Novak Brushless Conversion
 

Quick Poll...

Do you think Novaks brushless conversion will be a hit?

Will you sacrifice your setup that you have now for a pre - made Novak conversion?

Will novaks system be up to snuff with systems like MGM + Neu that are already out there?

no
no
no

I would say "Yes, Electric is the way of the future", but choosing that in the poll would be saying that I think it will be because of Novak's kit, which I don't. So I didn't chose any of the options. I have a dual battery setup at the moment, but I put the motor in the center over the rear drive shaft to keep the batteries closer to the center. My next layout will be single battery, because I think that's probably the way to go. I don't like how far out the batteries sit in the novak kit.

I wouldn't be surprised if they are a hit. The current ones sell quite well despite being slow (6.5) or unreliable (4.5), and not being able to properly push anything more than a light E-Maxx (both systems).

Sacrafice my setup? LOL no thanks. I love my Lehners...and I'll shall run them forever!

Umm, that remains to be seen. Its actually rather impressive to actually have gotten so much power out of a 380 motor, and to create that much power at such high RPM (it goes totally against the standard profile of an electric motor). If they were to make a true 540 motor that behaved very much like an HV motor but could take like 6S, it'd be a BEAST of a system if you ask me.

I agree, i dont think Novaks system will be the revolution... but its definatly a push in the right direction. There will always be flaws in the conversions of cars from nitro to electric because there simply not designed for that. The weight distribution will always be a slightly off. But i must say im pretty jelous of novaks slipper cluctch setup and saddle style battery trays...

Im just glad big companys like novak are realizing the significance to brushless for bigger cars (ie 1/8 scale buggys/ truggys and even monster trucks.)

Unless nitro engines and ICE's in general become much more efficient very soon then there is no stopping the electric revolution! It wont be limited to R/C, either.

Will Novak start the revolution with thier kit? Probably not.

Come on... there's got to be more than 3 of us that run for team Tyco?????

SQUEAK!


Sorry, always wanted to start a post that way.

Hopefully Novak's never HV system can combine the strengths of the old hv (good startup and matched performance) and cure the weaknesses (you know what they are). If they can produce a 6s sytem with a decent size (540+) motor I am sure it will be a hit. Plus having some off the shelf conversion setups will only help out the conversion portion of the hobby. More competition means better prices, etc.

I personally prefer the sensorless motors, my aveox/quark setups are very smooth and powerful. Even the low cost MM can be a very nice performer with the right motors.

I totally agree. While the Novak won't be the thing that starts the "revolution" it's another nice step to more mainstream acceptance and better products from everyone. I personally feel that the MMM or the Tekin setups are going to be the best bang for the buck.

On another note, I would really like to see a 1:8 brushless truggy that didn't start life as a nitro. One that was built completely around a brushless/lipo system. Chassis, drivetrain, everything. I know . . . :whistle:

Tyco got my vote! :mdr:

Why?!? It appears to be nothing more than a Ofna Dominator center slipper. My JT T-Maxx truggy had one and it handled like $hit because of it. There horrible as far as handling goes. Thats why Mike only concentrates on center diffs and center diff/slipper and not center slippers...

A while back, the guy who operated Cold Fusion Racing (maker of the original Rustler/Stampede steel diff gear and Lexan chassis for the Rustler/Stampede) set out to create a 1/8 buggy chassis that would hold up to 18 cells flat, and it looked pretty sweet. He actually finished and cut the chassis, and mounted it up to the front/rear ends (I think they were Ofna front/rear ends), but that was the last I've seen of that buggy. And, I haven't seen him on any forums in quite some time.

The Bomb-Proof Products LSP...LSP front/rear ends with a completely custom chassis. Thats about the only think of aside from a few custom conversions like Jaspers. Granted, the BPP LSP didn't go into production...

Yep, that's another one (don't know why I didn't think about it). Then there's also Mike's chassis for the CRT.5.

Seems that all chassis designed purely for electric power don't do so well in production... So far Mike's chassis is defying that, and I'm sure it will continue to.

If only Tamiya made more 1/10 4wd truggies and buggies and independant suspension 4x4s, that would be ideal. Heck, they only ever made electric vehicles in the past, but they were all aimed at 10 yearold kids like me when I started the hobby with a Madbull. Shame....

I think we would all love to see that. However it will probably still be awhile before we see that.

I give it a good 2 years before brushless 1/8 catches on... but from the enthusiasm i got at the Kyosho race... i could be wrong. :mdr:

What happened at the Kyosho race?

i would have to say yes it will be a hit if they keep the price down. plus its always nice to get everything you need in a all in one kit. i would say that this kit is good for the guy who wants an electric conversion but just isn't to sure of what to get are were to go. plus some people just like the bolt right in kits that don't need you to drill holes in the chassis or find a place to mount a battery.
i wont get ride of the setup i have for the novak hell no mainly because i don't like the dual battery setup. i really have to say that there motor wont be as good as the neu or the frigos.but i do hope that they update there motor an speed controller there both out dated.
i dont think that novak can offer what mgm an neu can just because they would have the price to high for there intended market.

i talked to at least a good 20 people who were interested in my car. The most popular question was how expensive was it to do this to a car... and i just told them its pre close to if you were building a comp. nitro rig... with the exception that i virtually no day to day costs like fuel, cluch shoes, etc etc

Nitro:
1. 450 ish for motor / pipe combo
2. 110 a piece for servos
3. anywhere from 50 to 90 bucks a reciever depending on what ya got
4. 30 bucks for a reciever pack
5. and usually (in my experience) about 40-50 bucks a week in matenence costs I.E cluch shoes, bearings, fuel, air filters

450+110+50+30+40= 680

Electric
1. around 200ish for a nice motor
2. 120 for a speed control (not sure what the MMM or tekin R1-MT will cost but a definate must imo)
3. about 220 for a pack ( 4s setup ) (ide go with at least 2 packs so about 440)
4. 110 for a servo
5. 20 for a Castle BEC (so awsome)

200+120+440+110+20= 890

a 200 dollar spread would be made up in about 2 months of racing a nitro rig... and for me its worth it :yipi:

Wish i could of made something happen, i was in the expert C with about 4 min to go with a 30 second lead on second. I was about to bumb and bam when i came off a triple it started cogging really bad... i found out later my ESC poped out of the case and was flopping around the car for who knows how long... i broke a small piece off the board and that ended my day ^_^

thats the jest of what went on at the kyosho race

I picked nitro will always be better.... If I have to choose between a Novak BL system with a center slipper clutch (no center diff) and 2 battery packs sitting way out on the mud gaurds or a nitro.... I guess Ill take the nitro.

Now a properly set up 1/8 electric.... thats the way of the future.:intello:

I think the novak conversion looks so bad I'm almost afraid it will ruin the good name of 1/8 brushless. First timers will try it thinking its "real" brushless and ditch it and never look back.

I bet it will be much sooner than you think :yes:

I hope so too... Big guys behind the company like Brent Thelkie and Ryan Lutz were interested in the car... Hopefully there enthusiasm will push a experamental car ^_^

I went for team Tyco too, I don't have a Tyco but none of the options fit, i do believe that the future is electric, but I don't think it will be because of Novak, RCMonster started the brushless revolution ages ago.

It may be a hit, anything publicised well enough will have buyers.

I won't be buying one to replace my setup. if they gave me one I'd try it for sure, and probably run till it broke then go back to my current setup.

I wouldn't even look at one if I had a MGM/Neu.

It seems Novak's first attempt at their HV system wasn't so great. However, if they put the effort into their second attempt that they have into their 10th scale race equipment, it will be very good.

I run my crt.5 on a Novak GTB esc and 6.5 velocity motor and it does not run hot with a calculated top speed of 40mph. I run up to the equivalent of 10min mains and get very little heat. I don't have a temp gun, but I can leave my finger on the motor with no discomfort (no heat sink) and the esc does not get above warm (stock fan).

The HV4.5 system seems fine to me in my 8ight. It's far better than my mm/fiegao 9L and 8xl setups, which I couldn't stop from overheating. The novak is faster too and doesn't overheat very easily. The only thing I like about the novak conversion is that it wraps around the stator of the motor for the best possible heat transfer. Other than that, it's not versatile at all since you have to run novak motors, and you are forced to place the battery in awkward positions. In the end I chose tyco, which was my first rc car and had no issues whatsoever!

Novak brushless system will not be a hit because you have to use a novak motor and i know that most if us would rather use a nue motor.

Didn't know what to vote for, these conversion aren't going to be that great that there will be classes for 1/8 buggies popping up everywhere. Maybe if you could use another motor apart from the Novak it would be a alright conversion but really if it is the battery tray that makes it popular than the RCPD kits have a much better chance of getting 1/8 class popular than the Novak kits

Or any of a number of other motors :lol:

The Novak kits are now in stock in Australian stores and on ebay. If Novak can keep up with the demand of these kits then must say, well done Novak. Sure the layout and the fast that you can only use novak motors is a downside but if it gets alot more people and it will into 1/8 brushless then it is a success. Most people look at getting into it and think it is to dear to go brushless and kits aint that easy to get especially if you don't have the internet. The Novak kits are like $90 and then the HV system at $250 im sure alot more 1/8 bl buggies will be at tracks which is what we want. I have heard of people waiting 3+ months to get their kits from RCPD and the kits from RCM and RCPD ain't at many hobby shops and Novak's will be everywhere which may make this class more popular even if we do run circles around them with the Neu motors

/\
l
l
If it is any good it may get electric 1/8th classes set up and encourage others, if however it is slower than nitro and prone to overheating, thousands of people will see it and think that even with BL/LiPo technology electric 1/8th isn't viable, the classes either wont materialize or will be plagued by problems and many that are considering going electric will decide not to, thinking that if the might of novac cant get it right, what chance do they have using parts from smaller company's like RC Monster, castle, mgm and Neu.

It has the potential to be very good for electric 1/8th, or very bad for it, I sure hope the new 540 size HV series is up to the task.

I'm with you on this one. I am very worried that if they are troublesome, it could actually do more damage to the class than the good it could do. Lets keep our fingers crossed that Novak did its homework.

I hate to say it but Castles not helping that view right now. :tongue:

I have confidence that they will get the MMM straightened out. (I have bought and burned 2 of them so far) :oops:

But right now I'm sure it's killing them as much as it's killing the confidence of all the perspective 1/8th scale electric guys. :cry:

I'm new to the 8th scale Brushless/lipo scene. But not new to RCs. Been into them for over 25 years.

I'm going with the whole Novak setup. Why? Cause its a complete solution. I don't have to wonder/worry that I chose an ESC thats compatible with motor x or y, or that it'll fit.

Now with that said, yeah, I hope they did their homework. I plan on racing at our local track against the Nitro 8th scales. There are a few people that are interested and will be watching how well it does. I've got a friend thats a sponsored driver who I'll most likely ask to race it once its set-up so that it has the best chance of making a good showing...

just make sure bushy, that you get the best fans you can buy :D

no seriously, i think its a good idea, BUT as mentioned previously, novak is a make or break company. they do it right and everyone benefits (not the nitro companies but who cares about them haha) but if they do mess it up people who see our conversions will just think its a novak and that they sucked/unreliable etc etc...

if they do well, it will bring more people into this hobby imo.

Bushy,
I have the Novak 4.5 in my MP777 and take it to a nitro track. Last night at practice the nitro guys were impressed with it and the buggy was doing a backflip over a jump (mostly due to my poor driving skills).
Make sure to use both fans just to keep temperatures down, honestly the system (unless it is defective) is pretty solid with the 5mm rotor. I was running on an off for an hour yesterday and the motor/esc never got very hot (I did thermal the motor one day when running 30minutes constant in grass).
If you haven't purchased the motor yet I would suggest going with the 5.5 or smaller, my 4.5 has way to much power from a stand still, The nitro track out here is quite large, but unless it is good and wet I cannot give it full throttle most of the time (to much power). I honestly think if I was running the 5.5 or 6.5 I could probably get better lap times just because the wheels would be getting better grip.
In terms of speed my buggy was going 45mpg on the street with bald tires (no grip, sliding all over the place). With some good on-road tires/foams I would probably have been doing 50+ (that is on a 4S setup w/ a 10T pinion).
But honestly, that kind of speed at the track is not needed (anything over 40mph is overkill IMO).

That's great news cmcclive, how big was the track?

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I'll definitely be running both fans. I'll also examine the fans and if they don't seem durable enough I'll replace them with something else. I've done that already on my GTB system I run in my trf501x.

I ordered the 6.5 motor. So, we'll see. I'm hoping the ESC has enough of a programming profile to allow me to tune the bottom end.

I'm going to go with the Maxamps 8000HV 3S2P 11.1V Pack. Hopefully that will give me the run time I need.

I'm planning on doing some testing first to ensure I don't overheat my set-up and that it'll last the time I need. Then it'll be off to the races!

The club hasn't posted any pics with a car on the track yet so it is hard to get a feel for the size, but this should give you an idea.

Wow, that is a very nice track

I am getting a kyosho mp777 next month.. I have a mp7.5 right it has a nitro motor but since there is a nitro shortage and a gallon of gas might be 40-50 bucks a gallon.. So i am going to make the 7.5 electric to practice with and keep the mp777 nitro for race day because i do not have the time on a race day to charge packs...