Suits' - Arrma TLR ***Woodland Basher Update - 17/08/22***

[Suits]

After getting into the hobby last September, today I picked up my second RC. Incidentally it was also my sons first time in a model shop and he was totally blown away by the crawler track, stacks of cars, models, tools and spares - loves it he does.

 

I already have a Granite V3 and have picked up this Notorious 6S as an excuse to pass my Granite onto my son.

 

We got into this last year during the Pandemic like I expect hundreds of others have.

 

Anyway, I'm just enjoying a glass of red wine and going over the truck, manual and parts. Then tomorrow we'll run a few packs through the Notorious and the new 2S pack I got my son for the Granite.

It's such a rewarding hobby.

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by Suits
Update

[Bajadre]

nice man enjoy that badboi alot of fun on 6s these 🙂

[Suits]

Cheers man.

 

Yeah, so took this out yesterday for the first time and ran two sets of packs through it.

 

Most obvious difference to my Granite is the heft, understeer and pace this thing picks up.

 

Drivetrain makes a good noise mind. Will have to considered larger areas/spots to run it and with it's larger size and increased pace I'd feel better in larger spots.

 

The understeer is horrific. Even off the power and turning in, it just scrubs the wheels.

 

Gave it a good run on short grass, medium length grass, gravel, dust, tarmac and then mud/wood floor.

 

Towards the end of the second set of packs I was starting to get the handling of it and was sliding the car to get it into the position I wanted.

 

Great fun, awful lot of punch on tap when I need it and makes a cool noise. I'm going to leave it stock for a while longer and try some different spots/areas and get jumping next.

 

My boy who inherited my Granite, (albeit on a new 2S pack and with the throttle at 50%) burnt through is pack in the time it took me to get 3/4's through my first set. Because it's dialled in a bit and the space allowed it, he just kept it pinned the whole time - he had a whale of a time though !!

 

[Suits]

So I recently went away and stayed in a cottage for a long weekend, took both cars and ran plenty of packs through both all day long on the beautiful short grass they had there.

 

While we were there, (on the second day of three) I caught the Notorious front wheel on a bit of fencing and it popped the pillow ball out of the hub, I didn't bring any tools, so that was that.

For the rest of that evening and a little the next day I solely drove the 3S Granite and started to wonder if I actually prefer the 3S Arrma cars over the larger, heavier more powerful Notorious. They just seem so much more simple, to me anyway.

 

Less batteries, smaller, lighter, easier to carry about and just as much fun as the bigger bois, or close enough anyway.

 

I was convinced I wanted rid of my Notorious and wanted another 3S car.

Then today, I finally got the gumption up to fix up the pillow ball on the Notorious, got a couple of packs charged up and go test it. It was fine, it was great actually sliding about in the dust at the industrial estate near me. It's certainly got a lot of character.

 

So I don't really know where I am with the 6S Notorious, I still think I'd prefer another 3S car for the reasons I state above but the absolute heft and force of the Notorious and the cool noise it makes does an awful lot for me.

I also need to find better spots.

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2021 by Suits

[Kpowell911]

2 minutes ago, Suits said:

So I recently went away and stayed in a cottage for a long weekend, took both cars and ran plenty of packs through both all day long on the beautiful short grass they had there.

 

While we were there, (on the second day of three) I caught the Notorious front wheel on a bit of fencing and it popped the pillow ball out of the hub, I didn't bring any tools, so that was that.

For the rest of that evening and a little the next day I solely drove the 3S Granite and started to wonder if I actually prefer the 3S Arrma cars over the larger, heavier more powerful Notorious. They just seem so much more simple, to me anyway.

 

Less batteries, smaller, lighter, easier to carry about and just as much fun as the bigger bois, or close enough anyway.

 

I was convinced I wanted rid of my Notorious and wanted another 3S car.

Then today, I finally got the gumption up to fix up the pillow ball on the Notorious, got a couple of packs charged up and go test it. It was fine, it was great actually sliding about in the dust at the industrial estate near me. It's certainly got a lot of character.

 

So I don't really know where I am with the 6S Notorious, I still think I'd prefer another 3S car for the reasons I state above but the absolute heft and force of the Notorious and the cool noise it makes does an awful lot for me.

I also need to find better spots.

 

I can certainly agree with liking the 3S range of RCs more. My X Maxx is amazing but its big, heavy and requires two batteries. Im hoping the 1/10th Maxx ive brought will be the same amount of fun but Ill have more places to use it, and it only requires 1 battery

[Suits]

2 minutes ago, Guns said:

I can certainly agree with liking the 3S range of RCs more. My X Maxx is amazing but its big, heavy and requires two batteries. Im hoping the 1/10th Maxx ive brought will be the same amount of fun but Ill have more places to use it, and it only requires 1 battery

 

Yeah, I'm going to see how long I can hold out getting another 3S truck.

Winter will be the turning point where the appeal of two 3S's trucks will be at its peak.

I always liked the idea of a X Maxx but living with the Notorious has made me realise I prefer 1/10 scale.

 

Good luck with your new truck, sounds cool man.

[No brains]

For me it is the same, I prefer the 1/10 scale over the bigger scale cars, I had a arrma kraton, Basher sabertooth and a Basher 1/8 scale monstertruck but never run the cars that much so I sold then, for me  they are to big bulky and not so easy to carry if you do not have a own a car like me,  I only have  a 50cc scooter.

 

And the thing that also put me of was  the  shorter runtimes then the 1/10 scale, if you want decent runtimes you must invest in big and expensive batteries on a 1/8 scale,  I am more happy with my Losi  rock rey and ruster 4x4  and my other cars that I run on 3 or 2s  then the 1/8 scale cars,  and I can buy more cars for the same money😁

Edited June 20, 2021 by No brains

[Ant.p]

@Suits

 

Great photo ! The inner child in me had this face when I first got my hands on one. There is a time and a place for all scales. It’s nice to have the option of more but I agree that 1:10 is generally easier in just about every way, including the wallet. The main advantage with larger scale for me is the strength of parts, they tend to take more of a beating.

Edited June 20, 2021 by Ant.p

[Suits]

On 20/06/2021 at 09:01, Ant.p said:

There is a time and a place for all scales. It’s nice to have the option of more but I agree that 1:10 is generally easier in just about every way, including the wallet. The main advantage with larger scale for me is the strength of parts, they tend to take more of a beating.

 

Yeah man, as time goes by and I use them both side by side, I'm starting to appreciate the heft of the larger scales, they feel more rewarding to drive well.

[Suits]

Went out today for the first time in months and months.

 

Took the boy and went for a good blast near me with mixed surfaces.

 

Cars were both great, took some big hits and both have great individual character.

 

Batteries didn't seem to last long as I remember. They were their first use in maybe six months, had been stored outside in a weather proof garage and had been balanced prior to storage. I've balanced them again and will see how they fair. Time could have just git away with me though as it was fun.

 

I'd like a Crawler soon.

[Ant.p]

Heft for sure! Arrma are generally on the heavier end of the spectrum; they love the metal parts. Makes the driving more challenging as the weight carried means you need to be on your game when thrashing around. With a few tweaks, the notorious is a smile inducing machine!

[Juanmacine]

On 24/04/2021 at 20:49, Suits said:

After getting into the hobby last September, today I picked up my second RC. Incidentally it was also my sons first time in a model shop and he was totally blown away by the crawler track, stacks of cars, models, tools and spares - loves it he does.

 

I already have a Granite V3 and have picked up this Notorious 6S as an excuse to pass my Granite onto my son.

 

We got into this last year during the Pandemic like I expect hundreds of others have.

 

Anyway, I'm just enjoying a glass of red wine and going over the truck, manual and parts. Then tomorrow we'll run a few packs through the Notorious and the new 2S pack I got my son for the Granite.

It's such a rewarding hobby.

 

 

 

I always love the look of this car, my congrats mate, ARRMA is a great brand.

Edited September 12, 2021 by Juanmacine

[Suits]

Hi Guys, 

 

Bit of help if you don't mind.

 

So me and the boy were out bashing this morning at our local spot in the woods when, what I think has happened is the that steering servo has given up.

 

I landed a really innocuous jump that I've landed 50 times prior when the truck suddenly stopped and the cell count that happens when you power it up suddenly started.

 

It counted the cells as normal and in full but the steering was stuck on full lock to the right.

 

I turned it off and inspected the truck. It seems that the servo is stuck on full lock to the right, when I powered it up there was no response at all from the steering although the truck would drive forwards and back. Even if I try and force the steering by twisting the wheels it's clear that there is a mechanical force keeping it at full lock.

 

We left the 6S truck as it was, finished top with the 3S truck and brought it home.

 

Upon inspection, the servo is fully locked to the right and I get nothing from it under power.

 

I removed the servo, and it looks fine. Is it worth opening it up to see what is what, or is it clearly finished ??

 

I also assume that there will be a connector on the other end of the servo wiring that I can unclip from the ESC ??

 

Finally, what do people recommend I do about a replacement, do I go like for like or is there an better option ??

 

Pictures attached to help with the diagnosis.

 

Any help or advice will be greatly received, I'm popping to Redfin Models next weekend, so Ideally I'd like to order a replacement Monday for collection later that week.

 

Cheers,

 

Nick

 

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by Suits

[Ant.p]

Yep, had exactly this happen on my Xmaxx recently. Servo was dead. Fortunately mine was under warranty so it is in the process of being replaced FOC. Worth checking with the retailer you bought from before splashing out.

 

the standard servo in the notorious is pretty pants anyway. I replaced mine with a cheapo from amazon (link below). I stuck a few circlips in the servo saver to tighten it up, as there is no adjustments and the steering was poor due to this also. This relatively cheap mod transformed the truck. Steers with speed and power now!

 

Wishiot DS3225 25KG High Speed Coreless Digital Servo 7.4V Waterproof Stainless Steel Gear RC Servo with 25T Servo Arm 270 Degree https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08GF94Z22/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_Qo8CHAcCuZva7

Edited October 23, 2021 by Ant.p

[Suits]

3 minutes ago, Ant.p said:

Yep, had exactly this happen on my Xmaxx recently. Servo was dead. Fortunately mine was under warranty so it is in the process of being replaced FOC. Worth checking with the retailer you bought from before splashing out.

 

Ah, sweet.

 

I picked it up from Redfin in April this year, I'll speak with Jason there and see what he says.

 

Thanks for the heads up man.

[Ant.p]

2 minutes ago, Suits said:

 

Ah, sweet.

 

I picked it up from Redfin in April this year, I'll speak with Jason there and see what he says.

 

Thanks for the heads up man.

Not sure if you saw the edit I just did on that post. Still worth seeing if you can get it sorted for free if you were happy with the steering setup as it was before failing. I’m guessing it’s a poor servo, as mine went faulty too, but I just opted to replace with stronger one.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Ant.p

[Suits]

2 minutes ago, Ant.p said:

Not sure if you saw the edit I just did on that post. Still worth seeing if you can get it sorted for free if you were happy with the steering setup as it was before failing. I’m guessing it’s a poor servo, as mine went faulty too, but I just opted to replace with stronger one.

 

I didn't no, but just did.

Cool, yeah, it's clear that the truck is poor under power at steering - I always assumed it was due to the shift of weight to the rear and the from the front wheels just not getting traction and understeering.

 

I'd be keen on trying something else for sure, I'll pick one of those up if you recommend them as an improvement.

 

Thanks again.

[Ant.p]

6 minutes ago, Suits said:

 

I didn't no, but just did.

Cool, yeah, it's clear that the truck is poor under power at steering - I always assumed it was due to the shift of weight to the rear and the from the front wheels just not getting traction and understeering.

 

I'd be keen on trying something else for sure, I'll pick one of those up if you recommend them as an improvement.

 

Thanks again.

I assumed the same, but I eventually realised the steering was just s#ite. Otherwise a pretty solid truck apart from the diffs. They’re made of butter or something.

 

there are much better servos out there, but I did it on the cheap as a bit of an experiment. Turns out it’s actually half decent, especially considering the price. As of yet I have no complaints. Happily recommend.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Ant.p

[Suits]

1 minute ago, Ant.p said:

I assumed the same, but I eventually realised the steering was just s#ite. Otherwise a pretty decent truck apart from the diffs. They’re made of butter or something.

 

there are much better servos out there, but I did it on the cheap as a bit of an experiment. Turns out it’s actually half decent, especially considering the price. As of yet I have no complaints. Happily recommend.

 

Nice.

 

That one you link too, is out of stock though, is this one suitable ??

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ANNIMOS-Digital-Waterproof-Crawler-Control/dp/B07GK1G5FV/ref=dp_prsubs_1?pd_rd_i=B07GK1G5FV&psc=1

[Ant.p]

44 minutes ago, Suits said:

 

Nice.

 

That one you link too, is out of stock though, is this one suitable ??

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ANNIMOS-Digital-Waterproof-Crawler-Control/dp/B07GK1G5FV/ref=dp_prsubs_1?pd_rd_i=B07GK1G5FV&psc=1

Yep, looks almost identical to the one I have. The only adjustment you ‘may’ need to play around with a little is the servo horn. Could be easier to just use the original if it fits the output shaft thingy on the new one.

 

One thing I would highly recommended is setting the endpoints so that you dont damage the new servo. If you don’t know how to do this, Ive put a link to a video from YouTube below. It’s not the best, but it’s the first one I found that explains the process with the standard radio gear (which I assume you have?).

 

 

[Suits]

Wonderful man, thank you so much, I'll pick that up and take note of the video, cheers !!

[Juanmacine]

On 23/10/2021 at 18:07, Ant.p said:

Yep, had exactly this happen on my Xmaxx recently. Servo was dead. Fortunately mine was under warranty so it is in the process of being replaced FOC. Worth checking with the retailer you bought from before splashing out.

 

the standard servo in the notorious is pretty pants anyway. I replaced mine with a cheapo from amazon (link below). I stuck a few circlips in the servo saver to tighten it up, as there is no adjustments and the steering was poor due to this also. This relatively cheap mod transformed the truck. Steers with speed and power now!

 

Wishiot DS3225 25KG High Speed Coreless Digital Servo 7.4V Waterproof Stainless Steel Gear RC Servo with 25T Servo Arm 270 Degree https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08GF94Z22/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_Qo8CHAcCuZva7

Totally agree with this model of servo.

[Suits]

After the wonderful advice of @Ant.p I picked up that 25kg servo from Amazon for £20 delivered and set about changing it out this morning.

 

This is the first part I've had to replace on my Notorious and to be fair, was a pretty daunting task really.

 

I soon worked out what needed to be removed and where the screws underneath realised the holding pieces.

 

Had a bit of trouble with the steering server, as sadly original Spectrum part didn't feel like it wanted to fit the new servo, so I went with the new one, which introduced a few issues that I managed to get past but it's not as smooth as the original alignment.

 

I used that video to do my end points and was very very helpful, as I'd messed it up which only became apparent as I arrived at the park and realised the steering was switched. I managed to remember the process and managed to sort it out in the field.

 

It needs plenty of tweaks to be honest, be it end point setting and/or servo seating but at least it's running and we're back out having fun.

 

In regards to the failed Spectrum servo, I spoke with Jason at Redfin and we've sorted that. I'm going down there on Monday to pick up a few bits and may very, very well be tempted by a new truck...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by Suits

[Ant.p]

15 minutes ago, Suits said:

After the wonderful advice of @Ant.p I picked up that 25kg servo from Amazon for £20 delivered and set about changing it out this morning.

 

This is the first part I've had to replace on my Notorious and to be fair, was a pretty daunting task really.

 

I soon worked out what needed to be removed and where the screws underneath realised the holding pieces.

 

Had a bit of trouble with the steering server, as sadly original Spectrum part didn't feel like it wanted to fit the new servo, so I went with the new one, which introduced a few issues that I managed to get past but it's not as smooth as the original alignment.

 

I used that video to do my end points and was very very helpful, as I'd messed it up which only became apparent as I arrived at the park and realised the steering was switched. I managed to remember the process and managed to sort it out in the field.

 

It needs plenty of tweaks to be honest, be it end point setting and/or servo seating but at least it's running and we're back out having fun.

 

In regards to the failed Spectrum servo, I spoke with Jason at Redfin and we've sorted that. I'm going down there on Monday to pick up a few bits and may very, very well be tempted by a new truck...

 

 

 

 

 

Nice one, glad you’re up and running again!

[Suits]

I popped to Redfin today to pick up a few bits and pieces.

 

Primarily a new front bumper for the Notorious and a proper set of dedicated screwdrivers.

 

Thing is though while I was there I picked up a TRX4 and a little Axial Deadbolt crawler for my boy.

 

The TRX4 Defender has been on the cards for a while and Jason there very kindly built me a little battery converter, so that I don't have to buy a Traxxis battery pack for it, I can use one of my current 3S packs.

 

My boy has wanted another house crawler ever since his Bangood special gave up the ghost a while ago, so he's buzzing and fell asleep in the car on the way home cuddling it.

 

I love the way this Defender looks and it fascinating have such a different platform and variety of parts to discover all over.

 

It certainly suits our bashing trips and my boy has driven it quite a bit already, the slower pace really lets him explore it.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Suits