School Me on the Axial SCX 10 Trail Honcho Kit

[sprocket3]

School Me on the Axial SCX 10 Trail Honcho Kit! (Or other kit options???)

I’ve been into RC off and on for 20 years and would like to get my son and I a couple kits to build as Christmas Presents for us both. We have radios from a couple other cars we can use but I really don’t know where to go with the best motors and battery packs.

Also any other newbie thoughts on this kit. Just looking for best bang for the buck and not a comp type rig. I want to get a kit so he can learn about building the car up and putting it together. Long battery run time would be high on the list over max performance. I have a charger for NiCad/NiMH but it will not to Lithium.

Qs:
1)Noticed the brushless motors are way less than 10 years ago? Is that a good route to go for higher operating efficiency, or is it just for more power? From what I recall they are a lot more efficient and might extend battery time.
2) What’s the best buy on a motor system? (ESC and Motor)
3) If we go with NiHM packs can you suggest a good hi capacity pack to buy?
4) Should we step up to LiPo technology?
5) Can we put the Rover body on the Honcho kit?

Thanks for any help, would like to get this all ordered prior to the holiday rush.. Any good Web Venders for this stuff???

 

[sprocket3]

Placed an order for 2 Honcho kits today. They went on sale and couldn't pass it up. Thinking of the Castle Sidewinder ESC with a Turnigy motor and 2 cell Lipo.

 

[2000UZJ]

I have a SCX10, I love it.

Can't stop playing with it.

OK, I have 2 lol

 

[sprocket3]

Thanks....So what do you power them with? Any low cost brushless systems that would be good?

 

[2000UZJ]

I have a standard brushed setup in my XJ. I run a 8.4V 5000mAh battery (non-lipo).

Traxxas XL- 5 ESC (waterproof but no drag brake which sucks on steep hills, cannot run lipo through it)
12T Traxxas Slash Motor (lots of torque, lots of wheel spin)


I ran the Traxxas 2075 Servo for about a week, since it is plastic internally I manaaged to destroy it. I have put the stock axial servo back in and all it good. They say it isn't waterproof, nonsense. I have ran that thing through so much mud and water it's silly.

Brushless to my knowledge is not waterproof, and for a crawler it's unnecessary. You'll be better off spending your money else where and putting a 55T Tekin motor in there with a nice ESC with a good drag brake. I'm not to familiar with the different types of ESC's out there, but from what I have read online Tekin makes some of the best stuff. If you throw more grunt in it. You need to upgrade the plastic driveshafts. They will snap and pop quickly. MIPS makes excellent stuff, I am running $7 Traxxas shafts and have not had one break since. Very tough.

Here is mine:

As for the Honcho, it's pretty much stock. Metal links, 4 link in the back (must do!)

 

[concretejungle]

from my limited experience, brushless is a more efficient motor but truly is designed more for the worm gear guys like Losi Comp Crawler.

As for batteries i have found that Hobbyking online has the best prices on all types of batteries. I am running Lipo, but i have a Losi and have brushless. I have noticed when i swaped my motor from a brushed motor to a brushless motor, i picked up about 15 minutes of user time before it ran the lipo down.

 

[Gumby]

Tekkin makes a good ESC from what I read. I have had the Rooster Crawler, the Super Rooster Crawler and the Holmes Hobbies. They are all excellent, very programmable and versatile controllers.

Tough to beat the Rooster Crawler combo with a 55t motor.

 

[concretejungle]

Tekkin makes a good ESC from what I read. I have had the Rooster Crawler, the Super Rooster Crawler and the Holmes Hobbies. They are all excellent, very programmable and versatile controllers.

Tough to beat the Rooster Crawler combo with a 55t motor.

True, unless you go with the Goat 3s!

 

[sprocket3]

Ok!!! What darn motor should i go with?

I was told to avoid brushless now by more than one person, so I guess that's out.

One person tells me to go with a 35t and others are saying 55t is great like above posts.

I want a 5000mah pack for sure.

Thinking the Castle sidewinder.

Getting closer now. Thanks for all the help. Need a TLC body?

 

[concretejungle]

jfz80 has a novak 55t and a rooster ESC in his axial and i'm very impressed with it! Very! Long run time, plenty of torque. Don't know if the axials are like the losi in terms of setting a pinion gear (shaft off the motor) with a proper tooth count so you get good wheel speed.

 

[sprocket3]

Sounds good.. I'm thinking 45t and sit in the middle. Not too fast, but a little faster than 55.

Man.... how will I wait for christmas to play with these. That will be brutal.

 

[concretejungle]

Sounds good.. I'm thinking 45t and sit in the middle. Not too fast, but a little faster than 55.

Man.... how will I wait for christmas to play with these. That will be brutal.

Just rebox it and put it back under the tree on Christmas eve!


I have been wondering how this toy is going to affect my real world wheeling! I am getting so used to stupid crazy lines and a lot more gas with no regarding to rolling.....

 

[Gumby]

We've talked about that a lot. After a year or so of wheeling both ways I can say I feel I'm a better wheeler. I can see how the vehicle reacts to certain lines. I'm way better at picking lines in my 1:1. It certainly helps to be able to see the whole rig rather than just the little bit over the hood.

 

[sprocket3]

ahhhh.. Box with 2 axials just arived at my office. I really want to open them up at my desk and just do a couple quick things.......

 

[concretejungle]

I really want to open them up at my desk and just do a couple quick things.......

hahaha yea right!! quick my butt!! I spent HOURS tweeking my new toy when i first got it. I thought, hey, i'll swap this real quick, 3 hours later i was still messing with it.

 

[sprocket3]

What's missing here? So we will build this up Christmas day i'm guessing and I want to have everything! I'm sure the hobby shop will be closed so i want to have it all on hand.

What i have:

Honcho Kits.
Novak Goat crawler motor package (no gears on motor)*
Standard futaba servos.
Misc car radios to use.
Battery and extra deans plugs.

*will the screws in the kit fit the Novak 18t Brushless motor to attach it to gear box
* will the supplied gear work well with the Novak 18t crawler motors.

I don't want to be stuck at 99% done and not be able to play for three days.

 

[concretejungle]

What's missing here? So we will build this up Christmas day i'm guessing and I want to have everything! I'm sure the hobby shop will be closed so i want to have it all on hand.

What i have:

Honcho Kits.
Novak Goat crawler motor package (no gears on motor)*
Standard futaba servos.
Misc car radios to use.
Battery and extra deans plugs.

*will the screws in the kit fit the Novak 18t Brushless motor to attach it to gear box
* will the supplied gear work well with the Novak 18t crawler motors.

I don't want to be stuck at 99% done and not be able to play for three days.

Best i can tell from your list you will need a pinion gear (that's the gear that fits on the shaft that comes off the motor and meshes with the main drive gear of the transmission. It will come with it's own set screw.

http://www.ckrccrawlers.com/12t-48p-pinion-p-28.html

Be careful on that ckrc site cause it will suck the money right out of your wallet! When you think things are so cheap you just keep getting more and more and then it adds up!

I'm also not sure if your Misc car radio will work with the esc. I'm hopefully wrong. How many channel radio/receiver do you have? It will need one channel for the steering servo, one channel for the ESC.

 

[sprocket3]

Best i can tell from your list you will need a pinion gear (that's the gear that fits on the shaft that comes off the motor and meshes with the main drive gear of the transmission. It will come with it's own set screw.

12T 48P Pinion [rrp1012] - $3.69 : CKRC Crawlers, RC Rock Crawlers

Be careful on that ckrc site cause it will suck the money right out of your wallet! When you think things are so cheap you just keep getting more and more and then it adds up!

I'm also not sure if your Misc car radio will work with the esc. I'm hopefully wrong. How many channel radio/receiver do you have? It will need one channel for the steering servo, one channel for the ESC.

Thanks.. I'll try out the radios this weekend then. I was going to use one out of a RTR losi stadium truck. I also have a nice JR radio for cars.

 

[concretejungle]

Thanks.. I'll try out the radios this weekend then. I was going to use one out of a RTR losi stadium truck. I also have a nice JR radio for cars.

If it's out of the losi stadium truck it should work... i would guess. Probably have to use the same radio and receiver. I thought maybe you meant you had a radio shack toy kind of radio.....

One of the axial guys should chime in with more knowledge than me. I know losi comp crawler and a little about batteries, but that's about it.

That's why i was commenting about the motor mounting because in my losi the Novak motor sets into the mount and then an aluminum clip fastens down onto it and holds it in place, like a clamp. So you really can't miss align or anything like that.

 

[yOHda]

ckrc is cool...but check out the crawler store... RC Rock Crawlers - TCS Crawlers and rpphobby.com. also check out rccrawler.com. get all your questions answered there. i use 35t integy motors in most of my trucks but my top truck has a scorpion brushless outrunner that is a beast.

as for the radio...pick up a spektrum dx3s...its a good little radio. you local lhs should be able to help you with a pinion. you could try the one that comes with the kit, watch your temps, and go from there.


good luck!!!