Darkified

Hey guys, I thought I would make my own thread regarding this topic seeing as how the brushless Vendetta thread is a little confusing. If the mods would rather see these questions asked in that particular thread, that's fine. I just need some straightforward answers without all the other discussion going on in there right now.

I'm not new to R/C. However, I am new to the brushless thing and the Vendetta ST looks like one of the most affordable and durable ways to go. I've browsed a little through the thread I was referring to above, but I still need some clear answers as to what I'm going to need.

First off, the Permax seems to be the best way to go. I will be doing my shopping through Tower Hobbies and I just need a list of everything I'll need to get up and running. Here is what I've decided to get so far:

DuraTrax 1/18 Vendetta ST RTR
DuraTrax 6-Cell 7.2V 1200mAh NiMH Stick Vendetta/MQ

Now, besides those two things, what else am I going to need to convert the ST to brushless and get it running? I'm not looking for maximum speed, but something obviously faster than entry level. Besides the Permax motor (and I'm still unsure as to what model I need), will I need to purchase a different speed controller? Which one works best with the Permax? Also, what about diffs or any other additional parts I might need for the Vendetta to handle the speed? I would prefer if you could link me to these parts on the Tower Hobbies site so they're easier for me to locate. Any additional help would be appreciated as well.

Thanks.

MacMan72

Yes, you need a different speed controller... the quark 33a pro-car and mamba 25 are both good picks. The permax is actually rated too high on current draw for the mamba but I guess a lot of people run them without problems. The ammo 28-35-3900 is another brushless motor that does very well and is within the rating for the mamba. If you go brushless, you will eventually probably want the steel cvd's and ball differentials all around. Other than that you will need some Robinson Racing Metric pinions 48p. I would get 19T and 21T to start but you might want to experiment a bit to get a ratio that works well.

OneJDM

^^^^ Yeah what he said.

ludeman

Yeah , what mac man said^. I just want to say that I have the Permax and my buddy has has the Ammo 28-35-5100. I run mine with the Quark pro car 33 he has the mamba ESC. I must say they are both excellent! The ammo is by far the smoother of the two but it gets a lot hotter. The permax has more torque But runs so much cooler. If you do get the Permax make sure you get the 3.2mm shaft so you can run the Robison pinions.

Darkified

Alright, here's the order I placed last night:

LXPGV662 DuraTrax 1/18 Vendetta ST EP RTR Green 62 In stock, shipping 1 $169.98
LXHAH7 Castle Creations 1/18 Mamba 25 ESC In stock, shipping 1 $76.99
LXLWY1 Great Planes Ammo 28-35-3900 In-Runner Brushless Motor In stock, shipping 1 $54.99
LXRAJ3 DuraTrax CV Driveshaft Steel Vendetta ST (2) In stock, shipping 1 $33.99
LXMHH3 DuraTrax 6-Cell 7.2V 1200mAh NiMH Stick Vendetta/MQ In stock, shipping 1 $15.99
LXEX42 Robinson Racing Metric Pinion Gear 19T In stock, shipping 1 $3.39
LXLXX4 DuraTrax Ball Differential Complete Vendetta In stock, shipping 1 $24.99
LXLYA5 DuraTrax Steering Servo Hold-Down Vendetta In stock, shipping 1 $13.49

Should that about cover it to get me started? Also, does anyone else use the Duratrax CVD? I've seen most people go with the Atomic brand and I was wondering if there any major difference. One more thing, how hot does that Ammo motor actually get? Do I need to worry about purchasing a heat sink before I run it? I'm not planning on racing it right away, so I won't be running it for long periods of time.

ludeman

Dude! You should have gotten this [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXLWY2&P=7]Ammo[/link] instead. Plus its only 32.99 right now! See if you can change your order! On the page it says its a 3900kv but it is really a 5100kv. My buddy never has a problem with his getting too hot. Also you will need to get some LiPo's if you want what the ammo can give!

Darkified

"ORDER STATUS: ORDER NOW BEING PICKED AND PACKED IN WAREHOUSE/ORDER CAN NOT BE CANCELED"

I assume that means I can't change it either? Maybe I could just return the motor after I receive it, get a credit and pick up that other one.

Really though, is there that much of a difference? I've always raced buggies and I'm not sure how well I'm going to be able to run a stadium truck with brushless speed. The one I ordered should be just fine, eh?

And what LiPo battery and charger would you recommend? I need something that Tower has in stock. I also read somewhere that you need to mod the chassis a little for it to fit correctly. What about that?

toyotanos

The 5100 ammo motor should be better for the buggy version of the detta. The 3900 gives the right amount of torque for the ST. Another use of the "More isn't always better" phrase. See jaejw1's thread about the brushless vendettas. He focuses on the ST.

MacMan72

I wouldn't worry about it, the 3900 is a really nice motor, I run it with the mamba and am quite happy with the performance. You will have to trim a couple of mm off the shaft when you get it though, it's too long. Other than that it drops in.

This venom 1800mah battery will fit perfectly in the slot once you trim a bit off the outside wall of the chassis to let the wires stick through (obvious where when you first stick it in). I run it and am very happy with the performance.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXMYP9&P=7

I hear apogee makes nice limn too but am not sure which one fits.

A cheap charger for the venom is : http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXPZT6&P=ML
Also from Venom.

I run a duratrax ice with this: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXMGS7&P=ML
from Equinox but that setup will cost you.

jaejw1

I have a video floating around from google,, that shows my ST in action using the 3900 ammo

Darkified

Yeah, I've seen that video jaejw1. Great stuff.

And that charger for the Venom LiPo is out of stock. Can anyone recommend another LiPo battery and charger set? I suppose there are other chargers that will work with the Venom, but I can't find them on the Tower site. I would prefer something that isn't too much money if possible.

markhat250

I just bought some of those $33 Ammo 5100 motors. I'm not sure it's absolutley the perfect match, but at that price I won't complain. But who knows, I may be super happy with them.

I just bought some Prodigy 1500 LiPo packs too. I'll have to dremel a slit for the wire lead to fit through, but that's about it. Nice thing about these batteries is they are CHEAP!! $29 for my 1500 LiPo. We'll see. I ussually don't skimp when building a car, but since I am not racing this at any club races, I ain't sweatin' it. I just run these on my backyard track.

gnarkill1988

apogee has some LINM batteries that will work WITHG MODIFICATION to the battery holder. the 11.1v 1500Mah battery will fit the vendetta with modification and the rc18t with NO modification. and the 2200 Mah11.1v battery will fit only the rc18t WITH modification. iv herd that a thunder tiger and max amp battery will fit the vendetta with no modification,but they are made for air plaines.

Darkified

Alright, just placed my third order with Tower since Friday. It appears the Venom charger is back in stock today so I went ahead and ordered that, the Venom 2 cell 1800 and some plugs. Regarding the LiPos, how dangerous are those things? After reading some of the warnings, I'm probably going to be afraid the thing is gonna blow up in my hand.

Am I pretty much all set to go with this thing now? I'll post photos once I get everything together. Thanks for all the recommendations.

gnarkill1988

lipos are only dangerious in the wrong hands. if you use a LIPO charger and fallow the directions (charge time,amps,volts) they are safe as a normal battery, they ycan explode if you use a normal nicad or mimhi battery charger,they wont detect the peak voltage and the cells can explode. but they are not dangeriouse when used properly.

MacMan72

Just make sure you have the voltage cutoff set properly in the mamba (6.2v should be good) and stop immediately if you notice any sudden drop off in performance.

Always inspect the pack after running for damage or swelling, especially after a crash.

When charging, always (always, even after you get sick of doing so) remove the pack from the car and place it in a fireproof container (there are many but coffee cans, ammo cases, and small cash safes are popular, as well as "lipo sacks" available online)

Make sure it does not get warm charging.

Never go over 1C (1.8A for the venom) charge rate.

If the pack swells or gets very hot when charging, immediately unplug it and get it away from anything flammable.

If it is damaged in any way, dispose of it properly according to manufacturer instructions (read and follow these carefully anyway)

Read and follow all manufacturer directions (warrants repeating)

Never charge it unattended or near anything flammable or particularly valuable to you (ie your car )

Go online and do a little reading about lipos and how to handle them (watch some youtube movies of them burning to gain a healthy respect of them)

Common sense is your friend, use it and you should have no problems and enjoy great performance and a long life from your battery.

Once you have it for a while, you will grow more comfortable with it... just don't let that affect how you handle it and you will be fine...

Darkified

I got my first package today including the truck. Funny thing though, the steering doesn't work. I charged up the battery, hooked it up, set the ESC, and tried to run it. The forward and reverse worked fine, but no steering. The funny thing is, the steering trim dialer turned the wheels and everything. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working so they told me to send it back. It pisses me off that I'm going to have to pay for all the shipping. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong before I send it back?

MacMan72

You could try reversing the servo plug on the radio receiver to see if that does anything. You can also get a nice aftermarket servo (Hitec makes decent ones - get metal gears) for probably close of the cost of shipping on returning yours. If there is a local hobby shop in your area, you could go there and have them test the servo and receiver for you and pick up a new servo there if that is the problem.

nitro _ burner

Li-Po's arnet ALL that dangerous especially the 2C ones. I used to be afraid that mine would blow up if i didnt use a balancer (its a 2C 1700 pack) also its been in Alot of crashes in my poor mini baja and held up fine.
BTW im running a Dynamite Mini Tazer ESC and 8000kv motor.

Darkified

I did try reversing the servo plug and also tried switching the servo select thing on the remote, nothing. And I was thinking about getting a servo, but what if the problem is in the remote? Like I said, I was messing with the steering trim and that was moving the front tires just fine. I just couldn't move them with the steering wheel on the remote.

Maybe I will call the local hobby shops. Thanks for the suggestions.

Darkified

The problem seems to be in the transmitter. The crystal was removed and put in another radio and everything worked fine. Tower is going to send me a shipping label so I can send it back to them free of charge.

Another couple of questions I have. Does anyone know of a good buggy style body that will fit the ST? Also, I'm looking for a real good set of off-road tires. I hear some of the ones for the mini-Inferno are compatible. As always, I would prefer links to Tower as this is where I'll be doing my shopping.