Rock Crawler for pipe video inspection

[mekul]

I'm not an RC guy, but I'm looking in to building a new kit because I think it will help me for a job I need to do. If you don't think this will work, please tell me why.

I do a lot of drone inspections in vessels and piping, but there are some situations where a drone is not the right choice. I need to inspect a horizontal concrete drain line that is about 150m long, 30" diameter and has possible build up in it. I am thinking a rock crawler build would be perfect for this.
I will install a HD camera on the car to capture all the images, but need some advice on the actual car.

I am thinking of using a Traxxas Sport / sport kit, but happy to hear any other options.
My main question is what radio controller is a good option for 150m+ range down a concrete pipe? What can I add to improve range?

I will also likely add a DJI / Caddx FPV set up to help drive the vehicle. Any thoughts on this also appreciated.

Thanks, Luke

 

[tntpoof]

300 feet you would be safe with just about any 2.4ghz radio Id go with a tracked vehicle.. and add a fishing line tether just on case a power failure.. 200lb premium braid on a deep sea high capacity reel on a rod your set....
https://idazzling.me/products/new-r...ping&msclkid=ae3797a4c50b1b000fbaf6a7194eb76a

 

[mekul]

Thanks mate, I looked at tracked to start with then saw a review that said heat + poor battery life would be an issue.
I reckon 30 minutes would be a good amount of time for what I would need. Would a S3 5000mAh battery last this long with tracks on?

 

[tntpoof]

I dont run 3 cells as most esc can't handle the extra voltage in it.. i stick with 2 cells.I have a custom built revo with tracks..its a 4 cell but esc and motor combo allow me to run 3 cells with my tracks..just because a rc says 3 cells doesn't mean it will holdup to a 3 cell..a rtr and a custom built rc are way different as you said b4 you had a trx4 in mind Id go with that just a larger mah battery is all.. id stick with 2 cells...just make sure they come with the Id plug on them...Id take your soon to be tool to a open parking lot to test its range and run time b4 use..every obstacle will lessen run time in the real world

 

[Greywolf74]

2S is what Id run in most trail trucks like the TRX4. If a 5000mAh lipo doesn't provide 30 minutes of run time you can try to rig a way for the kit to hold 2 of them and then you can run them in parallel for double the run time.

 

[Pat_ranch]

A Radiolink tx/rx setup will give you best range for your $$. Or if you wanna go cheap, the dumbo rc stuff has good range, too.

I actually prefer the battery life of 3s over 2s for my crawlers. The difference in runtime is pretty noticeable.

Since you're building it anyway, you could just put in an esc/motor combo that can handle the voltage. For simplicity I'd go with a hobbywing fusion foc 1800kv

 

[Chubaka]

The trx 4 should work. If truck is top heavy or uneven terrain, axials axles are supposed to get rid of torque twist.

In my crawler, I usually run brushed motors, and on 3s 5000+ mah. Runtime is usually atleast an hour.

I can't help too much on fpv.

If its dark and hard to see, pelican police flash light, or victagen 2300 lumen bicycle light and a talentcell battery should light it up!

 

[Greywolf74]

You'll most likely have to gear down the pinion in order to run 3S on that motor.

 

[TurboChargedHonda]

The TRX-4 Sport is a fine choice. The portal axles provide a lot of ground clearance, so it's harder to get stuck on obstacles. Keep in mind, if you are going with the kit, you will need electronics to power it (steering servo, motor, ESC, and matching receiver + radio). For the steering servo, a cheap 25kg servo (Amazon or eBay) will do if the terrain is flat, but if it's a bit rougher (lots of rocks/debris), getting something stronger like a 30kg or 35kg would be ideal (and more failsafe in case the steering gets bound up in rocks):
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GLMDJQ...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SBYZ4G5/ref=twister_B07S8WBPZT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

As for the motor and ESC, the cheapest and easiest option is to go with the stock system (no soldering required):
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/142893370348?epid=16022110586&hash=item21451bcbec:g:mfIAAOSw5KRbYkI2

However, if you don't mind spending a few dollars more and don't mind soldering, the Holmes Hobbies 21T 550 Trailmaster Sport motor and Hobbywing Quicrun 1080 ESC are much better than the stock system. The motor has more torque, runs smoother, runs cooler, runs more efficiently, ESC has more programming options, stronger internal BEC which can provide more power and amperage to steering (if steering servo can take 7.4V, set the BEC voltage on the 1080 ESC to 7.4V for stronger steering; no drawbacks with going with a higher voltage other than steering servo getting a little warmer, which isn't a problem).
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/122814685019?hash=item1c98535f5b:g:55wAAOSw2WBfc3Nn
- https://www.amazon.com/Hobbywing-El...g+1080&qid=1627661600&s=toys-and-games&sr=1-1

As for the radio system, the Dumbo RC radio and receiver will provide you more than enough range (400m) on the cheap. There are other higher-end options:
- https://www.amazon.com/DUMBORC-Tran...61782&s=toys-and-games&sr=1-3#customerReviews
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DPMVVK...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
- https://www.amazon.com/Flysky-Chann...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

As for 2s or 3s batteries, 3s batteries provide more speed and torque. On crawlers, the higher voltage doesn't really cause enough additional heat to worry about the gearing (since it's already geared so low), so it's fine to run on 3s without changing the gearing or anything. A 5000mah battery lasts me around 2-hours of run time on the trails, so it should be plenty.

Just an idea for lights (if they are needed), but you can use a lightbar, although I'm not sure if the Traxxas one is bright enough for your application.
- https://www.amazon.com/Traxxas-TRA8...ds=trx4+sport+light+bar&qid=1627662563&sr=8-5
If you are going with the light bar linked above, you will also need this:
- https://www.amazon.com/Traxxas-8028...upply&qid=1627662687&s=toys-and-games&sr=1-24
and if you are going to use the lights with the 1080 ESC, you will also need to solder a male JST connector to connect to the power supply:

All of the things above are just recommendations, and there are a lot more options than what we have brought up, so I highly recommend you do some additional research to see which options suit you better. Good luck with your new rig!

 

[Xraycer]

2S is what Id run in most trail trucks like the TRX4. If a 5000mAh lipo doesn't provide 30 minutes of run time you can try to rig a way for the kit to hold 2 of them and then you can run them in parallel for double the run time.

5000mAh should be no problem running even up to an hour, of you're just going less than 3mph.

A Radiolink tx/rx setup will give you best range for your $$. Or if you wanna go cheap, the dumbo rc stuff has good range, too.

I actually prefer the battery life of 3s over 2s for my crawlers. The difference in runtime is pretty noticeable.

Since you're building it anyway, you could just put in an esc/motor combo that can handle the voltage. For simplicity I'd go with a hobbywing fusion foc 1800kv

I will add the reliable and inexpensive Flysky GT series to the transmitter list as well.

 

[tntpoof]

id just go with what you was going to try to start and if you have problems then you can mod if needed. from listing you can run up to 7600mah.. but I'm sure there are some bigger batteries you can fit in tray even velcro battery strap it in.Id still put a fishing line on it..fpv should be ok..i knew this would takeoff when I replied..

 

[mekul]

Thanks for all the input, lots more things to look up now!

I will 3d print up a platform to mount to the chassis for lights and camera (won't be using the truck shell). I have some good LED lights with separate battery packs that I will use.

It's amazing how many options there are once you start looking in to something like this!