racer that I was considering mounting up and giving it a shot since I can't seem to fly FPV. I have a decent set of goggles with built in DVR and an onboard DVR unit at well.

The camera, vtx and wires have to be mounted pretty solid. Lots of vibration. A 1/5 outcast would make a pretty boss fpv rig! You will need to protect the camera well, that car can handle serious landing g's and speeds... I would love to see that build.

I have a vid up with the raw DVR from the last run. Had to get a micro SD to usb-c adaptor for my phone to edit.

Upgrading from analog to digital will make this even more fun.

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

I meant to mention this before but from the video, it appears that your clutch is a little loose. There are times where I hear throttle application but no front wheels spinning. Maybe just me? Its hard to tell from the audio but sounds like clutch slip too. That or the front drive shaft is slipping on the clutch shaft.

 

[smokee]

Hmm, thanks for that tech input. I bought the Slash used and it is a bit more clapped out than I expected. Funny that you noticed a front end issue considering the right front wheel fell off in my last run... The wheel nut was tight, checked pre-run. I had noticed that wheel was loose after the run before. I am going to make a maintenance parts list for my next hobby shop visit. Aluminum hubs, maybe diff rebuild kit? Maybe clutch surface or upgrade friction disc? I am still learning the specific maintenance needed for this car. Any thing else you would recommend while it's apart?

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

I have the same truck. Did the monster truck conversion at one point, now converted to a buggy. As a monster truck, those big heavy tires are kinda hard on that chassis. I went through a lot of axles, hubs, clutches, and drive shafts. I'm sure it had nothing to do with my driving/jumping/crashing . For the style of driving your doing its likely fine. Is that still the stock VXL system? Pretty sure I see the esc in the pics but not sure about the motor.

Did you have to re-gear it after adding all the camera gear?

The wheel nut should be put on with a small amount of blue loctite. They have a way of working loose. Did anything break?

 

[smokee]

For the style of driving your doing its likely fine. Is that still the stock VXL system? Pretty sure I see the esc in the pics but not sure about the motor.

Did you have to re-gear it after adding all the camera gear?

The wheel nut should be put on with a small amount of blue loctite. They have a way of working loose. Did anything break?

I do plan on pushing this setup pretty hard, it will never be a full throttle send basher tho. Still working out the weak points and limits. It is still stock vxl for now, that was fresh, that's why I bought it. Maybe a hobbywing upgrade at some point.
I have some gtr shocks to go on it. I was researching parts, next upgrade I think will be a center diff. Which means I should probably get steel axles in there. Do you have experience with the xo-1 axles? Worth the extra money?
It has a 13t pinion in it. Between the big tires and the weight, hard on the drivetrain.
I hadn't reapplied blue thread lock, still looked ok. The wheel nut looked pretty rough tho, so that didn't help. Just lost the hex, pin and washer. No biggie. Some scrapes on the aluminum knuckle.
Do you have any posts on your Slash setups?

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

I'm pretty new to this forum so I don't have a lot of stuff on here. I spend most of my free time bashing, crawling, or fixing what I broke bashing . Doesn't leave much time for posting info. I have a ton of pics for a build thread on a Capra I wanted to do and just have not had the time.

I've had my slash for 8 years now. Ran the first few years on the factory VXL sys and honestly, the factory motor isn't bad. Its the esc that's on the weak side which seems to be true for most of the Traxxas esc's. I went with a Castle mamba max pro kit and have been abusive to it for 5-6 years now with no issues. Ran monster truck tires for a while, then setup for on road speed runs, then back to short course setup, now running 17mm hex conversion and 1/8th scale buggy tires. I like the buggy setup the best as it seems to run a track pretty well and bash well which is what I enjoy the most.

I've tried about every axle out there. MIP's lasted the longest out of them all so far but are pretty heavy and pricey. I seemed to go through a lot of diff and hub bearings running MIP's. The HD steel axles from traxxas are what I'm running now and so far their great. Much lighter than the MIP's, and cheaper than the XO1 conversion. The XO1 axles didn't hold up well to bashing/off road use and also require different hubs and bearings. I think HD steel traxxas shafts are the best all around option.

I've ran a center diff and a slipper clutch and I like the clutch a lot better but NOT the factory clutch. Hot racing makes a good slipper clutch option that actually holds up to 3s bashing. The center diff does make the car handle marginally better at high speed but is a lot heavier than the clutch. Heavier means power loss and I didn't like it.

Do you have the upgraded aluminum motor mount? If not you'll need one. The factory plastic one tends to melt .

Also keep in mind that all my experience with this car is from me bashing hard. I'm not nice to it. I drive all my bashers like I stole them. You should see my outcast fly, its beautiful, lol.

 

[smokee]

I'm pretty new to this forum so I don't have a lot of stuff on here. I spend most of my free time bashing, crawling, or fixing what I broke bashing . Doesn't leave much time for posting info. I have a ton of pics for a build thread on a Capra I wanted to do and just have not had the time.

I've had my slash for 8 years now. Ran the first few years on the factory VXL sys and honestly, the factory motor isn't bad. Its the esc that's on the weak side which seems to be true for most of the Traxxas esc's. I went with a Castle mamba max pro kit and have been abusive to it for 5-6 years now with no issues. Ran monster truck tires for a while, then setup for on road speed runs, then back to short course setup, now running 17mm hex conversion and 1/8th scale buggy tires. I like the buggy setup the best as it seems to run a track pretty well and bash well which is what I enjoy the most.

I've tried about every axle out there. MIP's lasted the longest out of them all so far but are pretty heavy and pricey. I seemed to go through a lot of diff and hub bearings running MIP's. The HD steel axles from traxxas are what I'm running now and so far their great. Much lighter than the MIP's, and cheaper than the XO1 conversion. The XO1 axles didn't hold up well to bashing/off road use and also require different hubs and bearings. I think HD steel traxxas shafts are the best all around option.

I've ran a center diff and a slipper clutch and I like the clutch a lot better but NOT the factory clutch. Hot racing makes a good slipper clutch option that actually holds up to 3s bashing. The center diff does make the car handle marginally better at high speed but is a lot heavier than the clutch. Heavier means power loss and I didn't like it.

Do you have the upgraded aluminum motor mount? If not you'll need one. The factory plastic one tends to melt .

Also keep in mind that all my experience with this car is from me bashing hard. I'm not nice to it. I drive all my bashers like I stole them. You should see my outcast fly, its beautiful, lol.

That info is very helpful, thanks. I bought this Slash for this fpv project, so I'm still learning it. Glad to hear the Traxxas hd axles should do it. The car already has aluminum hub assemblies and decent bearings.

I have been looking at Castles Copperhead 10 combo. The sensored 1412-3200kv unit caught my eye. The advantage in low speed control would be huge running sensored. Might help with the some low end grunt to overcome the center diff sluggishness that you experienced at lower speeds...

Basically I want a vehicle that can do crawler type things at 3-5mph, but still rip up to 35-40mph for rally, monster buggy things. And to outrun dogs, . It won't be great at anything, but an all purpose machine. With that setup, on a 12 or 13t pinion, will likely need 3 or 4s to go as fast as I would like and have the low speed control. Your thoughts?

It does have an aluminum motor mount.

Do you have any video from your Outcast flights?
This Slash will never fly... Leap sure, glide probably... Flying would break everything lol

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

I like the copperhead series. I have the crawler combo in a Capra and it performs well. I would think the 2400kv combo would work better since its specifically for monster trucks, especially considering all the extra weight added, but I'm sure with correct gearing, either would be fine. I would think 3s would be plenty for either combo with what your doing. If an esc says 3-4s, I try to stay with 3s to be on the conservative side and not overwork the electronics. This especially applies to Traxxas esc's. If it says 3-4s, 3 will run warm, 4 will be fun for a min and then the magic smoke comes out .

Just a heads up, my black lab can pace my 4wheeler at 35mph. I've seen him hit 40 before but only in short bursts.

I have tons of video of jumping the outcast and xmaxx but I havn't gotten around to editing any of it. I'll try to get a youtube video up soon. Recently built a ramp and am finally getting pretty good at double front and back flips. Not hard once you get the hang of the air control. Hands down the most fun I've ever had with an RC car.

 

[smokee]

I like the copperhead series. I have the crawler combo in a Capra and it performs well. I would think the 2400kv combo would work better since its specifically for monster trucks, especially considering all the extra weight added, but I'm sure with correct gearing, either would be fine. I would think 3s would be plenty for either combo with what your doing. If an esc says 3-4s, I try to stay with 3s to be on the conservative side and not overwork the electronics. This especially applies to Traxxas esc's. If it says 3-4s, 3 will run warm, 4 will be fun for a min and then the magic smoke comes out .

Just a heads up, my black lab can pace my 4wheeler at 35mph. I've seen him hit 40 before but only in short bursts.

I have tons of video of jumping the outcast and xmaxx but I havn't gotten around to editing any of it. I'll try to get a youtube video up soon. Recently built a ramp and am finally getting pretty good at double front and back flips. Not hard once you get the hang of the air control. Hands down the most fun I've ever had with an RC car.

Cool, yeah I think the copperhead will be the way to go. I'll do some more research on gearing vs. kV efficiency, etc. I was looking more at the stats and if I went 3200kv, the 2s lipos I have have now would probably be quick enough to keep using for a bit. Then I wouldn't need to buy 3s right away. We'll see. But like you mentioned, the extra weight is factor. More research needed...

Oh yeah, I have experience with dog chasing... My old red heeler Kato was a mean chase. I have a mini Revo vxl that I upgraded and tuned just for him... Trained him to tear a Velcro flag off the back of the car so he wouldn't kill tires... Did it with him from 1 or 2yo until the last vid out west when he was 8yo. He passed last Nov. Solid dog. Miss that fiesty bugger...

Clip from when he was 2+ years old-

The last run we did out west. Low tide, Vancouver island-

Once you get up to those speeds, most dogs seem to just focus on chasing rather than attack/bite. Depends on the dog tho...

Cool stuff. Outcast and xmaxx are cool looking machines. I don't own any large scales yet. I was looking at the xmaxx. Do you have a favorite?
I would like to see your flying and flipping on YouTube! Haha

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

The flag on the back of the car is a cool idea. My lab (Max) just loves to run. He used to ride on the 4 wheelers when he was a puppy and quickly transitioned to running along side us when we ride. After a few months of that he was pretty well conditioned for long quick runs. We've temporarily relocated to a townhouse in the city while were building a new house on some property in the country but he still needs his exercise. I noticed every time I"d drive an rc car he'd run along with it so now I just take him to the local park and run laps. He loves it and it wears him out good. So far he's never tried to bite the car. He does bark at it if you dont go fast enough though.

Sorry to hear about Kato. Losing a member of the family can be tough, even if it is a 4 legged member. My condolences.

Of the two trucks, I think I like the Xmaxx better. The Outcast is faster, running the castle xlx2 and 1100 kv motor, but the Xmaxx is definitely more durable. I had a hobbywing max6 and 1100kv short can HW motor on it for a while but the esc smoked so I replaced the max6 with an xlx2. I'll likely go to the bigger motor soon as well. Then it should be comparable speed wise to the Outcast. The Outcast does fly better. Flips are easier and more controllable but for all out bashing, Xmaxx all the way.

 

[smokee]

The flag on the back of the car is a cool idea. My lab (Max) just loves to run. He used to ride on the 4 wheelers when he was a puppy and quickly transitioned to running along side us when we ride. After a few months of that he was pretty well conditioned for long quick runs. We've temporarily relocated to a townhouse in the city while were building a new house on some property in the country but he still needs his exercise. I noticed every time I"d drive an rc car he'd run along with it so now I just take him to the local park and run laps. He loves it and it wears him out good. So far he's never tried to bite the car. He does bark at it if you dont go fast enough though.

Sorry to hear about Kato. Losing a member of the family can be tough, even if it is a 4 legged member. My condolences.

Of the two trucks, I think I like the Xmaxx better. The Outcast is faster, running the castle xlx2 and 1100 kv motor, but the Xmaxx is definitely more durable. I had a hobbywing max6 and 1100kv short can HW motor on it for a while but the esc smoked so I replaced the max6 with an xlx2. I'll likely go to the bigger motor soon as well. Then it should be comparable speed wise to the Outcast. The Outcast does fly better. Flips are easier and more controllable but for all out bashing, Xmaxx all the way.

Haven't had any rc time lately, work, etc.

Thanks, yes it was a tough loss. Awesome memories though. That dog saw more of Canada and the US than many people

If you want to try it with Max, this is the setup I settled on. Very simple. The flag pole had to be rigid enough to keep it of the ground and behind the car, but flexible enough not to poke his eye out. Just a few layers of shrink tube on a length of rope, Velcro tab stitched to one end. The other end is tied/zip tied to the car bumper. The flag needs to be a material that dries easy... Slobber is a factor here, lol.
I initially trained him with the Velcro pole/flag in hand. Just waved around, tear it off, treats, etc. But I also did this out of necessity, if there was no flag on the car, Kato could only resist going for the tires for so long... He was a Red Heeler... Their job is to herd cattle by nipping their ankles, so... Yeah, he was probably a lot more intense than Max. Haha

I have been looking at picking up a new rc for a realistic fpv rig. Losi hammer Rey. From what I have seen, it works well with a few tweaks, sway bar, etc. I'll do a pan and tilt fpv setup.
Still want an xmaxx at some point for los runs


I have to get some more build update stuff here. No progress over the last week or so, but here are pics I haven't posted...

 

[smokee]

Another night run. Top speed on gravel and the video feed cut, lol... Also rolled it a couple times, snapped rear camera mount on the second one. All in all a fun rip