I finally attended my first competition and I have to say it was an absolute blast. I was nervous going into it and had "psyched" myself out in the days and weeks prior to the comp. but it was an entire different story when I showed up and started to introduce myself to some of the other competitors. There were 3 (that I know of) team drivers in attendance and several other really good guys. Overall I think everyone there did an outstanding job. Everyone was really nice, and willing to help with any question we had. I saw some really awesome "rigs" and was blown away at the excellent job everyone had done to prepare for the competition. In attendance were two "Berg" team drivers One "Rein RC" team driver and several really outstanding people!
The competition had 4 different stations or courses. As I got there and looked at the setup I thought "this is going to be embarrassing, this stuff is impossible for me to run with my crawler" as time went on it started to rain and the already impossible rocks became slippery. I thought "what the heck" I am here and these guys are really good guys, if anything I will get some constructive criticism.
As the competition started and went on I ended up getting more and more comfortable with the rules and with my driving. I ended up doing really well in the competition and I am looking forward to the next one!!
My crawler performed great, especially compared to some of the others that were there. I ended up with some more broken body parts, a fried servo, and a broken driveline. Hopefully I can get it fixed up before the next competition. The tires I was running that day worked great and handled the rain very well. I was very impressed with my ESC, radio, suspension and really everything.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Proline Tuber Chassis
Although the Proline Tuber Chassis (PTC) was somewhat of a pain in the rear-end to get set up, I must say that I have been thoroughly impressed with it. I have now used it for over a month and have the following to report:
The PTC is made of a durable black plastic, which can be painted to the color you desire. It is nothing more than a roll cage style body, but can be fitted with plastic add-ons to make it more suited to your style. Personally, I like the roll cage look and therefore left it as it came out of the box. However, I am sure that I will eventually add on the accessories to make it look more like an actual crawler.
The PTC was a lot heavier than the standard plastic shell that came with my Axial AX10 Scorpion. This was not too big of a deal, but initially I had to deal with tremendous twisting resulting from motor torque. This was an easy fix. I simply put stiffer springs on my shocks. It may sound strange to some people, but I found that putting a super firm spring on the rear driver’s side shock and leaving the rest of the shocks with super soft springs worked really well for me.
While crawling, my Axial took numerous rolls and falls. Although the PTC suffered some scratching, I am happy to say that it did not break. I am also pleased to report that my battery pack, my electronic speed control (ESC), and my receiver all stayed firmly in place, I never did have to readjust them after a tumble. Also, the scratches that the PTC sustained were hardly noticeable since the black plastic is the same color all the way through.
The only drawback that I have found with the PTC was having to take it off when I switched out my Axial ESC and Axial 27-Turn electric motor with the Tekin FXR ESC, and the Tekin 55-Turn motor. When I took the PTC off of the Axial chassis, I had to undo screws, remove my battery pack, undo and remove my ESC and unplug my steering servo from my receiver.
In short, I am very pleased with the PTC. I believe that it is a great body for those weekend warriors who don’t do much with their crawler other than drive it. It is also great for those who are looking for a durable body that can take a brutal beating and keep on looking good. However, for those who are competing and may need to make frequent or quick repairs, or for those who constantly enjoy tweaking their crawlers, I would go with something a bit less permanent, i.e. something that allows easy access to the crawler’s other parts.
Juice
The PTC is made of a durable black plastic, which can be painted to the color you desire. It is nothing more than a roll cage style body, but can be fitted with plastic add-ons to make it more suited to your style. Personally, I like the roll cage look and therefore left it as it came out of the box. However, I am sure that I will eventually add on the accessories to make it look more like an actual crawler.
The PTC was a lot heavier than the standard plastic shell that came with my Axial AX10 Scorpion. This was not too big of a deal, but initially I had to deal with tremendous twisting resulting from motor torque. This was an easy fix. I simply put stiffer springs on my shocks. It may sound strange to some people, but I found that putting a super firm spring on the rear driver’s side shock and leaving the rest of the shocks with super soft springs worked really well for me.
While crawling, my Axial took numerous rolls and falls. Although the PTC suffered some scratching, I am happy to say that it did not break. I am also pleased to report that my battery pack, my electronic speed control (ESC), and my receiver all stayed firmly in place, I never did have to readjust them after a tumble. Also, the scratches that the PTC sustained were hardly noticeable since the black plastic is the same color all the way through.
The only drawback that I have found with the PTC was having to take it off when I switched out my Axial ESC and Axial 27-Turn electric motor with the Tekin FXR ESC, and the Tekin 55-Turn motor. When I took the PTC off of the Axial chassis, I had to undo screws, remove my battery pack, undo and remove my ESC and unplug my steering servo from my receiver.
In short, I am very pleased with the PTC. I believe that it is a great body for those weekend warriors who don’t do much with their crawler other than drive it. It is also great for those who are looking for a durable body that can take a brutal beating and keep on looking good. However, for those who are competing and may need to make frequent or quick repairs, or for those who constantly enjoy tweaking their crawlers, I would go with something a bit less permanent, i.e. something that allows easy access to the crawler’s other parts.
Juice
Friday, September 4, 2009
Upcoming Reviews
I have had the Proline tuber chassis for a few weeks now, and I have taken it through some rigorous testing. The results finally in, and I must say that I am impressed. In one of my upcoming blogs, I will post the results.
Also, I must once again give kudos to the Tekin customer service team. I have been working with them (I use the term "working" loosely since it isn't like work at all with them), and will soon be reviewing the Tekin FXR and the Tekin 55T motor.
I will also be reviewing Hitech, Panther, Integy, and more.
There are a lot of reviews coming in the near future, and I should have them all up before Christmas so that you know what to ask from Santa this year.
Rock (crawl) On!
Juice
Also, I must once again give kudos to the Tekin customer service team. I have been working with them (I use the term "working" loosely since it isn't like work at all with them), and will soon be reviewing the Tekin FXR and the Tekin 55T motor.
I will also be reviewing Hitech, Panther, Integy, and more.
There are a lot of reviews coming in the near future, and I should have them all up before Christmas so that you know what to ask from Santa this year.
Rock (crawl) On!
Juice
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