Many thanks to Dave (Andrews) HELP!

[gixxer1000rider]

Hi, ive just popped in here to say many thanks to Dave on sunday morning inbetween qualifying heats for the off-road wars at maritime raceway, for taking the time to chat to myself and introduce me to the world of RC off road 1/10th buggy racing.

OMG! i was in for a shock and my brain felt like it was going explode with all the gear that was on display and the amount of spare parts and set-up that going on! i could easily liken it to an F1 paddock with laptops and telemetry and toe in and toe out and tyre shaving that was going on!

What have i done? have i made the right decision in thinking i could do this? and at my old age could i even manage it?

i took my son who is also interested and he loved the racing and was awe struck by the skill level of the top guys, Lee martin and jorn neumann lapping consistently in the high 16's for 5 minutes!

but what struck me more was the friendly atmosphere which i can liken to the biking community at a club race weekend which i frequent during the race season. not afraid to help out or answer questions from someone so obviously new to the scene, so for that the hobby (sport?) gets a big thumbs up from me.

Now, onto more serious stuff.

After seeing lots of cars and kit my head is still hurting and need some answers if its possible from you guys in the know.

i am interested in 2 chassis, the team durango dex410 and the team associated b44 and after researching these 2 models they both have good spares back up from local stockists and on the net. and both seem popular in the club scene and the competition scene, but which should i choose?

secondly can someone list the brands of motors and ESC's i should be on the lookout for? and which models would suit the club rules?

thirdly, lipos which ones? cos there are so many with different ratings i am so overly confused.

fourthly, servo? would team durango ones be the best for the durango seeing as they have been tested in the buggy itself?


lastly, nobody ran a reverse gear on sunday why? is this normal? and how is this achieved?

now, i know i could get all the answers from you all on a wednesday night, but i would have to write it all down as my memory isnt what it was a few years ago! and don't want to look a right idiot!

Thanks again to Dave and the others (i can;t remember names sorry) whom i spoke to on sunday it made for an enjoyable couple of hours and who knows? maybe in 12 months time ill be there with you guys, racing for last place!

[Hog]

Ian - you are more than welcome mate. Glad to see you came and found the FORCC massive on Sunday.

Firstly - please don't be phased by the standards on Sunday. This was a national level meeting and is beyond the norm for most of us at FORCC. Club nights on a Wednesday are a much different ballgame!

FORCC strives to provide friendly and approachable entry level club racing which is still competitive for all ages and abilities. You won't be laughed at as a newbie, only encouraged and given advice on how to change things to suit what you want your car(s) to achieve. As you saw on Sunday these are proper model racing cars, not toys, and as such all the principles you can apply to full size racing cars will apply here.

Right - onto some of your questions - although hopefully you'll be up Wednesday so we can show you first hand without the distraction of a big meeting going on!

Both the Durango DEX410 and Associated B44 are great cars, as are Schumacher's SX3, the Tamiya range of 501 / 502 / 511 and Predator X11.

Now out of the 2 you mention, whilst I think the 410 is ultimately the faster of the 2, it does require more maintenance and TLC to keep it going at full pace. Others may differ - this is purely my opinion!

If you're just going to race at FORCC to start, you'll only need a 13.5 brushless motor and ESC - Perhaps as a good place to start you may consider one of the Hobbywing / Speed passion combo's? Tend to be a bit cheaper but with good performance and reliability.

Lipos - the higher the C rating the more "punch" they will produce in a nutshell. Really your budget dictates what you're looking at here. Lipos come in 2 sorts - stick or saddle - and what you want is dictated really by which chassis you choose to run.

Servos - no personal experience of Durango servos - but any of the top end Savox, Futaba or Sanwa servos will serve you faithfully for a long time. As with all electrical equipment in this hobby - quality costs money but will be more reliable for longer.

No-one tends to run reverse on their ESC. Mainly as this prevents people backing out into traffic and causing a big crash, but also "Forward only" ESC's tend to be slightly more efficient. It's not a mechanical reverse gear - just reversing the electrical polarity of the motor.

Anyhoo - I really must do some work. Glad you and your son enjoyed what you saw on Sunday and hopefully we'll be seeing you both before long at FORCC where we'll be ready to answer even more of your questions

[gixxer1000rider]

thanks for the extensive reply!

as i said my brain still hurts from trying to work out what is what, but i am slowly getting there with what i need for basic set up. the interent is great for sourcing info and without it, i'd be lost!

i have managed to pick up a used durango DEX410R rolling chassis on ebay that comes with a few hop up parts etc etc and am awaiting delivery within the next few days.

now you have been kind enough to suply me with names and brands of electrics i can start researching and looking for the required parts.

I would dearly love this all to come together in a couple of weeks but its just not going to happen, as ive a BIG holiday to pay for in the next few weeks

so ill source the parts over the coming month of March and hopefully be ready to run by april.

got to sell my kids to pay for this i think!

as for coming to the club on wednesday, work and family commitments will rule out this week as i've been volunteered to drive to twickenham at 6pm but next week seems like a possibility. i can't wait to see what the club scene is like and i hope that i can join you all soon on the track. mind you without a reverse the marshalls are gonna be busy!

oh, one last question, what brand transponder do i look for? i know you loan them out but i'd rather have my own.

thanks again

Ian

[Hog]

Either AMB or MRT Ian - both coming in about £54. Again this is something we can show you next week.

Bring pen and paper and be prepared to take notes!