Hobao Hyper H2 . . Electrics Install

For the electrics in the H2 I resorted to some familiar components.

The Hobbywing V2 speedo is a great favourite of mine, HW have been really good at updating the software for this unit so it remains competitive and is easy peasy to programme track-side via the digital program box.

Sweet!

I am using a full size 2s pack in the H2 so there is no choice in mounting location, it goes on the hinged battery plate. I was a little worried that with the fan fitted it might foul the body shell. I needn't have as there is plenty of room.

Depending on the brand stubby users may be able to squeeze in the esc on the chassis behind the servo. 

I used some snazzy blue wire to hook this up to an LRP X12 8.5t motor which, with modern software, should suffice for most tracks. It's a clear run so was quite straightforward.

Eden Park Raceway . . . Winter Series Rnd1

I am really just a big kid at heart.

That being so it is not unusual for me to get excited before a race day, especially if I am visiting a track I haven't raced at before.

So you can imagine how I felt when last Sunday dawned and the sun was shining, I couldn't wait to load the car, jump in and head for Eden Park Raceway.

I set off into sunrise like a child on his way to the seaside.

Eden Park Raceway has had its ups and downs.

In 1999, having once been the premier race track in the South, it was forced, due to various problems, to close its doors. In 2007 a dedicated group of racers decided to resurrect this once revered venue and after much hard work on the track and facilities refurbished it to the high standard you see here.

Well done guys.

Schumacher Cougar SVR build . . . Part 2

Sufficiently rested and refreshed I ventured back to the man cave to finish building the little gem that is the SVR.
Time for some of the less glamorous but nonthelesss important jobs.

First up is the gearbox. A steel geared layshaft and sacrificial nylon intermediate gear both run on more of the smooth red seal bearings. These slot together nicely and mount to the nicely machined motor plate, black again instead of traditional Schumacher purple. A small pouch of grease is supplied be sure to use it to guarantee a silky smooth transmission.

(Click on pics for full size gallery)

Schumacher Cougar SVR build . . . Part 1

OK Summer, such that it was, has come and gone and an RC racer has two choices:
Go racing indoors where it is dry and warm (Area 51 excluded where it was brass monkeys!)
or man up, don a scarf and a bobble hat and stay outside.

I will probably do a bit of both but have decided that the Cougar SVR might be a good choice for those slippery outdoor tracks over winter, at least that is my justification for another new kit.
Come on though, in these days of £500 plus 2wd super cars the SVR is a bargain at under £200.

Does the Schumacher SVR shell fit the SV2?

I'm not really sure if the SV2 needs a cab forward bodyshell but it certainly doesn't hurt to have one in the armoury as an option should the need arise.
The SVR shell is available from Schumacher at a reasonable price so I decided to get myself one and try it for size on my SV2.
If nothing else it would give me a bit of painting practice!

(Click on pics for full size version)

SRS Series rolls into town at Adur Off-Road

The popular SRS series arrived at the Adur off-road track at the weekend.

I wasn't competing but dropped by for a quick visit and took a few pics.
I have compiled them into a slide show below.

Given the difficult weather we have had this summer the Adur guys seemed to have prepared a decent track.
It looked like a testing day for the drivers, plenty of dust and a few stones escaping from the track surface meant the winner would need to bring his 'A' game.



The postman cometh .. With my Cougar SVR

Mid motor?

Rear motor?

There are almost as many opinions as there are cars although accepted wisdom amongst much better drivers than myself seems to be that on high grip tracks mid motor is the right choice whereas on lower grip tracks rear motor has the edge.

I dunno, I just like a new kit!

Whatever your opinion the arrival of the new rear motor Cougar SVR Schumacher has you covered.  

Manufacturers such as Losi, with the 22, and Durango, with the 210, have adopted the jack of all trades approach whilst others, including AE have gone down the conversion route, although great cars these inevitably end up being something of a compromise.

2wd Mid South Regional at Stotfold

Sunday was an exciting day for me, I was visiting a track that I have never raced at before.
Stotfold Model Car Club were playing hosts to the 5th and final round of the popular 2wd regional series.

I love to go to new tracks even if it does mean dragging myself out of bed at 5.15am . . I must be mental!
Rob Elmes was to be the driver for the day despite my reservations about sharing a cab with him and JR on a Sunday morning. If we ignore JRs navigating our journey was fraternal and relatively odour free!

(Click on pics for full size version)

We arrived in the sunshine at this secluded countryside venue and set up camp amongst many familiar faces. The host club had clearly spent some time preparing, the grass was cut and wherever one sat there was a speaker not far away keeping all informed of ongoing events.

TORCH Summer Series Round 4

The RC gods smiled upon us for once this summer and granted us a decent day on Sunday to go racing.

I took full advantage of this and headed off to TORCH for round 4 of their popular summer series.

The TORCH committee have worked hard over the last year or so to turn this venue into a top notch off road destination for southern buggy racers that now regularly attracts national and even international drivers to darkest Hampshire. This season they have already played hosts to a round of the 2wd drive mid south regionals with a round of 4wd scheduled in a couple of weeks. 

(Click on any pic for full size version)

As has become the norm these days there was a decent turnout for this event, I estimate around 70 drivers.

All were catered for with a wide range of ability across 2 and 4wd classes. There was also a juniors class who were to be rewarded with trophies for their efforts at the end of the day.

Pro-line SX3 Bulldog Body Kit

I know this is a controversial subject but I have succumbed to the hype and indulged myself with a forward cab body shell for my trusty Schumacher SX3.

I think I am correct in saying that Pro-line are the first mass producer to offer this kind of shell for the SX3 although the final product is very similar to the versions already available for the B44.

I got mine from MB Models for the princely sum of £21. When I opened the package I was very pleased to discover the kit included not just a matching undertray but window masks and a full sized rear wing . . . Result! 

Schumacher Cougar SV2 build . . . Part 2

Suitably sober I decided to delve back into the SV2 box to complete my mission.

I found more familiar parts in the diff bags, including the decent quality Schumacher thrust and diff bearings.

Schumacher Cougar SV2 build . . . Part 1

Right then.

Time to break out the wrenches and put together my new ride.

The latest, much anticipated, offering from Schumacher, a Cougar SV2. 

Regular UK racers will have seen alloy chassis prototypes at varoius events late in 2011 and early 2012 so the switch to an alloy chassis plate a la Losi 22 and Centro was not unexpected.

The thinking behind this, I am told, is that the alloy chassis offers more flex and feedback to the driver thereby delivering faster more consistent laptimes.

 Time to pour a glass of cheeky red and dive into the Schumacher box that hs been sitting on my bench for a few weeks now.

(Click on any pic for full size photo gallery)

Anyone who has built a Schuie in the past will be familiar with the sight that greeted me upon opening the box. A very well packed and organised selection of labeled bags, all of which correspond to a particular build stage in the functional, if unexciting, manual.

I can recommend a Schumacher to anyone considering building their first kit, it's difficult to go wrong so well organised are the various little packets.

2wd Mid South Regional at SHRCCC

Ok so I am a bit of a donut.

I forgot my camera on Sunday so there are only a couple of pics of a great days racing under a glorious blue sky.

SHRCCC were the hosts for round 3 of the BRCA Mid South Regional Championships. I was pleased to be visiting a familiar venue for my Regional debut.

I had hurled myself in at the deep end as this was to be my first Regional event and a 2wd one to boot!  I was also rockin' a brand new car, my sparkly new Cougar SV2 was popping its racing cherry.

Oh well that's how I roll!

To make things fair for everyone the SHRCCC crew had made big changes to the track unveiling a completely new layout, perhaps their best yet.

Layin' down the astro at SHRCCC.

 Everyone loves a bit of old school grass action but when the weather doesn't play ball the post race clean up can become a little tedious. This, coupled with the inevitable wear and tear of a grass track, has prompted SHRCCC to up sticks and relocate just down the road to a year round astro based facility.

I made the trip on a nippy Sunday in April for the innaugral meeting.

The enthusiastic committee, headed up by Neil 'Dudders' Dudman and Darren 'Tartman' Parker, have put in some hard graft to turn a 5-a-side footy pitch into the bristly green oasis seen in the pics below. The various members have bought their respective skills to bear and produced an interesting track with something for everyone.

(click on the pics for full size versions)

Schumacher Cougar SV2

Well folks the long wait is over.

The nice chap from UPS came knocking this week cradling in his arms my new Schumacher Cougar SV2.

This has got to be one of the most hotly anticipated buggies of recent times and I can't wait to get stuck into the build.

Things are pretty busy in my 'real life' job right now but I am determined to make some time to bolt this beauty together over the next week or so.

I will be taking plenty of pics and writing a few words so please check back regularly for updates.

I am a lucky boy!

Apex Winter Open at SHRCCC

I toddled off to Farnham last Sunday to get involved with Apex Models sponsored Winter Open at SHRCCC.

Problem is . . . I forgot my camera . . Doh!
So only a short review and just the one 'show-off' pic of my pot!

As usual the club made good use of the space available putting together a track with a decent selection of features to keep it interesting.

The turn out was reasonable with around 45 drivers making the effort.

I had a decent day with the SX3 managing 3rd overall behind a quick Terry Streeter in 2nd and impressive youngster, Ollie Crew, in 1st.

Dean Mandeville took the win in 2wd.
Everyone in attendance seemed to have a good time, most returning home with a smile, so well done and thanks to the organisers for putting on a good day.


SHRCCC have big plans afoot with a brand new outdoor astro track in the pipeline for 2012. Should be a venue to watch out for with regular Sunday meetings planned in addition to the evening meets of 2011.

In the meantime they continue to run their Thursday night indoor meetings until the weather improves.
Worth a look for your winter fix.

Cat SX3 . . . FAB system.

I have recently picked up a FAB (Front Adjustable Brake) system for my SX3.

The FAB comprises a fixed pulley for the mid belt and a one way pulley for the front belt. The one way pulley is sandwiched between a pair of slipper plates which provides an off power braking effect to the front wheels. The tension, and therefore the brake strength, can be adjusted via a nut in exactly the same way as the more familiar gearbox mounted slipper clutch.

Get a grip Pip!

I think I may have got a little carried away with my buggy fetish.

I am hoping this admission in front of my peers is the first step on the road to recovery.

It all started back in the Summer when I met, what seemed like, a nice guy. His name was Neil 'Dudders' Dudman and he was about to set up a new off road club SHRCCC.

I trusted him when he assured me what he was offering was just harmless fun and that I would meet, and enjoy the company of, other people just like me.

Little did I know then that it would lead to this.

Lady Luck's done a runner!

Well readers my luck has deserted me.

Over the last few weeks I've had the kind of run that makes an RC racer wonder why.

Why do I get up at 6.00am on a Sunday?

Why do I drive 50 or 60 miles to stand in a cold wet car park in the middle of nowhere?

Why do I spend hundreds, nay thousands, of pounds in the vigorous pursuit of fractions of a second?

Why do I participate in a hobby after which I return home happy only around 50 per cent of the time?

Because I, like you, am addicted.

Addicted to what?

Those days when I beat my personal best.

Those days when I nail the 'A'.

Those days when I return home triumphant with a 2 bob trophy that's cost me a hundred quid to win.

Those days when the postman brings me an RC package.

 And those balmy summer days chillin' with my buds.

That's why I put up with weekends like the last 3!

Week 1: 10 minutes use with the brand new SX3, the rear belt self desructed and destroyed the rear diff pulley.

Super!

Credit to Schumacher who were excellent, the car is now sporting a new set of belts including the new uprated 'Bando' belts for the front and centre, all free of charge.

Thanks guys.

Durango DEX410R . . Electrics install.

I put my limited soldering skills to the test at the weekend when I decided to wire up the 410.

My electrics of choice comprised a Tekin 6.5t motor hooked up to an LRP Sphere competition speedo. When I say choice what I mean is 'that I managed to source used for a reasonable price'.

Due to the limited space I had to spring for a Spektrum micro rx.

The juice to power this little lot will be supplied by a pair of Intellect 5400mah 60c saddles that are a perfect fit.

It's a bit of a challenge getting everything just so in this car but I think I managed pretty well.

I went for the de rigeur all black wiring, perhaps not the wisest but possibly the coolest choice.

The respective lengths of the positive and negative wires ensure that once in place it is, thankfully, impossible to connect the cells back to front.

I am happy with the outcome.

 I have the heatsink for the speedo and am waiting for a thermal pad to arrive so I can fit it. I am hoping to get away without a fan if I can.

The final job will be to splash some paint on the bodyshell. I'll get the airbrush out tomorrow, pop back to see the result of my efforts.

I'm getting excited now!