ShotgunTC88

My Feedback: (3)

Hey guy's,

I got a Firehammer comin when they get em at TowerHobbies,

I just wondered how many of you that have one can still get along with the Futaba that come's with it without to many probs of interference?

I don't want to sink more money in a new radio right now, I would just like to have some fun and not get "hits" from the motor alot[:@]


Thanks man

Shotgun

funshawstud

I have to say that the radio is cheep.
BUT !
I can honestly say I have never had a problem with interference of any kind, lots of range to.
Dont know about any of the others but I dont think you will have to change it unless ya want to.
Mike

Featherpluckin

My Feedback: (6)

Go ahead use the futaba its a nice radio not the most techically advanced but it has lots of range have not had any glitching problems with it. and have fun

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

The Futaba FM radio is decent. Although it is a discontinued model.

The important thing to do is check the installation quality. As is the rule for all RTR's. I opened up my Firehammer's radio box so I could insulate the opening where all the wires exit the box and also to "fix" the battery wire which the factory assembler had pinched in the box by not running it through the opening made for the wires. When I opened it up, I found the wires for the steering servo had been pinched, crushed, and nearly cut clean through by the mounting tab and screw for the radio box cover. Just sloppy assembly but I gaurantee the steering would have failed shortly after a few rough bumps while driving. I had to cut and splice the harness to make a repair.

As for glitching, I found some areas that need attention right away before even running the model. The throttle linkage wire rubs on the engine case bolts and this metal-metal contact causes radio glitching. I added some heatshrink tubing to that part of the wire to insulate it. And the Tech Notice that is included in the kit mentions to use threadlocker on the engine mounting screws. However, the engine mount is plastic and you cannot use threadlocker on plastic. I contacted Duratrax about it and they have since removed the notice from their website:

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

Please disregard the notice.The screws do thread into the plastic
mounts and would not need any type of thread locking compound.
We do appologize for any confusion this may have caused.

Sincerely,
Warwren
Product Support Technician
>>> "Tom Keliher" <[email protected]> 3/20/2005 6:17:32 PM >>>
Hello,

I just received my Firehammer from Tower Hobbies. In the packaging, as
well as on your website, you include this information:

Threadlock Application
If you experience the engine mounting screws coming loose while running
your gas buggy, it is a good idea to use a small amount of DuraTrax
Pit-Tech Threadlocker (DTXR2010) on each of the four engine mount bolts.
Refer to the exploded parts view for the location of these bolts that
insert through the bottom of the chassis, into the engine mount. To
easily apply the Threadlocker, be sure the gas engine is in the correct
mounting position by checking the gear mesh of the diff gear and
transfer gear. Remove one bolt at a time, apply the Threadlocker and
securely tighten the bolt back into the engine mount. Do this with all
four bolts.


Checking my model, I have four sheetmetal type screws going through the
underside of the chassis into the motor mounts which are Stress Tech
plastic parts, No's 138 and 140. Thread lock chemicals are not to be
used on plastics. I am wondering about this tech bulletin and the
discrepancy I came across. Please advise.

Sincerely,

Tom Keliher

ElectronJunk

Two gallons thru my buggy and the radio is still working great. Don't fix or replace it if it isn't broke.

ShotgunTC88

My Feedback: (3)

Hey guy's,

Many thanks for the reassurance!!

Years ago I flew Helicopters (Wanna REALLY spend some dough on crashes?...........LOL!)
I was sponsered by MinitureAircraft (X-Cell Heli's) and when they first introduced the .23 Zenoha gas Heli the dam thing gave me fit's on F.M!!
(I guess you could say us Reps were "Beta Testers" for em,..Hee,hee)

I ended up buying a $1000 Futaba Z P.C.M radio with all the bells and whistles!

Glitch was "Solved"!!

Well a week later after an inverted flight that went a wee bit TOO inverted <G>..............,

During the following teardown/rebuild I found a Bearing that had slop so I took it and mounted it on the MainShaft and stuck it in a Dremal tool next to the old F.M (cheapie) Reciever and......

Yep, Servo's went apesht!!!!

It was most likly the cause of the previous interferance!!!!.........LOL!



At least if the econo radio decides to get a few hit's (which now Im not too spooked thanks to you fella,s<GG>)

It can't chop my head off!!!!


Thanks for the warm welcome and peace of mind!

(Now to start spendin wifeys money on some mods....Hee,hee)


Shotgun

islandmu

Hi to all rc addicts. Need help getting me back on the track . I have purchased a Duratrax Firehammer and after a month of fun the car intends to stop and go on the throttle, I have replaced my radio to a Futaba 3PM-FS Pro still same problem. And also when i start playing the car has fool power after a minute or two the car starts to slow down when i pump the prime ball it gains speed only for a minute or two so i have to keep pumping.One more thing i have a loud grinding sound when tires are on the ground on fool throttle, their are times the car runs smooth no grinding, and also when tires are not on the ground on fool throttle no grinding sound i have opened my transmission looks good no wear at all spacers are intact. PLEASE HELP ME GET BACK ON THE TRACK NEED SOME FUN. Your help will be greatly appreciated Thank you []

huw4027

I am experiencing the same problem with the grinding noise when tires are on the ground.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4994325/tm.htm

hellya

when you do need a new radio get the spectrum DX3 it come with a built in fail safe, no crystals, no glitching ... no shared signal mishaps !!! ... Automatically assigns a digital signal to your car or truck and LOCKS IT OUT TO ALL OTHER RADIOS !!!


About $200 or less on ebay

kengentry5000

My Feedback: (2)

The grinding noise could be bad gear mesh between the differential ring gear (large gear in back) and the mating layshaft gear. To adjust this mesh you need to

1. Loosen the engine by backing out the 4 screws on the bottom of the chassis - you want them loose but don't remove them.
2. Put a double thick piece of paper about 6 inches long and 1/4" wide in between these gears by feeding the paper while spinning the gears to sandwich the paper between
3. Stand the car on its butt and wiggle the engine so that it can move backward to tighten the mesh
4. Leaving the car on its butt tighten the engine mount screws.
5. Feed the paper out of the gear mesh.

fg-hopups.com (hellya) sells the HobbyThek alloy engine mounts. These will replace the plastic mounts and solve the problem completely.

You can also remove the plastic mounts. Drill them out just slightly smaller than an M5 machine screw and then use M5 machine screws (preferably with hex drive) in these mounts. The tighter threads will hold better. I used a M5x20mm (or 25mm) for the back screw on the large mount and used an M5 long enough to go through the front screw position completely but not long enough to hit the bottom of the engine. There is another screw on the large engine mount for the rear metal bracket that holds the engine. This screw runs into a longer rear screw. You will need to run in the bracket screw just enough to hold the engine, run the mount screw all the way in and then run the bracket screw all the way in. Pain in the neck but it keeps the engine mount screw from having it's threads scraped off by that bracket screw.

hndaman1

My Feedback: (6)

When I had my Firehammer, I noticed a ton of glitchin (this was with my 29cc BB) and with the stocker zero problems, come too find out at the track there was some old piping that was buried in the ground that was causing the issues. I ended up Buying a Specktrum radio cause I was sick of the Glitchin problem. I know some are going to say the spark plug or something else yadda,yadda, cause the glitchin, but the nitro guys also had the same problem

islandmu

Thanks guys for the help will do all that so i can get back at the track.