RE: Break in for lipo 2s
Use it and expect performance to improve with use?
Posted on: 8/9/2012 12:00 PM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11187170

RE: LiPo Batteries
There's a million reasons, but the two leading contenders are improper discharge (too low end voltage) and/or improper storage (they don't like heat, especially at full capacity).
Posted on: 8/3/2012 9:11 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11179640

RE: New tool set
You can buy individual wrenches in several styles from McMaster-Carr. They're good quality, (L-keys are American made, the screwdriver-type I got were European), reasonably priced, and you don't need to get a full set unless that's what you want. McMaster aren't the cheapest, but I've never gotten anything junky from them and their ship speed cannot be touched.
Posted on: 7/31/2012 9:53 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11175952

RE: Battery Boss - RC's first reality show
JS, do a search. The batteries you wish for are available from other vendors. Some company's offerings are better than others; reading the reviews of your peers will show this.
Posted on: 7/31/2012 9:48 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11175945

RE: LiPo Life
Most surface ESCs have a configurable low-voltage cutoff; is this not common in the 3d realm? I've got my car ESCs set to cut at about 3.4V/cell; shortens the runtime a bit but won't overdischarge the battery....
Posted on: 7/26/2012 10:19 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11170096

RE: Fly Sky GT3C Radio Myth or fact
I sold my FS with extreme prejudice but that's not why. Check the forums at RCT; there's quite a bit of discussion on this topic there.
Posted on: 7/21/2012 7:01 PM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11163971

RE: Great Cheap Hex Drivers
Buy them singly from McMaster-Carr. The L-keys are less than $1 each, and good quality Euro-made screwdriver types are $3-5.
Posted on: 7/13/2012 4:22 PM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11154268

RE: HobbyWing XERUN low voltage cut-off
Pyro is half-right IME. You'll get 10s of reduced power (immediately noticable) and then only steering, but the LVC is adjustable both via the 'Set' button or the programming card. The stock setting is quite conservative, mebbe 3.5V/cell?
Posted on: 6/17/2012 11:07 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11121318

RE: Great new use for RC Truck
1. A tired dog is a good dog. 2. Surprised you can get away with that noise so close to everyone's house.
Posted on: 6/17/2012 11:04 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11121315

RE: Broke antenna wire Flysky GT3B - Any suggestions?!
[quote]ORIGINAL: nazUK if your not a pro racer and just want to go bashing at your local park, track etc this GT3B Tx is perfect. [/quote] That's something I completely DISagree with. I had one and finally sold it off in disgust. Sure, you can improve it but at a cost of money and especially time. I'd have been much better off starting with a $100 name-brand 2.4 setup.
Posted on: 6/17/2012 11:01 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11121312

RE: Broke antenna wire Flysky GT3B - Any suggestions?!
It may be junk, but isn't necessarily. The antenna line is actually coax- an outer shield over an inner conductor, with insulation between (plus outer insulation). You need to trim back to pristine wire, carefully remove the outer insulation, pluck the shield loose from the inner and wind it up into a solderable stub, then remove the inner insulation from the center conductor. Note well that the outer may not touch the inner or your antenna won't work. On the TX board there are three solder tabs, IIRC the center conductor is soldered to the center tab and the shield to one of the outers- it should be apparent which one. It's both difficult and imperative that each part of the antenna wire be soldered cleanly and separately from it's mate- if they touch here (electrically, through a solder bridge for example) it won't work right. Took me 4 tries on my FS; I got it working and then sold it to buy a real radio.
Posted on: 6/11/2012 9:09 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11114398

RE: What would you pay?
I would not buy that product as I don't believe it's a necessity. No ill will, just honest opinion.
Posted on: 6/11/2012 9:03 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11114386

RE: Which 2S battery? Enerlands 25C, Gens Ace 50C, SPC 25C/30C/50C, ProMatch 25C, or Turnigy 25C?
Check also G-Force at ValueHobby. I have two of these, and two GA packs, and like all of them.
Posted on: 6/7/2012 9:23 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11110079

RE: LiPo Battery Availabilty
Try ValueHobby too.
Posted on: 6/3/2012 6:40 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11104613

RE: Airtronics mt-4 lipo ?
If it fits, yes. I use a 2s lipo in mine. Don't go 3s.
Posted on: 5/23/2012 7:30 PM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Car Radio Equipment"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11092444

RE: Need guidance on purchasing a charger
1. Buy quality, cry once. Maybe look for a well-regarded charger on the used market. 2. Focus on throughput, either in terms of watts or maximum charging amps. Based on these I bought an iCharger 208B; it'll supply 20A, has a bazillion features, and was purchased from a known-good supportive vendor (ProgressiveRC). It's great- I can charge a 6000mAh 2s pack in about 20 minutes.
Posted on: 5/23/2012 8:58 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11091730

RE: Which combo for firestorm? Flux, Castle SCT 3800KV, VXL, hobbywing, or?
Castle 1410 kills VXL.
Posted on: 5/22/2012 2:17 PM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11090795

RE: Detroit, MI. AREA
Hines Drive west of Haggerty. http://g.co/maps/ujnkp
Posted on: 5/22/2012 2:06 PM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11090785

RE: GForce LiPo Charge Rates?
They told me 3C for the 6000mAh 2S cells I have. Shoot them an email- get it from the horse's mouth as it were.
Posted on: 5/22/2012 1:59 PM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11090776

RE: Upgrades and chargers
I have the iCharger 208b and think it's great. Flexible, easy to operate, 20a charge current... good stuff.
Posted on: 5/16/2012 7:39 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11082932

RE: need a motor recommendation for a redcat caldera with 120a esc
I like the 1410 so much I bought a second one. Very flexible, very efficient. And it's green! ~$70/shipped off the bay; be careful as there are 3mm and 5mm shaft versions.
Posted on: 5/16/2012 7:26 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11082906

RE: why are tires so expensive?
Busted hexes? Loosen the slipper some to decrease the shock loading. Balooning tires? Definitely tape the next set- I did that to the Masher2Ks on my kid's Rusty and one tape job recently let go; it's comical the difference between them now. The Masher2Ks have lasted really well; he also likes to do donuts and to 'splat dirt around'.
Posted on: 5/16/2012 7:23 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11082903

RE: Brushless motor bearings
See if Acer has what you need; excellent customer service and good bearings. A motor is one place I'd consider ceramic bearings and for a high-speed unit you probably want 'shielded' (=metal) and not 'sealed' (=rubber). Luck!
Posted on: 5/3/2012 7:16 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11066712

RE: flysky
I just replaced my FS GT3b with an Airtronics MX4. If you need to go budget price on your radio they're certainly fully featured. Range is excellent and the receivers are dirt cheap. The downside is that if you expect it to work as it ought you'll need to either modify it or have the mods done for you. The stock voltage regulator is total crap; I got about 3-5 hours of run time on 8AAs before I swapped in a new VR ($10 from Mouser). The stock firmware is worse than total crap, and that was the straw that broke this camel's back. It's accepted that the 'expo' function doesn't work. My issue was that when I turned down the throttle endpoints on my kids 'model' (same car, just a different set of settings for my 4yo) the throttle neutral point moved (the car would cog without moving under *zero* throttle) AND reverse no longer worked. To me, spending $40-50 modifying a $30 radio was akin to polishing a turd so I bailed. They have a lot of fans though...
Posted on: 5/3/2012 7:11 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11066704

RE: My LiPo batt packs have ballooned???
[quote]ORIGINAL: jstrach Have you used the GeForce battery brand? [/quote] I have a pair of 6000 mAh 50C 2S hardpacks with about 10 cycles on them. I'm pleased- they're punchy and depending on cutoff voltage deliver the stated capacity. There's a good review video on URC.
Posted on: 5/3/2012 7:05 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11066698

RE: Best Bang for your buck high charger
I've been quite pleased with my iCharger 208b
Posted on: 5/2/2012 6:19 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11065271

RE: Share an experience
store.batteriesamerica.com/about-us.aspx
Posted on: 5/2/2012 6:17 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11065265

RE: Help with Battery ?'s
Agree, especially for bashing with kids you're going to want the longer run times and more relaxed speed of 2s hi-cap batteries. I have a couple G-Force 6000mAh packs and a couple Gens Ace 5300 mAh packs; using them in 1/10 traxxas 2WD vehicles fitted w/ Castle 1410 motors I get ~30 min of run time and the kid (slower settings!) gets 45 min+
Posted on: 4/27/2012 6:57 AM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11058879

RE: First run with LIPO - WOW - now I get it...
[quote]ORIGINAL: FUBAR VXL Thoughts? [/quote] I can confirm that my 4 year old agrees with you as he pretty much refuses to drive his car unless it has a "fast battery" in it. I can't help but grin every time I hear him say, "Did you put in a lithium polymer, dad?"
Posted on: 4/26/2012 5:18 PM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Electric Off-Road Trucks, Buggies, Truggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11058266

RE: Graphite Chassis repair???
Betcha bondo is no where near as strong as JBWeld.
Posted on: 4/26/2012 4:55 PM by Author "porterdog" in the forum "RC Car General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11058239