Howdy,

Im new and eager to dive in.
I read some of the forum and other web recommendations and decided to go for a building kit from tamiya. (Hornet or pumpkin etc...)
i understand that beside the car kit itself I need to buy batteries, charger and radio.
i was wonderingwhich are the ones to buy? Will it be better to invest more in these equipment considering that I would upgrade/or buy a new advanced model later on?
what are the recommended upgrades that I should look for as a beginner if any?

Much obliged,

potato.

<br type="_moz" />

While that type of car is not a terrible choice for the beginner, I personally find myself leaning toward recommendations of more modern stuff, even though it can be a little more expensive, it offers several advantages. You need to realise that back when those cars were designed, there wasn't such a big gap between toy and hobby grade, and these were amongst the first really mainstream hobby grade RC cars. They are of all plastic construction (ironically, they actually had more metal on them back in the day), and designed for the electronics of the day, not a modern, fast motor. Handling is also atrocious compared to modern RC cars, but people will tell you that's not the point of them, and I agree, they're just for nostalgia, theyre for remembering what things were like back when we started the hobby, and as such for someone who is getting into the hobby for the first time, it seems like their main hook is irrelevant.

So...all that said, if you still want to go for a Tamiya re-release type model, you should probably pick up a Tamiya Sport Tuned 540 motor (was considered a fairly high powered motor back then) and TEU 104BK ESC which is a common choice for that motor. These should ideally be run on older style NimH batteries (nowadays we use lipo which deliver much more power for much longer), as the ESC does not have a low voltage cutoff for lipo batteries (lipo batteries must not be discharged beyond a certain voltage or they are damaged). Modern ESCs incorporate this feature as standard, and in fact, as an alternative to the Tamiya TEU 104BK unit, you could pick up a Traxxas XL5 brushed ESC which would give you a perfectly fine ESC for the sport tuned motor, and has lipo cutoff built in, then at least you could use modern lipo batteries. IF you stick with NimH, a 6 cell shotgun style 'tamiya racing pack' battery is the one to look for. There are millions on the market that would do for this kind of usage, no need to be fussy with that motor. If you decide you want to use lipo (you really should), there's a battery recommendation down below (along with the rest of my thoughts )... In many cases these days a good lipo can be had cheaper than the old NimH batteries.

As a radio, any 2ch 2.4Ghz unit that includes a receiver will suffice. Futaba has a budget model [link=http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/61_119/products_id/208945/n/Futaba-3PRKA-24GHz-FHSS-Radio-System-w-R203GF-Receiver]the 3PRKA[/link] which is excellent value.

Then you'll need a steering servo. Anything will do for an older type Tamiya, literally anything. But you should consider getting a decent one, something like a Hitec 645MG at least (good value servo), then it will be strong and usable in your next car too.

Now...I'm going to assume that you are well educated and probably technically minded from the way your post is phrased, therefore, I'm also going to assume that you could build any RC car kit without too much trouble. Ok, so you want to build a nice kit? Try [link=http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_228_2582/products_id/218338/n/Axial-EXO-Terra-1-10th-Electric-4WD-Buggy-Kit]this one (Axial Exo)[/link]. The kit has had the price drop significantly and its a real bargain now. For electronics for this car, you should go for this great value set from one of the great names in brushless motors, Castle...[link=http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_221_911_1948_2957_2962/products_id/190600/n/Castle-Creations-Sidewinder-1-10-Scale-Short-Course-Brushless-Combo-w-Neu-Castle-1410-3800kV]Sidewinder SCT combo 3800kv[/link], the motor is phenomenal and the combo is cheap. The same radio and servo recommendations as above will do you fine (the Futaba radio for $69 and the 645MG servo for about $40 if I remember correctly). This set will make the Exo perform very well indeed. There are also tons of aftermarket upgrades you can buy and fit to the Exo at your own discretion. The stock car has few weaknesses if you don't jump it too high (if you do, the shock caps tend to pop off), it is a real tough car, hard to break it (check youtube you'll see ).

Then you'll just need batteries and a charger. Since you're living in Israel, your best bet is probably HobbyKing, so get this charger...

http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store..._GENUINE_.html

and as many as you want of these batteries...

http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...case_pack.html

I know that's a lot to take in, and you may want to also read my post about understanding electronics in the sticky thread at the top of this forum, I think it's the second or third post, if you need clarifications or have more questions, just fire away...

What do you want to do with it? What scale? Nitro or electric? That's going to determine the kind of kit you should go for, in conjunction with personal tastes.

I personally like real engines and metal parts, so I go with nitro vehicles that have lots of aluminum & steel hop ups. What isn't available, I make myself. But I don't race, I just play & bash, so the vehicles being overweight, not well balanced & too powerful for competition use doesn't matter to me. If you want to compete, though, you need to consider that when selecting a kit.

Tamiya makes quality kits, but IMO, they are (for the most part) more along the lines of scale stuff rather than racing or serious bashing cars. Nothing wrong with them, but when it comes to competition use or seriously abusive bashing, most other makes are a better choice. If I wanted to crawl, though, I'd be deciding between Tamiya & Axial.

If you're just wanting a near-indestructible vehicle to bash with, I'd look at Associated, Losi, OFNA, HPI 1/8 scale buggies, truggies & monster trucks. 1/8 stuff is tougher and much more useable outdoors, whether nitro or electric. I have mostly 1/10 scale nitro, and while lots of fun and wicked fast, they get swallowed on a lot of the tracks that are designed to accommodate 1/8 and 1/5 vehicles, and they are also very susceptible to wind-especially on the sandy dirt roads out here. I love my RC10GTs, but my Losi Mega Baja 4x4 is far more useable in general.

Would like to add one thing the 104bk also does not have a BEC (Battery Elimination Circuit) which lowers, and regulated the voltage going into the receiver to 6 volts. Old receivers had the BEC built in so that wasn't an issue, but the greater majority of newer radios do not have one built into the receiver(as the ESC's generally have it now) so if you hook up the receiver to the 104bk they will fry.

But you could add a cheap 6V 3A UBEC in to get around the issue.



Now as recommendation of Tamiya kits I'd recommend the [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXTDR5&P=7]Plasma Edge[/link](DF-02) which comes in around $130. Its upgradeable to handle some punishment, and modern electronics. Seems Tamiya gave a new lease on the DF-02's life as [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCZTE&P=7]Aero Avante [/link] is one I never seen or heard of till today that seems to have come out this year that one has a newer ESC that has a BEC built in too

Will say Foxy recommended Axial, and the make some great kits.

Hi guys,

Thank you very much for spending your time to reply my post.
I did not have the time to read it until recently. It took me a bit longer to understand what you guys wrote

To make my self more clear now, I am not going into racing, well not yet. I do look for a durable car as i probably crash it quite a lot as i am impatient when it comes to learning.
Since i remember Tamiya from the past and since i used to build lots of their models, i thought their cars will be also lots of fun. but if i understand correctly they did not align with all the new developments in the field? I would happily consider other kits, such as you recommened, as long as i am building them.

If you guys do have more kits in mind (2-3 to choose from will probably suffice) please let me know.


Foxy, I appriciate your time for answering in such depth my post. I do have 2 more questions:

Regarding the axial exo - why did you recommend a seperate motor combo for this car? does it come with no motor? or is it an upgrade? (if it does comes with kit motor, why the upgrade is so important?)
I tried reading the "understanding electric" post but it was too much for me at this stage. I think i need more basic understanding of what the function of each component before anything. (I do understand what the batteries do though...)

Regarding shopping online - do the hobby king shop that you recommended is a reliable source? do you know other shops that will ship to israel where i can buy online kits and accessories? (by the way, i am travelling quite often to HK and China so i can do shopping while im there too.)

Thanks in advance,

Potato.

<br type="_moz" />

The Axial EXO is available in RTR(ready to race/run) and as a kit. The kit does not come with any electrics and let's you choose what radio,receiver,ESC,motor, and batteries you want to use. Since you stated you want to build a kit, Foxy went straight to the EXO kit version.

Yep, as pcarluvr said, you menioned you wanted a kit, so I linked the kit. By pure coincidence, my RTR Exo arrived today (in anticipation of your next question, yes I will be swapping out most of the electrics, I have plans for them in another car, otherwise I would have bought the kit myself).

For interest sake, the RTR has a very poor servo (will need replacing immediately), an average radio, an average motor and a good ESC. The servo, radio and motor/ESC combo that I recommended to you above are all MUCH better than what is supplied in the RTR (ESC is actually the same).

Hobbyking is 100% reliable, UNLESS you have a problem, then things can be a bit difficult, but what people don't realise is that their stuff is so cheap, even if you do have a problem or 2, you still save much, MUCH more than buying from the ridiculously overpriced brands. Hobbyking is one of the biggest names in the business, they are not known for their customer service though. My umpteenth order from them arrived a few days ago, no problems, as usual.

The Axial EXO is discontinued. It'll be hard to find parts for it when it breaks. <div>
</div><div>Get a MadBull; http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXBKLT&amp;P=7</div><div>Get some 5000MaH 6 cell packs; http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXAAGG&amp;P=7</div><div>Get the cheapest high torque servo; http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXCHTA&amp;P=7 </div><div>Get a cheap battery charger; http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...XWTE0&amp;P=ML</div><div>And there yah go!</div>

The RTR is not discontinued and uses all the same parts. Also, as long as people own them, other makers will continue to produce parts. The Exo is not a race machine, its a basher, so it will not have a short cycle like race trucks that become obsolete, it has wider appeal and as such will have a loyal following for many years to come. The Exo was also a good seller, Axial will not piss off owners of one of their most popular vehicles by halting parts production after only 2 years (I don't think, but the stupidity of model makers in this hobby lately totally freaks me out, so you never know).

Great Planes bought Axial a while back. They have reduced the kit and RTR prices three times now since first release.

My money is on a kit update as the reason for the discontinuation. I always wondered why the kit offered no extras over the RTR (that's why I got the RTR, a cheap set of electronics for use elsewhere), like CVDs, alloy shocks or whatever. Most kits are higher spec than their RTR counterparts.

I stand by my recommendation of the Exo as one of the best value RCs at the moment, overall bang for your buck, parts will not be a problem for the foreseeable future. Get the RTR if you have to, it's still a good deal even with crappy servo. There are other vehicles that represent 'as good' value if that doesn't float your boat.

The OFNA LX2e for example...

tower is also known for listing models as discontinued even if other sites are still receiving new inventory.

another option is the kyosho sand master. one version comes with everything you need to build it (not sure if it has battery and charger or not).

Hi guys,

thanks agian for the answers.

I liked the reviews and moveis i seen about the axial exo and decided to go for it.
Also the clear advice what to buy to go along with the kit made the decision easier.
alas it does seem the shops do not sell it anymore...
I found it on RC Planet (for 229$ (is it ok price?)) but you guys did not mention that shop so i am a bit clueless again. any ideas?

Potato.<br type="_moz" />

i've never delt with rcplanet but they i have never heard any complaints about them. that's the average price. you could find it on sale for less and there are sites that'll charge 3 times as much.

Hi guys,<div>
</div><div>Eventually I was too slow to make a purchase which had me looking on other posts on the forum.</div><div>I also managed to get my brother to buy one car too so we can go and bash together.</div><div>So my questions are as follow:</div><div>
</div><div>For me a kit, for the axial exo I got all the advices I needed.</div><div>For the of a lx2e, what are the recommendation for the electronics? The same as for the exo?</div><div>Between the two, which are very close in price, what would be more durable?</div><div>
</div><div>For my brother a RTR, he really hooked up on the mt4 g3 but we saw reviews which says its durability is not that good.</div><div>How is the RTR? What improvements would you recommend to enhance durability? What upgrades would be recommended?</div><div>What is the market price for it? I found it for more then 550$! Why such a big difference from the other RTR mentioned?</div><div>Would the lx2e or the exo as a RTR would be the better choice for a beginner?</div><div>
</div><div>Sorry for the so many questions but I appreciate the experts opinions and advices.</div><div>
</div><div>Thanks in advance,</div><div>
</div><div>Potato.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div>

<span style="font-family: Arial;">The reviews that say its not durable are wrong. There isn't a single 1/8th platform that isn't 'durable', its a nature of the design, to make a 1/8th car NOT durable, you'd have to make it out of biscuits and jello. There are varying degrees of course, and the far more expensive stuff with billet shock towers or carbon fiber, instead of stamped ally, are much more durable, but the MT4 is as durable as anything at its price point. I honestly have no idea why Jang (Ultimate RC and probably the review to which you refer) has put out there that one of the most durable platforms available is somehow not. Is he not aware that this chassis is the legendary ST-1 converted to electric? To be honest, you guys in the US don't have the same experience with TTR that we europeans do, so its understandable that there is suspicion. Unfortunately, his following is large and many jumped on the bandwagon, saying that the dogbones snap (some have, but its a manufacturing problem, not a design flaw, replacements usually last) and the shock towers bend (as do all stamped ally towers). No car with shocks over a certain length can have towers that would survive that kind of abuse (in Jangs video) and what the guy fails to mention is how cheap the fixes are to make it indestructible. It's a case of those with influence needing to be more careful what they say, and its not the first time I think Jang has presented something in a light which is misleading, though that's not to say I don't respect the guy, but that kind of talk gets you burned at the stake on dah internet...</span><div style="font-family: Arial;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway....having said all that, lets answer your questions...</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">The Exo and the LX2e are not really directly comparable, and no, they do not take the same electronics (usually. The Axial can take 1/8th electronics, but the 1/10th electronics commonly found in the Exo would not be adequate for any 1/8th buggy). The Exo is slightly smaller, and exists in a class on its own pretty much, it could be called a 1/9th buggy. The Exo is altogether a smaller platform, despite the dimensions being quite close. Seeing a 1/8th buggy and the Exo next to each other would highlight this for you, 1/8th stuff usually has much more metal parts, much thicker shafts, much stronger drivetrain, altogether bigger, stronger, heavier. And of course to make a bigger car go faster, you need bigger and more expensive electronics. To be honest, in performance, an Exo with a castle 1410 motor running on 3S would be comparable, if not faster than a 1/8th buggy running on 4S. However, the ruggedness of the 1/8th platform simply means it can handle more power, so going to 5S, 6S or even just installing bigger motors and gearing down, means they have a much higher performance potential. The motors for 1/8th are SIGNIFICANTLY larger and are always 4-pole (some 6 poles are starting to appear lately, but they draw too much power). The Exo is a far better looking model than any 1/8th racing buggy though, which is a big factor for a lot of people (including myself), why have a car that looks like a spaceship because its made for racing, if I'm not actually racing? Sure the Axial body is a nightmare to remove, but guess what? I haven't had to remove mine once yet.</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">Basically, if you can afford it, 1/8th is the way to go. You will need a 1/8th size motor (usually 40-42mm diameter) in the 2000-2350kv range for a buggy, with a speed controller that can handle your personal ambitions. For example, you could go cheap and get a 120A 4S only speed control which would be fine for 4S, but not allow 6S (6S is total madness in a buggy, good kind of madness, but madness nonetheless. lol), or you can shell out for a 150A 6S esc, or the Castle Mamba Monster 2200kv combo (BEAST in a buggy that set, it's more for truggies, mad power).</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">Typically, 1/8th buggies also need a stronger servo than you would for the Exo, but a Hitec 645 or 5645 will be fine.</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">I don't believe that in a bashing scenario, the Exo (with 4 pole 36mm motor on 3S) against a 1/8th buggy (on 4S) would be a lopsided comparison in terms of fun or overall performance, in fact, they'd probably make quite good bashing companions, but the 6S potential of the 1/8th buggy puts it in a different class at the end of the day.</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">The LX2e and its stable companion, the TeamC based OFNA buggy 8, both represent great value for money and are arguably the most car you can buy for the money in the hobby, period, however, the man who spends money in the 1/8th buggy class will also be rewarded.</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">Here are my suggestions... get the LX2e RTR or the Buggy 8 RTR for your bro, it runs great on 4S. You could stick with teh Exo if you liked, and the aforementioned combo, or you could go for a 1/8th kit and separate electronics (Serpent does a club racer buggy which is a great kit for the price, but still a division above the cars we have been discussing up to now, it's called the 811 cobra sport ifyou want to look it up. I may yet get one of those myself, and maybe soon, Serpent is one of the finest brands in the hobby and that's a good price for a racing kit (370 last I saw)...</div>

Foxy,

I understand what you are saying about Mr. Jang, thats why i usually like to hear more than one opinion, mainly on things i do not understand.
unfortunately, it makes me more confused usually.

back to my pestering:

After 3 weeks of contemplating you are throwing me a serpent into the bed. you are cruel!

If I understand correctly basically it would be a much better "investment" if i go for a 1/8 kit. I would basically be able to use the same electronics in different bodies or upgrade the same body with different electronics to make it better. right?

last few questions please if you dont mind:

What makes the serpent 811 kit better then the lx2e? (170$ better (and there is another version for 505US$))
what would you recommend as the best return for money regarding the electronics for the 1/8 kits? Still the mamba combo and hitec servo?
I remind you that it is my 1st car so i assume i wont be able to handle mad power without wasting money and<u>time</u>on spare parts. unless it is adjustable, is it?
Unless there is a huge advantage in shelling another 170US$ I im leaning towards the lx2e.

Regarding the RTR my brother is too lazy to go into details at the moment and is bothered in the car looks only.
he likes the looks of the MT4 and the Revo E but I think it is a waste of money for someone who iscoordinationretarded and not quite sure if this hobby is for him. (although i could always take his car later on...)Maybe a monster truck is actually the car for him.
Which MT RTR (2 options will be enough to choose from ) would you recommend as the best value for beginner? Oh and will also be able to go around 30kmh on straight road out of the box?

I promise this is the last thread before buying the cars.

Many thanks for the help, i already feel we are related

Potato.<br type="_moz" />

Will give you another of my rambling responses from McDonalds wifi when i go out for lunch in about 3 hours.

<span style="font-family: Arial;">McDonalds wifi was an epic fail. No matter....
</span>
When you see differing opinions on something from two experienced people in the field, the truth is always somewhere in the middle, and/or comes down to different styles of usage.

The classic layout that has been adopted by all off-road 4WD cars which call themselves 1/8th and conform in large part to racing requirements for their class, is arguably the single most evolved platform in the surface hobby. This is driven by the fact that they are a staple racing class for like, ever. The more people race, the more different budgets exist, so the more scope there is to cater for those who can really spend, and you end up with the top manufacturers producing phenomenally expensive vehicles which are incredibly well designed and engineered, employing exotic materials that are ever lighter and stronger. They then get their designs, if not their materials too, ripped off in part or in whole by the cheaper companies, and the result is that even the most basic models have a striking resemblance not just in appearance but also performance with their much higher priced counterparts. The other situation is that a company has a racing platform, and chooses to produce a budget platform based on it. Or in the case of OFNA, its a bit of both.

The LX2e is made by a company called Hong Nor, who over the years, have been responsible for a large proportion of the cars sold by OFNA (OFNA is a US distributor, they don't make anything and they do not really exist outside the US unless someone in another country chooses to import them from the US rather than from their Taiwanese OEMs, which would be an odd decision to say the least), along with another company called Hobao.

Outside of OFNA, both of these companies distribute their own stuff in Europe and most of the rest of the world, and both have a very good reputation, as well as models in their stables that have competed successfully on the world stage at one time or another, particularly the now discontinued line of Jammin Products endorsed by famous driver 'Jammin' Jay Halsey. The famous Hobao range is of course the Hyper range of products (now sold by HPI, though nobody's really clear what's happening with that at the moment, unforgiveable on HPI's part, as they've effectively killed one of the great long running lines in RC cars, anyway...).

The LX series has been going for many years and is Hong Nor's budget basher buggy, in both nitro and electric forms. They keep evolving it a little, and it always has represented good value for money if not exactly being a race winner out of the box. It's actually an absolutely amazing car for $199. The RTR is also incredible value. It has its weaknesses, but they are to be expected at its price point. The shock towers bend (who cares, bend em back until they snap then replace them or double them up), and those who are 'extreme' with their cars have found that the rear composite chassis brace is not strong enough to keep the chassis straight, and have braced the whole car front to rear. I HIGHLY doubt I would ever need to do this, as I just don't tend to jump my cars 20 feet in the air, but if that's in your plans it's worth mentioning. The ESC supplied with the RTR isn't the best, it cannot be programmed or callibrated, which is sinful, however it does its job adequately. The motor is of surprisingly low kv for a buggy, but again, it does its job fine for the money. The servo is not very good, but find me an RTR that has a good one, there aren't any(what do you want for a radio, esc, motor AND servo that adequately drives a 1/8th buggy on 4S andadds only $100 to the cost?? Again this is simply phenomenal value, weaknesses and all).

What does the 811 sport offer over an LX2e? On paper not a lot. In fact, I already regret mentioning it. You might have parts supply issues as well, though probably not. Serpent is still a euro brand, and while well known for quality is not exactly prevalent in the market, they keep stuff on the down low mostly. On paper the LX offers threaded shock bodies which the Serpent does not, but let's not mess around here, one is based on a very very serious race car, it will have better geometry and adjustability, but will that mean much to you? Probably not. In any case, I withdraw the recommendation, its hard to say to someone who just wants to mess around with a fast and well built RC car that the dollar difference is going to be worth it. To someone asking for a car to start racing with, the dollar difference is definitely worth it.

The mamba combo I linked above was for the Exo. You need a much bigger set for a 1/8th buggy. This is what I recommend (try not to stare at the price, I promise its worth it, all other suitable 6S capable systems from the 'quality' brands are the same price unfortunately (price fixing anyone)?)...there is a decent set available for $200 from a reliable Chinese brand called hobbywing (I have some of their stuff, it's good, but Castle, Tekin and the like are slightly better quality).

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...Package-2200kV

Its primarily a truggy set, which means its overkill in a buggy, even on 4S it will give you standing backflips on demand (with the right center differential setup, we can talk about this another time). The 645 servo is a good buggy servo for non-specific use, the 5645 is a bit better, and amainhobbies has a Protek brand servo which I'm trying out at the moment (so far so good in an Associated SC8, a short course based on a 1/8th truggy platform) which has better figures than both the Hitecs, I think its the 100S, yeh, this one...http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...tal-Gear-ServoGreat value for $45 for teh specs, its very fast and very strong.

Despite being your first car, I am confident you will be able to handle a 1/8th buggy without any issues, they drive very well on 4S. When you get brave you can always try 6S, but no need for that to start with, you will be nothing short of astonished the performance of the car on 4S with the right diff setup and gearing.

Lastly, imo, MT4&gt;eRevo by miles, simply by virtue of its 1/8th truggy platform. The Revo is a great looking car no doubt, but I don't think I put it in the same class with the TTR.

If the word truggy keeping on popping up is giving you ideas, feel free to say, and I'll elaborate more on advantages and disadvantages, but be aware that a good electric truggy all finished will cost you more than double the LX2e RTR, and probably more. The MT4 is just about the cheapest way to get a truggy up and running on 6S, despite the fact its marketed as a MT. The next cheapest way would probably be the Hot Bodies D8T truggy (a nitro model), and an electric conversion for it, there are several options, but again you're looking at over 600 with decent euqipment.

Oh and 30kph? lol, you can double that (and then some), and that's on 4S, on 6S you can triple it. No joke, make sure you have space or go easy on the throttle. I think you're in for quite a surprise with the power and speed these cars offer. The stock gearing on the LX2e is good for about 35mph if I remember rightly, and about the same the MT4. Both can be geared for 40mph without putting too much strain on the electronics on 4S and nearly 60 (100kph) on 6S. Much faster speeds are achievable in short runs with taller gearing, but you cannot run a car full time for more than 60mph, the heat would be too much.

Don't forget to ask me about the differentials for whatever car you get.

Here's a shameless pimping of my pride and joy, an Xray XT8 converted to brushless, using the castle combo I linked and an XP DS1015 servo.

[link=http://s613.photobucket.com/user/foxy42_s2k/media/RC/xt8angle6_zpsbcc92a5e.jpg.html][/link]<br type="_moz" />

<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Foxy,</span><o></o></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
First of all your pimping worked. My brother decided he wants you car... I slapped him out of it and the final d</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">ecisions were made:<o></o></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">My brother is going to buy the exo terra RTR.<o></o></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I am going for the LX2e kit + mamba combo + protek servo.<o></o></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Since we need to purchase everyting together, for VAT reasons, I still very much</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">need your help with the following:<o></o></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; margin-left: 40px;"><span dir="LTR" style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For the lx2e - what radio system you recommend? the Futuba 3prka as you recommended initially for the exo?
(By the way, do you know how the lipo cutoff works? will the radio system alert me or will the esc just stops?)

For the batteries and chargers - what shall we buy?
Would you say to go for the initial carger you recommended? (imax b6)
I presume for the exo rtr 3S lipo and for the lx2e 4s lipos. but what is recommended in terms of driving time? What will be the driving time on these batteries?

I am still trying to understand the motor-esc-battery matching but i do have some questions:

For the mamaba combo i saw that in the same price there is a 2650kv combo as well. I assume that it meant for different applications when one gives lower speed with higher torque. but i also see that the motors have different voltage input. what it means? why should i prefer one over the other?

If let's say the ESC is 100A, theoretically speaking - will a 5000mah 20C will give me more driving time then a 4000mah 25C? or do i get all this concpet wrong?

I do have many more questions, but i feel its time to drive a car. I hope i am not bothering you with all my questions as I feel it became rather a private tutoring then a forum discussion. I really appriciate all your replys, you are my RC guru.

by the way, i just bought a nissan qashqai for the family, it was easier and faster then buying these RC cars.
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Excellent choice of your brother's on the Exo RTR, I'm really enjoying mine, using 3S on the stock motor, performance is definitely good. I had expected a 2 pole motor to be underpowered in a car the size of the Exo but it isn't, it's surprisingly good. On 2S its slightly tamer. Some time in the future, a simple swap to a Castle 1410 3800kv would make the car a real handful and shouldn't need an ESC upgrade, though it might be worth considering one at the same time. The stock steering servo on the Exo RTR is crap, again a 645 or 5645, or the protek would be fine. Replace it before it breaks, it's slow as well.<div></div><div>The radio recommendation stands for the LX, absolutely.</div><div></div><div>The lipo cutoff will simply cut all power to the car, including steering, when the battery reaches a critical voltage, these are usually set to 3.0 or 3.1v per cell.</div><div></div><div>Chargers, yes, the Imax is a good and cheap charger. Consider picking up two.</div><div></div><div>For running in good space, yes, 3S for the Exo and 4S or more for the LX. The Exo does run a nice quick but not fast pace on only 2S, its very satisfying for messing around outside the house without fear of any high speed accidents, consider picking up at least one 2S for such occasions. You will want batteries of 5000mAh ideally, and with a C rating of at least 40, but that size (increases in C and mAh usually mean increases of battery size) is right on the limit of what standard battery trays will accept. The trouble is worth it though. These will be a tight fit, it's not like slotting AAs into a toy car, you may need to sweat a bit.</div><div></div><div>With significant sweating and swearing (you need very strong fingers), I can get these excellently cheap 3S packs into my Exo. It ain't easy and it ain't fun, but once it's in there, its all good. No mods to the stock battery tray or straps, which have a phenomenal amount of stretch on them.</div><div></div><div>http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...idproduct=9962</div><div></div><div>And I'm also able to fit a pair of those (one above the other) in the SC8e's battery tray, which is a notoriously small tray. These zippy packs are actually shorter than stated in the description by a fair amount (for this particular pack, I can't speak for others in the range, but I get the impression that all 'soft' packs have a 'generous' length specified) and can even be slightly squeezed.

So, you want the same cells in a 4S configuration (I've not used these exact 4S packs, but I can tell by the dimensions they are the exact same cells as my 3S and 6S 40C zippy packs that I use all the time) for the LX...</div><div></div><div>http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store..._4S1P_40C.html</div><div></div><div>They're both out of stock right now unfortunately, but they should be back in soon, make an account and put them in your wishlidt and you'll get a notification when they're in. If you're impatient, you could gor for a higher or lower C optoin to get you running. Or if you just want something in stock from amainhobbies to get you started and get everything from the same place, these (link below) are the most economical option for 3S, but these packs will have shorter duration, less power delivery and shorter lives, for more money, it's kinda sad really that the only way to get reasonably priced packs is striaght out of China. At least it has a Deans type plug already on it. I forgot to mention that about the zippy packs, you'll need to order Deans style plugs and solder them on yourselves. It's not hard, don't let it put you off. I actually enjoy soldering.</div><div></div><div>http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...r-111V-4100mAh</div><div></div><div>And for 4S...</div><div></div><div>http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...-ROAR-Approved</div><div></div><div>The Zippy (or other 5000mAh) batteries will give about half an hour of average running in both cars. These EcoPower ones about 20 minutes, but of course they'll charge quicker too. Reviews overall of the EcoPower packs are surprisingly good, some people are saying they seem to perform better than spec suggests and that they are a very convenient size and weight.</div><div></div><div>The 2650kv combo is a much faster and hotter motor, for 4S use primarily (6S in short bursts only). Basically, as you go up in kv you go up in demands made of the electronics in terms of pulse frequency and amperage draw, subsequently generating more heat. 2200kv, particularly that motor, is a real sweet spot for gearing options and a good balance of torque and speed.</div><div></div><div>As for the battery/esc rating concept you pretty much got it right, however, you should always try to double the amperage required by the motor in the C rating of your battery, the ESC is not an issue at 1/8th scale, they are all very tough as far as handling the current demands. A 100A motor, could actually draw a lot more for a second or two on startup with a car attached on a high traction surface, so aim as high as you can afford with your C rating, hence my recommendation of 40C at 5000mAh (200A capability). Running with batteries of lesser capabilities than about 150Awill strain the batteries and shorten their lives as well as choke the motor for power on extreme accelerations or running in grass. As you go up in C beyond the requirements of the motor, you can still feel a small benefit in punchier power delivery all the way up to about 100C, where the benefit of more C starts to be indetectable.</div><div></div><div>Keep going with the questions, I don't respond like this to every poster as you can imagine, I like your approach to learning and the way you do your own research then ask the right questions, I wish we got more newbies like you. By the way, without meaning to brag, just in case your brother has such designs in the future, that particular car is quite rare and very, very expensive, but hey if you get bit by the hobby, no reason not to go for it one day. </div>

Foxy,

thanks for the reply. again.
I think we have all the information at the moment to go ahead and make the purchases. We are excited.
I see that the main two shops you recommended throughout the thread are amainhoobbies.com and hobby king.There were other who linked also towerhobbies.
I assume all 3 are reputable good places to buy and i assume that the prices are also the same. I would go through them to see how we should make the orders.

I have two questions related to the purchasing please:

I saw many people advertise coupons for these sites, is it something worth wasting time and searching for?

Do you know this shop:http://www.advantagehobby.com/216108/AXIAX90024/?
My brother found it and it sells the exo RTR for 284US$. How can it be? (I think it is also the supplier of Amazon).

Ill write soon after we make the purchases.

cheers!


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Indeed, for international purchases, Towerhobbies offers some significant savings and has most of what you want. See the private message I sent you.<div></div><div>Over the years, I've used amainhobbies more, mainly due to the fact that they stock Xray and Mugen (the finest brands in my opinion, but only for serious racing), but for what you want, Tower is probably your best bet.

That is quite a saving on the Exo, I've heard of the store, no reason to think it is not exactly what it appears to be, but given the fact that Tower gives 25% off on big orders, I think overall it will still work out cheaper to make the whole order or as much of it as you can, at Tower.

Coupon codes are really important, when you have everything in the basket, let me knw total and I'll see what I can dig up.</div>