suicideneil

Any other batts to test with? Is the pack hot or still cold? Really need something else to try and charge with, or another modern charger to test the same pack with- process of elimination...

Check the steering isn't maxxing out before the servo does, if so, dial down the EPA until it stops buzing loudly at full lock ( digital servos will always buzz slightly even without any load on them- just the way they are ). If that doesn't help, might be worth trying a glitch-buster capacitor to help sure up the voltage from the rx: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Racers-Edge-Glitch-Buster-Power-Capacitor-RCE2474-/351112824638?pt=Radio_Control_Parts_Accessories&hash=item51bff4873e You can make your own very easily, just a single ~2200uf 10-12v cap rated for 105

What voltage/cell count is the battery, lipo I'm guessing? Do you have any other batteries of any type or size to test with? I'd say make sure you are connecting the main power leads and balance connectors, and make sure the time limit and capacity limit settings are raised high enough or disabled.

Moving the battery tray not an option? That is a rather long shaft though I must admit- just be sure to grind it gradually, don't do it all at once or the heat may damage the magnet inside, and cover up the holes on the motor to prevent metal dust going inside and sticking to the rotor.

They'll rape you

Normal non-rechargeable batteries will give better voltage ( higher starting voltage- 1.5v vs 1.2v for rechargeables ) so will last longer as a rule ( once the voltage drops too low the transmitter will cut out ), but that becomes expensive too replacing them all the time, even with cheap batts. I use Enerloop rechargeable batteries- probably the best brand around and will last for thousands of charges without losing much capacity.

There's nothing to break in on a BL motor- no brushes, and the bearings will be smooth anyway...

http://www.dimensionengineering.com/ http://www.killerrc.com/product-category/lights/ http://www.ramtech-rc.com/ http://www.varad.com/RCNEON/index.htm Hobbyking also sell some, and various 'rc lighting kits' can be found on ebay with that search term. Essentially, you need an r/c relay switch ( pico switch ) which allows you to turn the lights on and off ( or dim them ) via your radio, and have a separate battery to power them ( or power them from the receiver directly ). Normal leds with just 2 wires will always be lit up when plugged in, as there is no way to turn them off without a controller to interpret the radio signals.

Have you checked it though- visually, and by feel, to make sure it isn't actually tight as you spin the spur/pinion by hand? If the mesh is fine, then the two most likely issues are: 1) Batteries not upto scratch- higher C rating and/or capacity needed to provide more juice from a stand still 2) Gearing is too high, need a smaller pinion and/or larger spur gear to gear down and reduce load on the motor. If you have the ability to play with timing and start power in the esc settings, lower the timing a notch & increase start power.

Most manufacturers don't sell spare rotors on their own- you either need to buy a new motor, or send it in to be repaired ( either in or out of warranty ) and they will put a new rotor in or just replace the whole motor- whatever is more cost effective for them.

Ebay generally- though funshobby is a good place for BL motors and escs in general too.

I know, I can read- you missed my point...

Heh, I doubt anyone would say the same thing to a heli or plane pilot... I think there is an important distinction to be made between needing a gyro to control a car, vs needing a gyro to improve control in difficult manoeuvres such as long drifts, or speed run cars that need to track straight to avoid a nasty crash.

Not personally, I have enough offensive stickers on my trucks I borrowed from an old copy of MaxPower once upon a time However, a guy over on BYT ( I think, long time ago ) once said he used this company for decal paper and they turned out fine: http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/default.aspx Might be worth googling for reviews, but I'd wager you'd get the same results asking which brand of glossy photo paper is best; they're all pretty much equal and unless you're doing something professional you won't see any real difference.

Not sure if end to end or side by side cells ( in a 6 cell pack ) would fit better, but that gives you 2 options atleast. You can also get 'hump' packs which have the 6th cell on top, making the pack shorter but taller- something you might be able to make work judging by some google images of your model ( modding = winning ). Take a look at these guys for different options, best cells vs price of any seller pretty much: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Vapextech-Batteries-and-Chargers?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

Higher the voltage you plan to use, lower the kv rating should be as a rule of thumb- especially if running offroad where the motor is gonna be working harder. Something closer to 3000kv would be fine for 3s use really, then play with the gearing to keep temps vs speed in check. Depends how the speed vs power vs temps were with your now cooked setup- if it felt ok, then increasing the voltage 50% calls for a fairly big kv drop, say 3500kv down to ~2700kv or so. Hard to give exacting advice as there are a lot of variables, not least gearing.

Nope, totally agree^. Guys have been using gyros on speed-run cars and trucks for a long time, very useful if there is a camber to the road, cross wind, or just plain old torque steer trying to make the truck veer sideways- hard to correct manually without over compensating and spinning out or crashing.

No experience with either, but logic dictates that you need to borrow a different radio and/or ESC to test with- sounds like an ESC fault really but without testing impossible to be sure.

Ebay, or any half decent online electronics store will sell them individually. This should be just fine for your friends needs: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electrolytic-Radial-Capacitors-Various-Values-Voltage-/120953923082?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item1c296a660a Select 16v, 2200uf, quantity 1, or go for the 3300uf option if those are sold out. Just bear in mind the cap needs to be rated for the max voltage of the esc, not just the battery he will be using at the time- if its a a 3s esc, buy a cap suitable for that voltage, regardless of whether he just uses a 2s lipo.

No reason not to get a 2000kv motor ( 39-44mm x 74-80mm long ), though an 1800kv motor will ne fine too and a little slower; you can always up the voltage later on and now you have the ideal setup for 5-6s lipo that'll be a beast and run fairly cool, cooler than 2000-2200kv on the same voltage...

What ESC is it for firstly, that's kind important. Knowing the esc, we will be able to tell you what voltage capacitor to look for ( suitable for 2s, 3s etc etc ). There is no such thing as a standard size, moreover suitable ratings/capacity; you don't need a cap the size of a D cell battery for example.... Generally speaking, a 2000-4000uF ( microfarad ) cap with a 20v rating & low ESR ( rated for 105

Pointless gadget; KV rating is in a motors spec ( or should be ), rpms can be worked out by kv x voltage ( allowing for sag under load- something this thing can't do ), timing advance will be an ESC setting if available so no need to work it out, and current draw can be found using a much cheaper 'watts up' meter. Not ignoring the fact this thing can only support up to 2s lipo so kinda useless for anything bigger than a motor for a 1/10 TC or buggy really...

You can do a storage charge straight away- no need to charge it then partially discharge it ( storage charge ). Just make sure you plug in the main leads and the balance leads to the charger. As for when to balance your packs- balance charge them EVERY TIME. There is no reason why anyone should be giving advice to balance charge once a month or anything else- the charger has a balancer built in, it is designed to balance the cells as it charges, you just need to plug in the cables ( so... much...effort... /sarcasm ) and away you go. Sure, sometimes balance charging can take longer depending on how far out the cells are, but the better you care for your batts, the longer they will last and better balanced they will stay after each use. Those voltages are kinda out of whack for sure, does your ESC have an LVC, is it turned on/setup ( set for 3.4v per cell ideally )? I would still just put them on a balance charge and see where they end up- sounds like the pack was just over discharged really- the voltages drops quickly towards the end of a run so stopping every few minutes to check voltage isn't ideal- you really need an LVC or low voltage alarm from ebay- a few

Nope, perfectly fine- it was more a question of is the pinion the same pitch as the spur I think ( 32p won't work with mod1.0 obviously ).

Don't leave it charging unattended whatever you do- don't want to come home to a burnt down house. Sometimes packs do have a dud or weaker cell, you can try discharging the pack down to ~3.4v per cell, then balance charge again, see if they equalize the 2nd or 3rd time around. If not, contact the seller for a refund/replacement with your photos as evidence for the faulty pack. Ebay will side in your favour 99% of the time, if the seller won't play ball- not much else you can do to balance the pack though. I'd avoid cheapo ebay lipos though, stick to the better brands like Turnigy, Flightmax, Nanotech, Gens Ace, Overlander, etc etc. Buy a decent pack once, not a cheap pack 2 or 3 times...