Up front.. I'm sorry... Noob (sorta) with questions

[coreyperez]

Fellow Enthusiasts,

I know I'm going to ask the same questions everybody always asks, I'll apologize up front.

Here is my story: I'm Military and getting ready to leave my family for at least a year and head to Korea.
I did a bunch of research earlier (actually late last year) and got a XR10 for Christmas, knowing that I was
going to have time to get all this together. Unfortunately life catches up and now I'm on the short list for
getting out of here. I'm trying to get as much of this truck (components) together before I leave so I can
get it all packed up before the movers take my stuff.

In my research I've opted to get the following items:
XR10, 4PKS-R, Vanquish: Axle motor plate, Transmission case, Stage 1 kit, SLWv4 wheels (.700 wide)
with a set of 350 and 475 hubs. to ensure that I'd be good to go. I've also got tires w/foams. Included
in my build list is a semi-decent set of tools to help assemble this when I get over there
(to include a soldering iron).

A little about myself: I suffer from "I have to have the very best $#!T money can buy". That in mind,
I actually don't plan to do any comps, I just want to have a solid rig. Having spent WELL over 1000$
I'm trying to be mindful of the remaining purchases.


Now the actual questions. I've spent way more time than I really should have spent away from my 3 boys
and the wife trying to decide on the remaining components. I've gotten flattened with the Motor and all
the crazy options, spur gear / final gear sets, ESC, power supply, servo & battery. Ultimately it seems like
any one thing will change the rest of the components so I'm just sitting here spinning my wheels trying to
figure out where to start and what to get.

For the ESC I've basically decided on a Mamba Micro Pro, UNLESS… the Holmes BR-XL (with included BEC)
will eliminate the need for a CC BEC. (Before I go too far, although they (Castle) says "Brushless" I hear
of everybody using them for Brushed motors. Is this ok??) For programming I believe that either the
Holmes or CC will use the CC Castle link USB programmer (010-0005-00) or do I need the CC Castle Link
Quick Connect (010-0079-00)? Back to the BEC, it appears that I need just one BEC
(regardless of one or two battery packs) correct?

With motors I'm THINKING of HH Torque Master 540 w/45 turns. Basically limited to what is available at
this point (and at a reasonable price). My take away was basically getting a HH hand wound was the way
to go. Unfortunately I got to Holmes site and I got really confused with all the darn options on the motor…
Gearing. I purchased the "upgraded" gears for the transmissions but still need to get the pinion and
apparently some other ?? Final gear set??. Any recommendations for backyard bashing, etc? (pinion count)
Battery.
I'm 100% new to Lipo. I've never used it nor am I setup for it. That being said, evidently I'm going
to be getting some. Either 2s or 3s, any good recommendations with the electronic package and
gearing/motor config? On shipping them. It sounds like these things are little bombs,
I've heard about balancing them, cut-off's, you can imagine. It's all new to me. Typically I'd just use a 12v
(car battery) charger, but being overseas I'm just going to try and find a wall charger. I'll probably be living
on base, so US power should be available. What is a nice charger, one that is programmable to do different
cells/packs, etc? With these packs, are they safe to ship, etc? What do I need to do to ship them/preferred
method of shipping them? I'd probably rather skimp on the motors and get a nice charger/balancer and buy
better motors at a later date.

Servo: Savox? The way to go these days? Do I need a fancy-pants servo case/shield? What servo, servo
arms/horn gets the recommendation these days? Once again, do I need a BEC if using the Holmes ESC?


Thanks! I know I've asked so many darn questions that get asked (I know because I've researched and researched
these options/questions) but typically come up with even more questions and the "answers" are all from 2010, etc.
I'd just like to minimize spending money on outdated things because an old link. Well that being said, it's almost 10p,
the wife is in Anchorage for her Annual Tour, one of the boys fell asleep on the couch and the other two need to be
put in bed. Thanks for listening to all these questions and taking the time to answer what you can.


Corey

 

[XJkid93]

Hello, you have many questions, but so did i when i build my first XR10, to help with a few of your questions, you CAN run a brushless system on a brushed motor people do it all the time myself included, second question, the Holmes hobbies brxl does eliminate the need for a BEC because the way john holmes built it, it has a build in BEC and thats very nice. savox servos are nice for the money, i usually run JR servos because of the 3 year warrantee (not sure on savox warrantee) and motors, i run tekin 45T hand wound motors, but at the time i didnt know about holmes hobbies very much or i would have bought mtch motors for it. just for a little insight on what im running ill throw up a list, any more questions post them up, there are very smart people here to help and they have all helped me out lots. Good luck!

2, Tekin FXR
JR DS8711 servo
Tekin 45T motors
Futaba 4PL
CC BEC

 

[HARDKNOCKZ]

1st off...thank you for your service to our country.

I'll make this brief & easy.

Gears...you can order the RC4WD gear sets x2 & you'll be set. Includes all of the gears you need & they're tough.

Batteries...I'd recommend 3s. Cheapbatterypacks.com has great prices & decent packs. The usual these days is 450mAh but anything between that & 850mAh will serve you well & fit on the axle. Order the Rowdy Racing battery mount from here. He's listed in the vendors section.

ESCs...MMPs, Micro Sidewinders or Holmes BRXLs are all good as are FXRs by Tekin. BRXLs offer the best drag brake but are large in the case so his BRSLs may be better for you. Any of the above can be used with brushed but with the MMPs you'll need to remove the WHITE motor wire. Castle link can be used with the 1st 3 & Tekin offers their Hotwire for the FXR.

Motors...HH Torquemaster Pros are perfect entry level motors & will serve you well. JRHs customer service is 2nd to none should you have an issue. I'd use 14t pinions front & rear which will give you good all around performance. 45t is a workhorse but if you want more wheel speed, 35t would be my choice.

Get an external BEC. Castle 10amp will run you around $20 & IS needed.

Servo...I run Hitec. 7950 is a great choice & will have enough torque on hand for any bashing.

Look into some build threads & you'll find that most of what I've listed is usually used. Feel free to PM me with any other questions or tips. I'll HAPPILY help those that give me the freedom to play with toy trucks.

J.D.

 

[Curcal]

Hardknockz wont steer you wrong either. Your off to a good start already. Before you know it you'll be hookd to the comp.scene

 

[coreyperez]

Wow! Thanks all! "thumbsup"

I'll follow up with a couple other questions.

I looked at "cheapbatterypacks.com" and just my luck, they were very simple to choose the battery, but EVERYTHING on the crawler link was out of stock. Going with "maxamps.com" (Vender) they have numerous options on plugs for the power and balancer. Since I don't have either, I'll ask again for a charger/balancer recommendation before I try and order the battery(s). Oh, 2nd question. 1 or 2 batteries? Seems like I've seen both setups or am I wrong?

On the ESC, I like the idea of a solid brake (Holmes Hold), I've looked into the BR-SL and I like what I see. My concern is that there is no heatsink. Is this a big deal? I see the other Mamba Max, etc that come included with a fan. Can I get a quick followup recommendation? Still ok to run the Holmes (either) with only concern is the size (-XL or the lack of cooing -SL). While on the subject of ESC, why do the maufactures state "Brushless only)? Especially if they are capable of being ran on brushed motors?

Today USPS delieverd my first purchase from Vanquish, x2 trans plates (they were out of bushings when I ordered...) couple sets of the hubs and the stage 1 kit. There may have been other associated components, but the (biger) box should be here around tomorrow I believe.

Well with that I'm getting ready to see what I can find motor wise and get that ball rolling.

Thanks again for all your assistance!

Corey

 

[Handicrawler]

As was previously stated, thank you for the service to our country!!!!

The missing heat sink is not that big of a deal, the HH BRSL will work great for you. Completely programmable and great customer service if you do have a problem.

Do you need an external bec? I don't know where the link is but I will break down what was previously stated in another thread:

Rule #1: If you ask whether or not you need an external bec, you need one.

Rule #2: Always refer to rule number 1!

Happy building and I hope we see lots of pics soon of the build! "thumbsup"

 

[coreyperez]

Do you need an external bec? I don't know where the link is but I will break down what was previously stated in another thread:

Rule #1: If you ask whether or not you need an external bec, you need one.

Rule #2: Always refer to rule number 1!

Happy building and I hope we see lots of pics soon of the build! "thumbsup"

Haha, I do actually remember that post. I came upon it when I was researching my desire to getting a MOA I had no idea what a BEC was at the time.

 

[Crawllife]

I know they arnt cheep cheep but I just ordered holmes 3 cell lipo's for like 27$ a piece. The fit the rowdy plate ( front mount) perfectly. I also run thunder power 2 cell 65c on my berg. They are super bad ass for 1.9 but I can get a course run out of 1. 16$ a piece. On the brxl, I'm pretty new to all of this but the built in bec seems to work well for me. I have it in a wraith. I don't know if dual motors would change the end result. There is a dude on here named heyok. He put a fxr, cc bec and his dig box in a tight little package for me to squeeze into a switch. Just some ideas friend. Best of luck on your tour. We are all thankful for what you do!!

 

[OFFROADRCKOREA]

Welcome to Korea. Where are u headed??



Wait... What gate....

 

[HARDKNOCKZ]

Lack of heatsinks isn't an issue. I run dual BRSLs on 3s & they dont even get warm. I doubt you'll even need the Holmes Hold on an XR but thats up to you. The standard drag brake is MORE than enough for most. Fans are usually included on the bigger ESCs like the Mamba Max & RX8. Keep in mind unless you're planning on running a dig switch that you'll need TWO ESCs so space will come into play.

You only wanna run ONE pack at a time. Order a few som theres no down time in your play time tho.

Chargers...there's SO MANY these days. I personally run 2 Triton EQ's. Not sure how the power is setup where you're headed but an AC/DC charger makes things easier. The new chargers from Hitec that charge 4 packs at a time are pretty snazzy too.

Most run Deans Ultra connectors but any will suffice. Any charger can either be switched by soldering new connectors in place or by buying an "octopus" that has all of the popular models.

Not sure why they label certain ESCs as "brushless" but I've personally used all that you brought up yesterday without issue.

Hope that helps.

J.D.

 

[OFFROADRCKOREA]

Fellow Enthusiasts,

I know I'm going to ask the same questions everybody always asks, I'll apologize up front.
No worries, lots of us love to help

Here is my story: I'm Military and getting ready to leave my family for at least a year and head to Korea. Been Here 10 years
I did a bunch of research earlier (actually late last year) and got a XR10 for Christmas, knowing that I was
going to have time to get all this together. Unfortunately life catches up and now I'm on the short list for
getting out of here. I'm trying to get as much of this truck (components) together before I leave so I can
get it all packed up before the movers take my stuff.
Dont worry about this, spend time with your family, you will have plenty of time to think about and build your rig while your here. Plus you can order or ask my team whether they have what you need available. Please spend time with your boys. Everyone will ship priority here and we get packages in about 4 to 7 days. Plus we get free shipping amongst our selves being that its APO to APO here.

In my research I've opted to get the following items:
XR10, 4PKS-R, Vanquish: Axle motor plate, Transmission case, Stage 1 kit, SLWv4 wheels (.700 wide)
with a set of 350 and 475 hubs. to ensure that I'd be good to go. I've also got tires w/foams. Included
in my build list is a semi-decent set of tools to help assemble this when I get over there
(to include a soldering iron).
A good start, make sure you figure out your color scheme and what not to make your self happy and not end up spending extra money. Make sure they have the parts in stock, many of the vendors here will carry the item and have them in stock if Vanquish does not, I use WickedWolf alot as well as RPP, Amain and a lots more people you can find in the vendors thread. ALthough the 4PK is awesome its not needed in my opinion, get the MT4 or 4PL, Ive used both and prefer the MT4 fyi, much easier to mix ESCs with it. Many of the crawlers in Korea stand by ROVERS front and Boss Claws Rear, or Rovers, Sedonas all the way around regarding the wheels. I use a HAKKO FX-888 and I love it! Makes soldering too easy, saves time and frustration. Many things like wiring, deans connectors and things of that nature are actually cheaper here than the states so no real need to bring them along FYI.

A little about myself: I suffer from "I have to have the very best $#!T money can buy". That in mind,
I actually don't plan to do any comps, I just want to have a solid rig. Having spent WELL over 1000$
I'm trying to be mindful of the remaining purchases.
Go slow, you can blow alot of money, especially on an XR, know what you want before you buy, I suffer from the same thing, just check out some of my build threads, especially my HALLSTYLE LOST IN KOREA.
If you get with us here in Korea you will change your mind about the comps, its a blast and we have alot of fun, we have lots of scale runs and just hang out.


Now the actual questions. I've spent way more time than I really should have spent away from my 3 boys
and the wife trying to decide on the remaining components. I've gotten flattened with the Motor and all
the crazy options, spur gear / final gear sets, ESC, power supply, servo & battery. Ultimately it seems like
any one thing will change the rest of the components so I'm just sitting here spinning my wheels trying to
figure out where to start and what to get.
Again spend time with the family, you will have plenty of time to order and build the parts you need. Hardknockz was right, RC4WD Gears are awesome and cheap, order 2 sets and your done. PINION 14t axial pinions from AMAINHOBBIES, too easy for the pinions. Servo, go with the HITEC 7950, cant go wrong, its what I use in all my rigs. ESC, HOLMES BRXL or SL to save weight and space, AMAZING ESCs, I have about 9 of them, they run flawless. Dont worry about them getting hot, check my Halls build again and you can see them super super smashed by me and they run flawless.

For the ESC I've basically decided on a Mamba Micro Pro, UNLESS… the Holmes BR-XL (with included BEC)
will eliminate the need for a CC BEC. (Before I go too far, although they (Castle) says "Brushless" I hear
of everybody using them for Brushed motors. Is this ok??) For programming I believe that either the
Holmes or CC will use the CC Castle link USB programmer (010-0005-00) or do I need the CC Castle Link
Quick Connect (010-0079-00)? Back to the BEC, it appears that I need just one BEC
(regardless of one or two battery packs) correct?
Go with the HOLMES ESC, It has the internal BEC but its only up to 6volts and youll want to push that 7950 to the max at 7.4 volts. DONT be cheap Mr. I gotta have the best, they are like 20 bucks new, Amain and they leave a very small footprint. Yes you can run Brushless ESC with brushed motors no worries, just not the other way around.You need a BEC, goahead and get it and to address the programmers, both the field programmers and the castle link will work great with the HOLMES or the Mambas.

With motors I'm THINKING of HH Torque Master 540 w/45 turns. Basically limited to what is available at
this point (and at a reasonable price). My take away was basically getting a HH hand wound was the way
to go. Unfortunately I got to Holmes site and I got really confused with all the darn options on the motor…
Gearing. I purchased the "upgraded" gears for the transmissions but still need to get the pinion and
apparently some other ?? Final gear set??. Any recommendations for backyard bashing, etc? (pinion count)
45 and 35t are great motors to start out with. Anything by HOLMES wont do you wrong, especially the Torque Masters. I wouldnt skimp out on the motors too much, they are the life force of your rig and need to be strong and smooth on the rocks with good wheel speed. Simply ask in the wanted section for someone with a nice set of matched motors they would be willing to let go, matter of fact i seen some on there yesterday, yep just looked a couple pair in the classfied section, but im sure someone will do you right in the wanted section. If you get us a pic of the gears you already purchased we could let you know the additional gears you will need. Again 14t pinion count. DONT backyard bash an XR. I wont address this question LOL.

Battery.
I'm 100% new to Lipo. I've never used it nor am I setup for it. That being said, evidently I'm going
to be getting some. Either 2s or 3s, any good recommendations with the electronic package and
gearing/motor config? On shipping them. It sounds like these things are little bombs,
I've heard about balancing them, cut-off's, you can imagine. It's all new to me. Typically I'd just use a 12v
(car battery) charger, but being overseas I'm just going to try and find a wall charger. I'll probably be living
on base, so US power should be available. What is a nice charger, one that is programmable to do different
cells/packs, etc? With these packs, are they safe to ship, etc? What do I need to do to ship them/preferred
method of shipping them? I'd probably rather skimp on the motors and get a nice charger/balancer and buy
better motors at a later date.
Dont worry about the LIPOS, everyone panics at first. Simply you want a 3s batteries, a Lipo charger and balancer(they are the same thing btw) you dont need a power supply they all plug in the wall these days unless your using a multicharger charging more than 1 battery. Yes the base has 110 volt outlets for you, but most chargers will take 100 to 240 power outlets so your good You will need a LIPO safe fire bag( 2 one for charging and 1 for storing. A lipo cell checker, so when your in the field you can check the balance of your batts. Lipos are awesome if you just handle them with care and keep them balanced. The 450 hardknockz recommended isnt good for Korea being that our courses are pretty long, I recommend the 800 to 1000 packs 3s only NO 2s, you wont get the wheel speed and power you want on the rocks you can also go 4s, i like to mess around with it and with the Holmes ESCs it give you that freedom.

Servo: Savox? The way to go these days? Do I need a fancy-pants servo case/shield? What servo, servo
arms/horn gets the recommendation these days? Once again, do I need a BEC if using the Holmes ESC?
HITEC all the way baby! Strong, fast and hardcore!! You want the 7950 HITEC servo, I just got one new off RCTECH yesterday for 80 shipped You can find them on the used market from abou 70 to 90 bucks. The 7980 is a little big and heavier than needed so I would steer clear, but is a beast.
Yes, get some SERVO ARMOR, Your servo will take a beating and needs the protection, Lots of armor out there, Vanquish makes some and Rowdy Racing makes some as well here on RCC, crawler innovations, winnerone makes a sick carbon fiber one and the list goes on, just type in servo armor in google lol, or go an look at any xr10 build on here, we all have armor!
For the servo horn get the robotronics HITEC arm here
Robitronic Machined Aluminum Single Sided Servo Horn (Red) (24T-Hitec) [RBOR17002] | Radios & Accessories - A Main Hobbies
ITs back ordered here but im sure you can find it if you just search.



Thanks! I know I've asked so many darn questions that get asked (I know because I've researched and researched
these options/questions) but typically come up with even more questions and the "answers" are all from 2010, etc.
I'd just like to minimize spending money on outdated things because an old link. Well that being said, it's almost 10p,
the wife is in Anchorage for her Annual Tour, one of the boys fell asleep on the couch and the other two need to be
put in bed. Thanks for listening to all these questions and taking the time to answer what you can.
10pm haha, 2 am here baby! and still early!

Hope this helps, You can check out or web page for some pics and info bro
Team Lost in Korea
LIK

Corey

 

[coreyperez]

WOW! Thanks again guys.

I'll probably order the ESCs, BEC and a couple Pinion gears. I purchased the RC4WD sets when I ordered the rig last year, so I believe that should be about the most I can really do right now. With LIK's recommendation I will probably order most of the remaining stuff when I get there. (Mostly complicated by the majority of the things (Battery, Motor) being back-ordered. I'm headed to Alabama in May (Movers should be packing up in April and I'm currently stationed in AK so shipping time up here takes a little bit). I"ll be there for 1.5 months, graduating a course July 5th, then about 3 weeks of leave and headed over. I'll be stopping at my Mother's in Texas, so if anything else comes up that I can/need to get I'll get it shipped to her and just hand carry it for the next month or so.

With the soldering, I actually just ordered and seen Amazon shipped FX-888 yesterdsay. I had been using a Soldering gun I purchased about 10 years ago for all my needs. It was just getting too messy!

I'll keep checking the venders in hopes that the remaining components come available. I was really hoping that the cells would be available, but seems like lipo is a big deal to get shipped...

Where will I be in Korea... Not exactly sure. I did 12 years in the Air Force and coming up on 5 in the Army... AF has their stuff together, Army likes to make people sit around and wait until the last moment. I'm hoping to get down south (Air Force has an Aero-club and I could get my Fixed Wing rating while over there!). Currently I'm A Blackhawk Pilot and figure from what others have said I'll probably be up north. Guess time will tell and I'll reply back with that info.

Truly, thanks again all! I had a group of bookmarks of builds, ideas, components but when I went back through them I was dumbfounded with "was it this that I book marked it for, or that, because this doesn't seem to follow the path I was going....

I know the radio was overkill, but the deal on Ebay was just too great to pass up!

LIK: I'll track you guys down once I get in and established! If I don't have my XR built (finished) I can atleast bring my shafty and make a fool of myself!

Corey

 

[OFFROADRCKOREA]

Haha, dang dude, ya youll be moving around all right haha. Honestly I'll probably go to Osan, or k16, most of the army pilots go to k16 here or Osan. Leadlobber aka Jeff and the new guy steve aka jacob is down on Osan. I have units I support on k16 and its not far from yongsan or Seoul at all, I can get there by car in about 30 minutes 20 on a bike. Suwon is also an option and is in the middle of the 2. Wow, don't think I could wait that long for a build. Good luck and let me know if u have any more questions, u come to the right place for answers these guys know everything.

Lik

Wait... What gate....

 

[coreyperez]

I was going to ask about the classified section (as I had looked, looked and looked somemore) but upon a google search I found that I can't even see/access it until I've gotten 30 posts. Ahhh.... Such is life!

 

[coreyperez]

LIK,

What is the nitro support over there like? I'm thinking / planning on bringing my traxxas stampede with me. I pretty much think I just will need fuel and glow plugs/charger for the most part.

Corey

 

[OFFROADRCKOREA]

I was going to ask about the classified section (as I had looked, looked and looked somemore) but upon a google search I found that I can't even see/access it until I've gotten 30 posts. Ahhh.... Such is life!

Or U Can Pay 20 Bucks And See It Now And Support The site! :thumbup:

LIK,

What is the nitro support over there like? I'm thinking / planning on bringing my traxxas stampede with me. I pretty much think I just will need fuel and glow plugs/charger for the most part.

Corey

Lots of nitro support but its so loud and Korea is so populated. Buggy racing is huge here I raced on team xray for a bit and had to stop being my son was born and couldn't spend all weekend at the track anymore. But no problem for fuel and plugs

lik


Wait... What gate....

 

[coreyperez]

You all have EASILY saved me $20 in wasted parts and time. DONE!

 

[Shinnco]

You all have EASILY saved me $20 in wasted parts and time. DONE!

I hope the $20 is not the end. I made a lot of bad choices in my xr. now I'm replacing parts I payed good money for (m2 dig....pos Grrrr). The xr is made for the gates and comps, is where it should be. I'm fairly new to comp's my self but I have never had so much fun in my life with a rc. I'm lucky to have a kick but group of people that runs one or two fun comps a week (I'm drinking way less). If you do one your hooked. It's Like a new bag of chip's you can't stop at one.

 

[lead lobber]

Glad to hear you are on your way Corey. Between me, Brandon, and all the others running XR's here, we should have you covered. I broke a drive gear testing, and Brandon had a spare ready to go for me. ;-)
Brandon answered the questions, so I'll just say hi and bump up my post count.:lmao:

Seriously though, Shoot us a PM when you get in and settled. We'll get together then! See ya soon.

Jeff (Lead Lobber)