Speed Run….ALMOST!
Introduction
So, we got shut down by thermal heat. We also ran out of road. This means: I have no idea how fast the Fury is with the new motor upgrades. Now, we have to solve this problem.
I traced the problem to the adapter that went from the EC5 to the Deans. This is the part of the system that got really hot. I could solve this by buying batteries with the proper connector, but why would I do that? I pride myself on voiding warranties. So, I cut off the connector and soldered a Deans connector to the ESC/RX. No, this is not for the faint of heart. You will void the warranty if you do it.
Proprietary Smaprietary: We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Proprietary
The alternative is buying Horizon batteries with their IC5 connector. Please note that the connector itself is not proprietary; it's backward-compatible with EC5. So it will plug into your existing setup fine. What's proprietary is the smart charging. If you want that auto-charging feature, you're stuck buying Horizon's IC5 charger too. So you can use the IC5 connector on the truck without being locked into the Horizon system. This is why I am really starting to like Horizon RTR vehicles. They are like, “Yeah, we hate the man too! Oh wait…. we are the man…. I mean buy our batteries for the smart connector!” Remember Joe Isuzu? Yeah, I’m telling you that you don’t need their smart batteries to run their vehicles.
Why Did I Cut It?
I have all T connectors/Deans connectors. In terms of the overall cost in the hobby, it is cheaper for me to replace the ESC/RX than all my batteries. The Deans/T connectors work great on 3S batteries or smaller. When you get into the higher voltage batteries, then you want something that can handle more current. Sure, I might cook it down the road, but this is potentially half tuition to the school of hard knocks. If I were starting in the hobby today, I would probably use EC5 connectors.
So, what about the connection?
Electricity is like water. If you have a lot of resistance, you are going to get friction. In water, it builds pressure and will be released when the pressure builds too high. If the pressure is too great, it will make its own hole or eventually rupture to relieve the pressure.
In electricity, that translates into heat and potential fire. Which is why I am dealing with thermal shutdown on the ESC/RX. The temperature sensor is saying, “Danger Will Robinson!” Then the heat rises, the system is smart enough to sense that bad things are about to happen, and so the electricity is turned off to prevent a fire. If this system does not work, you find out that wires are filled with smoke and not copper. You don’t want to discover this first hand. So, thankfully, Arrma’s thermal protection works!
The short answer: I changed connectors so that there is one less thing in the system to build resistance. This way, the electricity will flow with less friction to create heat. The result: I can run the car without the ESC/RX unit shutting it down.
Initial Quick Test
I brought the truck outside. I did not want to run it down my street for a variety of reasons. The main one: if this truck gets too far and is engulfed in flames, that could really upset my neighbors. It would be a really big bummer if I happened to have the RC truck drive under their car while it’s burning. That could be a really bad day.
On a serious note, I do test to make sure that when I solder things, the joint will perform properly. My ideal test place is outside, on top of concrete, and I make it a point not to drive the RC cars under another vehicle. I do a lap in my driveway, and then I will look at the wires. I will feel the wires and make sure that there is no resistance. I will give it more and more power just to be safe.
I did the test, and everything looked great. I thought about ripping it down the street, but I was at the time when a couple of my neighbors returned home. My one neighbor might aim for my Fury, and I don’t think that my Arrma will survive the weight of the F250. Although that might be the ultimate torture test to see if these trucks could survive being hit by an F250. My experience with these things is that the F250 might get totaled. I think I will stick with the figure 8s and find a parking lot to see how the truck fares.
Now, in my driveway and front yard, we did do some initial testing. My son had the controller, and I grabbed my phone to watch the GPS data. The fastest we could get it to go in the front yard was 25MPH. This is not because the truck would only do 25MPH, but because I just ran out of room. I need to tell my wife that it is time to get a bigger yard. Unfortunately, she will think that this is for better landscaping, but then I will have to break it to her that it is for a proper RC track. Back on topic: the 25MPH in the grass is good because the thermal breaker was never tripped. We should be able to get a clean speed run if we can find a bigger parking lot.
Unfortunately, I met a virus that was bred between COVID and the black plague. One side effect was that I talked like a pirate, and the other side effect is I was too sick to get outside and run the truck. So, guess what we are going to cover next week? That’s right! The speed run!
Conclusion
The reality is I am curious to see how fast the truck will go. I am getting over the virus, but I have generously shared it with my wife and my kids. It will be a little while before I can get the speed run going.
Don’t miss more ideas to get out with the family.
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