suicideneil

Battery capacity divided by charge current = charge time, so your numbers sound correct. I don't recommend getting a cheapo charger though, spend

Facepalm.jpg 30 Farad capacitor? That would be about the size of a gas cylinder. More likely 30uF ( micro farad ). And yeah, it can't increase the voltage going to the esc, even if you charge it at the start of your session it will slowly self-discharge during the run ( hurrah for parasitic current drain )- all this will do is send a tiny extra amount of current to the esc, just like normal caps will that esc have sticking out the side or top. Only difference is you get to choose when to help out your esc when it's struggling. Do not buy. And yes, I'm still alive. Hurray!

Use the magic search button please- there are literally hundreds of threads asking about the 'best lipo brands'. 5s lipo is 18.5v ( nominal, 21v fully charged ). Run times depends on the model, terrain, throttle use, gearing, grip etc etc.

Normally just a drop of normal 3in1 oil will work fine, though there are plenty of 'dry' lubes around that are self-cleaning and don't attract dust or dirt: http://www.whitelightningco.com/products/index.htm Just as an example. Yeah, I never trust any waterproof claims- you can seal an esc just fine, but the connectors and switches are still exposed as it were. You need to have a tupperware party on your truck to truly seal them against water...

No such thing, pretty much impossible to seal a BL motor completely unlike an esc that has no moving parts. Just choose the most suitable motor based on size and kv rating for your model & voltage you will use. Unless you plan to turn your model into a submarine then water splashes won't be much of an issue- just wipe clean after use and lube the bearings once in a blue moon.

Not a good deal with that radio, I still have nightmares about 27mhz AM; any newbie will end up frustrated with control and range issues, and end up having to spend more money to upgrade to 2.4ghz. Given how cheap 2.4 is these days, it's silly not to do a bundle with a modern radio system...

You should turn off the LVC/lipo mode when using nimhs, otherwise it'll probably keep cutting out/cut out early as the voltage begins to dip under acceleration. It's a pain I know, but something to bear in mind when using different battery types. The sooner you can flog your nimhs and go totally lipo the better...

Given the chargers 50watt rating, it'll happily charge your 5000mah ( 1amp = 1000mah ) battery in 1 hour, at 5amps charge current ( 5amps x 8.4v fully charged = 44watts ). Set the LVC to match your battery set up- either 2s lipo, or simply 3.4v per cell if the esc auto-detects the number of cells ( read the manual, it should tell you ).

Yes & yes, essentially ( longer springs on the same shock will increase pre-load, which is essentially the same thing as making the shock stiffer and reduce bottoming out- just be advised that changing springs may require changing the oil weight too, so that the model doesn't become too bouncy- thicker oil with stiffer springs as a rule ).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-5mm-X-25mm-CARBON-STEEL-CS70-SPRING-DOWEL-PINS-PACK-OF-50-2-99-WITH-FREE-P-P-/281386373799?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Nails_Fixing_MJ&hash=item4183ef52a7 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-Pcs-2-5mm-Diameter-Round-Tip-Steel-Straight-Pin-Punches-Hand-Tool-/380640737744?pt=UK_Baby_BabyFeedingUtensils_EH&hash=item589ff4b9d0 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5x-OD-size-2-5mm-3-32-Length-25-4mm-1-Steel-Spring-Roll-Pins-for-Clevis-/191244343013?pt=AU_Business_Industrial_Industrial_Supply_MRO&hash=item2c870d16e5 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5Pcs-Hardware-Stainless-Steel-60x2-5mm-Transmission-Lathe-Round-Rods-/191274420044?pt=UK_BOI_Metalworking_Milling_Welding_Metalworking_Supplies_ET&hash=item2c88d8074c Take your pick, just cut to length if needed ( I'd go with solid pins rather than roll pins- roll pins are rather weak comparatively ).

That would work just fine for the price, great for 2-3s lipos, 4s or larger packs will take a little longer to charge but still much faster than charging each pack one by one on a single charger. You'd just need to buy a few extra balance leads/adaptors ( only 2 supplied ), and power leads to suit the plugs on your batts ( deans, traxxas, ec5 etc on one end, banana plugs on the other ).

http://www.hpiracing.com/en/part/67446 The spring weights ( and lengths ) vs colours are listed here- obviously the higher the 'gf' rating the stiffer they are as such. Unless HPI just likes listing random numbers and letters to troll people...

You need a multimeter and simply test the wires in pairs- red + black 1 should give you cell one ( ~3-4v ), black 1 + black 2 will give you cell 2 ( ~3-4v again, not negative 3-4v however which would indicate the wires are the wrong way around polarity-wise ). Red + black 2 will give you total pack voltage, so you will know the order based on the voltage each pair of wires gives you. Red > black 1 > black two will be the order they go in on the new balance plug.

I'd try rebinding the receiver to the transmitter ( should be in the instructions ), and check that the receiver antenna isn't damaged, likewise with the rest of the wires on the model. Failing that & it still doesn't work, sounds like a simple case of faulty radio gear- contact supplier and see what they say ( return for replacement or refund ).

You just measure the voltage at the (main) power leads; there are no balance connectors as you can't balance 1 cell against nothing ( balancing = equalizing the voltage in 2 or more cells ).

You posted 3 threads on the same question; this is called spamming ( one thread was enough- if no one replies, then no one has any solutions for you- try google instead ). The transmitter reading a steering error because it is broken is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT to the controller telling you there is a problem with the steering ( servo ) in the actual model, so no, no controller has that functionality, so hence, I have never seen it in 20 years+. It would be the same as a fridge saying there is a temperature problem because the cooling system is faulty, not because you left the door open or put hot food in the fridge. If you tried everything before posting ( 3 threads.. ) why did you not report back about what you had tried/after you tried it? We can only advise you based on what you tell us, and what you told is pretty much nothing of any use up until this point. Silly comments be damned, you're the one without a single clue how to string a sentence together with the most basic of information so that other people can help you.

3rd thread now, please stop spamming. He said in a PM to me: So he has a mechanical speedo on one model with the steering issue- I wonder what he means when he says the controller is reading a steering error- I assume he means the transmitter is reading a steering error? They can do that? Never seen a transmitter with that feature in 20+ years of r/c hobbying... I've already suggested some things for him to try in his 2nd thread, but I don't think it's sinking in really, doesn't pay much attention to what's said or doesn't report back after trying them. Like I said though, resetting the esc won't do much to help a steering issue, it sounds more like the steering is binding or the servo is damaged. Check those things, then report back...

You already asked this question, no need for another thread: http://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/topic/198274-help-with-mardave-and-etronix-pulse/ There is nothing to reset besides the esc, and that isn't what controls the servo regardless, the radio does ( esc just supplies power via the receiver ). Make sure the servo is at neutral before you install the steering arm/servo horn- turn it on, let it centre, then put on the horn.

Make sure the steering moves freely by hand ( remove servo arm / linkage and test ), check the servo(s) out of the model to be certain- a different radio/esc would be useful for testing with. Make sure the servo is plugged in the right away around on the receiver.

Lipos come half charged from the factory/retailer, so the charger won't pump in the full 3300mah~, only about half that amount of so; 1700mah sounds about right. What you want to be looking at is the voltage(s). If it's a nimh pack however ( thanks for not saying, we love guessing games ), then I would say discharge it, then recharge it and see how much it really takes from being 'empty'.

Overlander... no wonder I couldn't find them... Nimhs, fine for a 1 hour charge if/when you get a decent charger ( set for ~3amps, will take about an hour to charge- just make sure they aren't too hot during charging ).

Can't find anything on that battery- nimh or nicad? To say 16 hours but can be fast charged makes me think it's a nicad pack- they didn't react well to being 'fast' charged every time, wore them out very quickly. I think the sooner you take the lipo plunge the better- nimhs and nicads are ancient history... Another +1 for the overlander charger- best

You got the LVC turned on, or an external lipo alarm connected?..

What battery is it ( mah capacity, battery type, cell count )? I can't imagine it would actually take 16 hours unless it was just referencing the output from the charger it came with- probably a little charger with~100-200mah output for a ~1600-2000mah battery, it'll say on the charger what the output is usually...

The wires shouldn't be fraying if they are tinned and soldered correctly- my EC5s are years old and still good as new. Make sure you are using a large, powerful iron to solder with- 70 watts or above ideally. I solder mine by placing the bullet into a piece of wood ( drill a small hole to place it into ), then pre-tin the bullet, pre-tin the wire ( twist it slightly to keep the strands together before tinning ), then insert the wire into the bullet while keeping the iron touched against the bullet. Once the solder on the bullet and wire flows together, remove the iron and let the solder harden, then it's done. You can file down and excess solder with a small metal file, do the other bullet, then insert them into the blue casing. If wires are fraying then either you have a partially cold solder joint ( all the wires should be a solid lump within the solder as such ), or the wire is fatter than the bullet, so you need to really twist them tight, or consider using a larger connector/bullets ( EC5 are 5mm ).