Tamiya and other R/C vehicles (not just for Christmas)

I’ve been following this thread for a while now and it has brought back some memories and also stirred up a desire to get back into it.

My first foray into the RC world was with a Tamiya Blackfoot around 1986, This i used to ‘bash’ at the local BMX track (Cocks Moors Wood in Birmingham) with a mate I worked with who had a Hotshot, Clodbuster and a couple of other bitsa cars cobbled together from old broken ones.

After that, I had a Kyosho Optima Mid and did a bit of informal racing with a few others at the same BMX track. A change of jobs saw things fall by the wayside, I didn’t drive then so relied on my mate (who moved oop North) for transport.

After a minor failed dalliance with aeroplanes and helicopters, I retuned to RC some years later with some new mountain biking buddies. This time I went Nitro for the cars and over the course of a few years bought,  ‘bashed’ and sold on…..

Traxxas T-Maxx,

HPI Nitro RS4 3 with Honda Intergra body, pretty quick but very limited places I could run it

HPI Nitro MT with Ford F350 body

HPI Savage 4.6 with 3 different bodyshells during the course of running

Finally HoBao Hyper ST

The last 2 were semi raced on a patch of waste ground local to me with a few biking buddies. This was until after a period where we couldn’t meet up, we returned to our race spot, only to be told that the land had been sold and developers were moving in. We tried another spot, but it wasn’t the same and eventually the interest fizzled out. That was probably about 12 years ago, the Savage and Hyper ST were just ‘put away’.

I’ve now moved to Bridgend (3 years), where the Savage and Hyper ST were hung up in the garage with a brief attempt to get them running, but that didn’t go well so they were hung back up again.

This brings us to the present and this thread, nitro fuel has gotten expensive! especially if you want it delivered. The Savage is still hanging up, but after watching some YouTube videos the Hyper ST was looking to be a conversion project from the nitro engine to brushless on LiPo’s, most of the electrical stuff seems readily available, but the motor mount is like hens teeth!

So by the time I factored in all the new bits, with 2.4Ghz radio (the set in the Savage and ST was 40Mhz) it was proving to be expensive………So I now have on order an FTX Bugsta Brushless setup ready to run for about the same.

I can’t wait

Thank you for reading, have fun

I think I’m done with new cars for now.

Anyone taking bets? 😀

Cant justify the expense. Me and my boy are happy with two, although I suspect that he’ll try and steal the Mad Bull for himself.

I took it for a test drive in the village bus turning circle last night and discovered that I could drift it. Which was nice.

We’re off to the pub carpark at lunch with a ramp and both cars. Can’t wait!

Having always wanted one of these as a kid I now have a garden and plenty of time on my hands

What do I need to purchase? Does it all come on a kit including all the servos and rc kit, or Do I need to purchase it all separately?

I bought the Mad Bull as separates as the bundle was out of stock and it cost me about a tenner more.

If you are going with a Tamiya the costs break down roughly like this:

Car with Electronic Speed Controller (Mad Bull was £97.50)
Battery (£19) – I went for a 3300mah which gives 2hours+ running time on the Grasshopper where we covered more than 5km!
Servo (£10)
Radio (£40)
Bearings(£8) – The kit will come with Nylon bushings that aren’t great.
Charger (£10)
Paint and lacquer – I already had the model paints in and used car lacquer which cost about a fiver.

and then some shipping.

Howes do the bundle without bearings for £170, but they are out of stock.

The batteries last 2 hrs!!? My mate had one back in the 80s, it looked very similar to the ones you can buy now. Batteries lasted 10 min max!!

Things have come on greatly it would seem.

Update Grasshopper gets 2 hours. Mad Bull gets 30 mins.

This post was made whilst walking back carrying a car.

tpbiker choice a bit limited at the moment, but there’s a delivery of Tamiya due.
Look for the kit you fancy and most sites have a link to a bundle of all the parts you need.

You can also just buy a ready to run, which can be cheaper but replacement parts can be hard to come by. Plus building is a lot of the fun.

Depending on how much space you have don’t discount the 1:16 models. It’s surprising how much space you need for a Tamiya with a half decent engine.

Hell’s Tits!

This hobby has just cost me another £30+ for a spare battery!

No more spending for a long while.

In other news, whilst the battery is on charge I’ve helicopter taped the roof and rear spoiler. From a detailed model making perspective it looks awful, but from an RC car point of view it makes sense and you can’t see it from more than a metre or so away.

…and my lad has just lost our last spare body shell clip.

#facepalm

I should have bough a private jet!

Is it an R clip? Paperclip works grand for that

2hrs? hot damn! is that with a 540motor? i get just about 20 mins out of my 3300 battery on a 540

maybe more now i`ve put grippy tyres on but its WAAAY less fun

380 motor in the Grasshopper. We’ve driven it round a 5km walk including several hundred donuts. Glad I bought a quick(ish) charger as it is fully juiced in 2 hours.

Just ordered a spare 5000 mAh for the ‘Bull to go with the 3300.

Harry, is the bull painted from the inside of the shell? My can is standing up incredibly well considering. Wing is worst as thar flexes like mad when it rolls and has split some of the paint. Got a 4400 battery and still not managed to drain it. Wee boy gets fed up in trailer and starts moaning to get moving before that happens.

@stumpy01 have you messed about with ride height? Spring and damper changes have definitely made the car more stable but still get kicked running over stones. Build manual has the suspension mounted to the outside holes but have changed that to the inside holes and gained extra 13mm ride height at the front. No idea if that will make a difference or just screw up handling.

Been “researching” faster motors. ESC will run Tamiya brushless, but they’re quite spendy compared to eBay motor from China. Would be all wired up correctly though although need a sensor cable, but that’s only a fiver.

Clubby. Outside, and any bits that could hit the ground were left white. Numerous coats of lacquer over the whole lot and now there is helicopter tape on the roof and the back of the spoiler.

We managed to flip it this afternoon and the tape took the hit, so I didn’t cry.

3300 lasted about 50 minutes / 3km. 5000 is in the post.

Mmmmmm, HTS, if it’s possible, then I have “battery envy”

My lads RC, albeit a 4wd RTR, runs on these…

https://www.modelsport.co.uk/overlander-nimh-battery-pack-2-3-af-1600mah-7-2v-straight-pack-premium-sport-w-mt/rc-car-products/384284

And we get probably 10, max 15mins or flat out driving on tarmac.

I can imagine 4wd is more draggy but now wonder if it really ought to be lasting longer. And they are charged with a fancy charger. Three batteries, all the same run times…..

Rockhopper, to be fair 1600 is a fairly small capacity for a modern battery. Nice and light but wouldn’t expect much longer run times than you’re getting.
Flat out on tarmac is the quickest way to drain a battery as you very rarely have to lift off.
That’s the reason I specced the biggest battery they had in stock at the time.

Well, I managed to get my car built up, ragged it a few times and then smashed it into our real car and broke the servo saver! Doh!

I found out that a decent modern charger makes a hell of a difference, cycling the batteries a few times and properly charging them means they last so much longer! I think the old deltaV charger I had was only putting 1000mah into a 3000mah battery!

For a cheap, not too wild, brushless sensored motor that will work with a standard Tamiya TBLE-02s try something like THIS. If you shop around you might get one for £20.

You should be able to find “UK Sellers”, but they still take about 14 days to come.

clubby

@stumpy01 have you messed about with ride height? Spring and damper changes have definitely made the car more stable but still get kicked running over stones. Build manual has the suspension mounted to the outside holes but have changed that to the inside holes and gained extra 13mm ride height at the front. No idea if that will make a difference or just screw up handling.

Nope. I started getting looks because I was messing about with the car when I probably should have been spending time with my family ;o)
When I run it round the garden it is now pretty sweet….although still a bit low and I could really do with changing the pinion and putting thicker grease on the diff.
I considered changing the mounting point for the shocks, but never got round to it. I’m amazed it gave you 13mm more ride height! Might have to give that a whirl and see how it affects things.

Now with the car turning more sharply you can really feel the inside wheel losing traction as the diff spins, so i should probably do that next along with the shock mounting positions.

Did you find the different damper oil in the rear dampers helped? Did you get Tamiya stuff or another brand?

I now need to find my daughter a car that is capable in the garden, but not too fast….her little RC car didn’t cut the mustard anymore.

Coming along slowly, which is fine by me…

Couple of questions;
– I have a choice 13 or 15 pinion in the box. How to choose? Standard 540 motor. I went smaller as I thought slower = better to get used to the handling, but maybe more torque is bad on that front?
– I’m getting the impression I should have loaded the diff up with thicker grease for a poor mans limited slip? What quantity are we taking? I’ve got a big tub of Slick Honey – is that thick enough?

Since lockdown hit I have decided to get on with getting a Tamiya car(s) that I wanted as a kid.

I had a Bear Hawk, but wanted a Manta Ray and dreamed about an Egress.

Fast forward 19 years and I found an original Manta Ray, bought it and turned it into a shelf queen (mostly).

Another 12 years and I seem to have gone a bit mad and picked up a Manta Ray reissue, Egress reissue and got my dad a Sand Scorcher (he had one back before I was born).

I’ve just put the Manta Ray together with a Sport Tuner 540 and a load of shiny bits and am now having a look at spraying the shell.

I’m saving the Egress for when I know what I’m doing.

Pah, Battery issues.

Battery went flat over night despite getting a full charge yesterday afternoon. This is the same battery that was flat after a couple of minutes yesterday morning. When I charged it at lunch time we immediately got 50 minutes out of it, so it is charging, but not holding it.

The other battery is charging and holding charge.

Any ideas?

@stumpy01 and @timmys not sure packing the diff has made a whole lot of difference. When I was out yesterday was still one rear was still digging its own hole when in sand. I used thick Mobil grease, so slick honey will be way too thin. Guys who’ve had most success seem to be using really thick diff oil. Not sure it’s worth the hassle of getting that for all the amount you’d need.

Did you find the different damper oil in the rear dampers helped? Did you get Tamiya stuff or another brand?

Hard to tell as I put a stiffer spring on at same time. Does feel less bouncy on rebound on the bench test though, despite the stiffer spring.
I used Core RC oil as it was only £3.50 for a bottle and I was ordering tyres anyway. Yellow Tamiya oil is 400cst and I didn’t want to go too firm, so went for 550. I’d say it was worth it.
Knowing that now I’d probably just change the damper oil and run original springs, albeit with all three collars on the front. Problem is postage is just as much as some smaller parts, so I just bundled it all in one parcel.

Pah, Battery issues.

Battery went flat over night despite getting a full charge yesterday afternoon. This is the same battery that was flat after a couple of minutes yesterday morning. When I charged it at lunch time we immediately got 50 minutes out of it, so it is charging, but not holding it.

The other battery is charging and holding charge.

Any ideas?

Spoke to the shop. They said “cycle” it a few times with repeated charge and discharge to see if it sort itself out. If that doesn’t work I need to post it back to them, which is fair enough. A bit of a faff as I live in a Covid hot-spot and there’s no way I’m going to the Post Office, but it isn’t the model shop’s fault.

Think this got lost above so cheeky repeat;
I have 13 and 15 pinion options in the box. How to choose? Advice?
Hotshot with standard 540 motor

A qiick search seems to suggest the 13t for standard motors?

I’d assume they supplied the 15 for racers at tracks with longer straights?

Mine has mounting holes for 17 or 19. Came with a 17 but now fitted with a 19.
With Torque Tuned motor it’s easier to control on loose surfaces from a standstill and a bit of extra top speed. Less fun for messing around on loose surfaces.
Try both. Not sure about your kit, but only a 5 minute job on mine.

Cool, had fitted 13 as that seemed most appropriate from little I could find.

Right then. Just been out for a “razz” with the boy in the pub car park.

The Mad Bull battery behaved itself, but the Grasshopper one lost charge fairly quickly. This is the other way round to what happened yesterday.

We have been charging the batteries one after the other and in both cases the battery charged last has been the one to fail. Could we be over-cooking or confusing the charger?

Going to leave it an hour before putting the second battery in.

Ideally I’d get another charger, but the spending is getting out of control.

Also, the aerial on the Mad Bull passes over the battery and it has been worn through and snapped leaving just a 50mm stub. This doesn’t seem to be causing a problem, but if it does I’ll solder the end of the “tail” back on.

Harry, you switching the charger off before unplugging battery 1? Sounds like the charger is still in trickle mode when charging battery 2.

Dunno. Probably not.

However, that would make sense.

@Harry
You can generally tell if a nimh battery is well charged because it will get warm.

If you are using nimh cells and a traditional deltapeak charger then sometimes they will false peak. Just press the button again to restart the charger. This tends to be more of a problem with cells that haven’t been used for a while. ( for nimh cells the charging voltage drops slightly due to increased internal resistance when they reach full capacity. Deltapeak chargers look for the drop in voltage and stop the charge.)

Some chargers also have a fail safe feature which detects battery voltage. (You’d want different settings for 4 cell packs or lipo.) What that means is that your charger may cut out if the initial battery voltage is too low. say less than 1v per cell.(You should stop driving when the car slows, not when the battery is totally dead). If you keep trying to start the charge again it will generally sort itself out once the cells have enough voltage.

NIMH cells lose charge when stored and work best if charged immediately before use.

What charger are you using?

One of these.

Battery#1 was getting warm. Will unplug it and give it rest before putting Battery#2 on, then see what happens.

Okay, don’t know too much about them. No settings to adjust anyway.

All you can do is check that the leds go to fast charge when connected and the battery doesn’t feel cold when finnished.

As chargers go it’s as cheap as you can get and unfortunately you get what you pay for.

Noticed that the charger says on the label that it is 1A delta peak.

That is a very low charge current. 5-6 amps would be more typical for fast charging a 3300mah battery. The low current will mean that the delta peak being detected by the charger is 5 times smaller than typical, and the likelihood of a false peak that much higher.

I’m not surprised you are having problems.

It is what came with the battery.

What would you suggest for charging a 3300 or a 5000 mAh?

I’ve got one of these – it came as part of the deal when i bought the car & works well.

There’s probably better/cheaper out there, but this works fine & doesn’t seem to take too long for a 3300mAh pack.

https://www.emodels.co.uk/ansmann-racing-ac-dc-delta-peak-nimh-battery-charger-for-7-2v-8-4v-3001.html

I use one of these for NiMh charging.

https://www.modelsport.co.uk/fusion-5ive-nx87-delta-peak-dual-output-charger/rc-car-products/394917

My God, I’m boring myself with this let a lone you lot. However I may be performing invaluable testing to other newbies.

Here goes.

Battery#1 charged from flat to full in about 3 hours 30 minutes, as is apparently to be expected with my charger. Battery was warm to the touch after charging.

Charger unplugged for 20 minutes to cool and “forget about battery#1”.

Battery#2 plugged in. This had been in the Mad Bull for about 30 minutes, so would probably be about 60%-70% depleted based on previous experience.

Therefore I would expect this to be off charge at about 6:45pm.

Exciting!