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Who? Why? What? Krash! Krunch! Kaboom?

You will have to excuse me for taking the easy way out on this one. There won't be any fancy charts, illustrations, or illuminations, but it will be a start; something to get the ball rolling and to help me, and you, better understand what we will attempt to accomplish. You see, it has been nearly two months since Keith approached me with the idea of putting some of my foolishness on the web via the Virus Racing website. I liked the idea, foolishly agreed, and wrote a mental check that I am now attempting to make good on....

^{Your intrepid scribe at the “Asphalt Attack” in Indianapolis basking in the glory of my 3rd place finish (and my geekness)…. (Thanks to trophygirl for the picture and Hobbytown Indy for the great race!)}

First, and most importantly, "the golden rules". Everything I write about is rubbish! Rubbish, and not particularly important. At best, it will be worth a few tenths, or might save you a few dollars here and there. Nothing will help like track time; track time, and rigorous thorough maintenance. Sure, there will be exceptions to this rule as there are some products that perform very poorly, but generally today's R/C racer has it pretty well, and in my opinion most of the products out there are very good.

Second, ignore me as needed. I'm sure I will insult everyone's favorite product at some point or another, including some of my own! But, unless it borders on being ridiculous, don't sweat it. There will also be a certain group that thinks "bench tests" are worthless; you can usually spot them as they will be vehemently defending a favorite product that did poorly. Some of these tests will be a bit extreme, and may "emphasize" short comings that will be considerably less noticeable on the track. However, experience has taught us that were there is smoke; there is fire. In those cases I will try my best to point them out, and/or minimize the effects to provide as much of an "as used" situation as possible. In the end though, don’t take it to seriously; consider it a buffet if you will, take what you need, take what you want, and leave the rest.

And last, I'm going to screw up, if I catch it later I will correct it, if you catch it for me, feel free to let me know and I will correct it. While I will try very hard to not screw up, something will inevitably fall through the cracks. And in support of that, some of this will be nitty gritty. If I had an infinite amount of monkeys with an infinite amount of time and infinite amount of money (and a better brain) I would cover every last bit. I am not going to worry about the effects of gnat droppings in your inserts on the test, nor can I viably test a “statistically significant” number of samples. We are after the big game here! What it means to you, your wallet, and on the track.

Who?

If you have been an R/C racer in the Grand Rapids at any point in the last 21 odd years, then there is a chance we have crossed paths at some point. From racing dirt at Kimble Field, to nitro sedans at Riders Hobby Shop (or for that matter behind the counter for many, many, years) to next Friday at The Proving Grounds; there are few classes that I haven't dabbled in, and few tracks within a couple hours drive that I haven't enjoyed at least once. Sure, there has been more than a few breaks here and there, some lasting months, and others lasting years for various reasons, but I would still keep tabs on happenings, and keep in touch with friends. Regardless of all that, I have always had one true passion, and that is racing. From the days of Fittipaldi ‘till today, if it involves a road course or rally course, a driver, and a car, I am riveted by the spectacle that is racing.

On the professional front I am a quality technician with over 15 years experience in the field and an Associate’s Degree in Quality Science. Soon, I will begin the next stage in my schooling and attend classes to receive a BS in Mechanical Engineering. I am responsible for testing and ensuring the quality and safety of products in the automotive and furniture industries. This includes regular scrutinizing by 3rd party registration organizations and customers. What does this have to do with breaking R/C parts you ask? Well, nothing, and everything. While the safety of others will not generally be in jeopardy if I fail to perform a test correctly, I still intend on applying the same rigorous methods to this testing as I do in my job. If the results are junk, not applicable, or not repeatable, I won't waste your time until I feel they are correct.

Did I mention that I am known for being a bit wordy?

Why?

There are really two answers to this one, simply, because knowing "why" will make you faster. Why does the “team” guy run the plastic parts but the team kits come with carbon parts? Why does the fast guy run the 35C LiPo when the 50C one should be better? Why is everyone drilling that extra hole in their shock towers? Too often this hobby (and real racing for that matter) is full of hearsay, myth, half-truths, and "because he did it" engineering. Part of being faster is being better informed; being better informed results in quicker set-ups, less money spent on "must have items" that are not really better (or worse!) than the one you are currently using, and hopefully, better informed will mean a more enjoyable day at the track. So, if you want to know the "why" for the above and much more, this will be your place!

^{Losi suspension arms in a flexure test.}

Second, I truly love this hobby and the people that make this hobby what it is. Consider this my meager, but sincere, contribution to making the hobby better and more enjoyable for all of us. At worse, we will all be a bit smarter for it, save a few bucks, and have an amusing read or two. At best, maybe we can steer a few companies to make better products.

What?

This is where it gets fun for me, and you get to see those neat graphs, and with a little luck, a bit of my blood spilt, or the aftermath of a fire or two when things go "all pear shaped". I am going to break stuff, abuse stuff, and test stuff to answer "why", and maybe even save you a few wasted bucks on a bum product. If I do this right you will be able to answer your own "whys" and apply that to your needs at the track. You will be able to determine on your own when it is best to run that 35C battery, or switch to the plastic chassis over the carbon one, or when you need to run the extra hole in the shock tower.

Krash! Kaboom! Krunch?

So what can you expect with these semi-regular (hopefully) ramblings? There is definitely no shortage of ideas, only time and resources. First will be the "living databases"; an ongoing series of test results in different categories that will be continually updated as new products come to market. This area will cover battery tests, motor tests, and speed control tests. This will allow quick and easy comparison between the latest and greatest to the tried and true. Others will be "one-off" articles exploring a particular aspect or trend to help myself, and you, better understand why it works, and what effect it has (or should have) on the track. And unless it is theory, I will provide the data nicely formatted and illustrated for you to peruse. There will be no “seat of the pants” dyno here. If it can be tested, it can be measured quantifiably and distilled for a quick comparison!

^{One of the original liPo comparisons that started it all and it is only going to get better!}

Below is just a short list of just some the subjects that will be covered:

Does a shock spring change after 500 cycles? 1000 cycles? 5000 cycles?

What is the difference in stiffness between carbon and plastic suspension arms?

What effect do all those different holes on the shock tower actually have?

Are those Losi EA3 parts significantly stronger than the regular parts, how about carbon versus regular plastic?

Whose plastic is stronger, Losi, Associated, or Kyosho?

Which method of timing boost is better? Dynamic (LRP SPX, Novak Kinetic), Linear (KO), or fixed after delay (Tekin)?

How many “Gs” of shock does an electric 1/8th scale buggy take on landing, acceleration, and cornering?

How many amps does a 17.5 2wd buggy, 1/12th scale, or sedan draw during a race?

Do you have a battery you want tested? Or a motor? Perhaps you want to know how many amps your car is drawing in a race, or what temperature your motor is hitting during a race. Find me at the track and we will throw the telemetry unit in there, and we will post it up to see what is happening, or how you compare to other local racers in the same class!

At the end of the day, it is really about having fun; my goal is to keep this informational, light-hearted, and accessible. With a little luck, elbow grease, my vain attempts at humor, and minimal scarring; all of us will hopefully walk away each time knowing a little bit more to help make us faster and wiser. It’s not about whether battery “X” is better than battery “Y”; it is about giving you the information, and pros and cons of each to help you decide which option is better for you. To quote Top Gears Jeremy Clarkson, "Ambitious but rubbish"! In fact, that sounds like a fitting name.....

For the next installment of Ambitious! But, Rubbish; Everything you needed to know about R/C car handling you learned in Kindergarten.