1/8th Electric Class rules

[lambchops]

We will be starting up a 1/8th Buggy electric class at my local club in the UK. We are way behind you guys and dont have any dedicated classes running yet.

What i need to know is do you set any sort of ground rules for battery, engine specs or is it a free for all? What we want to try and avoid is the people with the deepest pockets having a big advantage. I was thinking about having rules like 4 cell batterys being the standard ect stuff like that.

What do you guys do?

[bdebde]

My local track just started electric 1/8th scale class. We have no battery or motor limits. I like this because I am going 6s on my new buggy, should run cooler than my old 4s buggy.

[lambchops]

ok thanks for the reply, anyone else have any experience of how things are run?

[wallot]

to get as many people attarcted to this class we do not have any rules as far motor/battery goes.

some people like higher voltage so let them run it.

I found interesting rule as far battery goes - some US club has Watt/h limitation.

So poeple running 4S can use 5000mah batteries, 5S 4200mah batteries and 6S 3300mah batteries to get about same runtime which is important if you have longer mains that need battery changes.

However i dont think battery changes are way to go as it would lead to unsage battery mounts just to be able to change them fast.

We run using standard electric system with 3mains with 2 best counting.

If you are security concerned than you have to limit batteries to 4S so you can run hardcase lipo. Higher voltage hard case lipos are still very rare.

[Marvin]

In fairness though, most 1/8 brushless cars have good battery trays etc, so hardcase isn't really necessary in my opinion.

I reckon that two 10-15 minute legs for a final is ideal. No battery changes, so it allows more diversity from nitro.

It won't be the person with the deepest pockets winning. It'll be the person who most understands their set-up, and has sorted their car out properly. Oh, and of course is the best driver.

For instance, the most expensive batteries would be something like 10S 5000mAh, but they're so heavy there is no point. Money doesn't really come into it in my opinion. Certainly no more than nitro anyway.

[lambchops]

Yeah good point Marvin, even if the cars with huge batterys maybe quicker but they will handle like bricks!!

Not to far for you to come to Clanfield for some 1/8th action?

[bdebde]

Races at my local track will likely be to roar times: 7min qualifiers and 10 min main. I am trying one of the RCM 6s 2600 30c hard case lipos with lehner 1930/8 configured to Y (about 1500kv)... should do 10 min main.

[nitrostarter]

We ran 6 minute qualifiers and 10 minute mains.

[Marvin]

Originally Posted by lambchops

Yeah good point Marvin, even if the cars with huge batterys maybe quicker but they will handle like bricks!!

Not to far for you to come to Clanfield for some 1/8th action?

Unfortunately not (though I would like to). I'd have to get up sooo early in the morning to get there, and I can't be bothered with that.

[eovnu87435ds]

+1 for keeping the rules open. IMO, the ROAR rules basically state, if you belong to the RC-Monster forum, your car is against the rules.

A big one will be lipos. people have to budget their hobbies, and so being able to race cheaper softcase lipos will mean more money for racing than with hardcase. I also have never ever seen a lipo go up in flames, and really, do you think a thin plastic case will stop a lithium fire? Sure hardcase lipos offer more puncture protection, but it is inside an enclosed chassis, and often a battery box too. The only hazard would be a battery being eaten by the spur gear, which again, in a brushless car, a hardcase lipo won't offer any protection. As for charging, I wouldn't mandate the use of a lipo sack, but the user must use common sense and safely charge their lipos(ie, not under a pile of leaves, on the ground, and any other highly flammable location). This would be one of those "safety is defined at the discretion of the race director" rules.

Also, let them do battery changes during races. So what? they lose about a lap if they can do so quickly. It certainly won't give them an advantage when compared to a racer with a single larger pack. Its no fun to have to sit and watch half a race because you cant change batteries.

Also, let people use whatever motors they want. Motors cost alot of money, and people wont be thrilled if they have to convert $400 of their equipment to a roar legal alternative.


Bottom line IMO: The track that governs the least guarantees the most fun.