Boney's Pro Roller build attempt #1

[Boneybone]

Well, this thread is about commitment, will and dedication. I'm telling you right now that it's not going to be easy and the chances of witnessing great failures and screw-ups is highly likely.

However, with your help, I can do this...

Anyways, apart from the cheesy intro, I am building myself a Pro Roller. Lately, it was a tough ride for me. I fried my ESC, broke my drive shaft, got busted and gangbanged by people around the RCC. Now let the recovery process begin!

As a complete inexperienced RC driver(read:noob), I made some choices that might be considered silly so if you have any other suggestion, don't hesitate to blurt it out.

It's all started with a RTR MRC, which lasted only a month before I decided to upgrade it so here I am.

I'm going to order the following part this afternoon:

-Pro-Line Titus 1.9" Chome/Black Bead Loc Wheel
-Novak Mongoose Micro Crawler Brushless ESC/Three-80 Brushless Crawler Motor Combo (18.5T)
-Novak Black Cooling Fan
-some foam wire keepers

What I got sitting right here:

-Hitec HS-5245MG
-Losi MRX 3000 receiver
-RTR MRC transmitter
-1.9 G8 Flat Irons

Going to gather these to finish it up:

-Generic 800Mah Lipo
-Charger for the thing above

Are these good choices? If not, please state your opinions. If it is, do it anyways. I like someone agreeing with me and my choices.

I would like to put couple of pictures too, so you can stare at them and wonder what the hell is all that mean while I'm waiting for my parts to arrive.

Thanks for reading.


Broken Drive shaft, follow the eyes and look for the long, black, cylindrical object dangling between the rear claws of my crawler. It has a shiny head.


My Pro Roller Kit, grabbed it for 90! ;)


Servo, which killed my stock ESC so I'm upgrading to Novak Mongoose.


My RTR MRC stripped down, waiting for her final retirement. Also Flat Irons on the back, stacked.


Comparison shot of the RTR and Pro Roller. I haven't decided on the theme I am going to use with that Mini Grappler Pro body.


RTR MRC chassis and Pro Roller Chassis. Pro one looks so much natural than the RTR. I am not sure if the carbon-fiber is the right material choice but the overall design can slap the crawl out of the RTR chasssis.


I went to get some ice-cream and this is what I found when I got back. I let it do it's thing for half an hour, hoping to see a BND Micro Rock Crawler pop out of nowhere but nah... I am not THAT lucky.

Stay tuned for the updates, it's going to be a sweet sweet ride.

Or not.

[johnnyh66]

Hey Boneybone, glad to see you made it through chi chat

It looks good but personally, I like a full size servo, at least 100oz or more.

Have fun!

[Boneybone]

Thanks Johnny.

I'm not going to compete with this so thought that micro servo is suffice but as a read through the forum, I can't help myself to think if I made a wrong choice with the servo.

I got my eye on this servo for a couple of days. It looks okay on the paper and best of all, my local hobby shop carries it in stock. It's from a company called Savox, does anyone familiar with the brand?

It pushes 138.8 oz at 6V, which if I am correct the voltage Mongoose system puts out to the servo unlike stock RTR ESC.



Here is the official site: http://www.savoxtech.com.tw/sc-1257.htm

[johnnyh66]

That's too funny, I was going to post a link the the Savox low profile 125oz servo. http://www.savoxusa.com/Savox_SC1251...avsc1251mg.htm


I have a Savox in my 9 pound scaler, 347oz: http://www.savoxusa.com/Savox_SC1268...avsc1268sg.htm

and I just bought this one for my foff rig, 277oz:http://www.savoxusa.com/Savox_SC1256...avsc1256tg.htm

I actually went into the LHS to buy the low profile 125oz servo for my MRC but walked out with the 277oz servo... not sure how that happened

I may move the 277oz into my scaler and the 347oz into a Wraith!

[Boneybone]

...and I was thinking it's not a well known brand at all. LOL

That low profile looks pretty good, I can use that extra space for a lipo without messing with the tyranny but I don't think my local hobby shop carries it in stock, at least according to their website.

I'll probably go for the SC-1257TG, it has lower torque than the 1256TG and slightly cheaper but still more than my Hitec.

Hitec = 76 oz
Savox = 138.9 oz

I've ordered the ESC and rims yesterday, they should be here next week. Then I can head to the hobby shop and grab some lipos, charger and that Savox.

Do we actually need something like 347oz in 1/18th scale, isn't that a little overkill? I can't help to think that most of that power is not going to be used at all.

[Slaughter]

You can never have enough servo power, as long as you can afford it. I would go for rovers over flat irons. Rovers are unbelievable. Keep in mind some people have stalling issues with high torque servos and a weak BEC that is built in to most ESCs. So you might need a CC BEC if you experience stalling. Could have saved money keeping the stock beadlocks and using some stick on weights or lead rope. The mongoose system is over priced, but no motor maintenance probably makes up for that.

Have fun!

[Boneybone]

Originally Posted by Slaughter

You can never have enough servo power, as long as you can afford it. I would go for rovers over flat irons. Rovers are unbelievable. Keep in mind some people have stalling issues with high torque servos and a weak BEC that is built in to most ESCs. So you might need a CC BEC if you experience stalling. Could have saved money keeping the stock beadlocks and using some stick on weights or lead rope. The mongoose system is over priced, but no motor maintenance probably makes up for that.

Have fun!

Thanks for your comment brother.

I've read so many great things about rovers but they're not in my "to do" list at the moment. I prefer the looks of Flat Irons over the performance of Rovers. C'mon now, this thing gonna sit right there and be stared at more than it's going to be used so I can live with the Flat Irons. My only issue with them is excessive rubbing. I tried to use homemade wider hexes to overcome this problem but the threads on the axle is too short. When I double the hexes, there's not enough thread left to securely fasten the wheels.

Any ideas?

About the stalling, I've experienced that with my stock ESC but probably won't, with the Mongoose ESC because it gives out 6V already and they advertise it, on their website and I quote "The Mongoose Crawler ESC has also been outfitted with a rugged 6 volt / 2 amp BEC to provide powerful and precise steering while embarking on unsteady landscape, with no additional BEC to purchase or install." so I thought I was okay with ~140 oz servo.

Also I am going to be careful not to push it too hard, like I did to my stock ESC.

The reason I'm changing the rims is, they look cool. Also I don't want to deal with modding it, those Prolines already come with weights, neat and tucked away from the eye. I'm kinda after a clean look.

And I really don't think Mongoose is over-priced. It's $94.99, way cheaper than Tekin, Losi Xcelorin, which by the way was my first choice but decided on this mainly because the reviews and price.

I also liked their website, designs and overall stance so wanted to support'em a little. I hope I won't have any problems with it though.

EDIT: Erm, what motor maintenance? :confused: I didn't know that they require any kind of maintenance.

[Slaughter]

The BEC does put out 6V but only 2 amps. You could run into stalling if you get it bound up in some rocks. I had the mongoose and loved the wheel speed, but the drag brake wouldn't hold on incline/decline. What I was saying is that for $94 you could get a better esc/brushed motor, but for what you are using it for it will work well and you don't have to do maintenance on a brushless, so that itself is worth the cost for a non-comp truck.

As for tires/rims, its all personal choice, I just like to spend as little as possible because I have multiple hobbies to support.

[Boneybone]

Well, finally the wait is over and my parts arrived!

Now I need to get myself a LiPo, some Deans and a SC-1258TG. I already got a Hitec but probably going to ditch that one. I'm going to get the rest of the parts next week from a local RC Shop and hopefully start building it right away...

So here are the goodies...


The Box. It's made out of cardboard and used for storing things inside. If you take a look at the right side, you will see two stickers. Now this is where it gets tricky so I don't think I can explain those 2 well enough for you to comprehend the importance of them so I'll skip those...


Group shot of the goodies! YAY! Pro-Line Titus wheels, foam wire keeps, Novak fan, and Novak Mongoose Brushless Crawler System... Don't mind the Plazma Nimh on the right top corner, it wasn't included in this box.


Dayum, I thought these motors are silver, not black. Hmm... These parts smell absolutely wonderful and they look pretty damn sexy!


Aaah! Now these are some bad-freakin-ass rims! I ****in love their build quality and looks. Can't wait to slap my Flat Irons on these hotties!

As you can see, there's not much progress so far, in this thread. But think of it as a male orgasm, punch line is at the end, not during the process so yeah...

When I get the LiPo and other required parts next week, I can finally get this mess sorted out so my crawler can rise from this electronic debris.



Thank you for reading.

[Boneybone]

Originally Posted by Slaughter

The BEC does put out 6V but only 2 amps. You could run into stalling if you get it bound up in some rocks. I had the mongoose and loved the wheel speed, but the drag brake wouldn't hold on incline/decline. What I was saying is that for $94 you could get a better esc/brushed motor, but for what you are using it for it will work well and you don't have to do maintenance on a brushless, so that itself is worth the cost for a non-comp truck.

As for tires/rims, its all personal choice, I just like to spend as little as possible because I have multiple hobbies to support.

Damn!

I'm sorry for not replying to your post brother, I missed it unfortunately.

I'm aware that an external BEC is needed at every serious crawling system but the thing is, they're mostly out of stock at places that ship internationally. Also I don't want to buy the Castle Link just to program the BEC to 6V. I'm going to use it only once you know...

Instead, I thought if I pay a little attention to not get it bound up, I'll be okay. After all only purpose of my crawler is to entertain me, not competitive at all. ;)

I hope I'll be satisfied with this ESC/Motor combo, time will tell but according to your post, my choice is fine.

I get your point about the rims but I couldn't resist. LOL

Thanks for yer input brother, appreciated it is.

[rik]

looks like a real nice start. ya got a fawk load of parts there. i just got my mrc pro too. i used a cc micro sidewinder with a stump puller motor. gotta order a bec tho. im interested to see how those flat irons work for ya.(got a set layin here, but hesitant on putting them on) im disappointed in the stock tires. they have decent grip, and am told they get better over time. but, they just aint big enough. i'll be watching this build. good luck.

[mambabear]

i thought the mongoose system looked nice but i figured id give tekin my vote with the b1-r i hear tekin has the best rock crawling esc's and for 50$ from a main im willing to try. im using the tekin with a stock mrc crawler motor i should get it tommorrow or the next day so ill give you a heads up on what i think and how it performs.

[Boneybone]

Well, I've finally gathered all the bits and pieces I need and started building this damn thing tonight. It's almost 8AM out here, took me all night to fiddle this, poke that and it's still not FINISHED!

I'll continue building this on the following days so this is just an update of the process...

First thing is setting the workbench, which is a piece of cardboard... I started by soldering, converted everything to Deans; actually they're knock-offs but who the **** cares right?





Everythings laid out on the couch and desk, set, ready, go!

Now, bear in mind that I'm new to this soldering stuff, my experience in welding might have helped me out a little though so after a couple of tries on scrap wires, I went straight to my chargers cable. I got this handy device which I recently acquired, it has 2 adjustable arms with crocodile clips on the end, makes soldering a whole lot easier. You can spot it in the first picture in front of my Red/Purple Mathmos Astro, it has black, heavy metal feet.



I put my first Deans on em and then tinned the plates. I tin'em with more than usual wire and make a big, fat bulk there, then thin the cable slightly but making sure it's dripping wet in there... This is actually pretty much guarantees a good joint, from what I've read. So if you see any problems with my soldering, just chirp in. Here are the first blobs on the connector, shiny means good.





Then I put the tinned wire on top of the blob and touch it slightly with my peni... Erm... Brain_Malfunction_Page_Fault_In_Nonpage_Area 0x00000420...

_":/resetting......

.....


.....done\

Then I put the tinned wire on top of the blob and touch it slightly with my soldering iron. After both wires and connector plates solder melt and rejoin as a whole new shiny blob of unified metal, I remove my soldering iron and hold the wire and connector steady, NOW that little tool I was talkin about with crocodile clips makes this part of the task a ****ing breeze.

Then I heat my heatshrinks, one small in each wire and one big on both of them, first the small ones then the big one and voila!



Don't forget to put heatshrinks first though, I forgot to put one and it's a biatch to remove the solder with a pump and re-do everything!

And never, NEVER! Cut both wires on a LiPo! Cut the + first, solder it, heatshrink it then cut the - wire and do the same.

Anyways, I'm gettin bored so screw the scenic route, I'm going to the point directly.

Then I put this and that and it's done. Thanks for reading.

Meh, I'm just trying to be funny and annoying, let us continue...

I finished my LiPo and charger lead, then tested it with my charger if everythings okay in those 2 tiny cells. They were happy.



Now it's time for the Mongoose ESC to get deanified! Some shots of the subject now.





When the deanifisation process is over, it looks like this.



Now, before going on with the electronics, I have to fix something with the MRC Pro chassis. As you all know, the carbonfiber is prone to get damaged near the skidplates, with constant abuse by terrain we roll on. I've read CA glue works wonders down there and fixing this issue.

Well, it's working for sure but man that looks ugly! All the white fog coming from the glue, ruining the looks... At least that is what happening on my lexan bodies. I don't want that to happen to my crawler so I come up with this idea.



Yes, it is an energy drink can.

Now what I'm going to do is pretty obvious I believe, at least after you see this photo. I'm going to use the metal on it and make a chassis guard!

Let's cut the ****in thing open and tear it to 2 identical stripes.







These things are extremely sharp so be careful handling them. And I do, in fact, ****ing know you're all big-bois&gals but some little, less advanced critters might read these too and yeah, I'm talking about kids, minors, babies, chromosomes...

Then Take some superglue and carefully spread it all the way across the metal stripe you cut from the can. Then slap it on the underside of the chassis, near the skid plate. I removed my transmission before this, I didn't want any super glue on my spur or between my driveshaft and it's moving thingy. Anyways, that should look like something like these...









Do the other side as well. Be careful when handling those stripes of metal, I use a popsicle stick wrapped with a piece of paper tissue to press down the metal, I give it a good pressure all around to achieve a good contact to the chassis and glue can hold well.











This should hold gosh darn well and prevent any harm to that innocent, carbon-fiber chassis.

After this, I removed the top end of my front shocks, my servo plate in order to mount the Novak 380 Crawler motor. I think this makes mounting it so much easier, at least for me. Your MRC Pro Chassis legs are wide open, revealing that shiny, hot motor mounting plate of hers, almost like daring you to screw that motor in.





Oh yeah baby!

You know what...

I didn't notice that drive shaft before, at least not when taking the picture and screwing the motor in. I feel weird now, almost like a wine stained silk white shirt. Anyways brothers and sisters!

We're gathered here today for our beloved lady...bzt!

Wrong story.

After mounting it, I adjusted the gear mesh traditionally, with a paper.







After that, I slapped my electronics in there and mounted my tires. I just wanted to see if everything is okay or not. Guess what, my servo is fried too.

When I plugged in everything and turned it on, it glitched horribly, then stopped moving at all, just like my stock ESC did! I though to myself...

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYAAAM! I KILLED MY BRAND ****IN NEW MONGOOSE!

I unplugged the Hitec and slapped the stock MRC RTR servo in there. It worked flawlessly! All the electronics are fine, except my Hitec Servo. I was going to replace it with a Savox anyways so no biggie. I'm just a little short on cash right now so I am going to use the stock RTR MRC servo for awhile and then buy a Savox 1258 next month.

I shot a little video of her running for the very first time!

When I take care of the electronic layout on the following days, I'm going to paint her body and mount my Proline Titus wheels and Flat Irons on her. I decided to use only black and white as a paint but haven't come up with a theme, idea yet. If you have any suggestions, fire away.

Now stay tuned for the updates, or not, whateva maan... Anyways, thank you for reading so far without skipping a sentence, I appreciate it a lot.

If you did skip, I'm sorry but screw you.

Just kidding, no offense. ;)

Here is the video! My electronics are not mounted at all, they're staying up there freely so I didn't push it at all. I didn't want my battery or ESC to fall off and damage the connections. So yeah...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...Cj-NNrY&fmt=18

[thomanator]

Love the bong next to the computer hehe

[Boneybone]

Originally Posted by thomanator

Love the bong next to the computer hehe

What is this "bong" you're talking about brother? My computer is not included in any of those photos.

I'm sorry but English is not my native language, therefore one can not expect from me to apprehend every verbal expression made by a native English speaker which might contain some specific words belonging to a particular jargon that I can not possibly get familiar with; considering my limited knowledge of this very language gained from academic studies so please excuse my inability to understand you.

[relic68]

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5036/...1856c29c_z.jpg

looks like one to me!

[Boneybone]

Could you guys just focus on the ****ing crawler already!

Geez man, c'mon!

I got butt loads of photos there with a very nice layout, about my MINI ROCK CRAWLER PRO ROLLER!

Dayam...

Originally Posted by relic68

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5036/...1856c29c_z.jpg

looks like one to me!

Oh you mean my water pipe to smoke tobacco? Yeah, that is a tobacco pipe. It's used for smoking tobacco. Please keep on topic and forget the tobacco pipe. I use it to smoke Drum tobacco which I buy from cigar stores that sells these packs of tobacco at a reasonable price. This water pipe makes it easier on the lungs when you smoke tobacco. OKAY!

Now please get back on the topic and focus on that crawler. My aluminium chassis guard mod for instance, isn't that awesome or what!

What do you guys think of my aluminium chassis guard mod?

[relic68]

Yup....awesome mod, wasnt meaning to offend, just pointing out the obvious.

[Boneybone]

Originally Posted by relic68

Yup....awesome mod, wasnt meaning to offend, just pointing out the obvious.

Thank you very much brother!

I was trying to dodge, you rammed it head on!

I'm not offended at all by the way, it may sound like that from my post but that ain't my intention at all, I'm cool, %100. ;)

I still haven't tested this build on rocks yet but I think that it's going to hold just fine.

Also, do any of you guys know how to mount Novak fan on Mongoose ESC? The included 2 screws and plastic washers makes mounting this thing like an impossible puzzle. I just can't figure out how to attach it on the heatsink and there's no info on the Novak site.

I'm talking about this fan:

[relic68]

The spacers go under the fan, the screws just basically wedge between the fins on the esc. I have a Goat 3S on my LCC and had the same issues, couldn't figure it out for awhile. I finally said screw the fans and took them off, still no overheating without them.