Trail Honcho kit motor / esc combo [Archive] - RCCrawler.com Bulletin Board

Banshee800

11-28-2009, 11:54 AM

I'm thinking of pre-ordering this kit w/ the honcho body. This rig would be my first scale RC. I was wondering what you guys thought of the Novak Rooster Crawler/55T Motor Combo. It can be had for $109.99 from Tower. I read that some guys are runnin' like 35t motors. So I was wondering about this combo having a 55t motor. Is the 55t motor more for comp crawling or scale crawling? I'm looking for a simple install & something that just works good for all around crawling / woods driving.
Does anyone have experience with the drag braking with this setup? Is it ample?
For the future I'll probably stay with a brushed setup & not make the leap to LiPo's
I'm looking for a good beginners starting point with the motor / esc because I need to keep the price down, but I dont want something Im not happy with either.
Unfortunatly I can only learn from what I read here on the boards, not much happening with the RC crawler scene around where I live. My LHS is more into slot cars & model trains.

thanks for dealing with my newbie questions.

smedo

11-28-2009, 12:10 PM

hi .
the novak rooster is a realy good esc but you will find that a 55 turn motor is a tad to slow but a 35 turn motor is good for speed and torque , the drag brakes are verry good .

Banshee800

11-28-2009, 12:18 PM

yellowpasta2000

11-28-2009, 01:18 PM

Ohh....another question. What do you all think of using the radio / receiver / servo from a Traxxas T-Maxx. The setup I have is the stock Traxxas 27Mhz AM radio & stock T-Maxx servo & receiver. I was thinking the T-Maxx servo is strong enough for that big truck its should be strong enough for the SCX scaler. What do you guys think? The radio is three channel, but, I would just need two obviously.

all that would work just fine, only thing is the servo might be underpowered in some rocky situations when ur in holes or tight spots with pressure on the front wheels. but radio n reciever will work no problem!

also the novak rooster crawler is prob the best brushed esc 2 go with, n i would stick with the 35t motor. 55 is way 2 slow.

Banshee800

11-28-2009, 01:31 PM

what brand / kind 35t brushed motor you recommend?

calikrawler

11-28-2009, 01:43 PM

im running a castle sidewinder and a integy 35t on 3s and its perfect for a scaler

smedo

11-28-2009, 02:01 PM

a good brand of motor is yokomo 35 turn drift motor , i run them in my 2 scx10 scalers and had them submerged in mud and they still work fine

yellowpasta2000

11-28-2009, 02:09 PM

BTW FYI the novak rooster crawler is only limited 2 2s lipo. which kinda sux cus ud want a 3s so u can get some speed out of the scale truck 2. umm ima look up the mamba esc n check if it has dragbrake, cuz i kno mamba can handle 3s

yellowpasta2000

11-28-2009, 02:15 PM

""it is completely Castle Link™ compatible too – drivers can use their Castle Link and Windows PC to tune and tweak all their favorite settings such as brake and throttle curves, throttle response, ***drag brake*** and many other parameters that add up to an incredible RC driving experience.""

price- around 80-90 same price as novak rooster. but this mamba esc also runs brushless(unsensored tho not good 4 slow crawling)

WAIT! found this https://www.ssl-stormerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/seekpart.pl?src=cs&pn=CCMM7701 69.99 4 this esc!!!!

i think ima b goin with this mamba esc 4 my trail honcho!

Banshee800

11-28-2009, 02:27 PM

yellowpasta2000

11-28-2009, 02:55 PM

yea..I checked out Castle Creations Sidewinder ESC & it supports Brushed & Brushless Motors, pretty cool! And your correct about the castle-USB hookup to PC. At $90.00 ....check that...I mean $70.00 @ Stormer Hobbies.......its less than the Novak Rooster. I may have to re-think what ESC I'm gonna go with.

deff. go with the mamba sidewinder, i mean y wouldent u??? im in ur same shoes buying the hancho n electronics n doin my reasearch n shopping 2 n the sidewinders better hands down, it has drag brake supports 3s lipo where novak doesnt, its programable w/computer, does BL, OOHH $HITT but wait does it have a lipo cut-off??? oohhohh theres a prob here lol ima b running lipo n i deff. want a cutoff. well if it doesnt have 1 then i guess i can use novaks external cutoff.

yellowpasta2000

11-28-2009, 02:56 PM

YAY it does have a lipo cut-off!"thumbsup"

JTank70

11-28-2009, 07:49 PM

I am also pre-ordering the new Axial.

I am thinking it over and researching still, but i am considering strongly the Tekin FXR/35t combo..not"pro" version.

One reason is that it is very small and I am pretty sure I read on here somewhere that it will fit in the axial electronics box along with a reciever.

I figure I can pretty much seal up this box once everything is in it just in case the rig gets a little wet I won't have to worry as much. I do not intend to submerge the thing but going through a reasonable water hole would be cool.

Gimp

11-28-2009, 08:10 PM

what brand / kind 35t brushed motor you recommend?

Tekin Pro HAND WOUND 35T with a 20T pinion. Trust me, it's worth the extra $20 "thumbsup"

nevrdun

11-28-2009, 09:27 PM

yellowpasta2000

11-29-2009, 01:15 AM

Im not sure how much drag brake affects the scale rigs. Im just doing my own research on what to buy for the guts of my soon preordered new SCX10. I have both a Sidewinder and a Novak crawler in comp rigs and I can tell you the Cralwer has a MUCH better drag brake than the Sidewinder.

educate us on the drag brakes between them both. What does the novaks drag brake do that makes it better then the sidewinder? And which one do u like and prefer in a scale rig?

Thanks!

JTank70

11-29-2009, 07:15 AM

I have no experience with the sidewinder at all but I have the rooster crawler on my AX10. The drag brake on it works great. No matter the incline......no roll what so ever. I can control my rig very precisely.

The Rooster Crawler is on my list of ESC's to consider for the "Trail Honcho" but, it is bigger than the FXR and I am not sure if it would fit in the electronics box with a reciever.

I would have to wrap it up in a balloon or something to protect it on those wet runs.

Banshee800

11-29-2009, 07:19 AM

From what I'm reading most of you are using the 35t motors as opposed to 45t or 55t. I'm assuming the 35t is a good combination of torque & wheelspeed.
Anyone using the Tekin FXR ESC? I was wondering how is the drag brake?

FireWire79

11-29-2009, 07:31 AM

I use it, after many months of reading to many posts on the damned website. And it is awesome. Just enough speed on 3s to be fun to drive still, and buttery smooth operation while crawling. The drag brake is variable from 0-100% and is sweet. I use it all the time on my scaler too. Its kinda fun to watch a SCX to a stoppie and bring the back end off the ground.

Definately the best system out there. It will be going in my next rigs, all of them, hands down, no questions asked. Lots of fun on 3s, and that's all I run it on.

nevrdun

11-29-2009, 07:58 AM

educate us on the drag brakes between them both. What does the novaks drag brake do that makes it better then the sidewinder? And which one do u like and prefer in a scale rig?

Thanks!

Well, like I said, I've yet to run one in a scale rig but with my AX10 based comp rig, on steep descents I would have to feather reverse to keep it slowed down with the Sidewinder. With the Novak, it had much better braking in neutral. It would hold lines much better while descending. Keep in mind a comp craawler has much more rotating mass and weighs more which will amplify the effects of a less powerful brake. On a scale rig they may both be completely sufficient.

TexasSP

11-29-2009, 09:36 AM

The drag brake was fixed by Castle several firmware updates ago. So now all controllers new and old benefit when updated to the latest software.

nevrdun

11-29-2009, 09:45 AM

The last Sidewinder software update was in May and that is what I currently have on my controller. Drag brake is still sub par. If you use a 55t motor it is better than with my 35t but as I mentioned. This is in a comp crawler. A scale rig I'm sure will have different characteristics and may be better. Just stating that as a comparison the Crawler has a much better drag brake while the Sidewinder is a much more flexible ESC.

TexasSP

11-29-2009, 03:02 PM

There are more recent updates than that. This was addressed by Patrick DelCastillo on RCM a couple of months ago.

nevrdun

11-29-2009, 06:14 PM

Well, if the most recent is what you can get from Castle using the CastleLink as of about a month ago, then I stand behind my original post. I did aquire a difference in strength quite a few months ago but as it stands, Novak>Sidewinder drag brake. The BEC output is better with the Novak as well. With the Novak, an external BEC isn't necessarily necessary with a mild servo and a scale rig. Sidewinder will suffer a little. My wife uses the Novak with a Hitec 645 and no external BEC. When I had the same servo with the Sidewinder it severly lost torque under motor load and vice versa. Loading the servo would cause motor cut out. As I said previously, a scale rig will have different characteristics due to less stress and sheer mass. I keep my stuff up to date according to the manufaturers sites. Just giving an unbiased opinion of the 2 for the person inquiring.

TexasSP

11-29-2009, 07:53 PM

Don't know about the sidewinder but the MMM can hold my 15lb LST2 at a dead stop on a 45 degree angle. The MM held my SCX10 on a 45 as well. You can pick up a nice used MM pretty cheap right now since the release of the MM pro which I would do over the sidewinder anyday. A little more cash and you can pick up the MM Pro which will run brushed as well as sensored and sensorless brushless.

cuzican

11-29-2009, 07:54 PM

I have both a Rooster crawler and a sidewinder. I think the drag brak on the rooster is alot stronger than the drag brake on the sidewinder. I use the sidewinder in a worm drive axled crawler so its weaker drag brake doesn't matter, but before when I had it in an axial axled crawler I found that it would let the rig roll easier than the Rooster.
That said I think your motor is going to have an effect on the drag brake as well. I think I've noticed that with a 55t motor on my rooster the drag was alot stronger than when I put a 21t motor on it. Could just be my imagination but thats kind of the feeling I got.

neverdun:....I don't like having a drag brake on my scale truck for general running around, but for entering a scale comp you would still want drag brake because you get penalized for reverses just like you do in the 2.2 comps.

Somebody mentioned the Rooster crawler not fitting into the electronics box of an SCX10 and that is true, BUT, the rooster is claimed to be water resistant. Me being the kind of guy that always has to push things to the breaking point went ahead and mounted my Rooster on the chassis of my scx10 with no protection whatsoever and I've had the thing in mud, snow, water numerous times and have never had a drop of water get inside the case. When I say I've had it in water I mean fully submerged driving/floating around for 5+ minutes.
I hope this helps.

montana.matt

11-29-2009, 08:00 PM

Me being the kind of guy that always has to push things to the breaking point went ahead and mounted my Rooster on the chassis of my scx10 with no protection whatsoever and I've had the thing in mud, snow, water numerous times and have never had a drop of water get inside the case. When I say I've had it in water I mean fully submerged driving/floating around for 5+ minutes.
I hope this helps.
I can verify that:lol:

yellowpasta2000

11-29-2009, 11:51 PM

But the rooster crawler cant handle a 3cell lipo huh? if it did the rooster would of been #1 choice but im tryin 2 find something with good drag brake and can handle 3s.

btw since its not as wanted 2 run dragbrake in scale rigs wouldent the sidewinders full drag brake be good 4 this scale truck since its not as strong of a drag brake?

TAT76

11-30-2009, 05:32 AM

How about the Tekin FXR 45T combo's? For about $115 on tower it seems to be a good deal. Also I think MSD has them for $99.

yellowpasta2000

11-30-2009, 08:38 AM

the tekin seems really good w/ the 35t combo. this might b the winner 4 my trail honcho"thumbsup"

TAT76

11-30-2009, 09:09 AM

I'm thinking of the Tekin for myself only with the 45T. Price is right and from what I've heard it seems to be a great system.

yellowpasta2000

11-30-2009, 02:22 PM

I'm thinking of the Tekin for myself only with the 45T. Price is right and from what I've heard it seems to be a great system.

same here, i wonder how fast the 35t will go in mph...? any1 have an idea? also would it be worth it 2 buy the hand wound pro motor from tekin??

TexasSP

11-30-2009, 03:00 PM

I have the tekin as well and like it, I just prefer the programming on the Castle ESC's. I would pick the Tekin over the Novak anyday for sure though.

Banshee800

11-30-2009, 03:14 PM

after starting this thread & reading all the posts (thanks for the info guys!) I'm really considering the Tekin FXR / 35t combo for $100.00 from stormer. Thanks for all the facts.

awd199

11-30-2009, 03:53 PM

Here is the software history for the Castle products.
http://www.castlecreations.com/downloads/srh-castle_link.html

I am running the 3.19v that allows running the drag brake at 128% which was a big improvement over the previous versions. I am running a CC sidewinder with an cheap Integy 35T motor and a CCBEC. I will agree the Sidewinder will not hold the rig on an incline, but a little roll and some opposite throttle inputs makes things more manageable. I have used the Goat and a Rooster setups in the past. One thing I disliked about them is when just the slightest amount of forward or reverse throttle that is applied while on an incline, all that wonderful hold brake goes out the door and it is almost as if the rig is freewheeling.

yellowpasta2000

11-30-2009, 05:18 PM

after starting this thread & reading all the posts (thanks for the info guys!) I'm really considering the Tekin FXR / 35t combo for $100.00 from stormer. Thanks for all the facts.

that right there is what i was lookin at 2!! buttttt they have the pro motor 4 that combo but its like 40 bux more, i wonder what the difference is...???

DrunkDriver

12-01-2009, 04:51 AM

I have had a tekin fxr with a 35T in my scx10 for a few months. No problems. Tons of power with 3s, and if I want to adjust anything, I dont need to attach it to the comp to change the settings. If I need more Drag Brake, then I just take the body off and change it.

It has been a wonderfull esc, and with the 35t and 3s lipo, it has tons of speed aswell.

I have a tekin Rebel that is about 10 years old:shock:, and it works great aswell, also running on 3s Lipo(with a seperate cutoff).

Drunk

TAT76

12-01-2009, 07:46 AM

I only plan and want a little bit more speed then walking speed ran on 2s. What do you think would be better for that, 35T or 45T?

yellowpasta2000

12-01-2009, 12:28 PM

I only plan and want a little bit more speed then walking speed ran on 2s. What do you think would be better for that, 35T or 45T?

I think the 45 is a bit faster then walking speed, I want the 35 cuz I wana haul a$$!!!!

proraptor

12-01-2009, 12:51 PM

I think the 45 is a bit faster then walking speed, I want the 35 cuz I wana haul a$$!!!!

You wont be hauling ass with a 35t. Put a 13.5 brushless in it and then it should haul
"thumbsup"

yellowpasta2000

12-01-2009, 01:05 PM

You wont be hauling ass with a 35t. Put a 13.5 brushless in it and then it should haul
"thumbsup"

ahah ur right i was just waitin 4 some1 2 say that, will a 13.5 be slow enough 2 crawl??

TAT76

12-01-2009, 03:52 PM

But BL don't like water as much either.. Just something to think about..

yellowpasta2000

12-01-2009, 05:12 PM

i have concluded fx-r is the way 2 go 4 my Train Honcho! now when the hell is that kit gona b outt!

proraptor

12-01-2009, 05:46 PM

I'm also looking into the tekin fxr. Everything I've read says its a great esc

yellowpasta2000

12-01-2009, 05:52 PM

I'm also looking into the tekin fxr. Everything I've read says its a great esc

exactlyy!

avoidsthelight

12-02-2009, 10:40 AM

regarding this truck and the ESC choice. what about the goat 3s? is anyone using this? i am considering purchasing that combo for my honcho. thanks for any advice in advance.

Banshee800

12-02-2009, 04:20 PM

is the goat only brushless?

avoidsthelight

12-02-2009, 11:40 PM

so the goat 3s does brushless wuth the combo i am readung up on. it will handle a brushed as well.

http://www.teamnovak.com/products/brushless/goat3s_ballistic/index.html

yellowpasta2000

12-02-2009, 11:41 PM

regarding this truck and the ESC choice. what about the goat 3s? is anyone using this? i am considering purchasing that combo for my honcho. thanks for any advice in advance.

too expensive ($200 motor/esc) 4 what it does. IMO half price u get the really good top of line brushed fx-r and motor!

is the goat only brushless?

it does brushed as well

DrunkDriver

12-03-2009, 12:04 PM

You could get a EZ-run brushless crawler setup and try that out. I want too.

http://www.hobbypartz.com/ezescforrocr.html

These have been around for awhile, and everytime I check Hobbyking.com, they are backordered. They just started selling them with a 19.5T sensorless motor combo. Seen a couple on ebay.

For $35 its not a bad choice, and has a drag brake. 3s lipo too. People are always worried about cheap products, but that doesnt mean its not an option.

yellowpasta2000

12-03-2009, 12:08 PM

DrunkDriver

12-03-2009, 12:19 PM

The point is that it is much cheaper than anything that compares, and some sensorless setups cog much less than others. I like this one because the specs are nice: drag brake, adjustable, and it can handle 3s.

I already stated that I like my FXR, but this thing is cheap.

Drunk

yellowpasta2000

12-03-2009, 12:49 PM

yea the price is cheep but i wouldent trust it myself to not have a lot of cog...IMO

proraptor

12-03-2009, 01:46 PM

I have a ezrun in my sc10 and its awesome! Ill never buy an overpriced brushless system.

With that being said Im not sure how a sensorless setup would work in a crawler. I was too interested in the ezrun crawler set and hear it doesnt cog too bad but I hear its hard to slow crawl with it as its too fast

TAT76

12-03-2009, 02:47 PM

I've been watching for when it comes in stock. Think it would work pretty good for a scale truck since I have two of there systems for 1/18th truggy. Honestly I think and from others you can't beat the price for what you get. One of my systems I've had for almost a year and so far have had no problems. The 7800KV will out perform my mamba 6800KV and was half the price. Also makes it easy to program with the card you get in the combos.

Banshee800

12-03-2009, 04:16 PM

what do you guys think of motors / esc & battery chargers from Hobbyking.com.....the prices seem to good to be true. Is this stuff made by slave labor in someones basement? Or..have they just figured out how to offer quality products @ Walmart prices?

yellowpasta2000

12-03-2009, 04:59 PM

DrunkDriver

12-03-2009, 10:20 PM

I am using one of their chargers, works great! It the exact same as my Losi charger with a different label. Same buttons, menus, charge ports, case, just a different name.

Drunk

yellowpasta2000

12-03-2009, 11:37 PM

I am using one of their chargers, works great! It the exact same as my Losi charger with a different label. Same buttons, menus, charge ports, case, just a different name.

Drunk

Post link or name for the exact charger u got. Couple buddies bought some chargers from them n it was just junk

TAT76

12-04-2009, 05:32 AM

I have the Turnigy Accucell-6 with no issues for a year now. Charges all my batts from there and everywhere else with no worries. For the price I got my money back and then some and plan to buy another here soon to have as a spare if and when the one I have now goes out.

DrunkDriver

12-04-2009, 08:17 AM

I am several thousand miles from home, but I know I bought a Turnigy. It was on sale super cheap.

Drunk

proraptor

12-04-2009, 09:00 AM

chargers arent good from them, but their batteries are!

You wrong about that one. Ive been using the turnigy accucell-6 with turnigy lipos, nimh, etc etc and its the best charger Ive ever owned and its only $37. I wont buy another charger

yellowpasta2000

12-04-2009, 03:08 PM

You wrong about that one. Ive been using the turnigy accucell-6 with turnigy lipos, nimh, etc etc and its the best charger Ive ever owned and its only $37. I wont buy another charger

Im happy 4 u bud! i guess they bumped up their quality!

proraptor

12-04-2009, 03:11 PM

Im happy 4 u bud! i guess they bumped up their quality!

Its not just me. Do a google search on the accucell - 6 and you will find hundreds if not thousands of people happy with them

You might also find some posts about how those hong kong companies make stuff for Orion and other big name brands out there

yellowpasta2000

12-04-2009, 03:17 PM

Its not just me. Do a google search on the accucell - 6 and you will find hundreds if not thousands of people happy with them

You might also find some posts about how those hong kong companies make stuff for Orion and other big name brands out there

i believe u... but about a year or 2 ago i use 2 work for helihobby and we ordered some n they were shit. Can they be different quality or updated now? yes n thats what probably happened.

proraptor

12-04-2009, 03:23 PM

i believe u... but about a year or 2 ago i use 2 work for helihobby and we ordered some n they were shit. Can they be different quality or updated now? yes n thats what probably happened.

I ordered my accucell 6 charger when it first came out and its been great. You must not have tried the turnigy chargers....

TAT76

12-04-2009, 03:24 PM

Its not just me. Do a google search on the accucell - 6 and you will find hundreds if not thousands of people happy with them

You might also find some posts about how those hong kong companies make stuff for Orion and other big name brands out there

NO!!!!
They suck and everyone needs to buy $100+ chargers so they keep the accucell-6 at $37 for those of us that like to buy cheap chargers that don't burn up and do everything there made to do.. I mean why spend $37 on a charger that will last you years and take care of your batts and then some when you can spend $100+ on another that does the same thing.. Just seems silly to me not to waste that extra $63 on one that has a known name..

proraptor

12-04-2009, 03:30 PM

NO!!!!
They suck and everyone needs to buy $100+ chargers so they keep the accucell-6 at $37 for those of us that like to buy cheap chargers that don't burn up and do everything there made to do.. I mean why spend $37 on a charger that will last you years and take care of your batts and then some when you can spend $100+ on another that does the same thing.. Just seems silly to me not to waste that extra $63 on one that has a known name..

Cool stickers are expensive my friend 8)