Hints and tips

[Moggie 28]

Hi all i am moggie (phill)
I have just bought my grandson a wolf hdk buggy .we have been out for a run a few times and it starts off quite qjick but in no time at all it is short of power .any ideas what i could do to improve run time...thanks

 

[Chubaka]

Welcome to the site. What kind of battery are you running? Is it brushed or brushless?

 

[Moggie 28]

It's brushed thebattery came with the car

 

[Moggie 28]

Thank's for the welcome ..any idea's will be taken on board ..it seem's to drop off on power in mins ..

 

[Moggie 28]

Thank's for the welcome .
The battery is brushed so is the motor .they came in the car together...hope this help's..

 

[CertifiedMike]

Welcome to RCTALK.COM!!!

The batteries you got with the RC may be NiMH batteries. They work ok but are heavy and some may argue they are outdated compared to lighter weight, higher capacity lipo battery packs that most ppl use now.

Do you have a picture of the decal on the battery or of the pack itself? Any specs from HDK or a link?

Do you have a multimeter to test the pack voltage prior to running to verify that its 100% charged?

Did you buy the buggy new? Is it possible any components have been swapped?

What surface are you running on? Long grass=short run time! Its not great for the buggy.

Do you have a temp gun? Can you check your esc and motor temps during the run? Excessive heat means short run times too.

 

[RustyUs]

I'm gonna shoot from the hip here: The 1800mAh NiMh pack is probably the culprit for your shorter runtimes. I think your best bet is to buy a larger capacity NiMh pack and have fun with your buggy. Upgrade to LiPo battery and brushless motor setup when you and your grandson feel comfortable doing so.

 

[PonkyKong]

I suggest enjoying this unit as it is. Investing only if he continues to enjoy it and shows anticipation of a higher quality RC. At that point I would look at a more premium name brand RC. Then begin the hobby with Lipos and upgrade parts. Since it's a very nuanced hobby and the play area terrain makes a big difference in what is useful and fun. He can learn to repair and upgrade things and there are a lot of gift options since upgrades start at 10 dollars. It is a hobby where you break and fix stuff.

 

[Brian74]

An 1800mah nimh battery and a 550 brushed motor I'd guess around 10 minutes if you're lucky.

 

[Moggie 28]

Welcome to RCTALK.COM!!!

The batteries you got with the RC may be NiMH batteries. They work ok but are heavy and some may argue they are outdated compared to lighter weight, higher capacity lipo battery packs that most ppl use now.

Do you have a picture of the decal on the battery or of the pack itself? Any specs from HDK or a link?

Do you have a multimeter to test the pack voltage prior to running to verify that its 100% charged?

Did you buy the buggy new? Is it possible any components have been swapped?

What surface are you running on? Long grass=short run time! Its not great for the buggy.

Do you have a temp gun? Can you check your esc and motor temps during the run? Excessive heat means short run times too.

 

[Moggie 28]

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Hiya guy's
The buggy is brand new .straight out of the box the pics are of the battery that came with it the other pic is as you can see the stock motor with it ..the run time was not much longer than 10mins ..any ideas how to improve things for a longer run time ..also we run it on like a loose gravel type area ..

 

[Mo Powah]

Unless you want to go brushless and use lipo you could just stock up on some larger capacity NiMh batteries.

 

[CertifiedMike]

You can use a lipo pack in there but you need to move a jumper on your esc. This enables a low voltage cutoff. Its very important to have this jumper switched before you start using a lipo.

Here's a video of what you need to do and what to expect for the change. (Its not hard to do)

Stay with 2s for now I think.

May I ask, is your grandson old enough to understand things like battery safety and that stopping when the beep happens is VERY important?

Would he be under your supervision during use?

If so, the lipo will give you more speed, longer run times and is lighter weight too. It would be a good upgrade.

Charging lipo requires a different type of charger and supervision too.

Your issue is the battery for certain. 1800 mah is really just too small.

Loose gravel is a bit harsh if it gets stuck in components or the gears. Otherwise your buggy is right at home on a surface like this.

If you opt to upgrade your buggy, a brushless system is the way to go.

 

[Moggie 28]

You can use a lipo pack in there but you need to move a jumper on your esc. This enables a low voltage cutoff. Its very important to have this jumper switched before you start using a lipo.

Here's a video of what you need to do and what to expect for the change. (Its not hard to do)

Stay with 2s for now I think.

May I ask, is your grandson old enough to understand things like battery safety and that stopping when the beep happens is VERY important?

Would he be under your supervision during use?

If so, the lipo will give you more speed, longer run times and is lighter weight too. It would be a good upgrade.

Charging lipo requires a different type of charger and supervision too.

Your issue is the battery for certain. 1800 mah is really just too small.

Loose gravel is a bit harsh if it gets stuck in components or the gears. Otherwise your buggy is right at home on a surface like this.

If you opt to upgrade your buggy, a brushless system is the way to go.

Thanks for the info ..he would be under supervision ..although he is almost 12yrs old and quite tech savvy..i will take him out a few more time's as it is and in the mean time shop around for a few upgrade's ..cheer's for the video ..greatley appreciated..

 

[CertifiedMike]

Thanks for the info ..he would be under supervision ..although he is almost 12yrs old and quite tech savvy..i will take him out a few more time's as it is and in the mean time shop around for a few upgrade's ..cheer's for the video ..greatley appreciated..

Do make sure you read up about lipo safety and dangers before you decide.
I use lipos as do lots of other ppl here. If used correctly, I think they can be also be used safely.

Sounds like he would be up to learning.

Good luck! Let us know what you do and what your results are.

 

[CertifiedMike]

I use a Hota D6 Pro charger with CNHL 2s lipo batteries. I recommend both.

 

[Moggie 28]

I'm gonna shoot from the hip here: The 1800mAh NiMh pack is probably the culprit for your shorter runtimes. I think your best bet is to buy a larger capacity NiMh pack and have fun with your buggy. Upgrade to LiPo battery and brushless motor setup when you and your grandson feel comfortable doing so.

Thank's will look into the new battery .it seems like the easier thing to try first ..

 

[Moggie 28]

I use a Hota D6 Pro charger with CNHL 2s lipo batteries. I recommend both.

Thank's will look into the new battery .it seems like the easier thing to try first ..

Do make sure you read up about lipo safety and dangers before you decide.
I use lipos as do lots of other ppl here. If used correctly, I think they can be also be used safely.

Sounds like he would be up to learning.

Good luck! Let us know what you do and what your results are.

Will do ...fingers crossed ..thaks for the info

I'm gonna shoot from the hip here: The 1800mAh NiMh pack is probably the culprit for your shorter runtimes. I think your best bet is to buy a larger capacity NiMh pack and have fun with your buggy. Upgrade to LiPo battery and brushless motor setup when you and your grandson feel comfortable doing so.

 

[Jerold]

Welcome to RCT!