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returning to RC racing (offroad electric)
- Thread starter vegas7o2
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- Thread starter
- #22
We are excited and pleased to announce that Team Associated has agreed to sponsor the 4th annual King of Carpet Off-Road race that’s coming in August. Along with last years sponsor, Proline, and local sponsor Aliante’s Pool Service, this is shaping up to be one of the best carpet off-road races in the country and a great tune-up for the IOCC race that’s coming to Da 702 in Oct. For you that attended last year, you it was a full, fun weekend of racing, and this year, we hope its even bigger and better. Beside the great racing, the raffle prizes will be many. Some big ticket items have been made available, thanks to the sponsors, that we’ll keep as a surprise until race weekend.
- Thread starter
- #23
i had a yokomo 4wd buggy i got from a friend that had to sell it when he worked for a hobbystore otherwise that woulda been way out my price range as a kid then. just watching these youtube videos and man same poop diff day wtih these souped up buggies and people knowing howt o drive them. its like driving perfection. they make it look easy!
- Thread starter
- #24
are yall running 4000mah 5000mah??
someone linked me to one battery they ran. whats everyone running? curious to see what people are stocking and why. seems I'm not getting much responses places except here and still few between i may have to go down to the track and watch what people are using and ask questions in person
someone linked me to one battery they ran. whats everyone running? curious to see what people are stocking and why. seems I'm not getting much responses places except here and still few between i may have to go down to the track and watch what people are using and ask questions in person
- Thread starter
- #25
is this something as an example you all are using ->
gensacearespammers 4200mAh 7.4V 60C 2S2P HardCase Lipo Battery Shorty Pack
Regular price $39.99
??
IF NOT WHY I'm confused as to what to run and or not and why as of yet. all i know is that LiPo is new cell tech thats about it
gensacearespammers 4200mAh 7.4V 60C 2S2P HardCase Lipo Battery Shorty Pack
Regular price $39.99
??
IF NOT WHY I'm confused as to what to run and or not and why as of yet. all i know is that LiPo is new cell tech thats about it
- Thread starter
- #26
thinking about "pre ordering " this battery -> https://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=175
can anyone give me some insight? by the time i get anything else this should have shipped so I'm not worried bout it not being instock right this second.
my question is will this battery be good for 1:10 scale electric offroad(carpet) or is something else better?
can anyone give me some insight? by the time i get anything else this should have shipped so I'm not worried bout it not being instock right this second.
my question is will this battery be good for 1:10 scale electric offroad(carpet) or is something else better?
D3MON
Hardcore RCTalk User
wish i could help you with the LiPo Stuff as i am brand new to that world as well. definitely curious on what answers you receive about it as eventually i am going to switch my electric rigs over to lipo as well.
Sledgehog
RCTalk Champion
- Messages
- 181
- Reaction score
- 142
- Points
- 113
- Location
- New Hampshire, USA
- RC Driving Style
- Bashing
- Racing
13.5 Stadium truck or 17.5 2wd buggy are great places to start. If you like the vehicle design, stadium truck is the way to go IMO. It'll be faster and have more power with the 13.5 motor, and stadium trucks are way more forgiving to both drive and setup for the track, specially on dirt. 
Associated 6.1t or the TLR 22t are great vehicles to go with and you wound't go wrong with either.
Blinky refers to "spec" racing which just means all the cars will be running the same turn motors as opposed to mod or open classes which run anything you want. it's more 'even" playing field basically. 17.5 spec is 2wd buggy blinky class, 13.5 is both stadium truck and 4wd buggy blinky class.
Far as lipos go, 4000-5000mah isn't going to make much difference. it just refers to overall run time, and your races will never get close to using the whole battery as most races only run 5 minutes tops unless it's a special type of event. Just make sure you get a decent 2s lipo with a good C-rating, usually 80-100c which is the discharge rate.
I was the guy i think who linked you the batteries I use, which were these: https://www.amazon.com/Zeee-4600mAh-Hardcase-Connector-Vehicles/dp/B07F8T1NYQ
They are cheap and work great, and come with a deans (t-plug) adapter for charging which most chargers come with standard.
That battery you linked above from SMC is not a shorty pack, which most racing vehicles will require, and there's a 2s limit on class racing which is 7.4v, That's a 4s listed and not for use with 10th scale vehicles
You would want this one from this page listed as a "shorty" pack from SMC if you went with them as a brand: https://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?route=product/category&path=67_97
Associated 6.1t or the TLR 22t are great vehicles to go with and you wound't go wrong with either.
Blinky refers to "spec" racing which just means all the cars will be running the same turn motors as opposed to mod or open classes which run anything you want. it's more 'even" playing field basically. 17.5 spec is 2wd buggy blinky class, 13.5 is both stadium truck and 4wd buggy blinky class.
Far as lipos go, 4000-5000mah isn't going to make much difference. it just refers to overall run time, and your races will never get close to using the whole battery as most races only run 5 minutes tops unless it's a special type of event. Just make sure you get a decent 2s lipo with a good C-rating, usually 80-100c which is the discharge rate.
I was the guy i think who linked you the batteries I use, which were these: https://www.amazon.com/Zeee-4600mAh-Hardcase-Connector-Vehicles/dp/B07F8T1NYQ
They are cheap and work great, and come with a deans (t-plug) adapter for charging which most chargers come with standard.
That battery you linked above from SMC is not a shorty pack, which most racing vehicles will require, and there's a 2s limit on class racing which is 7.4v, That's a 4s listed and not for use with 10th scale vehicles
You would want this one from this page listed as a "shorty" pack from SMC if you went with them as a brand: https://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?route=product/category&path=67_97
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Sledgehog
RCTalk Champion
- Messages
- 181
- Reaction score
- 142
- Points
- 113
- Location
- New Hampshire, USA
- RC Driving Style
- Bashing
- Racing
Here's a quick vid of the indoor turf track I frequent in York, Maine. This is the 13.5 blinky Stadium truck class. Every car in this vid is either an Associated 6.1t or a TLR 22t with a 13.5 turn motor so you have an idea of what they look like going. Also keep in mind this is a small track with lots of turns so they are geared more for acceleration than overall speed.
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Sledgehog
RCTalk Champion
- Messages
- 181
- Reaction score
- 142
- Points
- 113
- Location
- New Hampshire, USA
- RC Driving Style
- Bashing
- Racing
And here's one of me running my 17.5 spec 2wd TLR 4.0 buggy during some practice (and doing terribly) haha. But it gives you an idea of the speed/power you're looking at with either class.
- Thread starter
- #31
awesome thanks so much had no idea what 13.5 meant etc.
i think I'm going to get the futaba 4pv, unless thats overkill if you can recommend a futaba radio that will do the job and a fraction of the cost maybe then i can buy 2 so me and my son can have one
i think I'm going to get the futaba 4pv, unless thats overkill if you can recommend a futaba radio that will do the job and a fraction of the cost maybe then i can buy 2 so me and my son can have one
- Thread starter
- #32
team Associated B74 4wd seems to be calling my name when it comes time to invest in a buggy, AFAIK the 2wd 6.1t is still looking good. I guess i need to go see the competition this weekend to find out whos running 4wd buggies etc
its been soooo long I'm out of the loop on the processes of everything, connecting motors if needing soldered, wires from speed controls, what servos to buy hi performance to increase turning back and forth as mentioned used to have an airotronics that was around $90 to help with this. in any case look forward to any replys thanks so much and those track videos are amazing!
its been soooo long I'm out of the loop on the processes of everything, connecting motors if needing soldered, wires from speed controls, what servos to buy hi performance to increase turning back and forth as mentioned used to have an airotronics that was around $90 to help with this. in any case look forward to any replys thanks so much and those track videos are amazing!
- Thread starter
- #33
figure if i get a 4wd buggy i can get a modified motor and race 2 classes with that, same as the 6.1t as they have a 13.5 blinky for both 4wd buggy and stadium truck as well as MOD for 4wd buggy and ST. that looks like where the money is
- Thread starter
- #34
if i got a b64 buggy would i still be able to get parts ? i read its discontinued - for the price it seems like a good way to go buying a used roller - but if there are going to be issues buying replacement parts etc thats no good
Sledgehog
RCTalk Champion
- Messages
- 181
- Reaction score
- 142
- Points
- 113
- Location
- New Hampshire, USA
- RC Driving Style
- Bashing
- Racing
Most cars are well supported after the fact, and like my TLR 4.0, most of the 'discontinued" parts have a direct replacement from the new 5.0 so they're still available, just the actual part number changes. Associated supports vehicles for years after and the aftermarket support is huge so it's a great choice to go with. Facebook has a lot of rc club and marketplace listings for RC stuff. In fact I got my own buggy as a roller on facebook marketplace.
Only reason I would say start with a 13.5 spec class is to get used to driving, then step up to mod or you may be off the track more than on it for a while. Plus the gap between you and the top drivers will be mainly driving skill and not what's being run in the cars themselves.
Some good servo brands, specifically for racing are Protek, Savox, Hi-tec, and Associated has their own electronics brand called Reedy as well which are pretty good.
Most common ESCs are Tekin (I have one of the Tekin R3 in my own car and liking it a lot so far), SMC has great electronics, and Hobbywing (but stay way from their low end stuff). Again there's a lot of other companies but those being the most common, it'll be easy for you to get help setting them up if need be and lots of people at the track will have a program card on hand if needed.
Motors, there's a ton of great companies. Most also offer esc/motor combos that work well together.
Soldering will require you to connect wires to the motor and in some cases the ESC, but that depends on what you get. Most of the Hobbywings come pre-attached to the ESC and just require motor soldering. Tekins always require soldering the ESC as well. But all of them come with the required wires and stuff in the box so don't worry about having to get your own unless you want specific colors or something like that.
The Futaba 4Pv is a great radio and will last you well into your racing career. I was just suggesting lower models because I didn't know what your budget was like.
For tools, you'll want a set of hex drivers usually between 1.5-3.0mm as standard. MIP are the best out there but pricey. But the old RC adage is "buy cheap, buy twice"
I started out with these: https://www.amazon.com/NEEWER®-Titanium-Nitride-Driver-Wrench/dp/B00CP2GGBI
Havent rounded out on me yet though!
You'll also need a decent set of nut drivers, usually between 4-8mm. Again MIP is the way to go but I have these and again, no issues so far:
https://www.amazon.com/Dynamite-Metric-Nut-Driver-Assortment/dp/B000BQ4XPQ
An electric nut driver or screwdriver can be a godsend but remember, ALWAYS finish tightening by hand or you're bound to start stripping things out.
I use this one as well as a lot of guys at my track:
https://www.amazon.com/HAMMERHEAD-Rechargeable-Screwdriver-Patented-Innovative/dp/B01CTMEBRE
And this set of bits for it:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/8-Piece-He...nk-impact-driver-drill-metric-mm/142905081022
Also you'll NEED a heat temp gun. temping your esc and motor is key to setting up your car properly, making sure nothing is going awry with your electronics, and that you're gearing appropriately.
Again. I use this one personally and no issues:
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-774-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00837ZGRY
Those are the "big ones" besides the general stuff like spares and whatnot. You'll want to have spare hardware in case something comes loose and you lose it or you strip it out, most common spare parts that break like shock towers and A-arms for sure, and wheels and tires appropriate for your track. They will wear out and you will need to replace them occasionally. You'll also probably want a few different sized pinion gears and a few spur gears to be able to setup your car to your track, or others you may find and go to in the future.
The biggest two things you need to know are:
1) SLOW IS FAST. Race the track, not the other racers at first and concentrate on consistent laps without needing a marshal to flip you
Also, never get mad at a marshal for being too slow or anything like that. You're the one that screwed up and flipped, not them.
2) Don't be shy about asking for help, specially if there are team drivers at your track. Part of their sponsorship is to promote the hobby and help newcomers. It's literally their JOB to help answer your questions and help out. Unless they are elitist pricks, the majority of them are happy to talk your ear off, offer tips, and share their setups with you. Plus most manufacturer website like Associated have all their top drivers' setups right online you can copy for your track type if need be.
I'm sure I'll post more as I think of them. I'm still kind of a new racer as well and trust me, I wish I had someone to tell me all of this when I started out too. but luckily I have two tracks I frequent, both with amazing people always willing to help out!
Only reason I would say start with a 13.5 spec class is to get used to driving, then step up to mod or you may be off the track more than on it for a while.
Plus the gap between you and the top drivers will be mainly driving skill and not what's being run in the cars themselves.Some good servo brands, specifically for racing are Protek, Savox, Hi-tec, and Associated has their own electronics brand called Reedy as well which are pretty good.
Most common ESCs are Tekin (I have one of the Tekin R3 in my own car and liking it a lot so far), SMC has great electronics, and Hobbywing (but stay way from their low end stuff). Again there's a lot of other companies but those being the most common, it'll be easy for you to get help setting them up if need be and lots of people at the track will have a program card on hand if needed.
Motors, there's a ton of great companies. Most also offer esc/motor combos that work well together.
Soldering will require you to connect wires to the motor and in some cases the ESC, but that depends on what you get. Most of the Hobbywings come pre-attached to the ESC and just require motor soldering. Tekins always require soldering the ESC as well. But all of them come with the required wires and stuff in the box so don't worry about having to get your own unless you want specific colors or something like that.
The Futaba 4Pv is a great radio and will last you well into your racing career. I was just suggesting lower models because I didn't know what your budget was like.
For tools, you'll want a set of hex drivers usually between 1.5-3.0mm as standard. MIP are the best out there but pricey. But the old RC adage is "buy cheap, buy twice"
I started out with these: https://www.amazon.com/NEEWER®-Titanium-Nitride-Driver-Wrench/dp/B00CP2GGBI
Havent rounded out on me yet though!
You'll also need a decent set of nut drivers, usually between 4-8mm. Again MIP is the way to go but I have these and again, no issues so far:
https://www.amazon.com/Dynamite-Metric-Nut-Driver-Assortment/dp/B000BQ4XPQ
An electric nut driver or screwdriver can be a godsend but remember, ALWAYS finish tightening by hand or you're bound to start stripping things out.
I use this one as well as a lot of guys at my track:
https://www.amazon.com/HAMMERHEAD-Rechargeable-Screwdriver-Patented-Innovative/dp/B01CTMEBRE
And this set of bits for it:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/8-Piece-He...nk-impact-driver-drill-metric-mm/142905081022
Also you'll NEED a heat temp gun. temping your esc and motor is key to setting up your car properly, making sure nothing is going awry with your electronics, and that you're gearing appropriately.
Again. I use this one personally and no issues:
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-774-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00837ZGRY
Those are the "big ones" besides the general stuff like spares and whatnot. You'll want to have spare hardware in case something comes loose and you lose it or you strip it out, most common spare parts that break like shock towers and A-arms for sure, and wheels and tires appropriate for your track. They will wear out and you will need to replace them occasionally. You'll also probably want a few different sized pinion gears and a few spur gears to be able to setup your car to your track, or others you may find and go to in the future.
The biggest two things you need to know are:
1) SLOW IS FAST. Race the track, not the other racers at first and concentrate on consistent laps without needing a marshal to flip you
Also, never get mad at a marshal for being too slow or anything like that. You're the one that screwed up and flipped, not them.
2) Don't be shy about asking for help, specially if there are team drivers at your track. Part of their sponsorship is to promote the hobby and help newcomers. It's literally their JOB to help answer your questions and help out. Unless they are elitist pricks, the majority of them are happy to talk your ear off, offer tips, and share their setups with you. Plus most manufacturer website like Associated have all their top drivers' setups right online you can copy for your track type if need be.
I'm sure I'll post more as I think of them. I'm still kind of a new racer as well and trust me, I wish I had someone to tell me all of this when I started out too. but luckily I have two tracks I frequent, both with amazing people always willing to help out!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #37
thank you soooo much this was VERY informative and helpful - I'm def going to cheap out on those tools and if i have an issue later buy again, no point in paying 3-4x as much. I had tools that were cheaper than that before and while some worked better than others there wasn't a real issue with them for the most part. Tekin has been around quite a while - guess thats a name you can trust. Sad to see novak isnt making products anymore they were a big brand those orange little boxes were fun to look at i suppose lol -
I'm going to try to get a used 3pv radio on sale used and then pickup another one so we can have two radios for around the price of a new 4pv etc. I figure if i need to upgrade later I will. I clearly remember the skill aspect being the biggest factor in racing. however in the stock truck class i raced again these older guys were souping things up that probably shouldnt have been it was hard to understand how they always had an advantage in addition to the driving skills they had which agreed is the huge majority of everything.
when I was younger i was real impatient now that I'm buying everything with my own money I think i wont have much a problem learnign the track as you said and finally getting mad at the track marshalls would be foolish and wrong thanks for the heads up! totally understand
that electronic screw driver with what appears to be wire stripper is amazing. should i be able to get the radio on sale as I'm hoping ill def have to pick that up along with the other things you mentioned. no clue what i did with the multiple plano boxes I bought to store containers for spare parts . such a shame to have gotten rid of all that but either way the sport grows and changes so it was only a matter of time anyways i suppose.
question i had was whats the difference really between t5m truck and the t6.1 ? bit confused there
also confused on these 11v or 7.4 batts and what advantage one would have etc
seems i will need around 3-5 batteries at least in order to not get tired and or have down times etc
I'm going to try to get a used 3pv radio on sale used and then pickup another one so we can have two radios for around the price of a new 4pv etc. I figure if i need to upgrade later I will. I clearly remember the skill aspect being the biggest factor in racing. however in the stock truck class i raced again these older guys were souping things up that probably shouldnt have been it was hard to understand how they always had an advantage in addition to the driving skills they had which agreed is the huge majority of everything.
when I was younger i was real impatient now that I'm buying everything with my own money I think i wont have much a problem learnign the track as you said and finally getting mad at the track marshalls would be foolish and wrong thanks for the heads up! totally understand
that electronic screw driver with what appears to be wire stripper is amazing. should i be able to get the radio on sale as I'm hoping ill def have to pick that up along with the other things you mentioned. no clue what i did with the multiple plano boxes I bought to store containers for spare parts . such a shame to have gotten rid of all that but either way the sport grows and changes so it was only a matter of time anyways i suppose.
question i had was whats the difference really between t5m truck and the t6.1 ? bit confused there
also confused on these 11v or 7.4 batts and what advantage one would have etc
seems i will need around 3-5 batteries at least in order to not get tired and or have down times etc
- Thread starter
- #38
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Explosio...MIlOilypGI4wIViMpkCh2b1wYIEAQYAyABEgKrZvD_BwE
these lipo storage bags at walmart are cheap and look to do the job fine
these lipo storage bags at walmart are cheap and look to do the job fine
D3MON
Hardcore RCTalk User
11.1V is 3 cell lipo (3s), 7.4v is 2 cell lipo (2s)
I'm going to have to say, get good tools, i used to follow your aspect, but after so many screws being stripped and stuck, etc. i dont think i could ever use the softer metal (cheaper) ones, I've ended up destroying parts worth more than the nice tools are worth just because of a stripped screw that wouldnt come out. including engine brace on my LST, engine mounts, diff cups, transmission set screws, etc.
i am really liking Dynamite hex drivers
https://www.amainhobbies.com/dynami...vpVKQW6Cd-awpDcjypE9_SqfjNyAu7MRoC5UAQAvD_BwE
do not get round (ball ones)
with the dynamite ones you can buy replacement tips as well for around 4$
I'm going to have to say, get good tools, i used to follow your aspect, but after so many screws being stripped and stuck, etc. i dont think i could ever use the softer metal (cheaper) ones, I've ended up destroying parts worth more than the nice tools are worth just because of a stripped screw that wouldnt come out. including engine brace on my LST, engine mounts, diff cups, transmission set screws, etc.
i am really liking Dynamite hex drivers
https://www.amainhobbies.com/dynami...vpVKQW6Cd-awpDcjypE9_SqfjNyAu7MRoC5UAQAvD_BwE
do not get round (ball ones)
with the dynamite ones you can buy replacement tips as well for around 4$
Sledgehog
RCTalk Champion
- Messages
- 181
- Reaction score
- 142
- Points
- 113
- Location
- New Hampshire, USA
- RC Driving Style
- Bashing
- Racing
The S number on Lipo batteries are literally how many cells are inside the wrap/case. So if you ripped one open, you would see a 2s has 2 cells stacked together, a 4s has 4, etc.
Single cells are 3.7v each which is where the total voltage comes from for each S number.
2s is 3.7v x 2 = 7.4v total voltage
3s is 3.7v x 3 = 11.1v total voltage, and so on.
Tracks have a 2s (7.4v) requirement for 10th scale. 1/8th scale has a limit of 4s. Anything else is used for other aspects of the hobby such as bashing or crawling. But for racing specifically you're only dealing with 2s for 1/10 and 4s for 1/8
You can use whatever C rating you like on the batteries you get, the higher generally better, but you also reach a point where the rating is mostly marketing fluff and your esc will still only draw what it needs.
As far as there seeming to be an advantage in spec/stock class racing, there's little advanced tricks you can do as well such as motor timing, esc timing, charging batteries at super high amps to increase discharge rate (which i don't recommend) and things like that. I haven't gotten too in depth with that stuff yet and it's all well past the amateur level of things. Just make sure you get a motor that has a timing feature. it's the easiest way to dial in a car to your track and adjust top end/acceleration without changing all your gearing.
There's some really good youtubers who have great resources on the racing aspect. One of my favs that I would highly recommend is Ryan Harris from the Jconcepts team. He has a lot of informative info and his event coverage is really nice because he talks you through exactly how he's setting up his car, changing his driving style, and preparation at each race then shows you the actual qualifiers and mains, plus he's just a super nice guy it seems. he races 17.5 2wd spec, 13.5 stadium truck and 13.5 4wd at most of the events he attends.
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrxstiles/videos
Here's a good one to watch as it answers your question above directly.
Single cells are 3.7v each which is where the total voltage comes from for each S number.
2s is 3.7v x 2 = 7.4v total voltage
3s is 3.7v x 3 = 11.1v total voltage, and so on.
Tracks have a 2s (7.4v) requirement for 10th scale. 1/8th scale has a limit of 4s. Anything else is used for other aspects of the hobby such as bashing or crawling. But for racing specifically you're only dealing with 2s for 1/10 and 4s for 1/8
You can use whatever C rating you like on the batteries you get, the higher generally better, but you also reach a point where the rating is mostly marketing fluff and your esc will still only draw what it needs.
As far as there seeming to be an advantage in spec/stock class racing, there's little advanced tricks you can do as well such as motor timing, esc timing, charging batteries at super high amps to increase discharge rate (which i don't recommend) and things like that. I haven't gotten too in depth with that stuff yet and it's all well past the amateur level of things. Just make sure you get a motor that has a timing feature. it's the easiest way to dial in a car to your track and adjust top end/acceleration without changing all your gearing.
There's some really good youtubers who have great resources on the racing aspect. One of my favs that I would highly recommend is Ryan Harris from the Jconcepts team. He has a lot of informative info and his event coverage is really nice because he talks you through exactly how he's setting up his car, changing his driving style, and preparation at each race then shows you the actual qualifiers and mains, plus he's just a super nice guy it seems. he races 17.5 2wd spec, 13.5 stadium truck and 13.5 4wd at most of the events he attends.
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrxstiles/videos
Here's a good one to watch as it answers your question above directly.
