Well RD, as said by the owner of the "botch-job" I also appreciate your input. I would ask that we keep the "tone" a little more up beat and condusive to working together.

My impression is that Jeff, just like myself is experimenting with some prototype parts development and in the interest of the creative process, our parts may well be a little rough around the edges at first, but in the spirit of "why pay retail" when you can do-it-yourself - our end results may well be lighter, stronger, and cheaper.

As far as 14.8 volts (4 cell LiPo), it seems to be a basic price point threshold. The cost of the batteries, and ESC that operate in this range (Mamba Max) being sort of the entry point to being fast and reliable. If we want to upgrade to 5 cell or 6 cell (LiPo) batteries, we can also probably expect to pay $100 more for the ESC. The soon-I-hope Mamba Monster Max may open some new doors for power / performance / price point. I'm not entirely sure what higher voltages the NEU motors will handle as I don't like to quote numbers and techno facts from memory, but I can tell you that the Mamba Max coupled to an NEU and 4 (or 5 cell) LiPos absolutely fly around the track. You might also find in the various trade journals and discussion boards, many folks are operating at the 14.8 volt range (many in recent years also using sub-C cells) and quite pleased with speeds. Managing heat being the key to success. I have a few ideas in this area, not yet done with developement and testing or ready to share.

The head to head comparison of the LOSI 8ights was enlightening:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...article_id=953

An interesting point of note, they ran with 11.1 volts.

I'm not an electrical or electronics engineer (actually I do heat and cooling engineering), and we aren't talking laboratory bench testing with dynamometers here, not to mention speed runs on the Bonneville Salt Flats - what I want to see is head to head on the track for 30 minute mains in 100 degree summer heat. May the best man (or woman) win.

That all being said, I'm told the currently available HV package (from Novak?) doesn't perform, it was designed for an E-Maxx instead of a racing 1/8 scale buggy, and in all honesty - those of us do-it-yourselfers can be credited for inventing this new RC opportunity.

And besides, as an old fart I like the peace and quiet of the electrics over the Nitro. But like I said above, the proof will be in the pudding - NOT just on the track, but also in the elegance of our designs, and the robustness of our rigs.

Jeff was kind enough to share the early development stages of his project, I hope to also as soon as possible.

Please feel free to share pics and performance of your project(s) also. This is an open invitation to everyone to share their projects, that's why I started this post - so we can all learn.