No more hijacking the other thread.

[Mozzy]

Originally Posted by RC-Monster Mike

You may want to heed your own advise, my friend. Of these "commercially available conversions" you mention - I would bet that nobody offers the range of conversion parts that RC-Monster does - nobody is even close to the number of vehicle conversion parts we offer(so I would say we are the majority) - and it is true that most or all of our mounts offer an allotment for mechanical brakes....BUT the majority use motor braking and not mechanical braking - and by a longshot.
Your quote of mechanical braking being more predictable isn't true, either - the fact is that electric motor braking will be more consistent - no mechanical parts to wear or cause fade. Electric braking can also be tuned for far more braking force vs. mechanical brakes. Don't confuse predictable or tunable handling with predictable braking - the electric brakes will be the same every time without fading(consistent and therefore predictable).
Using pure mechanical brakes will lower motor temps, and having the opportunity to adjust brake bias can have its tuning benefits as well - along with its detriments. I would say it is largely user preference - the mechanical brake's ability to tune bias can improve handling at the expense of more weight, complexity and work to get set up(worthwhile tradeoff to some, but certainly not the majority). Any "commercial" electric vehicle on the market uses motor braking - the idea of mechanical brakes was born because nitro vehicles have to use mechanical brakes - one benefit of electric is the simplicity - brakes come with the power system.

Basically, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to get it done, but simply different strategies and preferences that vary from user to user. There are far more bashers in the hobby than there are racers, and a basher will almost always prefer the simple electric motor braking - easy to install, easy to convert their vehicle and nothing to really tune - plug and play convenience at its best. A racer is far more likely to experiment with mechanical braking to tune front/rear bias, but this will be a matter of preference as well. Some like it, some don't. There is no right or wrong, but simply differing opinions and preferences. Personally, I think the "best" way to do it may be a hybrid setup - a small servo to mechanically brake the rear only, and motor braking for the center diff itself - a small servo can be used for minimal weight, and front/rear bias can be effectively tuned on your radio(with channel mixing). The tunability of pure mechanical brakes, but with lower weight, increased simplicity(mechanically) and easier "right now" tuning through the radio. I use motor braking on most of my stuff, though - the fact is driving electric vehicles is different than driving nitro vehicles, and I rather enjoy the pure simplicity of this strategy(and on about 95% of the tracks I race on, I haven't felt disadvantaged without the front/rear bias tunability) - I won't force my opinions on anyone else, though - or bother calling names and throwing stones at those who disagree.

Crikey you write alot.

Let's get a few things straight. I didn't write that stuff about mechanical braking, I copied it from the Tekno site.
It was really the first sentence I was after, but, doesn't matter now.

About RC Monster's shop, it's a shame the postage is so high, as the products are good, but, I'm looking out for my pocket not yours & will source things as cheaply as I can & Impakt offer Monster parts slightly cheaper, but, the postage is alot less, go figure.
I bought the XL heat sink & Revo batt tray from you & was ripped a new one on postage. I bought two conversion mounts for my X1CRT & Kanai buggy which are both Monster products as you would know, plus 3 pinions, Neu end bell cover & a Neu motor from Impakt. Postage was only $20. I spent over $400 with them. If you're the same place, you got my business anyway, if not, you lost me.
You don't offer a LST 2 conversion though, why not?
Even just a universal motor mount & battery tray would be good. People can figure the rest out on their own.
I've used the Tekno Revo battery tray slightly modified (cut the mounting lugs off each end) to fit my truck & it's a very good fit too.
Brake bias on a truggy or buggy is a requirement for me when racing (as I do), the added weight of it, isn't an issue when running these motors & batteries. My truck is still going to be lighter as electric than it was as a nitro. What's an extra 50g? Not alot to worry about with all that power. About my comment on "the majority" these are done by you, so, I was right there as you stated this yourself, you are the majority & there's nothing wrong with that.
Again, I got the info straight from another site about braking predictability, I never wrote it, someone else did. I just copied & pasted it, because, it was the info I was looking for at the time.
Brake force won't make any difference to me on a loose surface as you can't utilise it anyway. Maybe on tarmac or blue groove it'd make a difference due to the available grip. Also, I never have issues with fading brakes on a track, my LST 2 has gone from 2 discs to one without any detrimental effects on braking power or any type of fading & it took me all of 5mins to set up tonight on the coffee table with my radio, 3PKS.

Of course there is a difference driving nitro compared to electric. I've flown nitro heli's for 12yrs & then picked up an electric & ripped holes in the sky without having the fear of a flameout, I loved the available instant power. Now, as I've found lately with nitro >> brushless conversions, there's no crappy lag waiting for the motor to spool up & get on the pipe, it's instant & this factor has swayed me majorly towards all my cars being converted.

I still have to run a nitro truggy (due to ) though as I'm sponsored. He hates the idea that I've "defected" to electric (), but, when he saw my mates Revo go he soon looked more seriously at it's benefits & will be getting conversion kits in. Would you wholesale to him for the buggy/truggy stuff?? If so, let me know as I can definitely send alot of business your way, we've been talking alot about it. I'm the MORRCC ( www.morrcc.com )race director most of the time (when I can make it) & there are some very interested punters already, I just need to get one of my cars running to show people how easy it really is & cheap too.

I hope to be able to turn up on race day with 4-5 packs, my tx, car, charger & a few spares & run reliably all day without all the nitro support gear, starter box, glow plugs, fuel, etc.

It's this that is a big selling point to others.

Mike & Rene, I didn't come to this site to bitch, moan & argue with anyone. I came to get the info I required to get things happening down under with off road 1/8 brushless conversions.
Everyone thinks it's too expensive & I'm trying to show them it's not & far more benefical to everyone, including marshalls & racers alike.

This IS the way of the future, I won't deny it. I just hope I'm still around to see it.

[TexasSP]

Shipping is a funny thing. Many places eat it on shipping costs to sell you a product at higher mark up. The fact is, shipping anything over a few pounds isn't cheap even going ground from state to state, factor in international and it can get higher. My brother runs a shipping company and I am well aware of the details of it all. Mike charges very fair shipping prices in my opinion. They are pretty realistic to what his costs are but the guy gives great deals on his products and has some of the best service in the industry. He has never failed to answer an email from me and always within a day. Pretty good for someone as busy as he is.

I also have to stick with him on the bashers versus racers part, bashers like myself are the majority by far. What get's me is not that people race but that racers like to try and dictate how the hobby should be just because that's the way they like it, or that they look down on bashers as some sort of sub species of rc'er. It's the same attitude electric guys get from hard core nitro guys. Why can't we all just enjoy the hobby our way?

I will say that valid complaints against Mike are fair, but you won't find a lot of love on here gunning him down.

i thought his shipping was right on, gmaxx straps, cc bec, some connectors, pinion= 4 bucks that is great imo, frankly at my track braking is not really needed much out of the straight maybe but thats it, i didnt notice it till yesterday that there so minimal

I agree with Tex. Shipping is getting more and more expensive, especially to go international. Rising fuel prices are killing the shipping industry in terms of operating costs, and they have no choice but to pass the cost on to the customer.

[Mozzy]

Well, if a few of you believe shipping to be fair, I certainly cannot justify the cost to Aust. Give more options for the cheaper shipping without the insurance or tracking.

That way the buyer has the option of potentionally losing their goods at their own expense. I opt for the cheaper all the time & still haven't lost anything. My biggest fear is some little bugger taking it from my letter box during the day.

However, I have the benefit of vigilant neighbours that are constantly on the look out.

I used to be a basher, but, it became far too expensive on parts with all the stupid stuff I used to do with my cars. Then I decided to try my hand at racing as there is far more skill involved & satisfaction at keeping on the track. I have nothing against bashers, why would I? I used to do it too.

Now comparing on-road to off-road racers here in Aust, there's alot who seem to think that one is better than the other. I don't. They are both different & each to their own.

We do have some guy's that race both & the funny thing is, they crap at both because, they have all these habits from each class & can't differentiate the two.
Of course, not everyone is like this, but, I know of 4 guy's that struggle with both in their heads.

[johnrobholmes]

Have you tried contacting him for less expensive shipping? I will personally ship to Aus in flat rate priority, but would never consider it to countries like Germany. I have had German mail snag every shipment that was not insured. Having his site only allow one option makes it easier for Mike most likely.

[RC-Monster Mike]

"Crikey you write alot. Let's get a few things straight. I didn't write that stuff about mechanical braking, I copied it from the Tekno site.
It was really the first sentence I was after, but, doesn't matter now. "

I was trying to be thorough and clear. My goal was to try to provide some facts regarding the mechanical brakes vs. electric motor brakes - not simply opinions. Your post seemed biased and somewhat defensive (perhaps a misread of Serum's intentions) and I certainly don't want to get into a dispute with anyone, but I did want to express some facts on the subject, make some suggestions, and perhaps add some insight into the mechanical brakes vs. motor braking topic that is ever present and likely will be discussed many more times in the future. :)

"About RC Monster's shop, it's a shame the postage is so high, as the products are good, but, I'm looking out for my pocket not yours & will source things as cheaply as I can & Impakt offer Monster parts slightly cheaper, but, the postage is alot less, go figure.
Well, if a few of you believe shipping to be fair, I certainly cannot justify the cost to Aust. Give more options for the cheaper shipping without the insurance or tracking."

This all sounds good, and we in fact used to offer less expensive shipping options - but even the folks that will say "I accept the risk if the package gets lost" always seem to change their minds when the package actually gets lost, and I have lost $thousands from credit chargebacks, etc. Perhaps Impakt either hasn't had this happen yet or has found a better shipping alternative(I can attest that shipping cost to International buyers is a constant concern, as I realize the Express option is expensive, particularly for small boxes). Shipping costs are going up as well. My 1st priority is to get the items into my customer's hands quicky and reliably. Cost is the 2nd priority(without the parts, shipping costs don't really matter, do they?) and I have no issue arranging different methods via email - particularly to Australia, as the shipping to the outback is fast and reliable. Other countries would try to select the same option if it was offered on the site, though - and many countries have pretty terrible reliability. We don't make money on shipping, though - we refund excess shipping costs constantly to account for the actual cost (site can sometimes over-quote, but we aren't a shipping company and don't aspire to make money on shipping).
And yes, the Kyosho and CRT mounts are mine (Tekno/Impakt is a dealer for my stuff and I am a dealer for his stuff). :)

"Brake bias on a truggy or buggy is a requirement for me when racing (as I do), the added weight of it, isn't an issue when running these motors & batteries. My truck is still going to be lighter as electric than it was as a nitro. What's an extra 50g? Not alot to worry about with all that power. About my comment on "the majority" these are done by you, so, I was right there as you stated this yourself, you are the majority & there's nothing wrong with that."

While you are likely an avid nitro racer and are likewise accustomed to driving with this style(and braking style), many nitro folks never knew how to tune bias in the first place, and many others just aren't interested as long as they have brakes. I was agreeing with you while at the same time clarifying - the majority of the mounts offer the mechanical braking capability, but the the majority of the end users opt out of them.

"Again, I got the info straight from another site about braking predictability, I never wrote it, someone else did. I just copied & pasted it, because, it was the info I was looking for at the time.
Brake force won't make any difference to me on a loose surface as you can't utilise it anyway. Maybe on tarmac or blue groove it'd make a difference due to the available grip. Also, I never have issues with fading brakes on a track, my LST 2 has gone from 2 discs to one without any detrimental effects on braking power or any type of fading & it took me all of 5mins to set up tonight on the coffee table with my radio, 3PKS."

You basically said it yourself here - it may not matter to you on your dirt track, but it may matter in high traction scenarios, as well as on vehicles that don't happen to have great mechanical brakes(many ARE prone to fading) or perhaps a driver that uses brakes more often than you do and sees the fading brakes. Electric brakes are simply more predictable and consistent, as well as stronger(not saying better or worse, but rather disputing the comment you quoted). You prefer mechanical brakes - and hey, you are certainly allowed to. They have their advantages. Electric motor braking has its advantages as well. No dispute really - just differeng methods of slowing the vehicle down. :)

"Would you wholesale to him for the buggy/truggy stuff??"

Sure - we have dealer accounts - have your friend email me an inquiry and I wil gladly email a dealer application to him. :)

"Mike & Rene, I didn't come to this site to bitch, moan & argue with anyone. I came to get the info I required to get things happening down under with off road 1/8 brushless conversions.
Everyone thinks it's too expensive & I'm trying to show them it's not & far more benefical to everyone, including marshalls & racers alike.

This IS the way of the future, I won't deny it. I just hope I'm still around to see it."

We are on the same page here. :)

[TexasSP]

This all sounds good, and we in fact used to offer less expensive shipping options - but even the folks that will say "I accept the risk if the package gets lost" always seem to change their minds when the package actually gets lost, and I have lost $thousands from credit chargebacks, etc.

This is the CYA part of business that is so unfortunate but so necessary. Unfortunately what people say and what they do is seldom ever the same. I don't blame you Mike, I would never ship anywhere internationally without insurance and full tracking, it's just not worth the risk on either end.

Mike, if you're interested, I can get you in touch with my brother about international shipping options. He has vast experience in this and ships door to door to Iraq as well as many others. While he is just a broker and probably won't handle it himself (he mainly does things by the container load), he can probably help steer you in the right direction or at least show you some other options.

PM me if interested.

One thing I know you can do is check out DHL, while their US shipping is not on the level of UPS or Fedex, they own it internationally and carry the best reputation and pricing.

[glassdoctor]

Originally Posted by johnrobholmes

I will personally ship to Aus in flat rate priority, but would never consider it to countries like Germany. I have had German mail snag every shipment that was not insured. Having his site only allow one option makes it easier for Mike most likely.

Seriously? I would not have guessed Germany to be one of the places to watch out for. I will be careful in the future.

A list of such places would be good info.

DHL: I have never used them before... is it a pain to use them?

[TexasSP]

No, minus the storefronts in shopping centers, they have everything UPS or Fedex has. Advanced tracking, package pickup, and so forth. I always used them for shipping chemicals to me via ground and they were the best at that. I never had problems with damage like the others as well.

Here is their website.

http://www.dhl-usa.com/home/home.asp

[Mozzy]

Ok Mike, I have to go with motor braking on my buggy as the motor fouls on the rear brake pads. Guess I get to try motor braking after all.

Just got to figure out how on the MMM.

Will I have the same issue with the rear brakes on my CRT too? I really like the brake bias on that car.

I get stuff from Amazon, well, actually I just got the last of my bluray discs delivered today along with my Impakt order. Easily spent on these two different lots of stuff well over $900USD. Went cheap postage & everything's gold.

I guess all the shit luck I've had in the last 12 mths is coming good.

Had a house fire, lost alot of RC stuff & a whole house of furniture, fiance left cause I spend to much time on RC, as if!! & got sick with a life threatening illness called Pulmonary Embolism, large blood clots in the main pulmonary aorta of the lungs. Got have an op, kinda like open heart surgery except they stop my heart by freezing me to get the clots out.

I call it EXTREME SURGERY!!! Why laugh about it? Because, I need the op & there's nothing I can do about it. If I die, I die, It was meant to be. I just want at least one of my cars going before I go in.

Hey glassdoctor, what battery are you using with that motor & how quick is it? Also, what spur & pinion are you running in your CRT?

Also, how the freaking hell do you get those plastic covers on the back of the Neu?

& Mike, the LST 2 motor mount? Will you be making one?

[Serum]

that plastic cover on back of the neu is a piece of tupperware, available here.

[BrianG]

He may be asking how to actually install it, not sure. If so, the newer version of the Neu motors have screws that hold on the endcap. You have to dremel the cover where the screws are...

[Mozzy]

Ahhhhh, that's what I was after, thanks Brian.

I'll get onto it later, just got out of hospital from having my last test before the big op.

Very sore atm.

[lincpimp]

Good luck on the heart freezing, sounds like fun

As far as mechanical repairs go, doctors seem to do a good job, so I have high hopes for a successful surgery for you! Now if you had brain problems (like me) they are not so good in figuring stuff like that out.

Sorry to hear the fiance left you, most likely was not due to rc. She may have just had second thoughts. 2 of my groomsmen are getting divorced, both less than 2 years into their marriges. Hope mine lasts, she better not blame rc, cause I will throw the clothes shopping and constant "the hills" watching back in her face!