Hello,
Just got an trx4 sport and loving it.
Only problem i have with it is that it doesn't like water as much i like water.
Well the engine doesnt.
Im into my secound engine now and it starting to smell bad aswell.
I'm looking for a fully waterproof brushless setup, or a waterproof esc and cheap motor witch i can swap every half a year or so when its full of rust.
I've seen both hobbywing and castle have complete systems.
Someone said hobbywing was hard do drive because it works in a diffrent way where the throtle doesnt apply the throthle anymore but wheelspeed.
What KV motor would you recomend? it is a crawler so i guess the lower the better?
http://www.castlecreations.com/en/ro...bo-010-0155-08
Is this my best choice?
Thanks
Andreas
DeWalt 12v drill motor and a power wheels speed controller
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Most people do go with Castle, and it really depends how much speed you want to have the potential of.
The higher the kv of the motor, the more potential for speed. The 1900-2250kv range is probably closest to the stock electronics.
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I like the power output of the stock motor, its well enought for my driving in every point.
The only reason i'm whapping system is because to make the truck survive xD
Just remember, "waterproof" does not mean "maintenance proof". If you pull your motor, clean and lubricate it after you are done running in water and/or mud, it will last you a good long while. Even the high-end brushless systems like my 1900kv sensored motor needs to be pulled out and cleaned to keep it operating well.
Also, water itself acts like an abrasive on the brushes, wearing them down a lot faster. When brushed motors were king for racing the drivers would cut in the brushes by running the motor in water for about 10 minutes. This would get the brushes to the sweet spot for wear, giving maximum power. The down side is it take about a third of the life away from the motor.
For cleaning, I pull the motor and run electric motor cleaner through it until it run clear. I blow it out with air and let it sit over night. Just before I reinstall the motor I put a drop of light machine oil on each bushing, spinning the motor shaft. Aside from letting the motor sit over night, the whole process shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.
Submarine Qualified, Chief Inducted, Navy Retired
i'll have that i mind![]()
But from what i understand, the castle setup is the best choice?![]()
The Mamba X with a low KV motor works very well. But, if you are going to be running it through water, you have to put dielectric grease on the sensor connectors so they do not short out, they, for some reason, are not waterproof. That combo with the two-speed transmission gives a great range of power and speed. There are a lot of tuning options in there, so recommend getting the CastleLink to tweak them to your liking. I run with a BluLink in mine, I can change settings through my phone and not have to take anything apart.
Submarine Qualified, Chief Inducted, Navy Retired
No. That's not the best option for any crawler.
If you want brushless the Castle Mamba X ESC is very hard to beat. It is said to be waterproof, but mine did kill the switch the first time it saw water.
For motors the Castle options are fine, but so are Holmes Hobbies, Team Brood, and Tekin.
kv depends on your intended use. Do you intend to mostly crawl or will it be a trail truck?
Best combo https://youtu.be/AtjOcGdc85A
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I have four TRX4s. Number 1 is equipped with a Mamba X and 2280 Slate motor. It is about the same speed as stock but smoother. The other three rigs are all running HW1080 ESCs which are waterproof along with the stock Traxxas 21T motor. This combo works surprisingly well. The HW1080 is around $40 and the Traxxas motors list for $24 so they are not a huge money hit when they die. Holmes Hobbies also sells a $19.99 brushed motor that is equal performance but a little better quality than the stock motor.
It's a rock, get over it!
I recently installed a Tekin RX4 and the Tekin 1800kv Roc 412 HD. I had to go up 2 teeth in size on the pinion, but it's still perfect for crawling and noticeably faster (maybe 4 mph lol) in high gear. Tons more torque though. I run the Tekin RX8 Gen 3 and the T8 gen 3 motors in my other cars and love their stuff.
I've been considering the Mamba-X, but question whether it's worth it vs. the 1080 + a good quality brushed motor.
The price difference between the two options is huge (can almost buy another truck for the cost of the Mamba-X + sensored motor!).
What advantages/disadvantages have you noticed between the two?
Update:
I bought the mamba slate kombo with 2280kv motor for my truck.
I'm extremly happy with it and wished i have done this the first mod i made.
The car now does it all (Y)
Thanks for the help guys
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Depends on how extreme you want to get. You'd likely be happy with the HW ESC, but once you get your hands on a Mamba X system, you really see why we use it. Tuning options and the ability to change modes on the fly are schweet, but you add the smoothness and power of a good brushless sensored system and it will make you cry to go back to a brushed ESC/motor combo.
Submarine Qualified, Chief Inducted, Navy Retired
Well, that didn't take long! I got the 2850kv mamba x combo. 2nd gear gets me faster-than-stock speeds, and 1st gear can crawl nice and slooow! No change in gearing.
The truck is so quiet now! And battery efficiency (at least on my first, multi-hour run) seems a lot better!
I guess I'll need to save up for more of these to put in my other trucks![]()
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It gets even better if you go play with making a throttle curve in Castle Link!
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Yeah I have it like 40% pull is 20%, and then 75% pull is 50%, so the last bit is pretty major lol
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for playing with water, you need to concern not only the electronics but also the mechanical parts. bearings are not 100% water proof. if you immerse the rig into water for long time, the transmission system would get wet. the cleanup process is time consuming.
Submarine Qualified, Chief Inducted, Navy Retired
for the mechanical parts I spotted a weak point where water is very easy to get inside: the openings at the front caster hubs.
there is no bearing at that openings. the shafts come out from diff gear and connect to the portal parts. nothing is preventing water (or dirt, sand, etc) from getting into the axle housing through the space between the shafts and the openings of the caster hubs.
You can combat water some by using some dry lube or even silicone lube. The dry lube doesn’t let dirt attach to the vehicle, and helps disperse water as well. You might also get some dielectric grease for the ESC connections. And with proper maintenance you should be okay running in wet conditions.
Any of the escs recommended here with enough power to support a high torque servo in the 30-35kg range?
WOW, 30 kg is > 1000oz!!!
Do you have a link to what you have in mind?
Normally I would say the Mamba X, it has an eight amp BEC, but you might be testing it with a servo that powerful. You might want to consider a Castle 20A external BEC.
Generally, for trail running you want a servo that is > 200oz, and crawling > 300oz. To steer with good authority on the rocks you want a 400-600oz servo. All of these servos can be ran all day long with a Mamba X; the HW 1080 has three amp BEC, 300oz is about as hard as I would push it. Just a guess here, but at 1000oz, you are likely going to start ripping parts off of your steering if you get it bound up.
Submarine Qualified, Chief Inducted, Navy Retired
Actually, 30-35kgcm is 415-490ozf-in. Quite powerful, but still not deserving three exclamation marks...![]()
Burba said "30-35kg", which is > 1000oz, not "30-35kgcm", which is ~ 450oz...
Which is why I asked for a link.
Going back to Burga's question, the Mamba X will power a 30-35kgcm servo with ease. A HW1080 will do it if you are not binding the steering up on rocks, in that case you'll want an external BEC.
Submarine Qualified, Chief Inducted, Navy Retired
Not trying to split hairs and pick a fight here - I have the highest respect for your knowledge, Greatscott.
But Gurba was asking for high torque, not high mass...With my comment, I was just trying to put a smile on a few faces.
Anyhow, I run the Power HD B3 (27kgcm / 375oz-in @ 6V and 30kgcm / 416oz-in @ 7.4V) and the HW1080 powers it with ease, also in tricky situations. But off course, the Mamba X is the king when it comes to BEC power.
No worries brother, I am just being argumentative… Happens when I don't get enough sleep.
As much as I like the metric system and try to embrace it whenever I can (much to the annoyance of the mechanics at work), there are parts of the system that confound me. Just when I think I have it pegged, someone like you comes along and slaps me off of my stool, which is needed from time to time.
Submarine Qualified, Chief Inducted, Navy Retired
Completely off topic (sorry OP!), but I just had to...
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart...ars-180964147/
Thanks for the HELPFUL answers. I have a Thunder Tiger ST4 G3 with a Savöx SW-1210SG and Castle 10A bec at 7.2v. Works great.