traxxas 1/16 e-revo vxl with 2.4 ghz radio

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Ive been trying lower gearing on my Merv to run 3s lipos with out it over heating and the esc going into thermal protection mode and killing power to the motor.



while driving my Merv on 3s lipo,s with 19/50 gearing i could hear a surging sort of spluttering noise i thought it might of been a wobbly spur gearing so Ive changed that and it still made the same noise.



i put in a 2s lipo and the noise went away, it made me think Ive hit the maximum rpm the esc can talk to the motor basic the maximum rpm the set up can handle with the 19/50 gearing on 3s lipos.



a couple of post ago i said i would post i video, so we made a quick video of the noise it makes, i know the Merv was on its back and not driving, but it was much harder to capture the noise while driving, the video makes it hard to hear the noise I'm talking a bout but crank up the sound and see what you think.



 
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the wider stance with the pro line dirt hawgs on the titus beadloc rims vs stock talon tires on gemini rims.

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the finshed product

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i also removed the rpm front bumper it did nothing but make the body hard to put on...
 
i have some more gearing options to try with the huge paddles i just have to wait for my larger spur gears to get here (55t stock 50t) I'm thinking 16/55 but if that fails i have a back up plan.

some one else worked this out on another forum

the Merv's roll out on stock 28/50 gearing is

1.13:1


the Merv's gear box gears can be flipped to give the Merv a lower gearing, with the gear box gears flipped the roll out is

0.33:1

thats a huge drop, the higher the roll out number the faster the car will be, but flipping the gear box gears would lower motor temps but let the Merv max out of revs like the quick video i post up be for.

but running the huge paddles a larger pinion maybe bigger then 28t maybe a 31t or higher, i should be able to run the paddles with out hitting thermal shut down, i have two complete gear box,s so this is some thing i could easily try with a 28t pinion but i might need to buy some larger pinions.

i didn't work these roll out numbers out so please forgive me if that are incorrect, but its food for thought.

here is a link from the traxxas forum about the subject.

http://traxxas.com/forums/showthread.php?481339-Transmission-demystified
 
for a laugh i contacted traxxas told them i live in australia and told them i brought the merv from the usa and asked for a replacment servo, this was the replie



Hello,

It sounds like you need to send the servo in to us for inspection and
repair. There is a 30 day warranty on all Traxxas electronics. Beyond
that there is a repair charge of $15 for a servo plus $5 shipping within
the US. Shipping outside the US would be $15





so $30 usd for the repair and shipping back to me not to mention around $15 aud shipping to traxxas usa so my choice of a hitec hs-82mg with a hitec 3/4 alloy servo horn for for $36 aud was a good choice.
 
it will be atlest 7 to 14 days away untill i get a hs-82mg and hitec 3/4 alloy horn for mine.

i did try some sub micro hellie servos but they were to small and to weak if i could of got one to fit easly i would of ran twins but it was a no go, mabe monday ill go for a long drive and see if i can pick one up, but its not realy worth the 140 kmh round trip for the high price and lack of alloy horns to fit ill give them a ring mnday and weigh it up.

i picked the hs-82mg over the hs-85mg as the hs-82mg has all metal gears is a tad smaller and around $11 bucks cheaper then the hs-85mg and the hs-85mg has a plastic first gear ??? and the hs-82mg only has 0.1kg less torque over the hs-85mg.

since my servo saver keep filling up with dirt and even with a clean out they don't work like they did when new i will be planning on running two hs-82mg,s with two hitech 3/4 alloy horns to share the load and shock and you can run twin steering servo from the traxxas 2.4ghz high out put radio (tx) and reciver (rx) ill just try one and see how i go first.

the million dollar question is will the aniloge servos work with traxxas 2.4ghz high out put radio...... ill let you boys know how i go and ill take some pictuers if i had more funds i would of tryed the HS-5085MG with a hitec 3/4 alloy horn
 
benckie said:
for a laugh i contacted traxxas told them i live in australia and told them i brought the merv from the usa and asked for a replacment servo, this was the replie



Hello,

It sounds like you need to send the servo in to us for inspection and
repair. There is a 30 day warranty on all Traxxas electronics. Beyond
that there is a repair charge of $15 for a servo plus $5 shipping within
the US. Shipping outside the US would be $15





so $30 usd for the repair and shipping back to me not to mention around $15 aud shipping to traxxas usa so my choice of a hitec hs-82mg with a hitec 3/4 alloy servo horn for for $36 aud was a good choice.
Click to expand...

bloody hell thats rubbish mate
 
some more stuff turned up in the post today, a temp gun and a few 55t spur gears that i need to do some more gear testing, and i tozy motor heat sink and fan, Ive been trying my hardest not to use one and get the gear right with out using extra cooling.





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yesterday me and the family where board so we thought we will go for a drive, i rang 100 so called hobby shop,s with in 300 km to see if any sold and hs-82mg serovs and the hitec 3/4 alloy sero horns, after a while on the phone i found one place but i bit of a mission to get there, my daughter has been bugging me for a train ride, so we drove to Mandurah jumped on the train to Perth city center then jumped on another train to midland and a quick walk and the guy Scott from the hobby shop who promises he had a hi tech 3/4 servo horn didn't just the servo.



so feeling a little ripped off my and wife, with out daughter when to a pub had a couple of drinks and feed befor the two train rides and the long drive home all in all a great day with the family, just a little disappointed i didn't get the 3/4 alloy hitec servo horn but i have these on order from tower hobbies and should be here soon and also orded another 3/4 alloy servo horn from psr.



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I'm about to put it in and see if it all works ill use a plastic servo horn that comes with the servo for now, don't think it will last long with the dirt hawgs and Titus deadlock,s lolls.
 
i was hopping ill get away with it, but the hs-82mg does not like the traxxas 2.4ghz digital radio, on a positive the servo fits has has good power over the stock even though the figers are close, but its a no goer, the hs-85mg even though its not as good as the hs-82mg and has a tenticy to strip gears more then the hs-82mg will has only work for your guys running fm or am radios or spektrum radios that don't realy care what you run with them or the futba 3pmx (my fav radio) in none hrs mode where you need to set the fail safe each time you turn on the radio, from what ive read the hs-85mg has more of a chance working with thr traxxas 2.4ghz link radio, mabe cause its slower, but still can be glitchy and not like to center.



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even with the glitchy hs-82mg servo i took the Merv out with the dirt hawgs with 19/55 gearing and ran 2 x 7.2v 2s 2200 mah zippy lipo,s in parrallel, i for got the camera, it was funny cause i forgot to reverse the servo direction so it was hard trying to drive it around i had a few crashes but nothing broken, i did run over a small kid but not my own lolls.



the traxxas 2,4ghz radio is packed with features and pretty much fully programmable but you have to do it with no screen and a menu and set up button and relie on flashing lights, ill have to do the unmanly thing and get the manual out and have a read to see if i can reverse the servo and maybe run analog servo,s on it, if i cant figure out how to reverse the servo ill just swap the pins around like the good old days.



i will say the dirt hawgs are good less wheelies even with the center diff, less traction rolls and you can hold full wot while doing round roundies and i would say less traction then stockers, i would like the test them on the loose dry stuff like where my local swimming hole is and see how they realy go, to see if they are any good or just for looks, but so far on grass i like them on grass



the temp with 19/55 gearing running 2 x 7.4v 2200 mah in parrallel was 74 degree Celsius (165.2 degree Fahrenheit) and it was a pretty cool night
 
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a video of my merv running pro line dirt hawgs with proline titus bead loc rims with 19/55 gearing with center diff with 50 000wt silicone oil in all 3 diffs using 1 x 3s 11.1v 20c 1800 mah zippy lipo battery, hit thermal shut down after 6 mins using a glitchy hs-82mg servo as they don't like the traxxas digital tq 2.4ghz hight out put radios.


 
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it seams the cheap ebay temp gun seams more accurate then the blue duratrax flash point temp reader even with a new battery, Ive tested them with boiled water and the duratrax seams to be around 4 to 5 + degree,s out (cooler), so the temp readings in my last video where most likely lower the they where.





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I presume you're at close to sea level, right?
Water boils at lower temps as you increas altitude, but that shouldn't affect you in Oz!
Glad you're still enjoying the MERV.
Mine's developed a funny whining sound, still goes well, but I did lose a body clip ...... !!!
Al.
 
i actualy live ontop a big hill, ive tryed the temp guns now on a few diffrent thngs the one on the right seams closer to what i would think thats correct, i would like a more accurate way of testing them.

merv and body clips i loose atlest one each time i take it out, if you don't put them in facing the rear they will always come off, check out my last vid and see what you tihink cheers shane
 
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