Help a really noob dad on brushless RC

[Evofreak]

Hello everyone! I want to get my 9yr old son a brushless offroad so he could bash with my revo 3.3. I'm already familiar with nitro and really clueless with electric. Pls Help a dad up coz I want to surprise him one.

What are the differences between the nitro and brushless other than the motor?
How do you get reverse on electric?
Are all ESC the same?
Do you need fail safe on electric?
How much running time does electric get on a battery?
Pls tell me anything I should know.

Pls easy on me.

 

[alpinehyperlite]

What are the differences between the nitro and brushless other than the motor?
On an electric rig, there is only one servo. Steering. The ESC acts like the throttle/brake servo. There is a major difference in weight. The electric rig will most likely be much lighter due to no fuel tank, and electric motor will be much lighter than a nitro motor.

How do you get reverse on electric?
Reverse is basicly (if you have a "wheel" radio to push the trigger forward.

Are all ESC the same?
There are MANY differences in ESC's. Brushless ESC's such as the velenion (traxxas) and the Mamba series (castle creations) can control either brushless or brushed motors, while any Brushed ESC can only control brushed motors. There are many ESC's that have multiple programming options. The Castle Creations ESC's can be plugged into a computer and basicly program everything from the throttle curve, to brake curve, lipo cut off, drag brake and so much more, while more basic ESC's are preset with all options and cannot be changed. There are also different ESC's that can handle certain motors and voltages. Most stock ESC's can only take 6-7 NIMH or NICD batteries, or 2-3s lipo's. The ESC also determines how many "turns" a motor can take. The lower the T (turn) value, the faster the motor.

Do you need fail safe on electric?
Any rig needs a fail safe. Some receivers come with one built in (such as spektrum) that enable when battery loss or (rarely) signal loss.

How much running time does electric get on a battery?
There are too many variables to consider. Say you have a stock slash. Traxxas XL-5 ESC with Titan 12t brushed motor. If you run a 1800mah 6c (basic radio shack stick pack) you will only get like 4-5 minutes of slow runtime. But if you throw in a larger battery (4000-5000mah) you will be able to get upwards of 30 minutes or so. Say you have a Axial AX-10 crawler with a novac rooster crawler ESC and a 55t motor. With a 1320mah battery in it, you can get over an hour of runtime. It is all about the MAH of the battery, the ESC/motor combo and driving style.

Pls tell me anything I should know.

 

[beason]

Hello everyone! I want to get my 9yr old son a brushless offroad so he could bash with my revo 3.3. I'm already familiar with nitro and really clueless with electric. Pls Help a dad up coz I want to surprise him one.

What are the differences between the nitro and brushless other than the motor?
How do you get reverse on electric?
Are all ESC the same?
Do you need fail safe on electric?
How much running time does electric get on a battery?
Pls tell me anything I should know.

Pls easy on me.

a brushless uses an electric motor to run instead of a fuel burning nitro engine

on an electric rig, you just press reverse, the motor spins the other way, and it moves backward.

no not all esc are the same.

no failsafe, although some have built in lipo cutoffs so you dont blow up the battery

run time depends on the mah rating of the pack you choose. higher mah = longer runtime

the electric rigs have came a long way in recent years, and some can outrun most nitro rigs. brushless is more expensive but is better in the long run with less maintenance, and not having to replace brushes, or run the com on a layth


for a 9 year old with no experience, i would suggest a brushless stampede. they are big enough to run in grass and dirt, but not so big they will hurt you if you or he gets in the way. they are 2 wheel drive though so they dont take super rough terrain very well. the slash, and now 4x4 slash are pretty popular as well, but have less ground clearance then the stampede.

you could also do a summit, savage flux, or electric revo, but you talking big money then.

get a good namebrand pack, or two, and the highest mah rating you can afford. having two will help since you can run one while the other charges, but the higher the mah the longer charging takes.

in order to get the best out of a brushless, you really need lipo batteries. these will need a lipo compatible charger and balancer, and a little research in proper use and storage. they are also more expensive then nimh packs.

the only "support" equipment you would need with a brushless rig, is a good charger.

 

[Evofreak]

Thanks guys! A really good read.

I've seen videos on how fast electric go. Its way too fast for him yet. Is there somethin i could do to limit the speed? Will that increase the run time? I'm thinking of getting a 1/16 e-revo. Are they good? Any good price on charger/balancer? Recommend me a good electric basher fora good price! Just minor bashing/jumps.

 

[alpinehyperlite]

for a first rig, id either go with a brushed stampede, or a brushed slash

 

[Scrogg]

Any of the E-Revos would be a good truck IMO. He will outgrow the Stampede quickly, besides true off-road is 4wd! The 1/16th E-Revo brushless version is a rocket on Nimh batts, but I still recommend lipos. They are far superior and if you shop around you can find good lipos for the same price or less than Nimh packs.
I have the B6 charger of E-Bay, it's the same as most of the big name brands internally. just a different case. It will charge everything you ever need it too and it is idiot proof. It will alarm if you have done anything wrong and refuse to charge until you correct the issue.
This is the charger I have, I love it. People are catching on to them, the price is going up. I paid 50 shipped for this exact deal, Buy It Now Price.
http://cgi.ebay.com/IMAX-B6-Lipo-Ba...Control_Parts_Accessories?hash=item2a058e7b8f
Kyosho and Tamiya are coming out with some cool 4wd rigs as well. Parts are little higher and harder to find sometimes but they are very good quality cars.

 

[beason]

on the brushed stampede i have, the esc has a newb setting it limits the throttle to like 40%.

 

[hamz9561]

Most of the Traxxas electric rigs have a training mode that limits them to no more than half throttle.

 

[Evofreak]

I think I'm gonna go with stampede since the price of the e-revo is alot expensive specially for beginner. Now there is Stampede VXL and non VXL. VXL version is more expensive. what are the difference between the two versions.

Also one more thing. How is this charger? will it charge anything?

http://hobbyhobby.com/store/product/281659/X-charger-B6-Lipo-li-po-NiMH-PB-NiCd-Battery-Balan/

 

[beason]

the vlx is the brushless. the non vlx is a brushed motor

as far as the charger.. the specs look good, but its an off brand, so i can't vouch for the quality.

 

[hamz9561]

The VXL is the way to go with the 'Pede. With the ESC in training mode it will get your son used to driving the truck. When he's got the hang of driving it, you can then take it out of training mode and it will give your Revo a good run. The other benefit of the brushless is less maintenance and longer run times on a battery pack.

 

[Evofreak]

Ok i might go for vxl then. Does non vxl have training mode too? How often does a brushed motor require mentainance compare to the brushless? Does brushless need replacing from time to time or lifetime when taken care properly?

 

[hamz9561]

All of the current Traxxas ESCs have a training mode. As far as maintenance requirements, the brushed motors need a bit more care than the brushless. Eventually the brushes will need to be replaced. A brushless motor is basically maintenance free.

 

[Evofreak]

what is the average lifespan of brushless motor if taken care properly? Also about the stock battery of Stampede VXL how much run time? Does lipo give me more runtime?

 

[Scrogg]

Lipo gives more runtime plus a lot more "punch" with no dropoff in power until it's reached it's limit. then it will get real slow. That's when you stop using them and charge them. That charger you listed is the same as mine but has an internal power supply and cooling fan. It will be the only charger you ever need. I;d so go for it.
The E-Revo with two 12T motors would be a great rig, you could upgrade to brushless later. Don't get the Pede, they are tough and quick but he will not be able to follow your truck in rougher terrain.

 

[SMaxxin]

The Stampede is nice and it was my sons first rc but if the 1/16 e Revo would have been around at that time that would have been my choice instead of the stampede. The 1/16 e revo is a killer little rc, fast and pretty tough. It can also run two of the stock pack to double your run time...very nice!!!

If your budget allows this is my suggestion for a good start...the charger you linked should be fine and because it can charge up to 15 cells you can charge both packs at the same time with the parallel harness.

truck
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXWEP1**&P=ML

extra battery...run both at the same time for longer run times
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXXKV5&P=ML

Parallel Battery Connection Wire Harness
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXXKM9&P=M

 

[Metalhead Matt]

I seen an article for the Thunder Tiger Sparrow Hawk xt and it looks like a great beginner rig. It's brushed, but it's a 1/10 4x4 truggy. A brushless upgrade could be had in the future for around $60-70. Figured you might want to check it out. It comes with a 19t 550 motor. Which is fairly tame, but could be geared a tad higher. I'm not sure of the esc specs. I'm sure it would scoot pretty good with lipo power.

 

[jw_petras]

Best thing in the RC world is brushless!!
More efficiant, Easier on packs, Less headache period(but alot mor tempature sensitive!!!))

 

[Evofreak]

Ok i bought a used one for a good price. Came with two stock batteries and parallel harness. This thing is fast however i think the shocks bounces alot. I'm gonna open up the shock and replace the oil there. What do you recommend on oil to put for bashing. Thanks guys.

 

[beason]

which rig did you get? pics?