Novak 1/8 Conversion kits

I don't understand...Novak is going to sell conversion kits?

A.) that seems very unlike their current product offerings
B.) the current BL Novak systems for larger trucks are far sub-par.

Maybe all will be clear to me when my RCCA arrives....

DM

[NovakTwo]

Originally Posted by MacII

I don't understand...Novak is going to sell conversion kits?

A.) that seems very unlike their current product offerings
B.) the current BL Novak systems for larger trucks are far sub-par.

Maybe all will be clear to me when my RCCA arrives....

DM

After waiting for years for another company (one for whom a conversion kit would be among expected product offerings) to offer conversion kits, Bob decided to design them himself.

This way we can offer nitro conv kits specifically designed for Novak HV products. The 5mm shaft rotor (upgrade kit) has been approved, so we will probably do the press release for it in a few weeks.

Hello,

Originally Posted by NovakTwo

After waiting for years for another company (one for whom a conversion kit would be among expected product offerings) to offer conversion kits, Bob decided to design them himself.

This way we can offer nitro conv kits specifically designed for Novak HV products. The 5mm shaft rotor (upgrade kit) has been approved, so we will probably do the press release for it in a few weeks.

Well, color me surprised - but happy. While I hope the current smaller, creative and innovative companies (like our own RC Monster) continue to exist and even thrive, I'm glad to see a true "main stream" company like Novak joining the fray. 2008 is the year this class will get noticed.

My only advice for you (Novak) is that I hope your 1/8th electronics are up to the performance of your race grade 1/10th electronics. Back in my old days of racing 1/10th, Novak was the best. Orange was in all my vehicles. The current HV products just don't seem up to the same quality as your 1/10th race products. Perhaps racing was not the target market for the older HV stuff, and that's fine but 1/8th is a race class. We need race grade stuff. Motors that can deliver performance and speedo's which can handle the heat. 5 minutes doesn't cut it anymore. When I run against Nitro I need something which can handle 15 or better yet 20 minutes of punishment.

Build it right and Orange will be right back on top.

DM

[NovakTwo]

Thanks for all the inputs on this thread. As i commented on another thread, innovators in R/C products are always in short supply---so support them when you can. Novak was a kitchen table operation for years before we became a "real company". Looking back 30 years, it's something of a miracle that we are still around....

I recently shared the "HV crap" comment with Bob and he's always legitimately perplexed by such criticism (probably because he doesn't read forums regularly!) He said that he's been testing the conversion set-ups with the existing HV BL system---with the 5mm shaft rotor.

I agree that our HV products are badly in need of a makeover and they are pretty far along in the design/prototype phase. The existing items were originally offered as (reasonably priced) upgrades for the E-Maxx size vehicles. At that time, LiPo wasn't a serious consideration.

My only advice for you (Novak) is that I hope your 1/8th electronics are up to the performance of your race grade 1/10th electronics. Back in my old days of racing 1/10th, Novak was the best. Orange was in all my vehicles. The current HV products just don't seem up to the same quality as your 1/10th race products. Perhaps racing was not the target market for the older HV stuff, and that's fine but 1/8th is a race class. We need race grade stuff. Motors that can deliver performance and speedo's which can handle the heat. 5 minutes doesn't cut it anymore. When I run against Nitro I need something which can handle 15 or better yet 20 minutes of punishment.

When racing 1/8th Electric, are there any price caps or motor/esc requirements or regulations? ROAR enforces a $129.00 LP for modified BL motors, which will limit future innovation. If there are no 1/8th scale price limits, how much would racers be willing to pay for high performance motors and controllers? In what ways do you think the quality of our HV systems needs to be upgraded.

As before, comments and suggestions welcome.

Originally Posted by NovakTwo

When racing 1/8th Electric, are there any price caps or motor/esc requirements or regulations? ROAR enforces a $129.00 LP for modified BL motors, which will limit future innovation. If there are no 1/8th scale price limits, how much would racers be willing to pay for high performance motors and controllers? In what ways do you think the quality of our HV systems needs to be upgraded.

As before, comments and suggestions welcome.

Rules? As I mentioned, we are basically all red-headed step children. There are few organized classes. Personally, the largest organized event I race with my Electric CRT conversion has been the RC Car Action Monster Madness race where we have a "Brushless Open" class. E-Maxxes, E-Revos, and other Brushless conversions all race in an anything goes type class. I've also raced at the RC Car Action Battery Blast race where there has been an Electric Monster Open and an Electric 1/8th buggy class. Again open, no rules.

Price? I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for..." Many of us are using very expensive ESCs. My Schulze 18.97 was about $400 when new however today many of us on 4s are using the Castle Mamba Max (about $140). For motor, there is a wide range. On the low end are Feiago's at around $90 and on the higher end are the Neu's at about $275. This class has not been cheap. However there is much buzz from three companies. Yours, Castle and Tekin. I think the general feeling is that when you three release products, price should come down.

Quality? I base my feelings on the experience of a racer at my local track. I'd be happy to give you his name offline but his HV system has been back to Novak something like 9 times, several of which were handled by the main man, Bob Novak himself! Two weeks ago at the RCMTRA race, he was running his HV system on 14 cells in a modified E-Maxx, at 6 minutes into the main, it went into thermal shut down. At the time it was about 50 degrees F outside in early Nov! His truck has no where near the power and speed of mine using a $90 Feiago motor.

Looking forward to seeing your next generation products.

DM

[ssspconcepts]

Originally Posted by NovakTwo

Thanks for all the inputs on this thread. As i commented on another thread, innovators in R/C products are always in short supply---so support them when you can. Novak was a kitchen table operation for years before we became a "real company". Looking back 30 years, it's something of a miracle that we are still around....

I recently shared the "HV crap" comment with Bob and he's always legitimately perplexed by such criticism (probably because he doesn't read forums regularly!) He said that he's been testing the conversion set-ups with the existing HV BL system---with the 5mm shaft rotor.

I agree that our HV products are badly in need of a makeover and they are pretty far along in the design/prototype phase. The existing items were originally offered as (reasonably priced) upgrades for the E-Maxx size vehicles. At that time, LiPo wasn't a serious consideration.



When racing 1/8th Electric, are there any price caps or motor/esc requirements or regulations? ROAR enforces a $129.00 LP for modified BL motors, which will limit future innovation. If there are no 1/8th scale price limits, how much would racers be willing to pay for high performance motors and controllers? In what ways do you think the quality of our HV systems needs to be upgraded.

As before, comments and suggestions welcome.

Well, I just shelled out $300 for my Neu and another $400 for my MGM...obviously if you could minimize the pain a little I would be very grateful!

I can't speak to the regulations question...I am a backyard racer/basher. I will say this...I think you should (like you have done in the past) cater to several different types of customers. There are a lot of young folks out there that can't afford $700 for an ESC/Motor combo. There are also others like myself that will pay whatever you want as long as it is top quality merchandise. Then there are the racers...which there are plenty of them here to tell you their thoughts.

[Matthew_Armeni]

What I would like to see, as a basher part time club racer-
(Some of these may be a given but I didn't want to leave any out)
-Programable. The pit wizard was awesome, and it'd be cool to bring it back but being able to hook up to a computer instead of counting blinks of LED's is really great. This is something I really like about my mm.
-Plugs on both sides of the sensor wire- excellent idea suicideneil
-How about bullet plugs for all the wires that go into the ESC? I could make different length motor or battery wires for different cars without having to near my expensive ESC with a hot soldering iron.
-Please no Tamiya connectors, those things need to go away!
-For easier plug and play a built in HVBEC would be awesome, I know the current HV system works without a seperate BEC but only if you're running 2 seperate packs plugged into your seperate connectors, if you're running 1 4S pack you need a seperate BEC, I personally do not like running 2 packs.
-and on the subject of 2 packs, while I don't like it a lot of people do, so 2 connectors like the current HV and a shorting plug with the controller for people like me
-lipo cutoff built-in
-full function fwd/brk/rev/brk only, double pump is the best
-no less than 4S capable(which your current setup has so I'm not worried about that) and some people will want more but at what cost? Is increasing voltage capability something that can be done without a lot of programming? I don't know these things but if so multiple models could be offered, sport, pro, etc. allowing power mongers to get the power they want and new guys (or poor, if you're like me) to go with a less expensive setup
-more than just 2 motor choices, pro and sport models (again, cost)
-and with the motors, how about a flat spot for the pinion screw from the factory? That'd be nice.

Well, that's all I can think of right now, but my big one is it being programable. You guys make awesome products and I'm sure it will turn out well, and opening it up for ideas and comments shows how much you guys listen and care about the consumers, good job.

Originally Posted by rchippie

Mac i read somwhere they have a 1/8 system with 5mm shaft in the works.

That would be SOO SWEET!

A sensored 8th scale BL system, and it would do 6s

Id love that

[rchippie]

Originally Posted by BlackedOutREVO

That would be SOO SWEET!

A sensored 8th scale BL system, and it would do 6s

Id love that

Yes it would . I think i read it on rctech i just dont remember .