Is a mini worth spending the money on?
07-30-2015, 10:38 AM
#53
My wife just told me her ex was an RC car nut in the 80s, she said she knows all about how it takes over the garage/basement, providing another excuse for the guys to gather, drink beer, and tell lies. Now I know why she kinda rolls her eyes and walks away when the subject comes up. Lack of a firm NO is all the approval I need 
A hobby is a fun activity you throw money at. As long as your have that all-important WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor), you're good to go! To the poster from the Wisconsin hobby shop: Why do you say "Avoid Arrma"? Parts take a long time to get? Does your store carry the line? If a store carries a brand and doesn't stock commonly needed parts, that's a bad on the store, not the brand.
07-30-2015, 11:14 AM
#54
KC, get yerself an infra-red thermometer. An essential tool for your tool kit. It's good to monitor motor temps once in a while. Not only is it good for determining proper gearing, but it can clue you in to something that may be going on with the car, like a bearing that is seizing. Avoid running in thick grass, too much drag will overheat the motor. Short dry grass is ok.
I think you'll find that the 2wd Slash will teach you how to drive and counter-steer, it will make you a better driver. Indeed, the 2wd buggy class is usually the top racing class. You'll find that 4wd buggy a lot easier to drive, it'll spin out less, and you can be more ham-fisted with it. But those 4wd rigs need more maintenance. Which, if you like wrenching, is part of the fun.
You might want to consider getting into Lipo right off. (The RTR may come with a cheapo, low-capacity NiMh pack, and a crappy trickle charger) The modern XL-5 Traxxas speed controls have Lipo Low-Voltage Cutoff (you have to Enable it) so you can use Lipo batteries. The performance they have over NiMhs is significant. Happily for you, Traxxas has come out with an update to their Lipo packs: a battery connector that also houses the Lipo's balance taps. And a charger to take advantage of it. (I usually don't recommend them, but since you're going Traxxas anyway....) Their Lipos are not cheap, but they do test out well, in that their ratings are conservative. That is to say, their capacity and discharge ratings are better than what's on the label.
Lipos DO require a little knowledge. And here it is: Always use a Lipo charger. Always use the charger's Storage Mode to charge/discharge your pack to Storage voltage (about 3.80V per cell, the charger does this automatically). This is the chemistry's resting voltage, and will keep your Lipos healthy. Leaving Lipos fully charged will decrease their capacity and shorten their life. NEVER charge a Lipo on a NON-Lipo charger. Fire will result. And that's about it.
You might want to look thru this thread: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-c...ead-first.html
I think you'll find that the 2wd Slash will teach you how to drive and counter-steer, it will make you a better driver. Indeed, the 2wd buggy class is usually the top racing class. You'll find that 4wd buggy a lot easier to drive, it'll spin out less, and you can be more ham-fisted with it. But those 4wd rigs need more maintenance. Which, if you like wrenching, is part of the fun.
You might want to consider getting into Lipo right off. (The RTR may come with a cheapo, low-capacity NiMh pack, and a crappy trickle charger) The modern XL-5 Traxxas speed controls have Lipo Low-Voltage Cutoff (you have to Enable it) so you can use Lipo batteries. The performance they have over NiMhs is significant. Happily for you, Traxxas has come out with an update to their Lipo packs: a battery connector that also houses the Lipo's balance taps. And a charger to take advantage of it. (I usually don't recommend them, but since you're going Traxxas anyway....) Their Lipos are not cheap, but they do test out well, in that their ratings are conservative. That is to say, their capacity and discharge ratings are better than what's on the label.
Lipos DO require a little knowledge. And here it is: Always use a Lipo charger. Always use the charger's Storage Mode to charge/discharge your pack to Storage voltage (about 3.80V per cell, the charger does this automatically). This is the chemistry's resting voltage, and will keep your Lipos healthy. Leaving Lipos fully charged will decrease their capacity and shorten their life. NEVER charge a Lipo on a NON-Lipo charger. Fire will result. And that's about it.
You might want to look thru this thread: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-c...ead-first.html
07-30-2015, 11:51 AM
#55
Senior Member
Thread Starter
KC, get yerself an infra-red thermometer. An essential tool for your tool kit. It's good to monitor motor temps once in a while. Not only is it good for determining proper gearing, but it can clue you in to something that may be going on with the car, like a bearing that is seizing. Avoid running in thick grass, too much drag will overheat the motor. Short dry grass is ok.
I think you'll find that the 2wd Slash will teach you how to drive and counter-steer, it will make you a better driver. Indeed, the 2wd buggy class is usually the top racing class. You'll find that 4wd buggy a lot easier to drive, it'll spin out less, and you can be more ham-fisted with it. But those 4wd rigs need more maintenance. Which, if you like wrenching, is part of the fun.
You might want to consider getting into Lipo right off. (The RTR may come with a cheapo, low-capacity NiMh pack, and a crappy trickle charger) The modern XL-5 Traxxas speed controls have Lipo Low-Voltage Cutoff (you have to Enable it) so you can use Lipo batteries. The performance they have over NiMhs is significant. Happily for you, Traxxas has come out with an update to their Lipo packs: a battery connector that also houses the Lipo's balance taps. And a charger to take advantage of it. (I usually don't recommend them, but since you're going Traxxas anyway....) Their Lipos are not cheap, but they do test out well, in that their ratings are conservative. That is to say, their capacity and discharge ratings are better than what's on the label.
Lipos DO require a little knowledge. And here it is: Always use a Lipo charger. Always use the charger's Storage Mode to charge/discharge your pack to Storage voltage (about 3.80V per cell, the charger does this automatically). This is the chemistry's resting voltage, and will keep your Lipos healthy. Leaving Lipos fully charged will decrease their capacity and shorten their life. NEVER charge a Lipo on a NON-Lipo charger. Fire will result. And that's about it.
You might want to look thru this thread: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-c...ead-first.html
I think you'll find that the 2wd Slash will teach you how to drive and counter-steer, it will make you a better driver. Indeed, the 2wd buggy class is usually the top racing class. You'll find that 4wd buggy a lot easier to drive, it'll spin out less, and you can be more ham-fisted with it. But those 4wd rigs need more maintenance. Which, if you like wrenching, is part of the fun.
You might want to consider getting into Lipo right off. (The RTR may come with a cheapo, low-capacity NiMh pack, and a crappy trickle charger) The modern XL-5 Traxxas speed controls have Lipo Low-Voltage Cutoff (you have to Enable it) so you can use Lipo batteries. The performance they have over NiMhs is significant. Happily for you, Traxxas has come out with an update to their Lipo packs: a battery connector that also houses the Lipo's balance taps. And a charger to take advantage of it. (I usually don't recommend them, but since you're going Traxxas anyway....) Their Lipos are not cheap, but they do test out well, in that their ratings are conservative. That is to say, their capacity and discharge ratings are better than what's on the label.
Lipos DO require a little knowledge. And here it is: Always use a Lipo charger. Always use the charger's Storage Mode to charge/discharge your pack to Storage voltage (about 3.80V per cell, the charger does this automatically). This is the chemistry's resting voltage, and will keep your Lipos healthy. Leaving Lipos fully charged will decrease their capacity and shorten their life. NEVER charge a Lipo on a NON-Lipo charger. Fire will result. And that's about it.
You might want to look thru this thread: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-c...ead-first.html
If you were to recommend a 2WD SCT, what would you suggest?
Also, I am an obsessed RC pilot, I know about charging lipos.. but thank you for your comments.
07-30-2015, 11:53 AM
#56
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Your wife must really love you, to have an ex who was an RC nut, and still let you get into it. Bless her ever-lovin' heart! My wife was the one who actually got me into it! Now she says, "I've created a monster!" A hobby is a fun activity you throw money at. As long as your have that all-important WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor), you're good to go!
To the poster from the Wisconsin hobby shop: Why do you say "Avoid Arrma"? Parts take a long time to get? Does your store carry the line? If a store carries a brand and doesn't stock commonly needed parts, that's a bad on the store, not the brand.
A hobby is a fun activity you throw money at. As long as your have that all-important WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor), you're good to go! To the poster from the Wisconsin hobby shop: Why do you say "Avoid Arrma"? Parts take a long time to get? Does your store carry the line? If a store carries a brand and doesn't stock commonly needed parts, that's a bad on the store, not the brand.
07-30-2015, 04:15 PM
#57
Your wife must really love you, to have an ex who was an RC nut, and still let you get into it. Bless her ever-lovin' heart! My wife was the one who actually got me into it! Now she says, "I've created a monster!" A hobby is a fun activity you throw money at. As long as your have that all-important WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor), you're good to go!
A hobby is a fun activity you throw money at. As long as your have that all-important WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor), you're good to go!
07-30-2015, 06:18 PM
#58
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Remember the old LHS I went to had a optional receipt destruction service for married guys. They told the people if they ever needed a receipt for a warranty just return to the store, and they would print a new one as all purchases were stored by customer name in their system.
07-30-2015, 06:31 PM
#59
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Your wife must really love you, to have an ex who was an RC nut, and still let you get into it. Bless her ever-lovin' heart! My wife was the one who actually got me into it! Now she says, "I've created a monster!" A hobby is a fun activity you throw money at. As long as your have that all-important WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor), you're good to go!
To the poster from the Wisconsin hobby shop: Why do you say "Avoid Arrma"? Parts take a long time to get? Does your store carry the line? If a store carries a brand and doesn't stock commonly needed parts, that's a bad on the store, not the brand.
A hobby is a fun activity you throw money at. As long as your have that all-important WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor), you're good to go! To the poster from the Wisconsin hobby shop: Why do you say "Avoid Arrma"? Parts take a long time to get? Does your store carry the line? If a store carries a brand and doesn't stock commonly needed parts, that's a bad on the store, not the brand.
