Finishing up my dingo roller

[Farabomb]

Since it's finally warming up, it's tax return time and my B-day is coming up I need to finish my dingo roller. It's all built minus electronics and paint. I've done some searching so I have an idea of what I should get but I do have some questions.

Steering servo is my biggest question. There are a lot of opinions and a large price gap. While I won't say money is not an option if spending more will lessen my chances of eating servos that would sway my choice. I've eaten too many on my RC18 and Revo VXL, I don't need to on the SCX. I'm also new to crawling so I'm a little in the dark. I know metal gears are a must. Hitec seems to be one of the favorite ones on here. Do I really need to spend $130 on a servo? If I go with a 645MG will I be replacing it all the time or not have enough torque to turn in some situations? Will a new digital servo even work with my old Futaba controller? I'd give the model but I forgot exactly what one it is and I'm at work. I wasn't planning on getting a new radio. With 2x traxxas ones and 3x AE ones I'd rather not get another until I need a 4+ channel one.

ESC. Seems Holmes is the way to go with Castle and Tekin as runners up. Since they offer ESC/motor combos the choice is probably Holmes. I just don't know what wind to get. I have other cars for my speed fix but I don't want something that runs at a snail's pace.

I figure on going with LiPos but I haven't really read up on them. Any advice there is welcome.

I know I'm forgetting something but working and posting you kinda loose track. I'll post up what controller I have when I get home later.

Thanks for any and all help. Even the search n00b posts.

[tech712]

Searh button works wonders n00b

J/k

Max amps has some great info on lipos. A good bang for the buck battery and charger setup you might look at thunderpower batteries and chargers.

Savox makes a good servo for a decent price. Not sure if you need a digital one or not but something at 3-400 in oz and metal geared would be choice.

These days just about any common name brand esc and lower kv Sensored brushless combo would do you good.

The electronics section has more info than you ever wanted to know....

[Farabomb]

I've bought from Maxamps before and will most likely get them for the SCX. I already have a MRC Superbrain 989 for charging duties.

I will check out the savox options. I see a lot of people here running them but I don't have any experience nor have I seen them at the LHS. Seems Amazon stocks them and as long as I can get replacement gearsets I'm open to trying them out.

From my reading it seems brushed is the way to go on crawlers. If I'm wrong then that opens up more options and more reading up for me. Looks like I'll be heading off to the electronics section for some studying.

[tech712]

Personally I prefer sensored brushless. More efficient and less maintenance than a brushed motor.

[Jus]

Minimum for a servo I would say is a Hitec 5645mg. I've busted a couple sets of gears in them though, one was in my old scx and then a freak occurrence in my TF2 which I don't drive that hard, can't for the life of me figure out how it happened but anyways... If it's a truck you'll drive a lot and want to get the most enjoyment out of it, a strong and reliable servo is a must. It costs more up front but you never have to worry about it again. Plus the cheaper/less powerful servos have painfully slow turning speed which can get annoying. If I had my choice I'd run a Hitec 7955TG($100) in all my 1.9" trucks but that would bankrupt me right now lol.. My Honcho does have one though and it makes it soooo much better to drive...

A Holmes brxl/motor combo is a great choice for electronics. A safe bet in these trucks is a 35t motor, or for a little more speed a 27t. My Dingo has a BRXL and Axial 27t motor I got for $12 and on 3s lipo it works great. The Holmes motors have a lot more torque and provide much more drag brake. The Axial motor I run is super cheap and lasts a year sometimes two, it's got super smooth start up and ok torque.. When I wear it out, it gets tossed and new one installed.

[Farabomb]

It's been a while since I ran a brushed motor since I got back into RC. I got back in with a T-Maxx 3.3 then hooked my friends and next thing I knew I had 3x RC18's and a track in my backyard.

Now that I moved to the woods the high speed toys tend to sit on a shelf. They tend to attract imovable objects so I thought a scale/crawler rig would be a good choice.

I agree with spending the cash on a good servo. I'd eat the RC18 ones up constantly and never have really solved that issue. Doesn't take much to lunch a micro. The Hitec 5645mg was on the list but if the Hitec 7955TG is less prone to failure I'm ok with spending the cash. I will also look into the savox as well. I have a turnigy in the VXL that has been solid so I may see what hobby hing has as well. If I want to wait for it.

The only radio I can't find right now in my mess is my Futaba. I know back in the day it was a pretty good radio, I bought it off my friend that used to race for Tamiya. I will have to assume for now that it will be up to the task.

As long as I don't find info that brushless is the way to go the Holmes is what I will go with. Is it worth it to pony up for the pro or will the sport work just fine?

Thanks for the info. Seems I have some choices to make and more reading to do. Seems every new RC I get involves a different approach as to what goes in it.

[Jus]

The Pro is a handwound motor and is super high quality. Torque is impressive and so is price. It depends on how much power you think you need or the type of theme you have for the truck. For the average scx-10 they are probably overkill. I have no experience with the sport motors. I think they are just a basic motor that HH slaps a sticker onto. I do like the Expert motors. They are a little more carefully selected as far as parts quality but are still machinewound. They are a good middle of the road motor and mine (35t) has served me well.

I have one Savox servo. I forget the model but it's 277oz of torque @ 6v. I found out that although the internal BEC on the BRXL is beefed up (6v and 5amp I think?) Savox servos don't seem to play nice with them. Mine was really glitchy. Something to do with high resolution or something.. A Castle BEC set to 6v solved it, as it does 99% of all electrical problems on RCC.

[Farabomb]

After a little reading I'm on the fence about brushed/brushless. Since I'll mainly be playing in my backyard and on the trails in the local state park the idea of a little more speed is what is making me lean towards brushless. I am a little concerned about driveline strength with the brushless. Since I'm new to the SCX are there upgrades available when I things fail?

I'm going to read a little more before I make my decision. The price differential isn't all that much and the brushless means I shouldn't have to replace it. I'm not too worried about waterproofing. I don't plan on trying to drive it through my lake.

[Farabomb]

I'm still finishing up the SCX10 but I had the MERV out this weekend and there was 2 things I noticed.

1: I think I'm going brushed, most likely a Holmes combo. The brushless VXL just lugs too much at low speeds. I'm pretty sure it's not sensored but it just doesn't like low speeds. I could compare it to the brushed Tamiya Brat I got for my bday but I don't think I'll even run that. I've waited since the 80's to have one, it can sit on the shelf.

2: I think I have to upgrade my charger. I have a MRC superbrain 989 and it seems to max out at 3 amps when charging lipos. Looking at SPC lipos for the SCX10 they can be charged at a higher rate then the 989 can provide.

I did pick up a hitec 7955TG for steering duties and that's installed. Just have to free up some cash for the Holmes and some batteries.

and find my damn Futaba 3PJ.

[allanon1965]

The vxl is a poor choice in a crawler/scaler. It is not sensored and a brushless system needs to be sensored to have any slow speed useability....

Im running tekin redlines in my stuff..all sensored with cc mmp esc's and 3s lipos..both wraiths have 13.5 motors and my scx10 has a 17.5 motor...i am happy with all three. They all have smooth as silk low ends and lots of high speed when i need it

[Farabomb]

I'm aware the VXL isn't a good choice. I just noticed since the MERV is the only thing I have running right now.

I only have experience with non sensored brushless motors. I have a castle in one of my RC18's and the MERV. I was considering a sensored brushless but it seems right now for what I'm doing the brushed seems like the better choice.

[Farabomb]

So it took close to a year and I finally got it done a few days after xmas.

Now I'm kicking myself in the ass I didn't get it done sooner. My backyard is much better suited for the crawler than my other cars.

I ended up with a Tekin FX-R/35t combo, Futaba R153F, PK3 and a Hitec 37955S HS-7955TG for steering duties. Now I kinda wish I got the waterproof Holmes. I don't want to destroy the FX-R so if it's not dry I don't run it. I may get around to waterproofing but it's not top on my list right now. I will say that it was a bitch to get the FX-R programed. After hours of trying with the included instructions and having no luck I searched and found that the Futaba needs to have the throttle servo reversed. That's something that should be in the instructions. One bonus is I got to relearn my controller.

I just ordered some 2.2 flatirons for the proline beadlocks I had on my 1/16 revo. I can't seem to get the tires to stay glued to the rims on the stockers. I have some thick CA coming so hopefully that will sort it.

I'd like a little more speed so I have some 11v LiPos coming as well as some more pinions. I was going to get new shocks but since the stockers aren't leaking just yet I'm going to wait on those.

Now that it's up and running I have to wrestle the controller from the woman. This isn't a horrible thing but it does mean I'm in the market for another one already.

Are the electronics really that bad in the RTR ones? Should I get a RTR (was looking at the honcho, the EXO and the wraith) and upgrade as I can or should I get a kit and buy all the electronics? I'd like to get another SCX10 to keep spares to a minimum. I'm also not against getting the EXO or wraith to branch out.

I haven't even painted the dingo and I'm already looking for new bodies (honcho or the proline F350) to have one for scale looks and one for backyard bashing.

As far as the LEDs go... is it better to just buy the light kit or fab one? Is there anything special in the light controller? I'm not bad with electronics, if it's a simple circuit can I build one or is it just easier/cheaper to buy the kit? Can you expand on the kit or are you stuck with the amount of LEDs it comes with?

Stupid fun, expensive hobby.

[RiderZ]

You don't need to spend big money on a brushless setup for crawling/trail running.I use the Hitec 645mg servo in both my rigs.I say get a good brushed esc (tekin fxr) and good brushed low turn motor on 3s and guarantee you will be happy.Other people always want to spend your money!

[Farabomb]

The FX-R wasn't a horrible price. I've been in the hobby a LONG time and I remember the ESC alone costing way more than the motor/esc combo I got.

I'm expecting the Venom 20C 3S 2100mAh 11.1 LiPOs I ordered to show up on Saturday. Right now I'm running a 7.2v NiCad I bought for my T-Maxx starter. It's quick enough but I'd like just a little bit more. The LiPOs should do it.

I may still stop by the LHS to look around and see what they have. I doubt they have the Honcho body and bed in stock but I can hope.

I moved the battery over the front axle and it makes a world of difference. I may grab some wheel weights from my job and add them to the beadlocks before I mount the Flatirons.

I went through the whole tips thread and found some things I may try. I was going to mirror the trans during the build but I didn't want to loose the gear cover. I can see the twist but it's not bothering me right now. Does it really make that much of a difference? Does Axial or someone sell a gear cover that will work with the mirrored trans?

[RiderZ]

You could probably find a cheaper esc.I have both the Tekin FXR & Novak Eiger esc's and hands down the FXR is a little better.Super smooth throttle control.Although I am happy with the Eiger too.For motors I have an Integy 45T ($27) and an RC4WD 45T Boost motor ($3.Both motors work well.Lots of torque and very smooth.Again the Hitec 645mg ($30)works very well for the SCX10 platforms.Sure there is better $$$ servos out the but if you're on a budget these work just fine.I have Two Axial G6 jeep kits and I didn't want to spend a fortune on these trucks to get them up and running.I started this hobby back in 1987 right out of high school after getting my first job.Ive had a bunch of cars,trucks,boats and airplanes over the years.Ive learned what works and what's quality!

[Farabomb]

I totally agree. I use the same theory in my 1:1 track cars. Some things you spend money on like tires, suspension and brakes. Other things you don't need the most expensive thing in the catalog. My first car was a RC10 and I haven't looked back. Took a few years off but now my stable seems to grow by at least one a year. I do have to stop lusting after the Tamiya ones they reissue. They bring back memories of cars I couldn't afford at the time.

Since the next one will be the GF's basically I don't think she will notice the difference between the RTR electrics and ones I would buy for a kit. I do have my 2.4 Traxxas transmitter and I was considering using that in the new build. Since you have been having no issues with the 645mg that will be the one going in if I go that route. I really like building the kits, that's one of the reasons I went with the dingo kit. I actually wanted to build my toy.

Airplanes are damn expensive so I won't get into them. I have 3 quadrotors and they always seem to meet the ground at a good rate of speed but they are damn fun. Since I live across from a lake a boat is next on the list of toys to get.

[dbw]

I have been running the tekin fxr/35T combo with the savox waterproof 1210 and never looked back.

[RiderZ]

Me & you must be about the same age.I remember back in the day lusting over all them cool Tamiya R/C kits.I started with the venerable Blackfoot.Then expanded from there.I learned so much about this hobby and the add-ons & upgrades.I spent hours & hours turning screwdrivers on that truck.I agree about the kit builds.Its the best way to learn that kit inside & out.Makes thing easy when it comes to doing repairs/upgrades.Enjoy!!!

[Farabomb]

I had the Subaru Brat kit in my wishlist for months and the woman got it for me for my bday. I was quite happy. I don't think I will ever run it but it brings back memories. I still look at the hotshot from time to time but realize there is no reason other than nostalgia to get it. If I want a 4WD car there are many other, better options out there. I still have a blackfoot in my collection of neglected toys along with parts of a original Jr-x2 and a Ultima.

I do miss the kits though. There is something about spending the time to create and modify the kit to your liking. I realize that the RTRs provide a easy in to the hobby. That brings more money to the industry and more models for us to choose from. I still wish there were more kits out there though.