Deandome

My Feedback: (1)

Got to examine a Mini-T at my LHS last night, and while I came away impressed, I am a little worried that any internal upgrading might get ugly!! The LHS guy said he WAS impressed with the chassis, but the electronics left a bit to be desired (or replaced)

Ideally, I'd like to get the thing to work with an FM Tx, as I am considering the JR synthesized radio. I wouldn't mind not having a SYNTHESIZED Rx-as long as I could use the JR Tx, I'd be fine with crystals in the Rx. I was told I'd have to get an ESC AND a Rx separately. Is that true? It's odd that nobody has developed an FM "combo" unit.

Secondly, I was told that ANY Rx/ESC upgrades would necessitate a new steering servo, as the stock one works completely different than a normal servo. The guy lost me when talking about "negative pull switching" or something, but bottom-line, you CANNOT plug the stock Mini-T servo into ANY "normal" Rx!!!!

THIS IS LOOKING EXPENSIVE!!!!!

Lastly, they said if you're gonna go this far, you should drop in a brushless motor & use Lithium ion batteries, and while I might NOT go that far, it sounds like a good idea. But they said you can also just get a 7.2 LIon battery for the stock setup, as they are lighter than the equivalent NiMH options.

I guess this post is part question & part "heads-up" info for other Mini-T owners/shoppers. I'd LOVE to know how to convert it to FM, but hopefully for less than the cost of the car itself!!

miniRCfan

OK Now here is the hard part, I understood absolutely nothing of what you said. I am new to all of this and plan on purchasing a mini T right after christmas. I only own 2 XMODS and that is what got me to this point. I want something to play around with outside that isn't going to break within 10 minutes would you recomend the mini T?

brainleak

My Feedback: (1)

yup, Everything needs to be replaced to put one thing in. The Servo has a 4 wires not 3 Because The esc is also the reciever. I dont see anyway to convert to fm under 150 unless you have a esc already that you could throw in there. And if your thinking about it GO Brushless. I saw a vid of a hacker brushless (ill post it up here later) this little thing could pull high speed wheelies and would start to lift up during donuts. It was awsome. Anyway, About the upgrading. Sure its gonna cost a lot but these mini T's Are Really Something else. I havent put mine down since i got it. I love it.

Deandome

My Feedback: (1)

Fret not!!

The Mini-T IS a rugged 'lil truck. It will NOT break if the wind blows funny.

But like all toys, I & others are eager to soup-up there trucks to go faster, run longer, be even tougher!!! New shocks, new motors, new receivers, etc. are not NEEDED, but as you will learn, a lot of us don't care about "need", we concentrate on "want".

My point here is to figure out how I can get ONE radio that will work with BOTH of my RC vehicles, and I'm learning that that won't be that easy or cheap.

Dean

brainleak

My Feedback: (1)

Does it have to be FM? Do you race? Check out the Futuba 2pl, 2 channel AM radio with a digital memory of 10 different setups/ Cars. run you about 89.99 on towerhobbies.com

And you should see the abuse the mini T will take. I still Cant believe i havent broken anything.

Deandome

My Feedback: (1)

FM isn't the biggie. But my next radio WILL have synthesized frequency selection (built in or add-on module) so I never have to bother w/crystals, and I believe all of them are FM.

Actually, I could live with having a synth. Rx in my T-Maxx & limit myslelf to crystals in the Mini-T Rx, but of course, you still need an FM Rx if you want to do that.

The OTHER option would be to get an FM radio that offers an AM conversion module, but I think that Futaba only offers that, and it's on their top-end NON-synth radio, the TPK3.

My radio options are the JR XS3, the Hitec Agressor w/Spectra (synth) module, and this NEW Futaba, which seems perfect.

http://www.futaba-rc.com/radios/futk2000.html

Problem is, it's so new, nobody at Hobbico can tell me if it has the ability to take Futaba's AM conversion module!!

Dean

Razoo

My Feedback: (2)

I've got 2 of the little guys and the only thing I've done is to add ball bearings and I use a 6 cell 7.2V pack. I'll also buy some shocks when they come out. I will not spend more money on the electronics that you mentioned, everything works fine as it is. Why would you spend more than what you paid for the car just to use your radio? It looks like your talking about having $300-$400 dollars invested by the time your done. Are you sure you want to do that?

Trixter

I too bought two of the Mini-T's. I want to keep them as stock as possible. I am only going to add bearings at the wheels (done)[8D]. The transmission already comes equipped with bearings. and when Losi gets the "Shocks" to my LHS then I will have them too. I bought 11oo mah 6 cell packs from Promatch and that souped it up enough.[sm=thumbup.gif]

chase044

My Feedback: (1)

your going to need a motor because after about 10 usess it will frie. so the orion baja motor is a very good motor and it comes with the new motor plate.

Razoo

My Feedback: (2)

I've used mine a heck of a lot more than 10 times and the motors are fine. As a matter of fact I don't know anyone who has "frie" their motor yet!

bigjdubb

The ones around here are getting a hell of alot of use and no fried motors.

Deandome, why do you need to use a different radio in the Mini-T? You payed the $150 and got a radio with it, just use that one.

Deandome

My Feedback: (1)

As you get more RC vehicles, the idea of having one radio that can handle all of them gets more & more appealing!! Putting aside the huge advantage of only needing to tote around, protect & maintain batteries for ONE radio, the mid-range computer radios I'm looking at are a LOT more flexible & sophisticated than any stock radio. That's exactly WHY all these radios have "memories" that lock in your settings for up to 20 individual cars.

You might not need or use adjustable servo endpoints, steering rates, etc. but then again, you MIGHT (PS, I know the stock Mini-T has varialbe steering rate, but I don't think you can set your own curves, it's just one setting.

Dean

bigjdubb

I understand the pleasures of having one radio for your RC vehicles, thats why I have an XS3 for all of mine. But the Mini-T is more of a play thing, when I am going to the track the last thing on my mind would be "don't forget the mini-t". Besides you can carry the truck and radio in one hand.

chase044

My Feedback: (1)

it depends on how many cells you run. i ran 7 and it only lasted like 10 batts then it fried. i got the baja motor and its very fast and wheelies from a stand still and is very fast. i got the mini ac brushless 280 motor and i run 8 cells in it now. i would get the motor anyways its a lot faster than the stock one. and you wont have to wory about frieing it with 6-7 cells. it would suck if your at the track and your motor fries and you dont have one to put in it and you cant drive for the rest of the day.

Tigger N. Bennie

It's actually quite easy. It's called a Futaba T3PK with an AM Conversion Module. Ok, it's not that cheap but it is easy and will run both FM and AM.

That is the set up I use to run my 1/5 scale, one of my 1/10 scales and all of my Mini-Z's. Also, Futaba supposedly has an FM Synthesized Receiver Module for the T3PK and is coming out with a FM Synthesized 3-Channel Receiver. And if your wondering why I don't use the Futaba T3PK to run the rest of my cars, I received one JR-AM radio with a Losi XXX-S RTR that I purchased which I simply use to run my Mini-T as well--I do swap all the AM crystal sets between the Losi's and Mini-Zs in the JR and Futaba radio. And the others vehicles I run off of the other JR Radio because that is the first stand-alone radio I purchased and already purchased numerous receiver modules for the other vehicles prior to purchasing the Futabe T3PK.