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Old 10-27-2008, 12:19 PM
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kavvika kavvika is offline
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Thanks for the replies, both of you, it means alot. I've been into hobby-class R/C cars for going on two years now, but I'm still a new to some aspects of it, such as painting, and I still don't understand Hobao/Ofna's buggy numbering system! Russ, you're right, I didn't even touch on the subject of brushed motors. I can't say I remember much about the various motor options, except the stock RTR motor is OK, the XLR-8 "upgrade" motor is a pain to keep running, and the Carisma stocker requires some dremeling to fit in the Pro's motor mount. I'll look more into that this week and add a paragraph on brushed motor options.

But first let me throw in my opinion on brushed motors. I feel brushless has finally hit the mainstream. The days of brushed are numbered. I sold all but one brushed ESC while they still held any resale value. Comparing new systems, you can get a cheap brushless motor from Hong Kong/China for a mere $15 and then spend $50 on a good American-made ESC such as the Sidewinder micro. That setup will completely blow away even a top-quality bushed motor, such as one by Associated or Reedy ($30-$40) and a Novak ESC, such as the Spy ($50) or Micro GT ($60) for quite a bit less. Even the popular and durable Associated XRS is still in the $50 range. Then step up to a quality brushless motor such as Neu or Wraith and the difference is even more noticeable. Plus there's no maintenance, batteries last longer, there's less heat to worry about (although you still have to keep temps down), and consistency from run-to-run. Although I will be the first to admit that there's no sensorless system that can even come close the emulating the throttle control and smooth feel of a brushed motor. Which makes me wonder why I have not seen one Recoil with a Novak Mongoose installed...

For part two of this thread, I'd also like expand the list of servos with more lower-priced options, and with which mounts the they use to line up with the holes in the chassis. I think that'd be a good addition, since not everyone can afford a $40+ servo. Plastic gears and bushings will suffice for some people who just want a slight upgrade over the stock S-25 servo. Nerve, it looks like you're using the offset mount on the right and the straight mount on the left of your DS-285MG? Does that servo have ball bearings?

Last edited by kavvika; 10-27-2008 at 02:10 PM.
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