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Jul 2018
2:05pm, 25 Jul 2018
419 posts
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Claypole
Nice going HappyG, sounds like you are really enjoying it all.
Had a ganders at Xray RC cars online after you mentioned you'd got one - look really top quality to me, lots of design engineering gone into those I see!
Hope you can enjoy some club races when you've got the measure of your car and all that 
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Jul 2018
4:28pm, 25 Jul 2018
28,970 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Thanks Claypole. If I get the home track going, I might get a couple of cheaper cars (like Tamiya) so that I can let any visiting kids (or big kids!) race with me at home.
The proper racing brands are so expensive. And seem to be getting more so. I do think it's going to price some people out of the hobby and there will be people looking to take part with more basic kit again, at some point. G
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Jul 2018
6:51pm, 25 Jul 2018
23,242 posts
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DocMoye
will you also be opening a B&B so we can come and visit?
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Jul 2018
8:24am, 26 Jul 2018
28,974 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Lol! My wife is running a horse B&B! We think we're the only people on AirB&B saying "bring your own horse"! When she hosted a training weekend in June, she had 3 girls staying and 2 horses!
So, operation totally destroy the garden went well last night! I cut some hedge with a petrol trimmer thing. That was hard work. Then clearing the trimmings without a wheel barrow. Argh. Then mower was out of fuel, so had to go to garage. Then the grass took ages to cut. Don't know if it was because it's a bit mossy or because I tried to put it on a lower setting, but I must have been emptying 3 times per circuit! I started at 6pm having got home sharp after work and finished at 20 past 10. Lovely moon last night though!
The lawn is really mossy. I guess again when I put on a combination of seed and fertilizer / improver, the moss should be replaced with grass? Or do I need to do something more specific? G
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Jul 2018
8:26am, 26 Jul 2018
28,975 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Oh, sorry, that was for the gardening thread!
For this thread - then it was too late to drive car. We have some garden lighting but not enough for a full flood lit track! Tried charging my batteries by myself for first time. Even that's incredibly complicated. Setting the voltage, current, number of cells and choosing normal or balanced charging. And with "risk of fire" written all over the instructions! Don't store fully charged, don't ever fully discharge etc.
Going up to track tonight with the young lad from club, so he can make sure I do it right! G
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Jul 2018
11:53am, 30 Jul 2018
28,991 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Two sessions Fri and Sunday, but still no racing! Sunday club race was cancelled on Saturday due to weather forecast for storms with possible lightning. Obviously lightning and electronic transmitter wielding peeps, elevated 20ft above a large, flat field is probably not a good idea. Disappointing. Esp as while there were storms on Fri night and into Sat morn, Sunday only had rain showers, no storms.
Anyway, Fri night straight after work, went up with the young lad who lives near me. We set up a track, got my car checked out, then I did 2 x 10 mins (which is actually quite a lot!) Battery charging went fine, car was fine, needed slight trim for steering. Throttle is a bit gradual, compared to other cars that are "punchier". But that's not necessarily a bad thing for a beginner. Mostly kept it on the track and really felt I was getting the hang of slowing down for corners and hitting the apex. Harder bit was having confidence to go full throttle on the straights and also, to know what line to take through double bends, esp when coming straight on, when it's hard to see the line.
The two of us went up again on Sun morning, as we decided that heavy rain wasn't forecast until after 12. Again, did 2 x 10 mins. Cars were completely filthy this time, because it had rained heavily, grass was wet, with little mud patches and the grass getting stuck on and in everything. So a bit of cleaning was required. But he showed me how to take off wheels, remove wishbones to get into the axles (which had grass literally wrapped around tight - I'm surprised the car could still move!)
Cleaned it all up, then took to club chair to get a replacement transmitter and receiver. Unfortunately some compatibility problem with my steering servo, so had to replace that too. Another 50 quid! But I should be able to sell the other one. Second hand market is pretty good. But I need to do the servo replacement and the receiver replacement myself. Should be able to, and if I have problems there are folk I can ask.
Hopefully club racing will be on this Sunday. I really enjoyed it. Some proper laugh out load moments, doing sideways drifting round corners on wet grass, or side by side racing with the youngster. Really great fun. G
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Jul 2018
11:58am, 30 Jul 2018
31,061 posts
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Nick Cook
Brilliant! Thanks for the updates Happy. Sounds great fun!
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Jul 2018
1:48pm, 30 Jul 2018
28,992 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Here, have a pic!
Look at the state of that beastie! G
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Jul 2018
3:45pm, 30 Jul 2018
421 posts
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Claypole
You're getting there - be worth it in the end
Cheers for the pic - brings back fond memories.
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Jul 2018
4:28pm, 30 Jul 2018
28,993 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
See the track in the background that we laid out? My first time setting up the track. We didn't put out the jumps (they're bloomin heavy!) but just used the natural undulations. A couple of hairpins, an S chicane type bit, a long fast bend, one long straight and a straight with a nasty lump in the middle, requiring choice to hit it or go slower over it. And in the wet, the fast bends were just like a huge drift! Great fun. G
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