I Need Electornics for First Crawler

[dbbyleo]

Hi...
The last time I was in the RC scene was 20 years when I was rolling with Associated 10T. A quick trip to the hobby store with a buddy got me exposed to this thing called crawling... and one look at the Axial SCX10 Jeep got the 20 year itch coming back. Here we go... getting ready to throw down some cash again - good grief, but I'm hooked! I'm jones'ing for my first rig.

I wanna go with the KIT version of the Jeep. Many I've read said to consider going with the KIT versus the RTR. I'd also like to put it together and go through that process.

As far as all the electronics I'm going to need to go get on my own... I'm at a lost. I DON'T NEED THE BEST STUFF, in fact, if I can buy the standard stuff that came with the RTR, I think I'd be fine - I also read that they are pretty good stuff. I basically want the KIT over the RTR because it's got some cool "stuff on it".

So on ebay, I find I can get the same motor, esc, radio, servo as the RTR for about $125. So my question is... for that price, can you guys recommend a different setup for the electronics I'm going to need? Again for these components, I don't think I necessarily need the best stuff... and again, I've read these RTR electronics aren't terrible, so I think I'd be good with these. Could $125 afford me anymore?

As far as the battery and charger, I'm going to cover that too... I figure this is one thing I don't think I want to skimp on. I have to do more research on what I need to know in this area. Again, last I was in the scene, ther was only NiCad to choose from.

Thanks.

[TNCrawler]

From the sound of what u want i think the rtr is a better choice for u.

[hibbs]

That's a bit tough to answer because the advantage of a kit is to be able to buy nicer electronics. As TNCrawler stated, you might be better off with an RTR because you are asking to do this as cheap as possible.

To try and answer this for you though, my first tip would be to read on the forums here and familiarize yourself with what people run and what they say about them.

With ESCs: I look at it as they are waterproof or they aren't. I love to play in the mud/water and I don't like to worry about it.

NON-waterproof ESCs (Holmes Hobbies will waterproof just about anything for $10 if you need):

Tekin- FX-R: Beloved ESC that is super tiny. It's easy to fit on your truck and has an outstanding track record. It is for brushed motors only. Excellent programming options. Can handle up to 3 cell lipo or 4 cell (3s or 4s) if you upgrade the capacitor (few dollars) Price: ~$100

Castle Creations- Mamba Max Pro (MMP): My personal favorite ESC, it can do everything except empty the dishwasher. Runs brushed/brushless/sensored/sensorless. Robust in that it can handle up to 6 cell lipo (6s) and is also highly programmable. It is a fairly large ESC but you can find a home for it on your chassis. Price: ~$110-120


Novak: I have never run their stuff, so I can't elaborate here. I won't say anything bad about them because the product I have used of theirs have treated me well. Generally people on the forums do not prefer Novak ESCs.

Factory Waterproofed ESCs:

Holmes Hobbies BR-XL (can be ordered waterproof or not): This is another beloved ESC on the forums here. It is brushed motor only but it is extremely powerful. It can handle 6 cell lipo (6s) and is designed to be as robust as it can be in nearly every way. The internal BEC (battery elimination circuit a feature so that the servos aren't lacking for power when the motor is being fed a lot of current) is 6v, and it acutally performs unlike nearly every other ESC despite their claims. Price: ~$100

Traxxas XL-5 or VXL: These are reasonable ESCs, but not well catered to the crawling crowd. No a lot of programming options and no drag brake leaves your truck rolling away down hill or uphill if you let off throttle. I ran an XL-5 for my first ESC and liked it very well, it's a good starting point. The XL-5 is a brushed only ESC while the VXL is brushless (maybe can do brushed too, not sure on that). Price: XL-5 ~$60? VX-L ~$100+?

Radio: If I were you I would use ebay or other to find a super cheap 3 channel radio. You can get away with a cheap item here for a while. You won't have end point adjustment (EPA) for your steering control, which sucks but not the end of the world. I love my Futaba 4PL but that's not a cheap item. A good radio is going to cost at least $150 or likely $250. If you can find a 2.4 gHz that would be best. Price: cheap-o or RTR traxxas radio $50-100?

Motor: I would have to write a novel and get it published to tell you all the different options here. Brushed/brushless, sensored BL, sensorless BL, etc. There are cheap options ~$10 up to top notch BL motors $150+.

Servo: Again decide if you want to play in the mud/water because that will make a difference. On a 1.9 tire sized truck, bare minimum you need is a Hitec 645MG ~$30. They get worked really hard when crawling, but will tolerate the abuse for a long time. If you like water look at the newer Hitec 646WP or the better 5646WP, both factory waterproof and quality units. I can't give you advice outside of Hitec since that is all I ever run. There are much stronger options here but you're talking major cash for top notch gear $80-175+.

Best of luck to you. Feel free to PM me if I can help you any further.

[dbbyleo]

Thanks Hibbs... awesome feedback. I definitely need to do more recon.
As far as waterproofing... I saw a great video from "Medic" from RCSpark on how to water proof/resist the SCX10 right of a RTR box... use of plasti-dip, marine grease, etc... anyway video looked real comprehensive... you guys probably are well aware it, but it's on YouTube.

You bring to my attention a lot new concepts I need homework on - EPA, sensored/sensorless, programmable ESC... etc. Thanks again.

[losikid]

Originally Posted by hibbs

A good radio is going to cost at least $150 or likely $250.

I disagree,

A hacked flysky GT3B or GT3C cost less than $150

[hibbs]

Originally Posted by dbbyleo

Thanks Hibbs... awesome feedback. I definitely need to do more recon.
As far as waterproofing... I saw a great video from "Medic" from RCSpark on how to water proof/resist the SCX10 right of a RTR box... use of plasti-dip, marine grease, etc... anyway video looked real comprehensive... you guys probably are well aware it, but it's on YouTube.

You bring to my attention a lot new concepts I need homework on - EPA, sensored/sensorless, programmable ESC... etc. Thanks again.

I kind of have this personal campaign against the use of plasti-dip, lol. Both that and liquid electrical tape will technically work, but they are not waterproof and are at best good for splashes. After literally years and hundreds of dollars of ruined electronics, I can say confidently they must be epoxied with potting epoxy to be 100% safe. See the waterproofing thread for more info. end rant.

Originally Posted by losikid

I disagree,

A hacked flysky GT3B or GT3C cost less than $150

Okay, fair enough I'll agree with you there. Sadly, I am not a wizard of electronics like yourself and some of the others. But yes, I should mention the vendors on here who offer great options for those on a budget. I will keep you and other vendors in mind when offering advice in the future.