FUSION EX-1

[razzor]

Just recieved these pics and boy does it look good :)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/razzor13bt/2_.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/razzor13bt/3_.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/razzor13bt/1_.jpg

Chassis pics.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/razzor13bt/electric-l.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/razzor13bt/_DSC7966m.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/razzor13bt/_DSC8006m.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/razzor13bt/_DSC8008m.jpg

[Answer-RC]

Hey guys..

Yep looks stunnin, good to see its getting there.
This should really wake some peeps up to Caster ?&^

[razzor]

Welcome answer-rc :)

[Answer-RC]

Hey Razzor - saw you over on Maxbashing earlier as well - looks like you get around!

Would love to get over to SA again at some point, I was born there and havent been for about 20 yrs... Someone said things had changed ?!? ;-)

Pete

[razzor]

Cool bud

Things have changed for the good i hope.
We still battle along since the Rand is not so strong but all good though.
They say you cant appreciate the good unless you experience the bad.

I was just about to post that you should post on Maxbashing :)
Have you got Caster tock in yet ???
Good to know there is someone doing Caster over there so we can refer customers.

[Answer-RC]

Nope not yet, hopefully not too far now though ;-) I have bits and piecesof stuff and have been testing the range for the last couple of months.

Pete

[razzor]

Well look forward to your feedback and contributions :)

[Answer-RC]

We still battle along since the Rand is not so strong but all good though.
They say you cant appreciate the good unless you experience the bad.

...Yep - that which doesnt kill you can only make you stronger..

Not a great deal of stock as yet though I have bits and pieces as I have been severly testing the range for the last couple of months. I ave been very impressed with it and after 14yrs in the trade itsnot easy done.

Pete

[razzor]

With potential for better :)

[YourDogg]

are those the RTR bodies or did someone paint it for a kit?

[razzor]

those are teh RTR bodies :)

[YourDogg]

those are teh RTR bodies :) :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: amazing!!!!!

[BigC123]

Those bodies look awsome SSWWWEEEEEEETTTTT!!!!!!!:D

[vnmsgt]

They need to put those stickers in the Caster Sticker KITS instead of the current ones!

[razzor]

Im sure the new stickers and manual will be in the new kits.
Too many mistakes in the current manual.

[hakmazter]

I posted pics of those stickers like 2 months ago at rctech...or was it rcuniverse????

[hakmazter]

http://casterracingusa.com/files/stickerm.jpg

[vnmsgt]

I want some!!! Are they available yet or no? The caster stickers now do not stick on to well and like to peel alot.

[Mr Fusion]

A little promo clip from the weekend racing...

high res:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=S4rTAjT9PHY

low res:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=22xSX13Fg_Y

[hakmazter]

As soon as the first order is in the air, that will be on neobuggy as news......

Wanted to do it tonight, but figured that they might run out of cardboard or something over there outside of Mikey's control....

[hakmazter]

By the way, did anyone pay attention to the audio? I am not 100% sure, but the whole world will hear "Matt Rodgers in third and Cam Martin in fourth" I know Cam got back up to second at the end....but still...

Nicely done Fusion. I like the ending with the silence....

[hakmazter]

I also just noticed that it said Dustin in first.....

So we had Caster electric in 1 and Caster in 3 and 4 at that moment....

Sweet!

Now if we can do that everywhere else in the U.S......

[Aggressor08]

Yeah.. I hope everyone that was there this weekend will also be attending Hobby Haven's trophy race. All the drivers this weekend made racing intense and exciting, as usual. The track was very fast, thanks to Von and others who worked to prep the track. Hopefully other drivers that couldn't make it this weekend will show up to the trophy race.

[Mr Fusion]

I have another video processing... about half the race I think. I will try to get it on youtube tonight.

I don't know why the video looks so bad on youtube... it looks much better before uploaded.

I'm playing more with the effects (dumb basic microsoft windows editor) and might re-do the clip to make it more "promo clip" worthy

[skeller]

All my clips look near perfect before upload.....after upload they turn to crap.:(:(

[Mr Fusion]

hmmm... maybe there is a better host than youtube

Hak... check with the wizard and see if we can host a clip here somehow....

[razzor]

nice clip .
A bit longer with some more action shots would be nice though.

[Mr Fusion]

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=mjqCS_VyNsM

10 minutes of race coverage.

I can't believe how bad the clips look on youtube. You can't even read the captions!!!

I have got to figure out how to get a good looking clip hosted somewhere.

[razzor]

has anyone tried photobucket for video hosting ? or mydeo.com

[vnmsgt]

Nice video, a little hard to read though. The electric Caster looked great. I remember people saying they way it was setup it could not compete with a Nitro because of braking but if you were keeping up with cam then it should be fine. I might have to get one for myself.

Could anyone say exactly what you would need to get for the Fusion to get it running?? I do not need any high dollar stuff. Just stuff to go out and have some fun for now.

[razzor]

Fusion will give you a run down of what you need.

[Mr Fusion]

but if you were keeping up with cam then it should be fine.

That's not saying much :&!@:&!@:&!@

<*& @ Cam

no "ka here.... :&!@

[hakmazter]

too late. I posted it on neobuggy....at 2am last night after talking to Mikey.....

[Aggressor08]

hmmm... maybe there is a better host than youtube

Hak... check with the wizard and see if we can host a clip here somehow....

Vimeo is a good source to use and the videos are high quality. RC Racing TV posts their videos on neobuggy.net using the vimeo video source.

[Mr Fusion]

I will give vimeo a try if I keep messing with video. btw, I burned some footage to DVD today including the KC race... but my home DVD player was skipping/hanging on it. I need to try another player... or burn it again. If it works, I'll leave a copy at HH for you.

[Mr Fusion]

I'll try to give some basic setup info for those wondering what the heck to do with this electric buggy.

Motor:
It's best not to skimp here unless you really only want to screw around in the yard and chase the cat. Where's McCabe? :p

Brushless motors are rated by the rpm they generate per volt from the battery. 1000kv and 12 volts = 12,000rpm

Think in terms of rpms required. I normally run setups in the 25,000-30,000 rpm range... no higher. But some like to run higher rpm and gear lower. A good basic setup is a motor around 2000kv and a 4 cell lipo.

Most motors come in several lengths. Bigger, longer motors have a higher usable workload. Go too short/small and the motor will strain too much and run hot. The popular motors are around 60mm long and 10oz give or take.

I suggest not getting a Feigao or other cheap Hacker knock-off. They run fine and are powerful, but they also run very hot and eat more battery.

Neu motors are very good, and Medusa is a new brand that is getting good reviews. Castle Creations is the distributor for Neu and they are making their own house brand motor based on the it, and TeknoRC is having Neu build them a special verison. Lehner and Plettenberg make good motors too, but they cost even more than a Neu.

Ultimately , motor choice is based on the battery being used. Assuming a common 14.8v 4s lipo setup (pair of standard 1/10 car packs wired in series)... suggested motors would start with:

Medusa 36-60-2000 w/fins retails $135
Neu 1512 2.5D F (2000kv) retails $235
Neu 1509 3D F(2250kv) retails $215

[razzor]

i got this from rctech as a reference sheet.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/razzor13bt/Motor20KV_Batt.jpg

[Mr Fusion]

Speed Control:

Common choices are the Novak HV, (must be run with the Novak motor) Tekin R1Pro, Castle Mamba Max and Monster Max. Many other brands have been run, such as MGM, Quark, Schulze, Mtroniks... if you want to be different. And there's new stuff showing up or being talked about all the time.

I would only consider three right now:
Mamba Max $130 + ubec ($10-40)
Monster Max $200
R1Pro $250 + ubec
and... when Tekin releases their new MT, add that to the list.
Novak's updated HV may be ok, but get the highest turn motor (7.5?) and don't be surprised if it can't make 20 min without overheating. Very few guys can make them work for serious racing without thermalling.

With basically any speedo except the Monster Max (and maybe the Novak), you also need to run a separate rx pack or voltage regulator that feeds off the main battery pack. (called a BEC or UBEC)

The internal BECs do not handle the high voltage of 4s+ too well, so running off a separate BEC or rc pack helps the ESC run cooler. Many ESCs have been smoked simply by the internal BEC failing.

You can use any RX pack setup like in a nitro car, but most use a regulator feeding off the main battery.

There are a ton of UBECs on the market. Really, any of them seem to work pretty good as long as they are rated to handle the voltage of the main battery, and put out at least 3 amps and 5 volts.

They are pretty easy to hook up. They need to tap into ESC's main power input leads from the battery. Then the output line plugs into the reciever "batt" slot. Also, you need to disconnect the red wire from the ESC's reciever plug. (pull the pin from the plug end)

Sometimes the UBEC has an on/off switch. If not... just use the main battery plug as the on/off. Crude but it works, and I actually prefer it that way because no switch means one less thing to fail. Same with the ESC's switch, which is a separate thing from the UBEC switch. I often cut off the switch and hardwire the leads (permanently "on"). Again... this makes everything fire up when the main battery is plugged in.

But, most guys use switches... so whatever, lol.

[Mr Fusion]

razzor.. yes, that's a pretty good chart. It's pretty dead on imo, and should help explain how it works.

[Mr Fusion]

Here's what I ran last weekend in my car, for example:

Mamba Max with the red wire removed from the rx plug.
Cheap off brand ubec/voltage regulator.
Neu 1512 1.5Y (1850kv)
15/44

Any decent pair of lipo packs would work. I ran a pair of Maxamps 2s 8000mah packs.

Normally I would run a 4800,5000, or 6000 pack. But I wanted to see how the car could do with the heavier battery. Plus, I could probably finish a 30 min race with this battery and I thought that was a possibility. Ended up being a 20 min main, and I could have done that easily with a 6000mah pack... and normally can do it with a 4800 or 5000 but it's cutting it close with those.

The lighter packs obviously would make the car feel a bit more nimble... but I actually liked how the ran with the 8000s. It was very stable and planted. Weight=traction.

Next setup I'm going to run is a lighter 1509 motor and 5000mah battery.

[vnmsgt]

This seems all like chinese to me. I do understand too much. Oh well I will probably ask again when it is time what exactly to get. I like my nitro, seems much more simple LOL!

[Answer-RC]

Hey Fusion - I assume the Mamba max has no issues running on 4s rather than the 3s that they recomend?

Same goes for the R1 Pro? specs state 3s but 4s seems to be used with it..

Pete

[razzor]

The Mamba is practically bullet proof even on 4 cells :)
Just have to run the ubec for the reciever.
The guys mod the casing to mount a fan on it and add a fan onto the heatsink as well.

[Mr Fusion]

Some run 5s on these without problems. But you have to run a separate rx pack or bec with anything above 3s

Fans do help keep temps lower, but for me I haven't needed them most of the time.

Last weekend, my issue appears to be not the MambaMax, but the cheap ubec I was using could not handle the ace 1015 servo, and caused the spektrum rx to trip. I will try running a capacitor on the rx to see if that fixes it. We often have to do that in 1/10 cars with the spektrums, which are sensitive to voltage input drops.

[Answer-RC]

Cool -

In terms of these Medusa motors - I can only see pics with HUGE fins which look like they would be too big, is this the case or am I looking at the wrong thing?
On RCMonster Mike only seems to list unfinned versions.

One last one - how does it compare to the 50mm can version, I assume its worth sticking with the 60mm?

Pete

[Mr Fusion]

50mm motors can work ok, esp on an indoor track (usually smaller, well groomed, cooler conditions... etc) but you are playing with fire with such a small motor.

It works for some guys. The larger motors are just more robust... harder to push them to the breaking point in terms of heat.

I have a low rpm 50mm Medusa that I'm experimenting with. Running it on 6s and it's a fast little bugger, but I don't have much track time on it to see if it can handle a race without overheating.

So in general, it's a good idea to stick with the bigger 60mm or larger motors.

The Mega is a good motor too, btw according to the guys who run them. I see the Rcmonster doesn't have them listed. I think tecknorc has them.

btw, I will have a small estore with some of this stuff for sale pretty soon.

Tony form tony's screws is trying a small motor on 3s... shooting for a lightweight setup. There are so many things to try, that MIGHT work.

[Aggressor08]

I will give vimeo a try if I keep messing with video. btw, I burned some footage to DVD today including the KC race... but my home DVD player was skipping/hanging on it. I need to try another player... or burn it again. If it works, I'll leave a copy at HH for you.

Sweet, that would be perfect. Thank you, Dustin?&^

[haulin79]

Can a "one piece" flat top deck such as made from carbon fiber be made to connect the "front diff case" to "motor mount" to "rear diff case"?

This would be used in place of that diagonal chassis/diff-case brace.

[haulin79]

Why is 30k to 35k the sweetspot? i.e. Why not 15k to 20k rpm?
Not trying to argue, just trying to understand.
Thanks!


i got this from rctech as a reference sheet.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y236/razzor13bt/Motor20KV_Batt.jpg

[hakmazter]

It is the same gear ratio as Nitros and as a result, performs similarly.... I am sure you could get a motor like that, but you would need 3 times the teeth...or is it 1/3 the teeth???

[haulin79]

If you had a low-rpm high torque motor you could increase the pinion and decrease the spur.

[razzor]

In the period guys havebeen doing these conversions they have noticed that this area or rpm is balanced between speed, torque and efficiency.
You could try out any combo you thiink might work and if there is potential to that setup thenshare it with us.
The whole EP 1/8 buggy thing has been a huge learning curve for a lot of guys and the info on the sheet above is one of the things that has been learnt.

As for the top deck idea it would work and possibly make the chassis stiffer.
The Fusion was intended to keep common parts between the gas and electyric versions so guys dont need to stock up on a lot of different parts.
In the long run ideas might change and we could see evolutions or complete new designs coming out.

[haulin79]

In the 1/10 4WD electric world, carbon fiber top and bottom plates are the norm in the top competition cars.

I am guessing that in the 1/8 4WD nitro world, A top plate is not used because:
1. there is not enough room due to gas tank and nitro engine.
2. thus the bottom aluminum plate was thickened to compensate for not having a top plate.
3. the bottom aluminum plate serves as a heat sink for the nitro motor.

These are guesses coming from an electric guy with zero nitro experience.

[Answer-RC]

Dont forget that in 1/8th and many other classes the adjustment of chassis flex is a tuning option for the car.
If you go to stiff the car becomes twitch and looses some traction. If you look at a lot of the best 1/8th buggy (and truggy) drivers they will be running plastic chassis braces to allow a litle more flex - so much so that the latest Xray and Losi cars (as well as the X2 CRT) and other come with plastic chassis braces.

Generally a 1/8th will alli chassis braces is more than stiff enough for most.

Pete

[razzor]

As Answerrc has said you dont want a chassis as stiff as possible as you sacrifice traction to a degree also the 1/8 buggies are a lot heavier so they went with ally chassis for light weight and strength and to keep expense down.
Im sure if we had a 1.8 buggy in carbon fibre we would be looking at $600- $800 plus for a kit, just look at what a electric chassis cost in relation to a 1/8 buggy kit.

[hakmazter]

I know Cam runs RTR chassis braces. I think Alberico does too....

[vnmsgt]

I just got a set to use also. I am going to put them on the buggy.

[haulin79]

Any new news on the EX1?

[hakmazter]

Yeah, Mikey is screwing around with gears that are not necessary, but he wants them to be perfect. They will be sent out at the end of this week at the latest. Don't worry, you will know when they are on the way. Tracking number for all to see.....

[hakmazter]

then we can all watch in horror as the first batch ends up lost in the bermuda triangle....with the way my luck has been lately.....lol.

[vnmsgt]

Shipping seems to have been crazy everywhere. Cam has told me a couple bad stories already recently and my orders have taken way over a week when they used to be about 3 days. Hell the K8T I sent to "yourdogg" was shipped out for a week and showed up back at my door saying there were no customs forms on the box and taped to the TOP of the box was a BIG envelope that said "customs forms" and was not even opened. I gave the post office HELL for that one!

[hakmazter]

BY THE WAY, THEY ARE HERE!!!

[bc24fl]

BY THE WAY, THEY ARE HERE!!!

We need RTR!

Ready To ROLL!!!

Or better yet, options to buy parts (electric stuff) for the kits at discounted prices ?&^.

[Andy Taylor]

Dont forget that in 1/8th and many other classes the adjustment of chassis flex is a tuning option for the car.
If you go to stiff the car becomes twitch and looses some traction. If you look at a lot of the best 1/8th buggy (and truggy) drivers they will be running plastic chassis braces to allow a litle more flex - so much so that the latest Xray and Losi cars (as well as the X2 CRT) and other come with plastic chassis braces.

Generally a 1/8th will alli chassis braces is more than stiff enough for most.

Pete

We also used to run with extra long screws in the rear plastic braces on the EC to allow a lot more flex but still holding the rear end on during the landing of the larger jumps. since we switched to the 808 we found we could not risk the same thing.

As an example the XT8 runs way better with composite hangers instead of switching to the ali ones.

[YourDogg]

Shipping seems to have been crazy everywhere. Cam has told me a couple bad stories already recently and my orders have taken way over a week when they used to be about 3 days. Hell the K8T I sent to "yourdogg" was shipped out for a week and showed up back at my door saying there were no customs forms on the box and taped to the TOP of the box was a BIG envelope that said "customs forms" and was not even opened. I gave the post office HELL for that one! yeah then it took like another week and a half lol. that did suck but i have it now so im happy.