MSorek

Before I get flamed for some noobish posting that has been gone over and over and over again let me apologize in advance for forthcoming questions and answers. I raced with a friends T3 truck back in the day and owned a few junky toy type RC. Flash forward a few years and a few kids and I am really thinking of getting started in racing. Back in high school I never had enough money for real equipment but now with a real job I have a little money to have fun with. I wonder first what I need to go to the track. How many battery packs do I need to rotate through a days ra cing? What is a respectable two battery charger? I am planning on running a brushless lipo setup. What rating of lipo is going to not break the bank but provide decent speed and runtime? (The labels on these packs read like Chinese to me)
Also, not asking the which is best question...hehe...but would you reccomend 2wd or 4wd short course as my class and why? I am not as concerned with winning as I am about having fun and enjoying the hobby. I have been researching SC trucks and decided its going to be Associated but haven't decided 4wd or 2wd. I am picking associated for lhs support of parts and accessories and seeing what's being run locally. Any help or advice is welcome and appreciated!

SyCo_VeNoM

Well battery rating all depends on what ESC you will be running, how much you want to pay, and run time.
I'll do the one thing that won't change the S(S means cell count) ratings 1S=3.7V, 2S = 7.4v, 3s 11.1v, etc... its basically #S X 3.7V

C-rating is discharge rating it is used to calculate the max current draw the batteries can do under load. It is calculated by (C-rating X mAh rating)/1000 = max current draw

Chargers depends if you want to save some money on them you could get something like a used 12V 37A server power supply off ebay for $20, and run multiple lower cost chargers(generally anywhere from $20-35 each) off it. Where a dual charger I think most are around $100+ (Don't hold me to that quote as current that was last I looked awhile back)
Personally I don't like the dual battery chargers cause if it blows you can't charge anything where if you blow one of the 2 chargers you can still charge one battery.

As for packs 3-4 should easily do it.

chase1

2wd trucks are a little less moneybut take a little more throttle control and finesseto operate. they are good to learn with and will teach you more control with the throttle and how to keep your momentum up on the track. they are very fast and fun if set up properly.4wd trucks are a bit more expensive but are alot more forgiving and will open themselves up alittle more to a "hammer down" driving style. they will pull a little harder out fo the turns withoutswapping ends and are abit easier to control in the air.i have had both and i prefer 4wd just for the added control and speedbut in the end i am sure you will have fun with either one.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

2wd, and if your track has a stock class, run it.

If your track has a stock 1/10 2w buggy class, run THAT; that is where you will learn to drive. Once you conquer stock 2w buggy, you will be able to drive almost anything in a quick manner.

Alternatively, mod 2wd SCT is another great newbie class. The trucks are tough as nails and are forgiving to drive. ITBJHO it's the most fun class since Gas Truck (RIP), because you have a fast, forgiving truck that you can bang fenders without tearing stuff up.

An Associated SC10 Factory Team, a Losi XXX-SCT ARR+TLR Tuning Kit or Kyosho SC-R (the new one) are the best trucks to pick from. If you get an RTR, the biggest hurdle you will cross is upgrades for the truck to handle the abuses of racing, where the previously mentioned trucks come that way. There are more budget-minded cars, but with race cars you definitely get what you pay for. A buddy runs Team C's 2wd SCT, and it's a pretty good truck, too, but parts are tough to come by. The Kyosho is the same way, but it needs less parts.

For power systems...Novak's got some good budget systems, Tekin and LRP have some great no-budget systems, and there are a lot out there that are in between. Choose something with some support, though.

As far as batteries; there are a lot of guys that are perfectly happy with the Gens Ace 5000/40C packs and chargers. Personally, no luck with either on this end, but there are a lot of folks out there running them trouble-free. Promatch Racing also sells good quality, inexpensive battery packs (the one pack ThunderbirdJunkie owns from them is holding up well so far).

If ThunderbirdJunkie races two classes, he brings three battery packs. One primary for each car, and one backup in case something should go awry. On practice days he might bring 2 or 3 packs per car, but even then, he might not cycle through them all.

At the end of the day, the 2wd classes will teach you better how to drive, and are generally easier on parts than the 4wd counterparts (IE 2w buggy v 4w buggy, 2w SCT v 4w SCT), and 2w buggy will frustrate you at first with driving/tuning, but it will ultimately teach you better how to do both of those things.

MSorek

I love the third person....and thank you all for the good advice I was thinking of getting a buggy before seeing all the SC trucks around. Maybe this is going to be a tougher choice than I thought. Any body know if associated is going to answer the losi 22 with a b5? Or is the worlds buggy going to be the buggy for awhile at Assoicated?

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

The Worlds buggy is all we're going to see until Associated loses the Worlds (likely in '13). That's the pattern they've established the last 20ish years with the RC10, B2, B3, 4, and their pan cars.

The AE buggy is a wicked car, though. ThunderbirdJunkie has the most current-spec'd car, and it's pretty tough (not as tough as a 22, but still strong), drives great, and parts practically grow on trees.

That being said, the 22 would probably be a better choice for a newbie, since it's a bit more forgiving to drive, a little more tunable, and tougher.

MSorek

Junkie you have proven a well informed and practiced driver and your ideas and thoughts are appreciated.