Right now, short course trucks are all the rage in radio control.  I’m not exactly sure why - maybe it’s the realistic looks of them.  Short course trucks don’t typically have the wide, opened-wheeled characteristic look of RC trucks, which certainly adds to the appeal of realism.  While HPI started the short course idea with their Baja 5T, it was Traxxas that really brought it into the mainstream with their Slash.

So what is a short course truck?  Generally, it’s a 2WD electric chassis with a 540-sized brushed motor. Pretty basic for starters, but many bashers and racers will add brushless power, and Traxxas just introduced a 4WD Slash, so we could see other RC manufacturers follow suit.

The HPI Blitz is a ready-to-run truck based on the E-Firestorm, which is a proven platform. It features a brushless-ready transmission with all-metal gears and a sealed differential.  Steel dogbones bring the power to the wheels, and adjustable oil-filled shocks and multiple mounting points allow fine tuning of the truck’s suspension. The stock truck is powered by the inexpensive 15-turn HPI Firebolt 540-type brushed motor, which provides surprisingly good performance.  No, it will not compete against brushless trucks, but it provides enough performance to keep most drivers satisfied.

The quality of the vehicle is excellent.  Plastic parts are cleanly finished, and trademark HPI engineered durability is evident in the Baja-inspired swiveling bumpers, and stiff plastic tub chassis.  The front and rear suspension units and gearbox are quickly and easily removed with just a few screws.  It’s clear that HPI designed the Blitz to be very easiy to work on either at home or trackside.  HPI is known to use high quality plastics and the Blitz is no exception and the ATTK-10 body is very nicely finished in either black or orange primary colors.  The Blitz is only available as an RTR at this time, though many HPI option parts are available.

The radio gear is the HPI AM 27MHz system, which works perfectly fine with no glitching.  An FM system would have been better, but HPI likely assumed most serious drivers will upgrade the radio system anyway, and this system keeps the price of the RTR package reasonable.  The radio gear consists of the HPI TF-1 two-channel transmitter, SC-15 speed controller, and RF-6 receiver.   Some notes on this radio gear to keep in mind - first, HPI does not recommend using a 7-cell battery pack with it and there is no reverse-lockout for racing.  Not a big deal, but I really would have liked to use a 7-cell pack with the Blitz, as I feel it would improve performance substantially.

Performance is very good - quick handling with fantastic traction thanks to the Maxxis-licensed Trepador tires. The steering is fairly precise, but could be improved.  The truck is surprisingly lightweight, which translates into a vehicle that can tackle more than appears possible.  After several battery packs through the truck in hard terrain, there were no signs of breakage, leaks, or any other issues.  The metal-gear

Top speed is about 20mph, which is quite fast for a truck with a stock 540-type motor.  In sharp turns on tarmac, the Blitz will drift out of turns nicely, thanks to its light weight and great low-end power.  It accelerates out of turns quickly and reaches its top speed within a very short space.  For short course track racing, the Firebolt provides plenty of power for even seasoned drivers.  Bashers might want a bit more power, however, especially if you’re planning on running on tarmac often.

Now that Traxxas, HPI, Team Associated, Losi, and Kyosho all have short course trucks, there are plenty of options out there, but HPI’s pedigree of high performance, durability, and track proven designs should place the Blitz at the top of your list of short course trucks.

:: RCDriver.com video showing the HPI Blitz in action ::

Related Links:

• HPI Racing
• HPI Blitz Forum
  

I was very young when the ‘new generation’ 1984 Corvette made its debut, but I still remember the hype it generated.  Even in elementary school, I remember kids talking about it - it was the quintessential 1980s tech-gadget showcase of design.  That’s why I like the C4 Corvette so much though; few other cars are so true to the epitome of 1980s design philosophy.

In addition to its digital-dashboard glory, the 1984 Corvette was indeed advanced for its time, incorporating more aluminum and fiberglass into its design than any other production car.  Putting aside the cheesy 1980s one-liners that went along with this car, it was quite an impressive handing car, though the cross-fire injected 5.7-liter V8 was anemic, with a rating of 205-horsepower.  But that didn’t matter at the time, since it was still far better than what the C3 Corvette evolved into.

So what we have here is a set of very rare videos that were likely played at dealers in 1983 to promote the then-new Corvette.  Keen viewers will spot the pre-production 15×7 wheels, which were never offered on the production car, as well as the lack of computerized climate control on the featured car, which was likely not ready for production when this video was made. So sit back and enjoy this retro-cool trip back in time to bad outfits and laughable marketing.  I miss the 1980s.

YouTube videos below - parts one and two.  These are work-safe.

Everyone has something that fights them in their lives — something that relentlessly antagonizes them.  For me, one of those things are network routers.  That may sound silly, but since the majority of my work is conducted over the internet, a router is a very important part of my daily work.  So why are they such a problem?  To put it bluntly, they are all junk.

I remember purchasing my very first router, the original Linksys 4-port wired-only router that became the start of what would be a router revolution of sorts.  When these things first started appearing in homes, broadband providers hated them.  The thought of their customers sharing a single broadband connection rather than shelling out extra cash for an additional line irked them, yet the conscious of the customers remained crystal clear.  When home network routers became mainstream, ISPs accepted that everyone was going to own one, and so they became the norm.  But there’s one problem - so few of them seem to be 100% reliable.

My data connection at home here is very fast.  I have Business Class cable, and it screams.  I use my computer for everything possible, from large file transfers to gaming, and all of this depends on my router maintaining a rock-solid throughput of data. My first Linksys router was great - I never had any issues with it.  Then I replaced it for a wired unit and the troubles began.  Reboots, lockups requiring power cycles, and eventually, death.  The Linksys unit I replaced it with did the same, so I was finished with Linksys.

So I gave D-Link a try, first using the DGL-4300 Gamer Lounge unit.  It was perfect - a 100% reliable router than ran fast and never scoffed during heavy network traffic.  The unit ran hot though, and died after about a year of use.  I replaced it with a D-Link DGL-4500 - another gaming router.  Again, a stellar performer that lived for about a year, then it refused to connect to the internet.  And so it went into the garbage.

When the DGL-4500 died, I needed a replacement immediately, and the only unit I could locate locally was the D-Link DIR-655, which is essentially the same router as the DGL-4500, but it’s white and does not have the fancy OLED display on top.

:: My D-Link DIR-655 gigabit wireless-N router - click image to enlarge ::

It’s been a few weeks now and so far the DIR-655 has been fantastic.  What are my expectations?  I think it will continue to work great for about a year, then die — which is why I am prepared, having ordered a new DGL-4500 that is kept in reserve.

Can anybody design a reliable home router that does what it’s supposed to and lasts longer than a year?

When I was younger I had a lot of fun with radio controlled vehicles - what kid didn’t?  Up until recently, I haven’t paid much attention to them.  It’s not that I had no real interest, it’s more because my life was filled with so many other activities that I was well occupied.  As it seems, I’m revisiting my old hobby, but only on a limited basis.  Sort of.

Smokey, the plump Siberian Husky that shares the house with me is a good dog, but anyone looking at him could tell that he could use a bit more exercise.  I know, he’s cute and puffy the way he is, but he also needed a bit more excitement in his life rather than sleeping all day and night.  So I remembered how years ago, he would go crazy over radio controlled cars, running after them in the back yard to the point of exhaustion.

Smokey is much older now, but I thought I would buy an RC car just for both of us to have a little fun.  It all started with the Caster Racing Fusion F-18 Fusion, and he just lit up at the sight of it.  Now, months later, Smokey can’t wait to go outside, and admittedly, I’m having just as much fun as he is.   I decided to step up to a Traxxas Rustler VXL, and that was a really cool truck.  It’s super smooth and fast, and very easy to operate, requiring almost no maintenance.   But, I wanted something more - I wanted the realism that goes with a combustion engine instead of an electric motor and the sounds and smells that go with it.  That’s all great, but I really didn’t want to mess with nitro motors - they are messy and require constant tuning.  No thanks - at least for now.

I started researching larger scale vehicles and instantly found the relatively new and extremely popular Baja 5B and 5T 1:5 scale buggy and buggy and truck.  To put this into perspective, the vehicles that Traxxas sells are 1:10 scale, and are large to begin with.  A 1:5 scale vehicle is huge, and that’s an understatement.

The Baja 5B(buggy) and 5T(truck) are essentially the same vehicle, using the same chassis and basic components with the main difference being the body and in some cases the engine size.  Most Baja parts are interchangeable, such as suspension parts, drivetrain, engines, etc.  I thought about getting the 5B, but after some thought I just couldn’t resist the looks and size of the 5T.

The HPI Baja 5T is powered by a Chung Yang 26cc two-stroke “Fulie” engine that runs on high octane fuel at a 25:1 fuel/oil mixture.  The CY engines are a direct clone of Zenoah engines, and most of the parts are even interchangeable and as such, a Zenoah engine will drop right into the Baja with no modification.  CY engines are known to be just about as reliable as Zenoah these days, and with proper care and maintenance they can run a long time between rebuilds.

The Baja’s drivetrain consists of a two-wheel-drive single-speed transmission utilizing all-metal gears and an alloy differential case.  The chassis is 4mm thick stamped aluminum alloy, and most suspension parts are made of high strength nylon.  It weighs close to 40 pounds and has a top speed of about 45mph, according to HPI.  Aftermarket parts support for the Baja series vehicles is huge, and there’s even a kit offered in form of the Baja 5B SS, which features the larger 26cc engine and most of the HPI upgraded parts.

I ordered my Baja from Dave’s Discount Motors and that included their Dominator tuned pipe, which is supposed to increase the power of the vehicle substantially.  The truck arrived here a few days later, and nothing could prepare me for the size of it.  The photos of tne Baja 5T simply cannot depict its size, so when you see one of these in person, it’s quite an experience.  Yeah I know, I’m talking about an RC vehicle here.  But really, it’s cool.

I’m very impressed with the quality of the vehicle, and I decided to shoot some photos of it before it gets dirty.  I have not started it yet - that will come soon, as well as a follow up article on its performance.  I’m just wondering what kind of a reaction this monster will draw at the local parts here.  Stay tuned for updates with action shots.

Related Links:

• HPI Racing
• Dave’s Discount Motors - the best place to buy your HPI Baja

I’ll keep this post pretty short, but I was compelled to make a record of my first impressions of the new two-stroke Yamaha 15-horsepower outboard engine.  It’s just a small outboard, right?  Yeah, it is - but I’ve always liked very small boats and motors since they can literally go anywhere and that’s what makes boating fun to me.

This is the first Yamaha outboard I’ve owned.  I would have preferred to own a two-stroke Mercury or Evinrude, but none were to be found.  That’s right, they’re all gone forever.  I have a new Johnson 9.9 sitting in my closet, but I needed more power than that.  Since Yamaha is still producing two-stroke engines, I ordered a 15HP engine through a friend on Scream And Fly’s message board.

:: The 15HP Yamaha had much more power than I expected ::

When the time came to order my new Carolina Skiff, I hesitated to order the new JV13, even though it was a much better boat in every aspect over the J-series boats.  While the JV has better hull, and quite frankly looks much nicer with its Boston Whaler-like looks, the JV13 is about 100 pounds heavier than the J12.  That’s a lot of extra weight.  I went back and forth, thinking that the little 15HP outboard may not be enough to power the heavier JV13, but in the end I decided to take the chance that it would be - and it is.

A few days ago when I launched the new boat I could immediately feel that the Yamaha had much more power than my previously-owned 9.9 Mercury two-stroke engine. This surprised me since the Mercury had a displacement advantage over the Yamaha.  By the time the break-in schedule permitted me to plane the boat, I was surprised how effortlessly the boat planed, and a small burst of full throttle left me in amazement.  Yeah, we’re talking about a small outboard here.  If someone told me this was a 20HP engine, I would have believed them.  Even more interesting, this Yamaha sounds exactly like the 1986 Evinrude 4HP I had when I was younger. Freaky, but in a good way.

So there it is, I’m impressed and very pleased with the performance of this engine.

I’ve owned several Carolina Skiff J-series boats over the years.  They are inexpensive, utilitarian boats that are designed to serve a simple purpose - a basic boat that’s supposed to be tough and low-maintenance.

Overall, Carolina Skiff makes a decent boat for the price.  When you look at the insane prices that Boston Whaler is charging for even their smallest models, a Carolina Skiff may start to make more sense.  The basic construction of a Carolina Skiff s low-cost, using chopper gun layups with a foam and fiberglass floor as the boat’s structure.  The company claims this construction method results in a boat that is stuff and unsinkable.  That much is true, however the foam inside the boat has an uncanny habit of absorbing water, should any unsealed holes int he floor be present.  This isn’t a Carolina Skiff-specific issue though, I’ve seen many boats using closed-cell foams absorb water like a proverbial sponge.

Putting this aside, my J12 and J14 boats have been good to own and lot of fun. They are very easy to trailer, and although they slide very easily in turns, they also draw very little water.  I never had any problems with them, so I thought I would give the new JV model a try, since it looks much better than the typical squarish, flat bottomed Carolina Skiff.

:: The Carolina Skiff JV13 has a familiar style - click on image to enlarge ::

I went down to the local dealer and ordered a JV13, and requested that the boat not have any of the standard electronics and accessories installed.  The factory had no problem meeting this request, and they provided all of the accessories with the boat separately.  Why did I do this?  Because I do not want any holes drilled into the floor of the boat for accessories I’ll never use.  No holes means no chance of the boat getting water intrusion into the foam.

The boat’s construction appears more robust, although it’s basically the same as a J model.  The obvious resemblance to a Boston Whaler is not coincidental, and it’s one of the reasons I chose this model in addition to a better ride in saltwater.  The gelcoat is pretty well finished, and overall mold quality is pretty good.  The installation of the seats and front deck is very neat, and unlike the previous J skiffs I owned, there are no stress cracks anywhere on this boat.  No, the mold and finish quality of this boat is not up to Boston Whaler standards, but neither is the price either: the JV13 sells for about $2300.

I’ll be rigging this boat with a new Yamaha 15-horsepower two-stroke engine.  That should be enough power for it, though this boat is heavier than an equivalent J model.  We’ll see, but I would rather not have a 20 or 25-horsepower engine that would be heavier and require bolting through the transom.  I’ll post more photos and a report on how well this little boat runs.  Thanks for reading.

Related Links:

• Carolina Skiff Boats
  

Kawasaki introduced the 2010 Ninja ZX-6R and although it’s still considered the best middleweight Super Sport bike by most publications, it remains largely unchanged from the 2009 model. This isn’t surprising, given the current downturn in sales, Kawasaki probably wanted to play things safe. The same story goes for the 2010 ZX-10R as well, which basically underwent a cosmetic change. I’m not complaining though, since they kept the winning formula here, but I still prefer the styling of the 2007-2008 model, with its under-tail exhaust and slightly more rounded bodywork. There’s little doubt that the 2009 ZX-6R is had more midrange power though, and a better Showa large-piston fork. Posted below is the full press release of the new Ninja ZX-6R as well as photos. As you can see, Plasma Blue is no longer available and other than minor cosmetic tweaks, the rear swingarm has also been revised.

Read the rest of this entry »

A few days ago I had this need to get out of the house, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do.  I spend way too much time in front of my computer, so I’ve been making a concerted effort to pull myself away from it for my own sanity.  So I call my friend Ryan, A.K.A. ‘Z-Man’, and we headed over to a Kawasaki/Yamaha dealer in Punta Gorda.

I had no intention of buying anything, but I just wanted to check out this place since my local Kawi dealer closed down right after I bought my ZX-6R.  We arrived to see many bikes outside - mostly smaller motocross types and some sport bikes.  After Ryan made fun of me for thinking the Ninja 250 was cool, we looked at the small motocross pit bikes and I immediately had the urge to buy one.  Why?  Well, why not?  I figure I could just put one in my truck and have fun at the local trails or bring it with me to larger Scream And Fly events for transportation and fun.  At least that was just justification for buying it.

:: Yamaha TTR-50E 49cc 4-stroke off road bike weighs 125 pounds - click image to enlarge ::

Among all the bikes they had was a brand new leftover 2007 Yamaha TTR-50E.  Mind you, many of these smaller bikes will no longer be available soon, thanks to our government deciding what’s ‘best’ for us.  Yeah, we really need a lot of that, don’t we?  I made a quick offer on the small bike and I got it for several hundred dollars less than they were asking.  The dealer prepped the Yamaha and Ryan and I loaded it into my Blazer.  That’s right, the TTR-50 rolls right into the back of my truck, fully upright while clearing the roof by less than an inch.  It’s perfect.

The Yamaha TTR-50 is a very small 49cc 4-stroke off-road trail/motocross bike designed for younger riders as well as adult pit bike racing.  This small Yamaha strongly resembles the Honda CRF-50, which has enjoyed huge success with both pit bike racers and younger riders. According to Yamaha, fully half of all buyers for the bike will be adults, so they immediately introduced high performance GYTR parts for the TTR-50, including a big bore kit, high performance exhaust, larger handlbars and suspension upgrades.

The resemblance the TTR-50 shares with the CRF-50 is so uncanny, that I did a bit of research into where the TTR-50 was made.  From what I can gather, the TTR-50 (and perhaps other models in this line) is built in China by Jianshe, a company that produces scooters, motorcycles, and ATVs. I bet that doesn’t inspire confidence in the quality of this product, does it?  Well, from what I can tell the TTR-50 is very well made, though it still suffers from the sloppy mig welds that most motocross/trail bike frames have.

:: Yamaha offers many high performance upgrades for this bike - click on image to enlarge ::

The little Yamaha is equipped with a 3-speed transmission with an automatic clutch, which makes it a heck of a lot more fun than centrifugal clutch models although I would much prefer a manual clutch and maybe a fourth gear.  Top speed is over 30mph stock, which is plenty fast for a bike with 10-inch wheels.  The TTR-50, like all TTR models includes an electric starter, and this bike lights off at the touch of a button, even when cold.  The exhaust is very quiet, which is good, since I won’t have to worry about pissing of my neighbors.  Total specified weight for the TTR-50 is 125 pounds.

I’ve been riding this little bike around the local streets and empty lots here and it’s a riot.  The first gear is so low that it’s almost useless, except for wheelies and climbing, however third gear is plenty tall for great top speed.  Since the bike has an automatic clutch, all the rider needs to do is close the throttle and shift - it’s an easy process, though not very smooth at all.  The bike will lurch slightly at every upshift at lower speeds since there’s always a connection to the engine even with the clutch engaged.   Downshifting is performed in the same manner - just close the throttle and kick the shifter down.  It has an up-up-up shift pattern, so finding neutral is a cinch.

:: TTR-50 features electric start and an automatic clutch - click on image to enlarge ::

As a play bike, the TTR-50 is perfect - it’s light, reliable, and fast enough to be fun.  It’s small enough to fit into my Blazer upright, so no worries about having to use a trailer. If I ever want to go faster, performance upgrades are easy to obtain, and I could even race it in pit bike races.  I just hope the cops that live near me don’t mind much when I pass by their houses while riding it.

Related Links:

• Yamaha TTR-50E Specifications
  

Small-scale radio-control is becoming very popular, and for a very good reason - these small cars are tons of fun and offer performance very similar to their larger (and more expensive) counterparts.

:: Caster Racing F-18 4WD car and included radio - click image to enlarge ::

Cars such as the 1/16 Traxxas E-Revo and Slash have really re-focused the RC spotlight lately since these things can be run literally anywhere - even inside the house.  But, there’s a problem with these cars - even though they’re small, it will still cost you over $300 to get into one.  In the realm of professional RC equipment, that’s not a bad price, but not everyone wants to spend the high-end price to enjoy RC.  Caster Racing might have the answer with their new Fusion F-18 complete kit, which is currently selling for $130.  You read right, $130 - and that even includes the 7.2V battery pack and charger.  But how good can it be at this price?

:: Included pre-printed ‘truggy’ body and decals - click image to enlarge ::

The Caster Racing Fusion F-18 is a 1/18-scale offroad 4WD ready-to-run car that’s available in buggy or truggy form.  It appears closely related to the Team Associated RC-18T - and that’s a good thing.  The full-ball bearing equipped F-18 features brusheless power right out of the box, using Hobbywing’s eZRun-25A-L 25-amp programmable ESC  with a 2030-sized 5000kv motor and an AM-band receiver. The driveline utilizes a shaft-driven 4WD system with steel dogbones and receivers turning factory-glued pin-style tires.  The oil-filled shocks offer just the right amount of dampening, and adjustments are quick and easy.  The stout control arms on the F-18 offer multiple shock ball mounts for fine tuning, though the stock location works great on the street and hard surfaces.

:: Right side view, showing motor, receiver, and ESC - click on image to enlarge ::

The included radio is pretty good, though I think the ‘brake caliper’ design on the steerer is a bit dorky.  It is however, damped nicely and the rubber foam wheel is very comfortable.  The transmitter offers all the adjustments you would need, and its range is excellent.  With batteries installed, it feels very comfortable and well balanced.  Overall, it’s a higher quality radio than the Traxxas Top Qualifier radio that’s included in their RTR kits, and it offers more fine tuning options.

:: Left side view showing included 7.2 battery pack - click on image to enlarge ::

Performance of the F-18 is excellent.  No, it will not match the top speed of the 1/16 E-Revo, but the Caster kit is one-third the price.  The stock brushless system is good for a top speed of over 20 mph, with very strong acceleration.  Motor temperatures never became a concern as I ran the car full throttle for most of its charge.   On the street, the F-18 is a blast.  It offers very sharp steering and it’s light enough to induce just the right amount of understeer to keep it under control during high-speed turns.  A quick brake on deceleration will give nice drifting turns to power out of, even on tarmac.  The steering servo is very fast, though it’s small and although it’s equipped with an adequate servo-saver, you might want to watch for low curbs.

:: Front view - note steel dogbones and oil shocks - click on image to enlarge ::

Caster offers a Pro version of the F-18, which features many aluminum parts upgrades.  Additionally, all replacement parts for the F-18 are easy to order right through Caster’s website.  The Fusion Pro, as it’s called, is offered as a kit, without servos and electronics.  Speaking of kits, the RTR F-18 includes a manual that includes full build instructions, exploded views, and the part numbers of every single component in the car.  That’s great, though the manual itself is atrocious.  The grammar and sentence structure is so bad that instructions are difficult to understand.   This small aspect of the model package really needs to be corrected, as it represents the company very poorly on an otherwise fantastic product.

:: Rear view - click on image to enlarge ::

I’ve been having so much fun with this little car and I’ve had no issues whatsoever.  Right now, I see no need to even upgrade it since its factory stock performance is fantastic.  The F-18 is just as much fun on the street as it is in the dirt, and I’m betting it would give some small-scale dedicated road kits a run for their money.  I’m a very casual RC hobbyist, so the low price of the F-18 really made sense to me, and believe me this model looks and performs like a car that would easily cost twice as much.

:: So far, the F-18’s suspension has proven durable - click on image to enlarge ::

Update: After two constant weeks of hard abuse, I’m pleased to report that the F-18 has held up without any issues.  The little car is more fun to use than my Traxxas Rustler VXL, primarily due to its ultra-precise handling. This car is a blast to run, and with my tires completely bald now it’s even better on the road.  The gearboxes continue to operate smootly, despite constant full-throttle starts and stops, and shock action remains perfectly damped.  Can you tell I  like the Fusion F-18?  Yeah, I really do.  When a little 1:18 car can dethrone the fun-factor of much larger and faster cars, that alone tells quite a story.  You need to get one of these!

What I Liked:

• Excellent brushless performance for the motor size
• Fantastic on-road handling
• Very good quality
• Steel dogbones and receivers
• Incredible price

What I Did Not Like:

• Poorly written manual
• FM radio would be better (though included AM system performs well)

Related Links:

• Caster Racing USA
• Hobbywing eZRun 25A-L Manual (PDF)